Daniel March was born in Sutton Massachusetts in 1786 to Stephen and Prudence March. He graduated from Brown University in 1806. He died in 1807 at the age of 20. Daniel March was the brother of Hannah, George, and Oliver March. Prudence March had a sister named Lydia Bullen. She and her son John Rawson Bullen wrote letters that are included in the collection of correspondence. Lydia Bullen makes reference in her letters to John (mentioned above) and Sally as well as to three of her other children whose names are not given. It is possible that one of these children is also called Daniel as Lydia mentions a Daniel in one of her letters to her sister Prudence. Rawson might be Lydia and Prudence’s maiden name since “Grandfather Rawson” is mentioned by John Rawson Bullen in one of his letters to his cousin Daniel March. There are assorted relatives, “Uncle Holmes”, “Uncle Hutchinson,” “Aunt Bridgham”. “Uncle Jacob”, mentioned by John Rawson Bullen as well as “Brother Rawson” referenced by Lydia Bullen, This information was discovered after a cursory reading of the family correspondence.
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Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Daniel March family papers, MS-1U-M5, Brown University Archives.
The Daniel March family papers provides an intriguing view of the life and thoughts of Daniel March, a young man in the early 1800s as well as a window into the March Family from 1769-1871. The collection consists of correspondence, essays, receipts, newspaper clippings, notebooks, poetry, orations, silhouettes, and two dramatic dialogs. The majority of the written material comes from Daniel March (1786-1807) who graduated from Brown University in 1806. His collected essays discuss a variety of topics including conversation, honor, suicide, patriotism, duels, education, envy, military duty, local prejudice, dancing, capital punishment, knowledge, death, and women’s hats. Also included are poems, many of them by Daniel, some as yet unidentified. The poetry, like the essays, deal with a wide range of topics from the light-hearted “The Folly Sailor” to the brooding “The Hermit-the Storm”. Within the essays and orations are several references to the “Philandrian Society” to which Daniel appears to have belonged. The correspondence contains letters from various March family members and their extended family. The letters deal largely with family news, deaths, births, illnesses, education, travel, daily life and some business dealings. Included with the more traditional letters are notes for debts owed or paid by the family, term bills for Daniel March’s time at Brown University, letters of merit, invitations and a court summons from 1777.
The collection is arranged into the following 4 series:
There is no information on who donated the collection or when.
This series contains a group of three folders (4-6) that are essays for a composition class. Each of the essays is numbered and the folders are split into school year. There are a variety of subjects discussed including art vs. nature, pride, biography, conversation, English poetry, students and politics, man, science, dancing, republican government, military duty, envy, peace, knowledge, capital punishment, immigration, debtors prision and mortality. Mixed with the more traditional essays are poems that are included because they were included by Daniel himself. Each page is numbered and dated in sequence.