Jerdone Family Papers, 1753-1890, 1771-1845.

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

Summary

Creator:
Jerdone Family; Francis Jerdone, 1721-1771; Francis Jerdone, 1756-1841; Francis Jerdone, b. 1802; John Jerdone; William Jerdone; Thomas Jett; John Morton Jordan & Co. (London, England).
Abstract:
Includes letters, letterbooks, and account books of immigrant Francis Jerdone merchant of Yorktown, Virginia; and Hanover County, Virginia. Most of the collection consists of letters, accounts and diaries of the next two generations of members of the Jerdone family, including Francis Jerdone and his sons John, Francis and William Jerdone. The papers concern the management of two estates "Providence Forge," New Kent County, Virginia and "Mount Sterling," Charles City County, Virginia.
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains papers of the Jerdone family, 1753- (1771-1845) -1890. It includes letters, letterbooks, and account books of immigrant Francis Jerdone (1721-1771), Scottish factor who lived in Hanover County, Yorktown and Louisa County, Virginia, and letters of his wife, Sarah (Macon) Jerdone. Most of the collection consists of letters, accounts, and diaries of the next two generations of members of the Jerdone family including Francis Jerdone (1756-1841), planter of Louisa County; his brother John Jerdone (1764-1786); his brother-in-law, Alexander Macaulay of Yorktown, Virginia; and his sons, John Jerdone (b. 1800); Francis Jerdone (b. 1802); and William Jerdone (b. 1805). The letters reflect the daily maintenance of their plantations, "Jerdone Castle" [Louisa County, Virginia], "Providence Forge" [New Kent County, Virginia], "Mount Sterling" [Charles City County, Virginia] and an unnamed plantation in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. The family were absentee owners of "Providence Forge" and "Mount Sterling" and the two estates were managed first by a cousin, William Douglass, and later by hired stewards. (Eventually, William Jerdone lived at "Mount Sterling" and built a brick mansion there.)

The subjects covered in the collection include agriculture, the commission merchant business, the daily routine of men, education, farm management by stewards, and various aspects of slavery. In addition, there are many letters written to Virginia from Scotland and England.

The papers also contain the letterbook of Thomas Jett, Virginia representative of John Morton Jordan and Co., London, England; items from Perkins, Buchanan and Brown, merchants in London, 1769-1776; and documents, 1769-1799, concerning the lawsuit of Jordan v. Skinker.

Biographical / historical:

Francis Jerdone (1721-1771)

Francis Jerdone (1721-1771) was born in Jedbury, Scotland, the son of John Jerdone, a magistrate and treasurer of the town. At the age of nineteen, 1752, he immigrated to Virginia from Scotland and settled in Hanover County, Yorktown; and Louisa County. He made his living as a merchant (factor), running a mercantile business with George Pottie until his death in 1771. Francis Jerdone (1721-1777) married Sarah (Macon) Jerdone (1732-1818) in 1753. The couple had several children including; Mary Jerdone Pottie (1754-1837); Francis Jerdone (1756-1841); Sarah Jerdone Braikenridge (1757-1793); Elizabeth Jerdone Macaulay (1759-1830); Isabella Jerdone Mitchell (1761-1825); Anne Jerdone Thompson (1763-1794); John Jerdone (1764-1786); Martha Jerdone (b. 1767) who died in infancy; and William Jerdone (1769-1772).

Children of Francis Jerdone(1721-1771)

Mary Jerdone Pottie(1754-1837) married George Pottie, a business partner of her father's. Mary helped run this business after her father's death in 1771. They had three children; George Pottie, Isbella Pottie and Mary Pottie Honeyman. Mary Jerdone Pottie later remarried to Adam Toler. They had several children, including; Sarah Toler, Adam Toler, Elizabeth Toler, and William Toler.

Francis Jerdone (1756-1841) made his living as a farmer. He married Polly (Mary) Byars Jerdone (1781-1821) in 1799. The couple had four children who survived infancy; John Jerdone (b. 1800) who married Barbara Callis Jerdone; Francis Jerdone (b. 1802) who married Eliza Watkins Jerdone; William Jerdone (1805-1865) who married Anna Burfitt Jerdone; and Sarah Jerdone Coleman (1807-1863) who married General Clayton G. Coleman. The family were absentee landowners of "Providence Forge," New Kent County and "Mount Sterling,"Charles City County. Eventually William Jerdone would reside at "Mount Sterling."

Sarah Jerdone Braikenridge (1757-1793) married George Braikenridge. They had five children; George Weare Braikenridge (b. 1780), Sarah Braikenridge, Maria Braikenridge, John Braikenridge, and William Braikenridge.

Elizabeth Jerdone Macaulay (1759-1830) married Alexander Macaulay (1745-1798) in 1782. They had six children; Helen Macaulay (b. 1784) who married Peyton Southall in 1802 and Robert Anderson in 1814; Alexander Macaulay (b. 1787); Sally Macaulay (1789)who died in infancy; John Macaulay (1791-1795); Francis Macaulay (1793-1811); and Patrick Macaulay (b. 1795).

Isabella Jerdone Mitchell (1761-1825) married William Mitchell (d. 1816) in 1783. They had three children; William Mitchell; Sarah Mitchell Thompson (1785-1831) who married Garland Thompson (1787-1835) in 1810; and George Mitchell.

Anne Jerdone Thompson (1763-1794) married Charles Thompson (1743-1836) in 1778. They had five children; John Thompson; Garland Thompson (1787-1835) who married Sarah Mitchell Thompson in 1810; Charles Thompson; Francis Thompson; and Sally Thompson.

John Jerdone (1764-1786) spent nine years studying abroad from 1777 until his death in 1786. He studied in England for three years and studied medicine at Edinburgh University in Scotland for six years.

Acquisition information:
Purchased: 1,784 items. Purchased: 389 items, 04/24/1939. Purchased: 407 items, 01/29/1940. Gift: 34 items, 07/10/1963. Gift: 16 items, 12/09/1964. Acc. No. 76-4; Gift: 5 items, 02/01/1976. Gift: 3 items, 10/01/1976. Gift: 1 items, 11/01/1976. Acc. No. 77-30; Gift: 1 items, 10/01/1977. Acc. No. 78-6; Purchased: 19 items, 01/01/1978. Acc. No. 83-64; Gift: 1 items, 12/01/1983. Acc. No. 84-26; Gift: 3 items, 04/01/1984. Acc. No. Sm. Coll. Add. 17; 4 items. Acc. No. 97-45; Purchased: 3 items, 08/07/1997. Acc. No. 98.7; Gift: 2 items, 03/06/1998.
Arrangement:
Organization

This collection is organized into 8 series. Series 1 contains letters; Series 2 contains accounts; Series 3 contains inventories; Series 4 contains legal papers; Series 5 contains miscellaneous material; Series 6 contains manuscript volumes; Series 7 contains artifacts; Series 8 contain additions and accessions to the collection.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged by into series. Series 1 is arranged in chronologically order by date and separated into subseries by individual year. The remaining series are primarily arranged chronologically by date.

Physical description:
2,672 items.