A Guide to the Microfilm Edition of Southern Women and Their Families in the 19th Century: Papers and Diaries Series D, Holdings of the Virginia Historical Society Part 1: Tidewater Virginia, 1864–1888 UNIVERSITY PUBLICATIONS OF AMERICA A Guide to the Microfilm Edition of Research Collections in Women’s Studies General Editors: Anne Firor Scott and William H. Chafe Southern Women and Their Families in the 19th Century: Papers and Diaries Consulting Editor: Anne Firor Scott Series D, Holdings of the Virginia Historical Society Part 1: Tidewater Virginia Associate Editor and Guide Compiled by Martin P. Schipper A microfilm project of UNIVERSITY PUBLICATIONS OF AMERICA An Imprint of CIS 4520 East-West Highway • Bethesda, MD 20814-3389 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Southern women and their families in the 19th century, papers and diaries. Series D, Holdings of the Virginia Historical Society [microform] / consulting editor, Anne Firor Scott ; [associate editor, Martin P. Schipper]. microfilm reels. — (Research collections in women’s studies) Accompanied by printed guide compiled by Martin P. Schipper, entitled: A guide to the microfilm edition of Southern women and their families in the 19th century, papers and diaries. Series D, Holdings of the Virginia Historical Society. ISBN 1-55655-531-8 (pt. 1 : microfilm) 1. Women—Virginia—History—19th century—Sources. 2. Family— Virginia—History—19th century—Sources. I. Scott, Anne Firor, 1921– . II. Schipper, Martin Paul. III. Virginia Historical Society. IV. University Publications of America (Firm) V. Title: Guide to the microfilm edition of Southern women and their families in the 19th century, papers and diaries. Series D, Holdings of the Virginia Historical Society. VI. Series. [HQ1458] 305.4' 09755' 09034—dc20 95-9882 CIP Copyright © 1995 by the University Publications of America. All rights reserved. ISBN 1-55655-531-8. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ............................................................................................................................. vii Note on Sources........................................................................................................................ xiii Editorial Note ........................................................................................................................... xiii Reel Index Reel 1 Mss5:4Al276, Alexandria Female Seminary Student Notebook, 1853, 1858 ......... 1 Mss5:1B3896, Margaret Stanly Beckwith Reminiscences, 1844–1865 .................. 1 Mss5:1B8404, Elizabeth Tucker (Coalter) Bryan Diary, 1853 ............................... 2 Mss1B8408a, Bryan Family Papers, 1774–1942..................................................... 3 Reel 2 Mss1B8408a, Bryan Family Papers, 1774–1942 cont............................................. 14 Reel 3 Mss1B8408a, Bryan Family Papers, 1774–1942 cont............................................. 14 Mss1B8408b, Bryan Family Papers, 1838–1939..................................................... 15 Mss1B9963a, Francis Otway Byrd Papers, 1774–1959 .......................................... 17 Reel 4 Mss1B9963a, Francis Otway Byrd Papers, 1774–1959 cont. ................................. 19 Mss1B9968b, Byrd Family Papers, 1805–1871 ...................................................... 20 Reel 5 Mss1B9968c, Byrd Family Papers, 1795–1826 ...................................................... 24 Mss5:5Un3:13, Cookbook, 1859–1866 .................................................................. 25 Mss1C6773a, Coleman Family Papers, 1856–1883................................................ 25 Mss5:1D2913, Caroline Kean (Hill) Davis Diary, 1860–1865 ............................... 27 Mss2D9563b, Sarah Dandridge (Cooke) Duval Papers, 1847–1864 ...................... 28 Mss1Ed745a, Edrington Family Papers, 1766–1967 .............................................. 28 iii Reel 6 Mss1Ed745a, Edrington Family Papers, 1766–1967 cont. ..................................... 31 Mss1G7955a, Gray Family Papers, 1810–1970 ...................................................... 32 Mss1H1946a, Hankins Family Papers, 1820–1928 ................................................ 33 Reel 7 Mss1H1946a, Hankins Family Papers, 1820–1928 cont......................................... 36 Reel 8 Mss1H1946a, Hankins Family Papers, 1820–1928 cont......................................... 37 Mss5:5H2244, Abigail (Langley) Granbery Hargroves Commonplace Book, 1694–1818 ................................................................................................ 38 Mss1L5114a, George Bolling Lee Papers, 1703–1790 ........................................... 38 Mss1L5114b, George Bolling Lee Papers, 1732–1870 ........................................... 