PUBLIC "-//University of Virginia::Library::Special Collections Dept.//TEXT (US::ViU::01005::Maury and Perkins Family Papers)//EN" "ViU01005.sgm" A Guide to the Maury and Perkins Family PapersMaury and Perkins family. 10492-cProcessed by Special Collections Dept. staff; machine-readable finding aid created by Elizabeth SlombaFunded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. University of Virginia Library © 1997 By the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia. All rights reserved.

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 Machine-readable finding aid derived from WordPerfect. [Date of source: 1997. Description is in English. Feb 18, 2004 PUBLIC "-//University of Virginia::Library::Special Collections Dept.//TEXT (US::ViU::01005::Maury and Perkins Family Papers)//EN" "ViU01005.sgm" converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02.xsl (sy2003-10-15). Feb 27, 2004 converted to conform to eadVIVA.dtd by vivastrict.xsl A Guide to the Maury and Perkins Family Papers A Collection in the Special Collections Department 10492-c

Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library 1997 Special Collections Department Staff 1997 Elizabeth Slomba Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, #10492-c Descriptive Summary University of Virginia. Library. Special Collections Dept.
Alderman Library University of Virginia Charlottesville, Virginia 22903 USA
Maury and Perkins Family Papers 10492-c ca. 550 items English Lydia Lowndes Maury Skeels Administrative Information Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

 Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

 Preferred Citation

Maury and Perkins Family Papers, Accession 10492-c, Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library

 Acquisition Information

This collection was given to the Library by Lydia Lowndes Maury Skeels of Storrs, Connecticut, on July 24, 1987.

 Funding Note

Funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities

 Scope and Content

This material, assembled by Lydia Lowndes Maury Skeelsfor her books, One American Family: Some Maury Memories, Legends, and Recordsand Some Distaff Forbears: Perkins, Henderson, Watson, Price, Norris, Opie, Kelly, consists of ca. 550 items, 1767(1883-1955)1985, and includes original letters and papers of the Mauryand Perkinsfamilies as well as Mrs. Skeels' notes and copies of material from various repositories.

The correspondence and other material of the Maury and Perkins family pertain chiefly to the family of Eliza Norris (Watson)(1844-1936) and George Perkins(1846-1918) and their children and spouses, Hay Watson (Perkins)(1873-19 ) and George Rust Bedinger Michie(1870-19 ), Anne "Nannie" Henderson (Perkins)(1874-1960) and Henry Lowndes Maury(1875-1959), and William Allan Perkins(1880-19 ) and his wife Hazlehurst Bolton(1882-19 ). There are also letters from Hortensia Hay Watson(1838-19 ), Eliza Maury's sister; letters from Nannie Jessie Maury(Mrs. Matthew Fontaine Maury) to her son, Henry Lowndes; and, a farm book of Egbert Reed Watson(1810-1887), Eliza Maury's father.

The majority of the original letters are written to Anne "Nannie" Henderson (Perkins) Mauryin Butte, Montanafrom her family in Charlottesville, Virginiaand contain much personal news about family members and friends. One letter of interest, dated May 1, 1894, written to Haidee and Nannie Perkins from Bessie P. Woods, a missionary doctor's wife, in Tsing Kiang, China, describes the customs, language, and clothing of the people, and explains the needs for foreign missions. Another interesting letter, November 18, 1898, from Ellen Maury Slayden, in San Antonio, Texas, enlightens Nannie on living out west and describes the "differences between Eastern and Western people." During 1898-1935, Eliza Norris (Watson) Perkinswrote to her daughter, Nannie, discussing news of family and friends in great detail, and mentioning events in Charlottesville. There are two letters in 1901 with news of Charlottesville: April 15, concerning the election to the Virginia Constitutional Convention; and, May 23, describing the city and surrounding area during a flood caused by heavy rainfall, mentioning such sites as the new iron bridge, Holladay House, and Woolen Mills. There are also several letters mentioning persons associated with the University of Virginia: November 28, 1932 and October 16, 1933, John Lloyd Newcomb's tea for Lord and Lady Astor and his appointment as President of the University; February 13, 1933, Frank Abbott's death and John Staige Davis' illness; and, July 16, 1934, John W. Davis' speech at the Institute of Public Affairs. A December 13, 1934 letter describes her train trip from Butte, Montanato her home in Charlottesville.

George Perkinsalso wrote to his daughter, Nannie, after her marriage to Henry Lowndes Mauryon November 22, 1898 and their subsequent departure to Butte, Montana. While he wrote personal letters to his daughter, he wrote more professional ones to his son-in-law. Many of his letters to Lowndes refer to the latter's legal business, especially his partnerships with Clayberg and Corbettand with Pemberton and Maury(August 25 and September 9, 1899), legal cases, and his being made President of the Bar Association in Butte(December 19, 1906). His letters offered support and advice concerning some of these matters. One interesting letter, December 26, 1910, gave a lengthy account of a distant relative's, Charles Alphonso Smith(1864-1924), a University of Virginiaprofessor, successful visit to Berlin, including a lunch with Kaiser Wilhelm and a visit to the palace at Potsdam.

