vihart00054A Guide to the John A. Sawhill Collection, 1756-1848 SC 0111Marcus Hubbard and Chris BolgianoJames Madison University Libraries Special Collections

January 2009

820 Madison DriveMSC 1706Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807Telephone: (540) 568-3612library-special@jmu.eduURL:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-11-14 07:13:48 -0500.Description is written in: English, Latin script.Describing Archives: A Content Standard James Madison University Libraries Special Collections John A. Sawhill Collection Sawhill, John A., 1892-1976 Sonner, Ray V., Dr. (Ray Vincent), 1925-2012 SC 0111 /repositories/4/resources/235 0.27 cubic feet 1 oversize folder 1756-1848 The John A. Sawhill Collection, 1756-1848, contains seven miscellaneous documents of American and British origin. English . Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.

 Use Restrictions

The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).

 Preferred Citation

[Identification of Item], [box #, folder #], John A. Sawhill Collection, 1756-1848, SC 0111, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.

 Acquisition Information

Items were received from the James Madison University Foundation in September 2000 under the authority of Dr. Ray Sonner, the executor of John Sawhill's estate and also a James Madison University administrator.

 Provenance

A portion of the larger John A. Sawhill estate containing coins, music, and other materials were bequeathed to James Madison University in 1976.

 Processing Information

Large documents that had been folded were flattened and transferred into an oversize folder. Large documents that had been folded were flattened and transferred into an oversize flat folder. In order to streamline the process of applying collection numbers, Special Collections staff completed a large-scale renumbering campaign in the spring of 2017. This collection was previously cataloged as SC 1765.

 Biographical / Historical

Born in Colorado in 1892, John Alexander Sawhill was educated at Princeton University and later wounded during his military service during World War I. He came to James Madison University (then known as the State Teachers College and later as Madison College) in 1927 and taught Latin, Greek, and German until 1957. An avid traveler and collector, Sawhill journeyed many times to the Middle East. He acquired thousands of items, including books, documents, recordings, coins, and works of art over the years. Though married twice, Sawhill outlived both of his wives and had no children. He passed away in 1976 and bequeathed his extensive collection to the James Madison University Foundation

 Scope and Content

The John A. Sawhill Collection, 1756 to 1848, consists of seven documents housed in one oversized flat folder. It includes two issues of the London newspaper the Whitehall Evening Post from the years 1756 and 1775, which reflect the prevailing British perspective on world events at the time. The 1756 issue includes 'curious' local news (robberies, etc.) and various cure-all advertisements. The 1775 issue includes references to the Spanish armament in Gibraltar and various news from America, including a report of a military engagement with 300 "provincials" at Boston [Bunker Hill?] where 32 Americans were killed. References are also made to General Gage, the British commander and the arrival of British troops in Boston, "the event of which, it is thought, will put an end to the present quarrel by concessions or submission." The American seizure of Fort Ticonderoga is also mentioned. Also included in the collection are two Justice of the Peace commissions for three Franklin County, Virginia residents, a Land Office Treasury Warrant and two land grants pertaining to land in Bath County, Augusta County, and Henry County, Virginia.

 Arrangement

The collection is organized in one oversize folder.

 Related Materials

Twenty-two manuscript leaves, dating from the 13th to the 17th centuries, were temporarily loaned by the JMU Foundation to Special Collections from February 2002 to August 2004. At the end of the loan period the manuscript leaves were permanently transferred to the Madison Art Resource Site (now Madison Art Collection).

 Whitehall evening-post British newspapers -- 18th century -- Sources Land grants -- Virginia -- Bath County -- Sources Land grants -- Virginia -- Augusta County -- Sources Land grants -- Virginia -- County of Henry -- Sources Justices of the peace -- Virginia -- Franklin County -- 18th century Advertising, Newspaper -- 18th century Fort Ticonderoga (N.Y.) -- Capture, 1775 Boston (Mass.) -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 Massachusetts -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 Augusta County (Va.) -- History Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History -- 18th century Virginia -- History -- 18th century United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- British forces United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Campaigns Gibraltar -- History -- 18th century Bunker Hill, Battle of, Boston, Mass., 1775 Newspapers Legal documents Land grants Gage, Thomas, 1721-1787 Allison, William Dickinson, Robert N. Martin, William Peter Thompson, Thomas Harston, Samuel Steard, George Sonner, Ray V., Dr. (Ray Vincent), 1925-2012 Whitehall Evening Post/repositories/4/archival_objects/6321756 September 23OV 1Scope and Contents

With apparent dealer's note and 1936 value

Whitehall Evening Post/repositories/4/archival_objects/6331775 July 15OV 1Scope and Contents

With envelope containing apparent dealer's description and 1937 value

Commission of Robert N. Dickinson to Justice of the Peace; Franklin County, Virginia/repositories/4/archival_objects/6341815 September 1OV 1Commission of William Peter Martin, Thomas Thompson, and Samuel Harston to Justices of the Peace; Franklin County, Virginia/repositories/4/archival_objects/6351776 November 29OV 1Land Grant to George Steard; County of Henry, Virginia/repositories/4/archival_objects/6361779 November 10OV 1Scope and Contents

In poor condition; signature torn

Land Grant of 144 acres to William Allison; Augusta County, Virginia/repositories/4/archival_objects/6371798 April 21OV 1Land Office Treasury Warrant No. 16, 196 to Adam G. Cleek for 86 acres; Bath County, Virginia/repositories/4/archival_objects/6381848 February 29OV 1