Fairfax Harrison Papers

Access and use

Location of collection:
College of William and Mary
Special Collections Research Center
Earl Gregg Swem Library
College of William and Mary
400 Landrum Drive
PO 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
Contact for questions and access:
Phone: (757) 221-3090
Fax: (757) 221-5440
Restrictions:

Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Terms of access:

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Preferred citation:

Fairfax Harrison Papers, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Background

Scope and content:

Papers, 1736-1945, of and collected by Fairfax Harrison. Papers collected include colonial era documents, deeds, surveys, the diary of Sally Fairfax (1771-1772), legal papers, a copy of the Dettingen Parish (Prince William County, Va.) vestry book which contains minutes, indentures, and other (1745-1802), and photostat copy of the letterbook (1801) of Col. John Tayloe of Mount Airy, Va. Fairfax Harrison's papers include his correspondence with individuals and institutions concerning his interest in Virginia History. Prominent correspondents include John Stewart Bryan, David I. Bushnell, Worthington C. Ford, Douglas Southall Freeman, William G. Stanard, Clayton Torrence, Earl Gregg Swem, Lyon G. Tyler and Langbourne M. Williams. Subjects include Sir Edmund Andros,Francis Nicholson, Francis Fauquier, debtors' prisons, parish boundaries, Culpeper family, thoroughbred horses, county records, and the publishing of Harrison's works as well as the publishing of Robert Armistead Stewart's Index to Printed Virginia Genealogies and E. G. Swem's Virginia Historical Index. The collection also includes notes by Wilson Miles Cary concerning the Cary family and the books at "Carysbrook," Fluvanna County, Va.

[Folders 1 & 6 oversize]

A survey of a 17, 296 acre plat of land owned by William Fairfax. Surveyed by John Aubry. Copy made 28 December 1808. This item is in the oversize map cabinets (M 40.1).

Of 29, 170 acres, "Shannondale," to John Colvill by Lord Fairfax. Signed by William Fairfax.

Of 17, 296 acres, "Piedmont." to John Calvill by Lord Fairfax. Signed by William Fairfax.

Of 164 acres in Prince William county to George William Fairfax (son of William Fairfax) by Lord Fairfax. Signed by William Fairfax.

By George Humes of Ralph Wormeley's land in Frederick County.

Survey of land in the Blue Ridge owned by Catesby Cocke, Mann Page, George Atwood, William Fairfax, Col. Tayloe, ect. Drawing by John Warner. Folder is located in oversize map cabinets (M 40.1).

(Printed in Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. II). Letter by Sally Fairfax to her father, Bryan Fairfax, 1777 October 18.

By Sarah Cary] Fairfax (Mrs. George William), Landsdown Place, Bath to unknown.

Estate of George William Fairfax. Opinion given by John S. Powell.

Tappahannock Jockey Club Minute Book.

Letterbook, of John Tayloe of Mount Airy.

Dettingen Parish (Prince William County) vestry book, including minutes, indentures, and meeting of the Overseers of the Poor (spread over 5 folders, 1 of 5).

Dettingen Parish (Prince William County) vestry book including minutes, indentures, and meeting of the Overseers of the Poor (spread over 5 folders, 2 of 5).

Dettingen Parish (Prince William County) vestry book, including minutes, indentures, and meeting of the Overseers of the Poor (spread over 5 folders, 3 of 5).

Dettingen Parish (Prince William County) vestry book, 1745-1802, including minutes, indentures, and meeting of the Overseers of the Poor (spread over 5 folders, 4 of 5).

Dettingen Parish (Prince William County) vestry book, including minutes, indentures, and meeting of the Overseers of the Poor (spread over 5 folders, 5 of 5).

Documents (Location of originals unknown) bearing Harrison signatures and family information.

Wilson Miles Cary, notebook regarding the Randolph Family. Notebook regarding the Gittings, Howard, Gist, & Brice families. Notebook regarding the Cary, Wilson, Randolph families. Notebook of extracts from the Cornbury Ms., Albany, New York. Wilson Miles Cary, notebook containing list of books from the Carysbrooke Library.

Cary of the Carys of Virginia, 35 pp. Typescript of "Col. Wilson Miles Cary." 23 pp

Cary family and to Burton N. Harrison.

Cary graves.

Wilson Miles Cary genealogical notes about the Cary family. Ms of "The Carys of Virginia."

Wilson Miles Cary genealogical notes and charts. WMC notes about James River counties.

Debtors prisons in Colonial Virginia.

Virginia Parish boundaries, registers and vestry books.

Fairfax House, Alexandria.

Virginia Land Grants.

The Proprietors of the Northern Neck and to Fauquier on the Map.

The Proprietors of the Northern Neck, to Fauquier on the Map, and to Landmarks of Old Prince William.

Brent Town (Prince William County).

"Northern Neck."

Occoquan.

Virginia parishes.

Turnpikes, roads, and canals.

With John Stewart Bryan, Thomas E. Didlake, H.C. Groome, and Robert F. Hayes, Jr.

With Charlotte Noland, Foxcroft.

With Smithsonian Institution.

With W.G. Stanard, Virginia Historical Society.

With Rev. Clayton Torrence and with Lyon G. Tyler,.

