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Business records and correspondence of Henry Brown and Samuel P. Clayton. After the death of his brother Daniel in 1818, Brown entered into a partnership with Clayton, his son-in-law. Brown survived Clayton, who died in 1832; this box also includes papers from 1833 to 1839 made out to Henry Brown, surviving partner of Brown and Clayton Company. The accounts of Henry Brown with Hancock and Brown, Lynchburg, 1824-1833, are retained as one group. Also retained as a separate group are the papers relating to the court suits of Brown and Pleasant Murphy. All notes of the period carried a 100 percent penalty clause. This resulted in many law suits being brought to establish what would now be considered exorbitant claims. In one case (see entry for March 10, 1823) for a debt of $42.05, the debtor surrendered 1 sound filly, 2 cows, a calf, 2 feather beds, all household and kitchen furniture, all plantation utensils, and 6 hogs! 159 items.

Business papers of Henry Brown, not directly connected with any of his various business enterprises, but concerned principally with court suits involving debts to him. Included is an interesting case of Mark Anthony, who took the oath of an Insolvent Debtor, making out a deed of trust of all his property to his creditors (11 April 1829 and 6 July 1833). Also includes papers concerned with the suit of Henry Brown vs. Nicodemus Leftwich, 1832-1840. Brown pays for the attendance of witnesses at the court and pays the county Jailor "for imprisoning and releasing" Leftwich.

Two speeches given before the House of Delegates, published in pamphlet form: The speech of John Thompson Brown, in the House of Delegates of Virginia, on the Abolition of Slavery; Speech of John Thompson Brown, (of Petersburg,) in the House of Delegates of Virginia, in Committee of the Whole, on the State of the Relations between the United States and South Carolina. The important and exciting national political events of the years 1832 and 1833, as they affected the people of Virginia, are seen through the eyes of John Thompson Brown in the items included in this box. A member from Petersburg in the House of Delegates of the Virginia Assembly, John Thompson Brown was placed in a position of leadership and strongly influenced the decisions taken in those critical years. His speech on the abolition of slavery was considered so important that Judge Henry St. George Tucker and others raised the money to have it printed (18 January 1832). He was a member of the Virginia delegation to the national convention of the Republican Party; his resolution of the Vice-Presidential nominee (21-22 May 1832) was the one adopted by the Virginia caucus. As Chairman of the Finance Committee of the House of Delegates, the question of President Jackson's moves against the United States Bank was of particular concern to him (9 April 1833). Great excitement was aroused by South Carolina's threat of nullification. John Thompson Brown was a member of the Committee on Federal Relations, and his substitute motion on the question is included in this box, as well as his speech on The State of the Relations between the United States and South Carolina, delivered 5 January 1833, also published in pamphlet form. John Thompson Brown was invited to be a Director of the Petersburg Railroad which he declined (7 May 1832), and was considered for the position of U.S. Senator, although he felt that he was not qualified by years or experience (December 1832). An interesting report of his meeting with President Jackson is included in a letter from John Thompson Brown to his wife (23 May 1832). Also included in this box are letters from John Tyler, William Cabell Rives, and William Segar Archer (7 February, 3 March 1833). Two poems, possibly written by John Thompson Brown, clipped from a newspaper, signed Julian are included at the end of this box. 81 items.