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An artificial collection of papers created from material acquired during the 1930's and 1940's. Mostly letters, financial records, published material and official records of individuals in Virginia and elsewhere. Includes documents and signatures of well known people, such as Benjamin Harrison, John Randolph and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The Maury family papers contains materials documenting the lives of the Maury Family of Virginia, New York City and Liverpool, England from 1777-1977. The collection includes the letters and business papers of James Maury (1746-1840), the first American consul to Liverpool, England, and the letters of his second wife, Margaret Rutson Maury (1805-1882), of Liverpool. Letters, business papers, legal papers, and diaries of the next two generations of the Maury family, including Ann Maury (1832-1890) of Liverpool and New York, Rutson Maury (1805-1882) of Liverpool and New York, and oceanographer Matthew Fontaine Maury (1806-1873) are also included. The collection also contains genealogical material, photographs and cookbooks. Subjects covered include tobacco and cotton trade, general discussions about the Civil War from both the American and British perspective, travel, and gender studies.

Papers (including correspondence, legal documents, and accounts) of James McGavock (1728-1812), his son James McGavock (1764-1838) and his grandsons James McGavock (1804-1839) and Stephen McGavock (1807-1880). Many of the papers concern lead mines at Fort Chiswell, Va, slavery, agriculture, aspects of the Revolutionary War, and other. Included are a list of parish levies before 1776; receipts for supplies issued at Fort Chiswell, Wythe County, Va. and at Fort Patrick Henry, Tenn. for an expedition, 1776-1777, against the Cherokees; and county tax and fee bills for Augusta, Bedford, Botetourt, Montgomery, Pittsylvania, Washington and Wythe counties, Va. The collection includes genealogical information on the McGavock and Boyd families and letters written by members of the Cloyd family and by John Williamson McGavock while attending the University of Virginia.

Personal and professional papers of Moncure Robinson dealing mostly with management of Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad in which he held controlling interest. Prominent correspondents include James Buchanan, Washington Irving, Dennis Hart Mahan, Winfield Scott and Abel Parker Upshur. Also included is the correspondence of his father, John Robinson (including letters from William C. C. Claiborne), his brothers, Cary, Edwin, Conway and Eustace Robinson and his brother-in-law John C. R. Taylor whose letters concern plantation management. Also included are notebooks of Wirt Robinson.

Papers, 1727-1918, chiefly 1781-1875, of members of the related Overton, Ragland, Claybrooke and Hart families of Louisa County, Va. and Haywood Co., Tenn. The early papers are primarily legal documents, accounts and account books of John Ragland and Samuel Ragland and correspondence of the children of Samuel Ragland. After 1797, the collection concerns the legal and business papers of Samuel Overton, Thomas Overton, Waller Overton and Sally Overton Claybrooke. After 1810, the collection concerns the Claybrooke family in Tennessee.

Papers of the Goelet family of Amsterdam and New York, N. Y. Includes invoice, 1762, of Jacob Goelet at Amsterdam; and letters, 1763-1779, to Peter Goelet from merchants in Bristol and London, England (including Quakers), concerning goods, finances, and the American Revolution. Also includes receipt, 1879, signed by John Adams Dix; letter, 1882, from Henry V. Poor concerning routes of travel from Terre Haute [Ind.] to New York City; copy of letter of G. F. R. Henderson concerning Richard S. Ewell and a commonplace book, 1793-1861; grant for a War of 1812 service and a 1777 pardon of John Earle by George III.

Note to researchers: Due to the fragile condition of the originals, this collection has to be used in microfilm format;[ CS71 .l718, available in the open stacks and by ILL]. Papers of Philip Lightfoot of Culpeper County, Virginia including his commissions as lieutenant in the Second Battalion, 5th Regiment, Virginia militia and as captain in the 8th U. S. Infantry Regiment and papers relating to his service in the U. S. Army including records of a recruiting party, enlistment pledges, muster rolls, records of rewards offered for deserters and descriptions of U. S. Army uniforms.

This inventory, chiefly 1786-1815, represents three generations of the Preston family, and likewise can be divided into the following:

Business, military and legal papers, chiefly 1774-1822, of Richard Billups of Mathews and Gloucester Counties, Virginia. Papers include accounts, land records, and correspondence and some concern shipbuilding. Includes minutes, 1842, of a temperance meeting and Methodist church records.