Henry Addison was born in Prince George's County, Md., in 1717 into one of the most prestigious families in the colony. His grandfather, John Addison (d. 1706), had emigrated to Maryland in 1667 and attained the rank of colonel in the militia, and his father, Thomas (ca.1679-1727), firmly cemented the family's status among the elite, acquiring a sizable estate in the process. Like John Addison, Thomas became a colonel in the militia, and he was appointed to several important offices, as well, including judge of the Provincial Court and member of the Governor's Council.

Henry was the fifth child of Thomas Addison's marriage to Eleanor Smith (1690-1762). After receiving a basic education at home, he traveled to England to matriculate at Queen's College, Oxford, from which he received a B.A. in 1739 and M.A. in 1741. After being ordained as an Anglican priest, he returned to Maryland to assume the rectorship of St. John's Parish in Prince George's County, where he also established a school. Throughout his ministry, Addison was an active defender of clerical integrity in the face of proprietary patronage, and was a strong supporter of the establishment of an American bishopric.

Among the friends that Addison cultivated were some of the most prominent citizens of the colony. Around 1750 he married Rachel Dulany (d. 1774), of the prominent Maryland family, and he grew particularly close to Jonathan Boucher (1737/8-1804), the well-known English emigré. Addison became an active supporter of Boucher's bid for a parish in Maryland, and Boucher married Addison's niece, Eleanor (Nelly, d. 1774). When the split with England came, the two men left for England on the same ship in September, 1775, remaining in close contact throughout their mutual exile.

Addison never fully explained the reasons for his loyalty to Britain when hostilities broke out, nor his rapid decision to emigrate, but it appears that his devotion to the Anglican church and his English education may have significantly influenced his decision. Certainly, his friendship with the English-born Boucher may have contributed, as well. Addison, by this time nearing 70, settled into exile in Shropshire, where his financial condition soon became a major source of anxiety. He was often in debt, and he commented frequently on his need for a government pension, which never proved quite adequate. The further necessity of supporting his son, Daniel, who had joined him in exile, added to his financial troubles, and Henry's attempts to secure a commission for his son in a British or Loyalist regiment may constitute one response to the press of financial hardship.

Eventually, Addison became disillusioned with the conduct of the war and with the political situation in England, and he came to accept the notion that independence was the best solution for the imperial crisis. Even before the end of hostilities, he decided to return home to Maryland. Addison arrived in New York in 1781, remaining in the occupied city until the British evacuated in 1783, and finally returned to Maryland the following year. He died at home in 1789.

Scope and contents:

The Addison Papers contains 72 items relating to Rev. Henry Addison, an American Loyalist who was important without being prominent, more average than extraordinary. While the most important part of the collection relates to Addison's experiences as a loyalist exile in England, it is Jonathan Boucher whose name dominates the collection. All of Addison's letters are written to Boucher, and Boucher is either writer or recipient of virtually all of the other items.

With the exception of Addison's 38 letters to Boucher, the collection is comprised entirely of typescripts containing no indication as to the location of the originals. Among these are eleven letters written by Boucher between 1786 and 1794 to Frederick M. Eden, the eldest son of the provincial governor of Maryland, Robert Eden. These letters relate to Eden's secret efforts on behalf of Boucher, possibly in Boucher's attempt to secure a bishopric for himself (2: 16-18, 20-27). Also of interest are six letters to Boucher from James Maury, a clergyman friend in Maryland, dated 1765 to 1769, which are concerned with Maury's financial difficulties and with the question of Anabaptists, a subject on which Maury had published (1: 2-4, 7-9). Of related importance are two letters by Boucher to William Smith of Philadelphia concerning the payment of clerical salaries before the Revolution (1: 12, 13). Three letters from Thomas B. Chandler, a fellow loyalist priest, round out the non-Addison material (2: 2, 3, 13).

Of greatest value and interest are the series of manuscript letters written by Addison to Boucher during the period of their exile, 1776 to 1785. These include lengthy commentary on Addison's travels in England and his residence in Shropshire (1: 14, 15, 17-19, 24) and on the hardships he faced and the fortunes of his son, Dan, as well as discussions of Boucher's efforts to aid the Addisons financially (1: 19-23, 25-28, 30, 33-36; 2: 1, 5). After Addison's return to America, many of the letters relate to his efforts to recover his property in Maryland and to receive compensation from Britain for losses sustained (2: 6, 8, 11-15, 19).

As might be expected, Addison's letters contain frequent references to the American Revolution, including the military progress of the war, negotiations, and Loyalism (1: 21, 24; 2: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 13). The somewhat confused and lax interrelationship of his Anglicanism and Loyalism constitutes a sub-text running throughout many of the letters written during the Revolutionary War years. For understandable reasons, Addison also became worried about the progress of the peace negotiations, especially as they related to the issue of confiscated property (2: 6, 8, 10). Finally, his comments about his growing disillusionment with the British conduct of the war, and the political practices in England relating to it, offer one explanation for his acceptance of independence and for his decision to return to America (1: 32-34; 2: 1, 4).

Provenance:

Boucher's descendents included the Frederick Locker-Lampson family, through whose efforts the current collection has been preserved.

Subject index to the Henry Addison Papers

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