William Gregory Family Papers (MS417)

Access and use

Location of collection:
Alexandria Library
Alexandria Library
Local History/Special Collections
717 Queen Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Patricia Walker, Branch Manager
Phone: (703) 746-1719
Phone: (703) 838-4577
Fax: (703) 706-3912
Preferred citation:

[item description], William Gregory Family Papers, MS417, Alexandria Library, Local History and Special Collections, Alexandria, Virginia.

Summary

Extent:
1.11 Cubic Feet 1 document box, 2 flat file boxes, 1 oversize folder (assorted oversize box), 1 object (assorted media box)
Creator:
Gregory, William, III, 1789-1875
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[item description], William Gregory Family Papers, MS417, Alexandria Library, Local History and Special Collections, Alexandria, Virginia.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection predominantly contains the personal papers of William Gregory, including: journals, notebooks, property records, deeds, and family records. Approximately two-thirds of the collection comprise original correspondence, and late 20th century transcriptions of such.

Biographical / historical:

William Gregory was a Scottish immigrant, businessman, landowner, and enslaver.

He was born in Kilmarnock, Scotland in 1789, and emigrated to New York, and then Alexandria, Virginia in 1807. Gregory worked for Alexandria businessman Robert McCrea as a clerk until 1812, and then as a partner until 1827. He owned property in Alexandria as well as several enslaved persons ("Old Mary Morse", Charlotte Blue, Eugenia, Sarah, Roxie, Frank Stewart, and Lucy the daughter of Caroline Branham, as well as other unidentified individuals). Gregory served in the War of 1812. He was also a member of the Presbyterian Church and of St. Andrew's Society. In 1822 Gregory married Margaret Douglass Bartleman, who bore four children (Douglas Smith, Elisabeth Smith, William Bartleman, and Margaret Douglas) and died in 1833. In 1838, William Gregory married Mary Donaldson Long and had five more children (Isobel Anne, Julia Harper, Boyd, Mary Crawford, and Janet Boyd).

William Gregory passed in 1875 at the age of 87.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard