St. Luke's Church - Sydnor
St. Luke's Church, Powhatan County, records, 18421936. 45 items. Mss3Sa242a.
Among the records of this Protestant Episcopal church in Powhatan County is a vestry book that records baptisms (infant and adult), burials, and marriages (item 22). The church had white and African American members; notations indicate that both slave and free African Americans were included. Some of the accounts also involve African Americans.
Sanders, William H., account book, 1840–1876. [118]pp. Mss5:3Sa566:1.
This account book was kept at Lower Byrd, Goochland County, where William Sanders apparently served as overseer for Mrs. Louise G. Allen. Accounts concern slaves (including birth and death records), livestock, purchases for the plantation, and produce sold, chiefly tobacco and grains. Postwar entries include payments made to hired laborers.
Sartain, James Auxford (1922–1986), papers, 1967–1968. 138 items. Mss1Sa772a.
The collection includes minutes of meetings, progress reports, project records, conference materials, and public relations materials compiled by James Auxford Sartain, University of Richmond sociology professor, as chair of the Urban Team, a group of university professors studying desegregation of the Richmond public schools. Section 1 contains minutes of meetings, notes, and progress reports concerning the Urban Team. Materials concern integration and desegregation at Albert H. Hill Middle School, Thomas Jefferson High School, J. A. Chandler Middle School, and John Marshall and Maggie Walker high schools and the issue of the racial composition of the North Side of Richmond.
Saturday Afternoon Club, Richmond, records, 1894–1907. 9 items. Mss3Sa845a.
Collection includes two minute books and several program yearbooks of the Saturday Afternoon Club, a literary society of educated single and married women organized by Mary Cooke (Branch) Munford for the purpose of self-culture and study. Members presented book reviews and papers covering topics such as education, religion, world history, and the status of African Americans.
Saunders, Edward Sydnor (b. 1810), bonds, 18351836. 2 items. Mss2Sa873b.
Issued to Jeremiah Webb in Richmond County for the hire of a slave child, Ben.
Saunders family papers, 17981903. 3,571 items. Mss1Sa878a. Microfilm reels C476–486.
Papers of this Franklin County family include a significant number of legal papers because of the legal background of the family members, including Fleming Saunders (17781858), a lawyer and judge in Virginia's circuit courts, and Peter Saunders (18231904), lawyer, planter, justice of the peace, and member of the Virginia House of Delegates. Papers of Elizabeth Lewis (Dabney) Saunders (18301904) and other members of the Dabney family are also included in the collection.
A deed in section 12 (dated 1825) of John Ward to John Ferguson of Montgomery County, Tenn., is for Lewis, age twenty-two; the deed was later assigned to Fleming Saunders. Hiring bonds are in section 8 (Fleming Saunders's correspondence with L. R. Marshall includes an 1834 bond for hire of Delily and Olly) and section 33 (1854 bond of Owen Price of Price & Saunders, Rocky Mount, Franklin County, to Thomas Helm for two slaves, Jacob and George).
A number of lists of estate sales and divisions survive in the collection. In section 11, lists, 1853, record slaves sold in Franklin County by Fleming Saunders as surviving partner of Samuel and Fleming Saunders, including approximately fifty slaves, with names, ages, values, and several brief notationsa sore hand, a "hogback," and a carpenter. Section 32 contains lists, 18371854, of slaves of Martha Watts, including family groups, ages, values, notes on disease, illness, and death for approximately seventy-two slaves. Section 39 includes undated lists of slaves of Peter Saunders, including families, ages, values, and notations on cases of albinism, paralysis, idiocy, and scrofula. The section also includes an 1853 proposal of Peter Saunders for terms of credit to be extended for the sale of slaves. Section 44 contains an undated list of the slaves of Anna Maria (Saunders) Preston and Thomas Lewis Preston, including names, ages, family groups, values, and at least one occupation (a blacksmith).
Correspondence of Peter Saunders (section 34) includes an 1863 letter from Peter Holland enclosing a power of attorney to collect hiring fees for slaves conscripted by the government to work on fortifications near Richmond. Several letters, 18621863, from Robert C. Henderson, overseer at Bleak Hill in Franklin County, describes the plantation routine. In 1862, he particularly complains that Bleak Hill is being required to send many laborers to work on the turnpike; he believes that he is asked to send more laborers and at a greater distance than is fair. He relates cases of foot injuries, mumps, and pneumonia.
