Stewards of the Hungerford Deed

Stewards of the Hungerford Deed

When the Smithsonian Institution was founded “for the increase and diffusion of knowledge,” it was difficult to know how impactful this mission would still be 175 years on. To this day, the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives strives to further this goal, sharing our knowledge to make discoveries and expand our understanding together with you, our community of supporters. The Hungerford Deed, which quickly became a treasure of our collections, exemplifies this work, as does the special opportunity to become a close supporter of the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives by joining the Stewards of the Hungerford Deed. Read on to learn about how the Hungerford Deed illuminates the Smithsonian’s founding, and the impact you can make as a Steward.
The signature of Elizabeth Macie, James Smithson’s mother, on the Hungerford Deed, 1787, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Acc. 19-150.
The Deed is a 1787 property contract divvying up inherited lands between James Smithson’s mother and aunt. The insights shared by the Deed go beyond the legal decisions, illustrating a dramatic battle between the sisters and offering context via the family dynamics that shaped Smithson into the founding donor of the Smithsonian Institution. Like many archival discoveries, the Deed is an unpublished work that required
ample preservation
when it was anonymously donated to the Smithsonian in 2019. Preservation included carefully unfolding, stabilizing, and humidifying each
parchment page
so viewers can
examine the pages
, as interested parties might have three centuries ago. This process reveals and protects the original knowledge present in the Deed, contributing this knowledge to the collections that the Libraries and Archives safeguards as a resource for future generations.
The Hungerford Deed opened for the first time. Smithsonian Institution Archives.
Sharing knowledge often leads to exciting discoveries in collaboration with other scholars and curious minds. The Libraries and Archives is excited to facilitate this exchange through a virtual exhibition launching on August 10, offering a deeper dive into the Deed. Visitors near and far will be able to virtually turn the pages of the Deed and explore for themselves, with highlights of interesting facts and context right on the page to enhance their understanding. The Deed offers a wellspring of new information pertaining to the history of
women’s property rights
,
the British legal system
, and
Smithson’s genealogy
, and we are excited to make this knowledge available to
evolve understanding
alongside researchers.
The first page of the Hungerford Deed, 1787, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Acc. 19-150.
Our preservation, research, and outreach in connection to the Deed exemplifies just a few of the ways the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives protects and shares our collections. With scientific and cultural treasures ranging from oral histories to artists’ books, the Libraries and Arc…