Quincy family collection

Historical/Biographical Note

Historical/Biographical Note

In 1770, Josiah Quincy I (1710-1784) had a mansion built in what was then known as Braintree, Massachusetts overlooking Quincy Bay. Josiah I’s first son, Edmund (1733-1768), died at sea in 1768 while traveling to the West Indies. Josiah I’s two remaining sons, Samuel (1735-1789) and Josiah II (1744-1775), were both lawyers who practiced in Boston. Samuel was a loyalist and Josiah II a patriot. Josiah II and John Adams defended the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre, while Samuel prosecuted the case. This meant not only that the brothers opposed each other in court, but also that they were defending positions to which they were each personally opposed. In 1774, Josiah II secretly sailed to England, ostensibly to improve his failing health but actually to encourage a peaceful resolution to the conflict. On his return journey in 1775, Josiah II died at sea. Shortly thereafter, Samuel sailed for England. In 1778, Samuel learned that as a result of his political position he had been banished from Massachusetts and his property sold at auction. He spent almost all of the rest of his life in Antigua. In 1789, he sailed back to England but died at sea like both of his brothers.

When Col. Josiah Quincy I died in 1784, his house passed to his youngest grandson, Josiah III (1772-1864). Josiah III dedicated his life to public service, including as Federalist in the United States House of Representatives, mayor of Boston, and President of Harvard University, a post he held for sixteen years. It was during this time that part of Braintree was renamed Quincy in honor of the Quincy family’s contributions to the community. As mayor of Boston, Josiah improved water and sewer systems, reorganized the police and fire departments, and established Quincy Market. His actions helped to make Boston a modern city with adequate public services. Josiah III also published many histories and biographies. However, his "A Memoir of the Life of Josiah Quincy, Junior of Massachusetts, 1744-1775" is widely believed to be the work of his daughter, Eliza Susan Quincy.

Eliza Susan Quincy (1798-1884) was an accomplished and respected historian of the Quincy family and Quincy house. She was also an accomplished amateur artist whose work was requested by President John Quincy Adams for his Washington, D.C. residence. Eliza Susan Quincy worked tirelessly to write about and protect the Quincy house, including retrieving original furnishings from distant family members.

Josiah III’s son, Josiah IV (1802-1882), was also a mayor of Boston and was a representative in the Massachusetts state legislature. He inherited the house when his father died in 1864, although his sisters retained life tenancy in the house. When the last sister died in 1893, Josiah IV’s son, Josiah Phillips Quincy (1829-1910), inherited the property. Josiah Phillips Quincy and his son, Josiah V (1859-1919), continued the family tradition of public service, but they did not live in the family home. In 1895, Josiah Phillips Quincy sold the house and surrounding lands for development. The house was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hall of Amesbury, Massachusetts. For a short time in the 1930s, it was used as a convalescent home for senior citizens. In 1937, Josiah V’s son, Edmund Quincy (1903-1997), and his cousin, Alice Bache Gould, joined with other Quincy descendants to buy the house. They raised the necessary funds and later the same year presented the house to the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (now Historic New England).

Sources

Historic New England. Quincy House History. Retrieved from http://www.historicnewengland.org/historic-properties/homes/quincy-house/quincy-house-history