Saunders family papers, 18291908. 125 items. Mss1Sa878b.
Primarily papers of members of the Eppes and Saunders families of Suffolk and Nansemond County. An account book, 18571867, kept by James Riddick Saunders in Nansemond County includes entries covering the hire of slaves and freedmen for agricultural and milling operations (section 4). A second volume, 18681873, primarily concerns agricultural labor (section 5).
Savedge, Acrell (b. 1799), financial records, 1835–1860. 14 items. Mss2Sa935b.
Kept in Surry County, these records include accounts for the hiring of slaves.
Schwarz, Philip J. (b. 1940), compiler, Manuscripts and Primary Sources on Thomas Jefferson and Slavery, 1992. 31 pp. Mss7:1J3595:6.
Includes bibliographic references with textual excerpts from primary materials concerning Thomas Jefferson and his slaves located in various libraries and repositories.
Scott, Mary Wingfield (1895–1983), papers, 1977–1982. 7 items. Mss2Sco851b.
This collection of papers, compiled by a Richmond architectural historian, includes a literary manuscript, originally written ca. 1950 by Virginia Reese Withers, entitled Son of the Black Belt. The story is a fictionalized account of the Reese and Wither families in Virginia and Alabama, in part, concerning their relationships with slaves and with free African Americans after the Civil War.
Scott, Thomas Branch (1865–1945), collector, papers, 1740–1892. 111 items. Mss1Sco857a.
Include miscellaneous patents, grants, deeds, correspondence, wills, and other legal documents collected by Thomas Branch Scott (of Richmond). Section 4 contains a deed of release, 1820, of Benjamin Mosby to Thomas Keesee for a slave.
Scott family papers, 17831881. 6 items. Mss1Sco866d.
Include an account book, 18311863, kept by Garrett Scott (b. 1808) concerning agricultural operations in Orange County and containing lists of slaves with dates of birth and death.
Scott family papers, 18191906. 295 items. Mss1Sco866c.
Primarily the papers of a farming family in Richmond County. An 1866 agreement (executed on a printed form) between Thomas Barnes and James Scott, signed at Warsaw in Richmond County and endorsed by a local official of the Freedmen's Bureau, concerns Barnes's service as a farm hand for the coming year (section 13).
Seddon family papers, 18311882. 308 items. Mss1Se275a. Photocopies.
Include papers of James Alexander Seddon (18151880), lawyer, U.S. congressman, and Confederate secretary of war, and Sarah (Bruce) Seddon (18221882). Section 13 contains an incomplete answer in the case of Mary A. Scott v. Thomas C. Scott's executors in Stafford County court, concerning Mary Scott's title to unnamed slaves (ca. 1858). In the same section is an undated list of slaves from Cobham plantation, providing names, ages, and family groups for forty-three slaves. It also includes notes for calculating passage and tickets for the slaves to various destinations, including Nelson County, Lynchburg, and Memphis, Tenn.
Selden, Miles Cary (1805–1880), receipt, 1863. 1 p. Mss2Se484a1.
Receipt, dated 29 November 1863, issued to C. S. Maurice for $2500 for the purchase of Thomas, a slave in Richmond.
Selden, Richard (17581823), bill of sale, 1794. 1 p. Mss2Se485a1.
Issued 1 May 1794 to Hancock Lee of Fairfax County for the sale of a slave child, Pyrimus.
Selden family papers, 18111868. 19 items. Mss1Se487a. Microfilm reel C266.
This family of planters owned property in Amelia and Charles City counties. Section 1 contains the diary of John Armistead Selden (b. 1805), owner of Westover plantation in Charles City County. It has been published in Smith College Studies 6 (July 1921): 251330. The diary is filled with scattered references to the routine work and travel of slaves; no attempt will be made here to mention all the references. Some items of note are on page 10 (1858), canal fare for slaves; page 48 (August 1859), payment of an account with the free boy George; page 64 (November 1859), reading abolitionist accounts of the John Brown incident; page 130 (February 1861), whipping the slave Pompey and hiring a carpenter to work on slave houses; page 213 (September 1862), a record of receipt of $50.98 from the government for hire of slaves in April; page 217, a list of ten slaves indicating name, age, and value; page 221, the capture of three slaves; page 222 (August 1862), list of thirty-four Westover slaves that left with the Yankees, including names, occupations, ages, mothers of young children, and a note of three deaths (one being Austen, who died of neglect while working on the Jamestown fortifications); page 226, a record of payment for shoes for slaves; and page 278 (January 1864), an account with a free African American woman for rent of house.
