This collection contains the papers of Matthew Adams Stickney along with papers of his father Dudley, his brother Dudley, his daughter Lucy, and other family members. The papers consist mainly of correspondence regarding genealogical research and numismatics. There are also financial and legal papers, copies of registry and church records, diaries, newspaper clippings, an autograph collection, a ciphering book, and a grocery store account book. The material has been organized into four series.

Series I. Matthew Adams Stickney (1805-1894) consists of seven subseries. Subseries A. Stickney Family Genealogy Correspondence was arranged in two scrapbooks by Matthew Adams Stickney and his daughters in 1870. The correspondence was arranged alphabetically by correspondent, the first volume containing A-J, the second J-Z. The volumes are paginated and contain indices. Also included in the subseries are two scrapbooks created by Stickney and his daughter in 1873. The material in the third and fourth scrapbooks has not been published since receipt was after the 1869 publication of the genealogy. The scrapbooks were paginated and contain indices. The scrapbooks were dismantled, and Stickney's arrangement was maintained in order to align with the indices.

Subseries B. Calef Family Genealogy Correspondence was arranged in a scrapbook by Matthew Adams Stickney. The correspondence and research in this series attempts to trace the lineage of Robert Calef (circa 1648-1719) who is known for authoring the book More Wonders of the Invisible World that denounced the Salem witch trials of 1692. In addition to correspondence, this scrapbook includes transcripts of information collected from city, town and church records, an autograph collection, and newspaper clippings. Stickney's original arrangement divided the volume into sections with a table of contents; there is no pagination. Sections include county records of Massachusetts; records of Kittery, Maine; records of Exeter, Hampstead, Kensington and Kingston, New Hampshire; letters received from the Calef family; Massachusetts city, town and church records; tax lists; autographs; and newspaper notices. The scrapbook was dismantled and original arrangement was maintained with section dividers. The table of contents can be found in the first folder of the subseries.

Subseries C. Fowler Family Genealogy Correspondence was arranged in a scrapbook by Matthew Adams Stickney. The scrapbook is paginated and contains an index. The scrapbook was dismantled, and Stickney's arrangement was maintained in order to align with the index.

Subseries D. "Numismatics, Currency, Almanacs, Genealogy, etc." Correspondence include the aforementioned topics listed by Stickney at the front of the three volumes created to hold the correspondence regarding his coin and almanac collections and interests in numismatics and genealogy. Of note is correspondence with William E. Dubois at the Assay Department of the United States Mint and James Pollock, Director of the Mint [filed under U. S. Mint]. The volumes are organized alphabetically by last name of correspondent. The volumes contain continuous pagination and separate indices. The scrapbooks were dismantled, and Stickney's arrangement was maintained in order to align with the indices.

Subseries E. General Correspondence includes a volume that was not indexed or paginated. It contained correspondence dated predominately after 1884 along with loose letters that were found throughout the collection. These letters continue to address Matthew Adams Stickney's hobbies, but also include correspondence with family members. The scrapbook was dismantled, and these letters have been arranged chronologically.

Subseries F. Record of Correspondence Sent includes five volumes of letter books. Some of the volumes were purchased by Matthew Adams Stickney. The following inscription can be found in Volume I after a list of books consulted in the research of the Stickney family genealogy "in 1860 of the Commercial Bank to preserve them from being sold to the paper manufacturers, and in this their Cash Book, my daughters for greater convenience and safety, have recopied on its blank leaves, such letters as I have in former years sent, and of which I have retained copies." The inscription also provides an overview of what is included in the various volumes, mainly correspondence sent by Matthew Adams Stickney. The remaining pages of Volume I are filled with letters sent from Matthew Adams Stickney and his daughters dating from 1846 to 1865, as well as a general index of all letters sent or received is included on pages 230-277.