With Commonwealth of Virginia Land Office.

Correspondence and notes relating to Fairfax Harrison Landmarks of Old Prince William.

Landmarks of Old Prince William

Dettingen-Hamilton-Leeds parish boundaries.

Boundaries of Brent Town Tract.

Northern Neck grant.

Awbry and Noland families.

Wyatt's first administration, early papents, etc.

Patents in the "Freshes", Potomac river grants.

"The Frying Pan Cooper Mine."

Cadwallader Jones.

Justices of the Peace and Commissions of the Peace.

The Proprietors of the Northern Neck.

Culpepers.

Stafford County.

Francis Nicholson and Sir Edmund Andros.

Francis Fauquier and his portrait.

R.A. Stewart's Index to Virginia Genealogies.

John Warner's map of Virginia.

Portrait of "Captain John Smith."

Virginia horses- owner and date. Article regarding horseracing from The Sportsman.

"Pioneers on the Rappahannock River." Typed list of patents.

Caroline and Essex counties.

King and Queen county.

King William and Louisa counties.

New Kent, Northumberland, Spotsylvania counties.

Forts, Towns, and Maps.

Sportswood's tobacco act, 1713 with list of tobacco agents and storehouses; notes regarding Pamunkey neck; notes regarding Lancaster & Rappahannock; and list of chief executives of Virginia, 1584-1830.

Eighteenth century residents of various counties in Virginia.

Middle Neck: occupation of area, parishes, clerks, burgesses, acts creating counties.

Justices for Spotsylvania county.

Middle Neck warehouses, ferries in Virginia, York River parishes and counties, and county courts,.

Virginia tracts, listed chronologically from 1580.

Letters, etc., including letters by Conway Robinson and by Francis Scott Key.

Genealogical Bureau of Virginia.

Captain John Smith Tercentenary service in London

"Sporting parsons" in Virginia.

Worthington Ford, etc relating to photostating all known copies of the Virginia Gazette.

Monthly meeting of the Quakers in Loudoun County from originals owned by the library of the Park Avenue Meeting House, Baltimore, MD.

Location of Fairfax Courthouse.

Original John White water colors now in the British Museum. From plates belonging to the Smithsonian, given to Fairfax Harrison by D.I. Bushnell.

Dumfries, Va.

Culpeper and Fairfax families (spread between 4 folders, 1 of 4).

Culpeper and Fairfax families (spread between 4 folders, 2 of 4).

Culpeper and Fairfax families (spread between 4 folders, 3 of 4).

Culpeper and Fairfax families (spread between 4 folders, 4 of 4).

Remarks of Fairfax Harrison introducing Col. Henry W. Anderson as a candidate for Governor.

Journals of the council at Williamsburg

George Neville of Prince William and Fauquier and about Fry and Jefferson map.

Fairfax Harrison's library.

Virginia Historical Index.

Correspondence regarding account and publishing of the Virginia Historical Index.

American Historical Association, .

Robert Beverley, the historian.

With Douglas Southall Freeman.

Fairfax Harrison's father's portrait.

With Langbourne M. Williams.

With Jane B. Guignard, Columbia, South Carolina.

With Virginia State Library.

With Virginia State Library.

Of The Life of Abraham Lincoln by Ward H. Lamon. Typescript, undated.

With the American Classical League, chiefly relating to the Bi-Millennium Vergilanum Celebration, 1930.

With the American Academy in Rome.

Relating to William R. Johnson, (1782-1849).

Notes and drafts of thesis regarding cooperatives in Europe.

With Earl Gregg Swem.

Tradescant Memorial Window, Oxford England -- correspondence with R.T. Gunther.

With E.D. Tayloe, Shadwell, Virginia.

With Lord Fairfax.

With Mrs. Henry G. Ferguson regarding Indian burials.

Remodeling of Belvoir Farm, the Plains, Virginia.

"A Frenchman in Virginia, 1686."

With W.D. Hooper, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.

With and relating to the Southern Railway Co.

With John Stewart Bryan.

With Col. Bryan Conrad regarding Braddock Road.

Marker for the grave of Anne Fairfax (1728-1765?), "Mount Pleasant," Westmoreland Co., Virginia.

With Mrs. Julia S. Kyle regarding Pamunkey Indians.

With David I. Bushnell, Jr.

With Wyoming Historical and Genealogical Society, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

With Virginia Historical Society.

And plans for annex to Virginia Historical Society building (R. E. Lee House).

Photostats of maps.

Biographical / historical:

Fairfax Harrison was born in New York 13 March 1869, the son of Burton and Constance (Cary) Harrison and the brother of Francis Burton Harrison. He graduated from Yale in 1890 and got a M. A. degree from Columbia University. He practiced law in New York and was solicitor for the Southern Railway, president of the Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railway; and president of the Southern Railway from 1913-1937. Harrison was the author of many works including the Devon Carys, Landmarks of Old Price William, Proprietors of the Northern Neck, the Belair Stud, the Equine FFVs, the Roanoke Stud and the Virginia Carys. He died 2 February 1938. Further information about this individual or organization may be available in the Special Collections Research Center Wiki: .

Acquisition information:
Presented
Physical description:
6116 items