Selden family papers, 1841–1879. 10 items. Mss2Se4885b.
This collection includes accounts of Ann (Hare) Seth with Charles Selden and Miles Cary Selden, including amounts for the purchase and hiring out of slaves.
Semmes, Raphael (1809–1877), papers, 1818–1908. 167 items. Mss1Se535a. Microfilm reel C620.
This collection contains materials relating to the Confederate naval service in England of Raphael Semmes. Section 1 contains a letter from Semmes to Louisa Tremlett concerning, among other things, the surrender of the Confederate States, conditions in the South, and freed African Americans. Section 6 contains newspaper clippings, 1864–1908, which, in part, concern freed African Americans.
Sheltering Arms Rehabilitation Hospital, Richmond, records, 1889–1989. 139 items. Mss3Sh445d.
Includes minutes, annual reports, donation day direct mail solicitations, surveys, committee reports, correspondence, pamphlets, books, scrapbook pages, photographs, and newspaper clippings concerning this Richmond facility. Section 4 contains a survey, 1958, which concerns, in part, the admission of African Americans into the hospital.
Shepherd family papers, 17321907. 87 items. Mss1Sh485a.
Primarily the papers of planters in Princess Anne County and Norfolk. A 1737 deed of James Condon and Matthew Pallet to Smith Shepherd concerns the sale of the slave Rachell (section 1). The 1769 will of Sarah Weblin of Princess Anne County specifically bequeaths a young slave named Tom, while the 1795 will of Smith Shepherd includes the disposition of twelve slaves (section 4). The 1804 will of Lemuel Shepherd also includes the disposition of slaves (section 5).
Twenty-three bonds covering the period 18421862 concern the hiring out of slaves belonging to Sarah M. Camp Shepherd of Norfolk and include the terms and conditions of service (section 9). Lists of slaves maintained for Shepherd for the years 18561862 include the names of parties to whom slaves were hired and the amount of the bond in each case; and a bond, 1858, of Edie Doran to Mary V. Haynes concerns the hire of Matilda (section 10). Finally, Solomon S. Keeling issued a receipt to an unnamed party in 1836 for the hire of Mary (section 15).
Shore family papers, 1770–ca. 1980. ca. 1,679 items. Mss1Sh785a.
This collection documents the everyday life of the Shore and related Epes, Fitzgerald, and Ward families of Nottoway County. Includes correspondence between family members, accounts, legal documents, and extensive genealogical notes. Of particular interest is a six-page register listing the births of slaves owned by Benjamin Ward, Jr. (1778–1840) of Bellefield (section 4). While the register begins by listing individual entries, the majority of the register lists mothers with their children. The register includes births from 1770 to 1864.
Correspondence (section one) is arranged chronologically and contains scattered references to African Americans. Items of special interest include an undated letter of Louisa Fitzgerald (Shore) Ward (1820–1881) to her daughter, Louisa Jones Shore Ward (1853–1930), mentioning the great revival at the local "negro church"; letter, 1837, of Dr. [P. C.] Spencer regarding treatment for a slave's blister; letters, 1870–1871, of [W. M.] Osborne of the Southside Railroad Company, Lynchburg, to Ann Catherine (Epes) Scott Shore (1824–1893) concerning money owed to her husband's estate for the hire of slaves (information on wages is provided); letter, 1867, of Thomas F. Ward (b. 1837?) of Alabama to his uncle Robert Fitzgerald Ward (1811–1881) mentioning racial tensions; and letter, 1942, of Louisa Ward (Shore) Brooks (1880–1944) to her sister, Sallie Ward Shore (1890–1953), mentioning an African American named James Langston, who ran for political office.
