Correspondence from the Coatler and Bryan families, 1838/1852

Scope and content:

The correspondence between St. George T. Coalter, his wife, his sister Mrs. Elizabeth T. Bryan, and her husband John Randolph Bryan, form the core of the material in this box. It includes letters exchanged by the cousins, five Coalter children, and nine Bryan children. The controversy over the will of John Randolph of Roanoke is mentioned in several of the letters. St. George Tucker Coalter was a nephew of John Randolph, John Randolph Bryan was his godson, and both were heirs. St. George Tucker Coalter attempts to establish a new home where his late father John Coalter forced him to move (St. George Tucker Coalter was never financially independent of his father). A doctor's prescription, 28 April 1839, for the man who has been slowly dying of lung trouble and constant fever is: salts to be taken internally, salve rubbed on externally, baths at the medicinal springs and regular exercise. Four months later St. George Tucker Coalter died. The five surviving children of Mrs. Coalter and the nine children of Mrs. Elizabeth T. Bryan add to the correspondence as the years go on, for the families are very attached to one another and there is much visiting back and forth as well as letter writing. The letters of the cousins have been combined in this collection, so that an interesting picture is given of the life of this period; see a report of a traveling entertainer who visits the great houses (23 February 1847), a description of a costume ball at Warner Hall (8 February 1851) and a list of courses studied at a Girl's school (2 February 1852). There is much discussion of diseases which were prevalent: consumption, scarlet fever, typhoid fever, cholera, and influenza. 16-year-old John Coalter copied out a cholera cure sent by his aunt for use by two local doctors (13 July 1849).

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