Guide to the House Family Papers
Open for research.
Samuel Reynold House was born in Waterford, NY, in 1817. He received his B.A. from Union College in New York, in 1837, and his M.D. from the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York in 1845. Appointed by the PCUSA as a medical missionary to the Siam Mission in 1846 Samuel House remained in Bangkok until 1856 when he returned to the U.S. for ordination and marriage. He returned the same year and resumed his service as a doctor which included providing care for members of the royal family. In 1876 Samuel House returned to the U.S. where he died in 1899.
The collection consists of Samuel House's diaries, 1846-1859, and his correspondence, 1846-1872 which are primarily personal. Also included is the correspondence of his wife, Harriett House, 1856-1868, written to her relatives in the U.S. The diaries tend to be narrative accounts of impressions, views and opinions of Siam while the correspondence touches more closely on the progress and problems of the Siam Mission and the Chiengmai Mission.
SERIES I: DIARIES, 1847-1859 (BOX 1-2 FOLDERS 2-13, 1-7)
SERIES II: SERMON, 1845 (BOX 2 FOLDER 8)
SERIES III: CORRESPONDENCE, 1846-1872 (BOX 2 FOLDERS 9-13)
SERIES IV: CORRESPONDENCE OF HARRIETTE HOUSE, 1856-1858 (BOX 2 FOLDER 14)
Researchers should consult the card catalog for related materials.
This collection was formerly cataloged as part of the library collection.
The collection also contains an index and chronology to the diaries which was prepared by someone after House's death.
Collection processed and finding aid prepared: 1987
Gretchen Mertz, Intern
| Box | Folder | Description | |
| 1 | 1 | Finding Aid to Record Group 215 | |
| SERIES I: Diaries, 1847-1859 | |||
| 1 | 2 | 1847 March-May | |
| 1 | 3 | 1847 June-September | |
| 1 | 4 | 1847 October-December | |
| 1 | 5 | 1848 January-June | |
| 1 | 6 | 1848 June-December | |
| 1 | 7 | 1849 January-July | |
| 1 | 8 | 1849 July-1850 January | |
| 1 | 9 | 1850 January-July | |
| 1 | 10 | 1850 July-1851 January | |
| 1 | 11 | 1851 January-July | |
| 1 | 12 | 1851 July-1852 January | |
| 1 | 13 | 1852 January-July | |
| 2 | 1 | 1852 July-1853 January | |
| 2 | 2 | 1853 January-July | |
| 2 | 3 | 1853 July-1854 January | |
| 2 | 4 | 1854 January-July | |
| 2 | 5 | 1854 July-1855 January | |
| 2 | 6 | 1855 January-1859 | |
| 2 | 7 | Index to diaries | |
| SERIES II: Sermon | |||
| 2 | 8 | 1845 | |
| SERIES III: Correspondence, 1846-1872 | |||
| 2 | 9 | 1846-1850 | |
| 2 | 10 | 1851-1871 | |
| 2 | 11 | 1869-1872 | |
| 2 | 12 | 1871-1872 | |
| SERIES IV: Correspondence of Harriette House, 1856-1868 | |||
| 2 | 13 | 1856-1868 |