The financial papers (section two) include a list, 1794, of slaves belonging to the estate of Benjamin Ward, Sr. (1747–1783); receipt, 1836, to Thomas Freeman Ward (1806–1836) for a slave woman named Caroline; receipt, 1845, to Robert Fitzgerald Ward for a young slave Jim; receipt, 1855, to Robert Fitzgerald Ward for "woman Becky"; receipt, 1864, to Henry Edwin Shore (1800–1867) for sending a slave named Tom to Captain W. H. Fry at Camp Lee; receipt, 1865, to Mary Fitzgerald (b. 1811) from P. A. Foulks, the sheriff of Nottoway County, for allowing a slave named Anderson to work on fortifications; and a list, 1865, of Robert Fitzgerald Ward's property lost after the Civil War, including a list of emancipated slaves and their qualifications. The legal papers (section three) include a document, ca. 1849, relating to a title dispute over slaves obtained by Henry Edwin Shore when he married Ann Catherine (Epes) Scott, widow of Alexander Scott.
Shuman, J. E., letter, 1865. 1 p. Mss2Sh926a1.
Letter, dated 20 March 1865, Petersburg, to Thomas S. Hayward concerning the raising of a company of African American troops in Louisiana or Virginia by the Confederate States Army. Shuman wrote the letter while serving in Company I of the 15th Louisiana Infantry Regiment, Confederate States Army of Northern Virginia.
Skipwith family papers, 1780–1942. 151 items. Mss1Sk366a.
Correspondence and financial records of three generations of Skipwith family members of Prestwould, Mecklenburg County. The correspondence, 1810–1822, of Lady Jean (Miller) Skipwith (1743–1826) includes a letter from Elizabeth Beverley (Munford) Kennon written from Richmond on the night of 9 June 1810 while awaiting word of a rumored slave insurrection (section 3). Also, includes letters, 1828–1833, written to Humberston Skipwith (1791–1863), including one from Alonzo Murphy regarding a lawsuit over the recovery of slaves sold in the New Orleans market (section 5); agreements, 1864–1865, of Grey Skipwith (1839–1895) concerning Upper Quarter Island at Prestwould with John Harris as overseer and with freedmen (section 9); and letters, 1829–1831, written to Elizabeth (Bolling) Skipwith of Louisiana by Thomas Wither Chinn (concerning the estate of Judge Thomas Bolling Robertson and the employment of African American slaves) (section 10).
Slaughter, Philip (1808–1890), letter, [1850]. [4] pp. Mss2SL157a2.
In this letter, Slaughter seeks the opinion of Henry Alexander Wise (1806–1876), lawyer and politician of Virginia’s Eastern Shore, concerning relations between the United States and Liberia, and expresses his opinions on social conditions and the improvement of freed blacks in the United States, the arguments of abolitionists, and the nature of American slavery.
Sloan, Harry (b. 1805), commonplace book, 1848–1887. 1 vol. (21 pp.). Mss5:5SL525:1.
Contains accounts kept largely in Tazewell County, including payment of taxes and school expenses, as well as accounts concerning the estate of James Sloan kept by Harry Sloan as executor, and of the estate of William Owens kept by an unidentified individual. The book also contains records concerning the hiring of slaves in Virginia and Tennessee, as well as slave birth records from an unidentified location.
Slocum family papers, 1766–1831. 3 items. Mss2SL539b.
Include an affidavit of Nathaniel Starke of Harrison County (now W.Va.) concerning the sale of Mary, a slave, and her two children, Dorcas and John William, to John Slocum.
Smith, Francis Williamson (18381865), papers, 18101947. 191 items. Mss1Sm565a.
Include a bond, 1810 (section 1), of Miles King (17471814) to Josiah Lilly Deans for slaves or the equivalent value, including Joe, his wife Dolly, and their son Tom, the value of James and Jack who have been hanged, two additional slaves who had been sold, and the value of one boy to be delivered.
Smith, John Adams Washington (1781–1832), account book, 1808–1817. [224] pp. Mss5:3Sm614:1.
Ledger kept as an attorney in Warrenton and while practicing law in local county courts. Also, includes scattered accounts concerning the purchase, sale, and exchange of horses and slaves.
Smith family papers, 1788–1890. 48 items. Mss2Sm686b.
Among the papers of this Henrico County family is an elaborate printed indenture, 1797, of William Booker of Goochland County with Jesse Smith of Henrico County to Alexander Buchanan and William Mitchell of Richmond for four female slaves, namely, Dorcas, age forty, Bett, age thirty, Beckey, age sixteen, and Nell, age three, in the possession of Booker in Goochland County. The prices for the slaves written on the verso indicate that two children were included with Beckey.
