As detailed below for the Tweedie family records, a fonds level description provides an overview of the totality of the records in an individual’s papers. It identifies the provenance, extent of the records, photographs and objects as well as details that help a researcher determine if the papers will fit with their specific research interest.
Title and statement of responsibility area:
Tweedie family fonds
Dates of creation:
1855-1951
Physical extent:
2.91 m of textual records, graphic materials, and objects.
Scope and content:
The Tweedie family fonds has been divided into six sous-fonds and two collections.
Rev. William and Dorcas (Calkin) Tweedie’s sous-fonds consists of diaries, correspondence, and personal and financial papers that document Rev. William Tweedie’s career as a Methodist preacher and provide evidence of the couple’s social and financial activities as well as their interactions with friends and family.
Rev. James Tweedie sous-fonds consists of a diary that documents his sermon notes, lists of texts preached, and records of family visitation, and a family Bible. The contents of the sous-fonds provide evidence of Rev. James Tweedie’s professional activities as a Methodist preacher and also record history of the family from its origins in Ireland.
William Morley Tweedie’s sous-fonds consists of personal and business correspondence, invitations, diaries, notebooks and course notes, teaching notes and related material, personal records and items, speeches, memorabilia, and family genealogy. The contents of the sous-fonds offer extensive correspondence with Tweedie’s former students, friends, and acquaintances he made while living in Oxford, England and Heidelberg, Germany, and detail his many subsequent travels around Europe. This is complemented by documents relating to his education and subsequent teaching career and his continued involvement with the Mount Allison community following his retirement. Other personal records include those documenting Tweedie’s daily social and financial activities as well as personal and professional interests.
Leora Rebecca Tweedie’s sous-fonds consists of correspondence, student notes, an autograph album, diploma, essays and personal documents. The contents of the sous-fonds give evidence of some aspects of Leora’s student life at the Mount Allison Ladies’ College, her later life and involvements, and her exchanges with friends and relatives.
Nettie (Tweedie) Beer’s sous-fonds consists of correspondence received or compiled by Nettie that document her early exchanges with friends and relatives.
Thomas Mitchell Tweedie’s sous-fonds consists of a reproduced copy of his last will and testament, correspondence, and newspaper clippings that document his life, involvements, and achievements.
The postcard collection consists of postcards received or compiled by William Morley Tweedie, Leora Rebecca Tweedie, and Nettie (Tweedie) Beer. The contents of the collection provide insight into their personal lives and interactions with friends, acquaintances, and relatives. The collection includes images of landscapes, cities, and monuments primarily in Canada, the United States, and Europe in the early twentieth century.
The photograph collection consists of tintypes and photographs created, compiled or received by various members of the Tweedie family. The contents of the collection document the lives and exchanges of Rev. William Tweedie, his wife Dorcas (Calkin), and their children Leora Rebecca Tweedie, William Morley Tweedie, and Nettie (Tweedie) Beer. The photographs also give evidence to some of the individuals connected to the Tweedie family.
Custodial history:
Information about the custody of these records prior to acquisition is incomplete.
Note area
Source of supplied title proper:
Title based on contents of fonds.
Physical description:
Includes: 1.87 m of textual records; 892 postcards; 5 folding postcards; 27 greeting cards; 523 photographs; 5 objects; 1 mortarboard.
Physical condition:
The majority of the fonds is in good condition. A portion (5%) of the textual records have suffered some damage as a result of vermin, water, or tears. Notes have been made at the item level to describe the extent of the damage. The picture and postcard collections remain in excellent condition.
Immediate source of acquisition:
The contents of the fonds were probably received by the Mount Allison University Archives shortly after the deaths of William Morley Tweedie or Leora Rebecca Tweedie in 1952. The source is unverified.
Language:
The contents of the fonds are primarily in English with some correspondence in German.
Arrangement:
The arrangement of this fonds was imposed by the archivist during the re-arrangement of the fonds conducted in 2019 and was based on prior arrangement work conducted by the original processing archivist as well as evidence left behind by members of the Tweedie family concerning the arrangement of their personal papers.
Restrictions on access:
There are no restrictions on access.
Rights:
All rights were transferred to Mount Allison University at the time of the Tweedie estate bequest in 1951. The content is currently in the public domain
Finding aids:
An item level inventory is available for this fonds, which can be accessed below: