Search

Yearly diaries in 39 volumes by Sarah Morgan McKown of Berkeley County, West Virginia, regarding everyday domestic and agricultural activities, local auctions, births, weddings, deaths, emigrations, churches, and religious activities. Also mentioned are the Civil War and its personalities. An index to the Sarah Morgan McKown diaries can also be found in the control folder--includes errata, pages missed on microfilming.

Records of the Arden District, 1916-1930; Gerrardstown District, 1877-1925; the Hedgesville District, 1866-1927; Martinsburg District, 1908-1918; Mill Creek District, 1921-1935; and the county superintendent, 1893-1911. Subjects covered include: tax assessments, attendance applications, teacher appointments, apportionment of funds, and school levies.

Six court case papers from Frederick County, Maryland, involving slaves suing for freedom, one slave charged with murder, and slaves in an appraisement of property. The cases are: appraisement of property of Jacob Miller (December 13, 1791); petition for freedom of Negroe Fawcet (filed November 21, 1795); Rebecca Toogood vs. Joseph Wood, Jr. (October 1805); Nelly Toogood's petition for freedom (1805?); bond for Justice of the Peace for Dr. William Hilleary to appear in court against a man called Negro Jim, charged with murder (February 14, 1816); and the petition of Negro George (undated).

Five court documents from Frederick County, Maryland, and Jefferson County, Virginia, mostly regarding slavery and manumission. They consist of: declaration by Christian Kemp of the removal of Negro Joseph from Berkeley County, Virginia to Frederick County, Maryland (January 13, 1797); affidavit of Philip Coblentz affirming manumission of Negro Mathew, Frederick County, Maryland (August 20, 1811); deed of bill of sale between William P. Craighill, William Little, Samuel Brown, and Samuel Swayne, for land in Jefferson County, Virginia (1815-1816); affidavit of Sampson Delashmutt affirming children of Mary Swan(n) to be free-born (July 25, 1822), and later statement by Delashmutt that Jacob Swan(n) is a free born son of Mary Swan(n) (October 19, 1822), both of Frederick County, Maryland; and a statement by Mary Swann of her manumission and affidavit of Sampson Delashmutt affirming it, Frederick County, Maryland (December 9, 1829).

Material regarding the Sommerville family of Berkeley County, mainly concerning Robert A. Sommerville and his son Obed W. Somerville. Includes a family history narrative (folder 1), transcript of a journal (folder 1), copies of legal documents (folder 2), and colored copies of photographs and portraits of Sommerville family members and of artifacts associated with the family (folders 3 and 4). Material regarding Robert A. Sommerville includes a transcription of family and personal memoranda he recorded in 1852; the transcript contains an account of the emigration of his father William from Ireland to the American Colonies in the 1770s, and excerpts from a journal kept by William Sommerville in 1794. Material regarding Obed W. Sommerville includes documents regarding his Civil War service, pension records, copies of legal testimony regarding his placement in a mental asylum, and his death certificate. All items in this collection are reproductions.

Letters, legal papers, and accounts of William Parker, Hampshire County, West Virginia. Included also are scattered papers of John P., Benjamin, and James Parker and Company. Letters originate from Virginia; Greene County, Illinois, 1859; and Pleasant Hill, Dallas County, Alabama, 1849. Subjects include doctors' fees; election of 1851 in Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan counties, and Frederick County, Virginia; prices of farm produce; and observations of Virginians newly settled in Illinois and Alabama in the middle of the nineteenth century.

Historical research material collected by William Rice from ca. 1975-2015, mostly relating to the history of western Virginia and southeastern West Virginia, the Upper Potomac River basin, and particularly Elkins and Randolph County. There are three record series including subject files (boxes 1-4), miscellaneous research files (boxes 4-5), and family histories (boxes 5-16). Subject files are arranged alphabetically and cover many topics ranging from early settlement, the formation of cities and counties, wars, etc. Miscellaneous research files regard the War of 1812 and the Civil War in connection with western Virginia, among other material. Family history files are arranged alphabetically by last name; they document mostly eighteenth-century settlers of what was once Augusta County, Virginia.

Financial and legal papers of William Seibert of Berkeley County, Virginia. Contains three bills owed by Seibert, one for food, drink, horse feed, etc. that appears to be from an inn (1842; Philip Carper was the vendor), another bill for two years subscription to the German grave yard fence (1844), and another for a large water bucket (1846). Also contains one survey of land owned by Seibert (1819; ), articles of agreement between Samuel Seibert and George Newkirk concerning the sale of land in Berkeley County (1818; William S. Porterfield was the executor of the Newkirk estate), and an indenture between the same parties also concerning land in Berkeley County (1819). Seibert is also spelled Sibert and Seybert in the documents in this collection.