Other letters of interest to Nannie from her family include: September 4, 1899, from her brother, William Allan Perkins, describing a fishing trip that took him across West Virginiaand Ohioto a camp near Sault Ste. Marie; May 9 and June 3, 1918, from her aunt, Hortensia Hay Watson, mentioning the University of Virginia Base Hospitaland occurrences during World War I.

In addition, there are travel journals, with transcripts, of Anne "Nannie" Henderson (Perkins) Mauryand Eliza Norris (Watson) Perkins. During July and August 1891, Nannie kept a journal on her travels from Charlottesvilleto various places in Virginiaand New York, and Washington, D.C., describing the sites vividly. In July 1910, Lizzie Perkinstravelled from Charlottesvilleto Butte, Montanato visit her daughter and her family, writing of the trip in a small notebook.

The research material includes Mrs. Skeels' correspondence and notes, biographies and genealogies, and copies of material from various repositories concerning the Maury, Perkins, Watson, Norris, and related families. There is much material pertaining to Matthew Fontaine Maury(1806-1873), the first great American oceanographer. Copies of original family letters, diaries, and papers have been placed in this series.

The material has been organized into three series: I. Maury and Perkins Family Papers; II. Research Material of Lydia Lowndes Maury Skeels; and, III. Oversize Material. Folders in the first two series are arranged alphabetically, and material within is in chronological order.

 Container List I. Maury and Perkins Family Papers Correspondence Correspondence of the Perkins and Maury Families 1894-1898 Box 1 Letters to Anne "Nannie" Henderson (Perkins) Maury 1889-1960 Box 1 Nannie Jessie Maury to Henry Lowndes Maury 1894, n.d. Box 1 Eliza Norris (Watson) Perkins to Anne "Nannie" Henderson (Perkins) and Henry Lowndes Maury and children 1898-1935 Box 1 (5 folders) George Perkins to Anne "Nannie" Henderson (Perkins) and Henry Lowndes Maury 1898-1918 Box 1 William Allan Perkins to Anne "Nannie" Henderson (Perkins) and Henry Lowndes Maury 1898-1942 Box 1 Hortensia Hay Watson to Anne "Nannie" Henderson (Perkins) Maury 1898-1918 Box 1 Papers Lists of Gifts for family and friends and of phone calls made on behalf of the British War Relief Society 1940-1955 Box 2 Miscellaneous--Lists n.d. Box 2 Miscellaneous--Poems and Recipes n.d. Box 2 Papers of Eliza Norris (Watson) and George Perkins 1869-1917 Box 2 Piedmont Female Institute Alumnae Association 1922 Box 2 Bound Volumes Commonplace Book of Anne "Nannie" Henderson (Perkins) Maury, w/ transcript 1891-1894 Box 2 Diaries of Anne "Nannie" Henderson (Perkins) Maury 1941-1954 Box 2 (2 folders) Diary of Egbert Reed Watson 1875-1885 Box 2 Travel Journal of Anne "Nannie" Henderson (Perkins) Maury, w/ transcript 1891 Box 2 II. Research Material of Lydia Lowndes Maury Skeels Correspondence Correspondence of Lydia Lowndes Maury Skeels 1952-1985 Box 3 Correspondence of the Maury family, and fragments of letters 1812-1866 Box 3 (electrostatic copies) Papers Commonplace Book of Nannie Jessie Maury (nee Lydia Ann Maury) 1880-1885 Box 3 (electrostatic copy) Family Events, Volumes I and II 1934-1955 Box 3 (2 folders) Genealogical Charts of the Perkins and related families n.d. Box 3 Material re Matthew Fontaine Maury 1911-1976 Box 3 Material re the Maury family 1892-1977 Box 3 Material re the Maury family of Huguenot descent 1767-1967 Box 4 Material re the Maury family of "Piedmont" 1869-1963 Box 4 Material re Eliza Norris (Watson) and George Perkins 1918-1919, n.d. Box 4 Material re the Perkins and related families 1880-1931 Box 4 Material re the Watson family 1887 Box 4 Miscellaneous Notes n.d. Box 4 Notes on Calendars of Anne "Nannie" Henderson (Perkins) Maury, 1956- 1960 n.d. Box 4 Notes on Travel Journals of Anne "Nannie" Henderson (Perkins) Maury, 1934-1947 and 1954-1955 n.d. Box 4 (2 folders) Record of Family Reunions and Household Affairs 1940-1958 Box 4 Wills (copies) 1830-1936 Box 4 Oversize Material Appointment to Consul of the United States for the Port of Liverpool for James Maury, signed by George Washington 1790 June 7 (electrostatic copy) Confederate States of America Bond for $500 1862 Jan 1 University of Virginia certificate of graduation for Henry Lowndes Maury in the School of Latin 1892 June 29 University of Virginia certificates of graduation for Henry Lowndes Maury for Bachelor of Arts in courses of English Literature, Greek, History, and Physics 1894 June 13 (4 diplomas) Admission to the Supreme Court of the United States for Henry Lowndes Maury 1938 Aug 29 (electrostatic copy) Admission to the United States Court of Claims for Henry Lowndes Maury 1950 Oct 4 (electrostatic copy) Admission to the Supreme Court of the State of Montana for Henry Lowndes Maury 1957 Apr 17 (electrostatic copy)