Samuel J. Tilden letters to Catherine Peirson

1848-1880 [bulk 1848-1863]

Catherine Peirson (1796-1888) was a descendant of Henry Peirson (1618-1680), who departed Yorkshire, England in 1639. The Peirson family settled in Massachusetts, in Suffolk County, New York, and in Morristown, New Jersey. The daughter of Captain Nathan Peirson, Catherine owned several properties in Richmond, Massachusetts, a small town adjacent to Columbia County, New York, where Samuel J. Tilden was born and raised. According to Tilden friend and biographer John Bigelow, Peirson, who never married, had been long acquainted with the Tilden family, and a clause in Tilden's will suggests that Peirson had at one time loaned money to his brothers Moses and Henry. The collection consists mostly of the letters of Samuel Tilden to Catherine Peirson and their typed transcripts. Most of the letters discuss Tilden's handling of Peirson's finances. This includes general political and financial news of the time, and updates on the status of Peirson's investments. Some of this correspondence also refers to Tilden and Peirson's plans and failed attempts to meet in person. Also included are a memorandum of Catherine Peirsons investments in US stocks and notes written by Tilden; two signed receipts of monies paid to Peirson by Tilden; and a copy of Tilden's essay The Union! Its Dangers! And How They Can Be Averted. Also included are some typed transcripts of undated correspondence between Peirson and family members, including letters to Captain Nathan Pierson, concerning a sister's death and other family matters.