42 Reel 9 Mss1L5114c, George Bolling Lee Papers, 1841–1868 ........................................... 51 Mss1L5114d, George Bolling Lee Papers, 1813–1924 ........................................... 59 Reel 10 Mss1L51c, Lee Family Papers, 1824–1918 ............................................................. 73 Reels 11–12 Mss1L51c, Lee Family Papers, 1824–1918 cont. .................................................... 79 Reel 13 Mss1L51c, Lee Family Papers, 1824–1918 cont. .................................................... 89 Mss5:1L8378, Judith Lomax Diary, 1820–1827 ..................................................... 90 Mss1L8378a, Lomax Family Papers, 1776–1960 ................................................... 90 Reel 14 Mss1L8378a, Lomax Family Papers, 1776–1960 cont. .......................................... 92 Mss1M2886a, Majette Family Papers, 1812–1908 ................................................. 93 Reels 15–16 Mss1M2886a, Majette Family Papers, 1812–1908 cont. ........................................ 98 Reel 17 Mss1M2886a, Majette Family Papers, 1812–1908 cont. ........................................ 99 Mss5:5M6663, Ellen Temple (Hill) Minor Album, 1856–1875 ............................. 100 Mss1P6875a, Pitts Family Papers, 1848–1926 ....................................................... 100 Reel 18 Mss1P6875a, Pitts Family Papers, 1848–1926 cont. .............................................. 102 Mss1P7637a, Pollard Family Papers, 1782–1907 ................................................... 103 iv Reel 19 Mss1P7637a, Pollard Family Papers, 1782–1907 cont. .......................................... 105 Mss1R4377a, Ridley Family Papers, 1853–1863.................................................... 105 Mss1R4377b, Ridley Family Papers, 1776–1897.................................................... 106 Mss1T9715a, Julia (Gardiner) Tyler Papers, 1864–1888 ........................................ 107 Reel 20 Mss1T9715a, Julia (Gardiner) Tyler Papers, 1864–1888 cont. ............................... 109 Mss1T9715b, Julia (Gardiner) Tyler Papers, 1844–1946 ........................................ 109 Reel 21 Mss1T9715b, Julia (Gardiner) Tyler Papers, 1844–1946 cont. ............................... 113 Mss1W3403a, Watt Family Papers, 1821–1902...................................................... 113 Mss1W6398a, Wight Family Papers, 1861–1879 ................................................... 114 Mss5:1W3843, Susan Elizabeth (Gordon) Webb Diary, 1858 ................................ 115 Subject Index ........................................................................................................................... 117 v vi INTRODUCTION The creation of history as a scholarly discipline has always depended on the discovery, preservation, and accessibility of primary sources. Some of the leading figures in the first generation of academic historians in the United States spent much of their time and energy on this endeavor and in so doing made possible the work of their colleagues who wrote monographs and general histories. The inventions of microfilm and photocopying have vastly improved access to such sources. At any given time the prevailing conceptions of what is significant in the past will determine which sources are sought and valued. When politics and diplomacy are the center of historians’ concern, government documents, treaties, newspapers, and correspondence of political leaders and diplomats will be collected and made accessible. When intellectual history is ascendant, the works of philosophers and reflective thinkers will be studied, analyzed, and discussed. Economic historians will look for records of trade, evidence of price fluctuations, conditions of labor, and other kinds of data originally collected for business purposes. The propensity of modern governments to collect statistics has made possible whole new fields for historical analysis. In our own time social historians have flourished, and for them evidence of how people of all kinds have lived, felt, thought, and behaved is a central concern. Private diaries and personal letters are valued for the light they throw on what French historians label the mentalité of a particular time and place. The fact that such documents were usually created only for the writer, or for a friend or relative, gives them an immediacy not often found in other kinds of records. At best the writers tell us—directly or by implication—what they think and feel and do. Even the language and the allusions in such spontaneous expression are useful to the historian, whose inferences might surprise the writer could she know what was being made of her words. This microfilm series focuses on a particular group (women) in a particular place (the South) in a particular