Two of the letter books contain records of the Social Insurance Company, a marine insurance company in Salem. Volume II contains the account book of the Social Insurance Company from 1809 to 1810. It also contains some letters pasted into the volume, copies of letter received by Stickney from 1864 to 1866, and an index of letters sent and received for 1865 to 1869 that can be found on pages 266-293. Volume II also includes copies of records pertaining to the genealogies of the following families: Leaver, Boynton, Carleton, Jewett, Davis, Bridges, Barker, Swan, Trumbull, Gage, Waters, Gerrish, Scales, Morse, Palmer, Burpee, Platts, Blodget, Goodridge, Shillaber, Wilkins and newspaper notices about Stickney family members.

Volume III had contained part of Matthew Adams Stickney's autograph collection, which was removed from the volume prior to the processing of this collection in 2013. The volume contains copies of letters sent from 1867 to 1874, an index of letters sent and received in 1870, and an index of letters sent from 1871 to 1873.

Volume IV contains a copy of the act establishing the Social Insurance Company in 1808. It also includes minutes from Stockholder and Director meetings from 1809 to 1842, and legal meeting minutes from 1809 to 1813. Copies of records from registries, town, church and court records in Massachusetts and New Hampshire are also included, along with notes on the cost of publication, dates circulars were sent, and orders placed for the Fowler and Stickney published genealogies.

Volume V, referred to by Matthew Adams Stickney as "Quarto Volume" contains copies of records of Rowley, Massachusetts pertaining to Stickney family members, and correspondence sent over a period of two decades from 1846 to 1868 as well as an index (noted by the Stickneys as a duplication of that in Volume I).

Subseries G. Personal Papers contain a remaining portion of autographs he collected (a substantial number were removed from his collection and auctioned off by his daughters in 1907, others were removed in 1989) his ciphering book, receipts, a journal, loose notes about people's death dates, calling cards, lecture cards, membership cards, wedding invitations, and an account book from his general store. This series also contains three volumes titled “Recollections and Journal of Matthew A. Stickney.” Volume 1 of this series contains copies of letters from Stickney’s Aunt Molly dating from 1840 to 1850; diary entries from his father, Dudley Stickney Sr. dating from 1790 to 1792; diary entries from his brother, Dudley Stickney Jr. dating from 1816 to 1819; diary entries from his half-brother, Thomas Stickney dating from 1820 to 1842; two hand drawn maps; and the beginning of Stickney’s recollections of his early childhood through the 1860s. Volume 2 contains his recollections and journal entries from 1865 to 1875, and volume 3 are those dating from 1876 to 1893.

Series II. Lucy Waters Stickney (1843-1929) is organized into two subseries. Subseries A. Personal Papers contains merit awards, a journal and copy books maintained by Lucy and her sister Sarah Elizabeth Stickney. Subseries B. Kinsman Family Genealogy Correspondence contains both correspondence and records from England and America, and Lucy's notes on the information collected about the Kinsman family.

Series III. Family Papers include documents collected by Matthew Adams Stickney that he originally organized into two volumes and is broken down into two subseries. Volume I contained letters from Dudley Stickney (1774-1834); letters of Solomon Stickney; autographs; wedding invitations; lecture cards; calling cards; Matthew Adams Stickney's ciphering book; the pocket book of Samuel Spofford; and a farmer's journal of planting. Volume II contained the papers of Dudley Stickney (1798-1829); compositions of Mary E. Smith; papers of Mary [Molly] Stickney; papers pertaining to the settlement of John Waters' estate; and a journal and correspondence of Matthew Adams Stickney. The ciphering book, calling cards, lecture cards and wedding invitations were moved to Series I. Matthew Adams Stickney Subseries G. Personal Papers. Subseries A. Immediate Family contains some letters written by his father Dudley, papers of his brother Dudley, his first wife Mary Elizabeth Smith, and his daughter Cornelia Augusta. These papers are arranged chronologically by family member. Subseries B. Extended Family includes correspondence of Stickney's uncles Solomon and Thomas, aunt Molly, father-in-law Caleb Smith, and father-in-law John Waters.

Series IV. Collected Papers consists of two subseries. Subseries A. Legal and Financial include papers Stickney collected of Salem businessmen. They range in date from 1690 to 1899 and are arranged chronologically. Subseries B. Individuals and Organizations include papers of a particular person or organization that were numerous enough to pull out of the chronological organization or were already bundled together by Stickney.