Smith family papers, 1815–1928. 313 items. Mss1Sm686b.
Consist primarily of the papers of Francis Williamson Smith (1838–1865) of Norfolk. Correspondence with his father-in-law, Josiah Lilly Deans (b. 1811), who lived at Rosewell in Gloucester County, includes letters written during the Civil War offering advice on the financial benefits of investing in slaves (section 2).
Smith family papers, 1821–1918. 81 items. Mss2Sm686c.
Papers of the Smith and related Davis families, primarily of Prince Edward County. The correspondence, 1871–1894, of Sarah Woods (Davis) Smith (d. 1894) of Prospect includes an exchange of letters with Edwin Bedford Jeffress concerning a lawsuit over the prewar hiring of African American slaves to build a section of the South Side Railroad. Accounts, 1821–1884, of various family members primarily focus on slave hiring, while an 1847 appraisal of the estate of Robert A. Smith lists slaves by name and provides evaluations.
Smith family papers, 1847–1889. 17 items. Mss2Sm686d.
This small collection consists primarily of the papers of George S. Smith, a Unionist and Republican Party member in Marion. A letter, 1871, written to Smith by D. S. Lewis (of the U.S. Internal Revenue Bureau) concerns the possible move of the assessor's office of the 5th Collection District of Virginia from Lynchburg to Danville, the loss of property suffered by Willis Madden (a free African American of Culpeper County) during the Union Army's occupation of the county, and the reputation of [John P.] Wright, a Republican newspaper publisher in Marion and Lynchburg.
Snead, Robert Winn (18221903), papers, 18601862. 75 items. Mss1Sn215a. Microfilm reels C620–621.
Snead lived at Woodlawn in Amherst County and served in the 50th Virginia Infantry Regiment of the Confederate States Army. In the summer of 1861 he wrote to "Aunt Peggy and all of my Dear Servants" (verifax copy), entrusting the care of his wife and children to the family slaves as he marched off with the army to Sweet Springs. Later in the letter he lists the slaves by name and sends a photograph of himself to Aunt Peggy (a72).
Snell, James A. (1820?–1887), bond, 1857. 1 p. Mss2Sn274a1.
This bond, executed in 1 January 1857, concerns the hiring of an African American slave and bears an endorsement by the firm of Kent, Paine & Kent of Richmond.
Society for the Prevention of the Absconding and Abduction of Slaves, Richmond, Va., minutes of directors' meetings, 18331849. 16 pp. Mss4So135a1. Photocopy.
Minutes of a society formed for counteracting the increased activity of assisting fugitive slaves to escape to free territories. Some of the organization's resolutions include raising funds for the society, providing expenses and rewards for the recovery of lost slave property of the society's members (including hired slaves), providing rewards for convictions of those persons who assisted slave escapes, providing rewards for convictions of free blacks coming into the state without permission, determining how slave property is lost without detection, and devising measures for counteracting escapes. (The original volume is in the collection of the New-York Historical Society.)
Southall, Philip Turner (17911857), account books, 18151846. 2 vols. Mss5:3So875:12. Microfilm reel C427.
Account books kept by a physician of Amelia County; many of the accounts concern medical care for residents of Amelia, Prince Edward, and surrounding counties. Medical attention to slaves is noted, along with an occasional hiring entry.
Southall, Philip Turner (17911857), letter, 1850. 2 pp. Mss2So875a1. Photocopy.
Written 11 November 1850 from Amelia County to Stephen Osborne Southall concerning the hiring out and proposed sale of the slave Nelson in Richmond.
Sparrow, Caroline T., "Notes concerning the case of the slave girl Virginia . . . ." 40 pp. Mss7:3E443Sp272:1.
Virginia, a slave of Archibald Govan of Hanover County, was tried before the Richmond Hustings Court in February and March 1843 for setting fire to the dwelling of William B. Rushmer.
Spight, Anderson, certificate, 1865. 1 p. Mss2Sp444a.
Certificate for honorable discharge, 1865, for Anderson Spight of the 55th Regiment of the U.S. Colored Infantry Volunteers, providing a physical description. Certificate issued in Louisiana.
Spong, John Shelby (b. 1931), speech, 1969. 7 leaves. Mss2Sp665a1.
This address, delivered on 25 September 1969 by Bishop Spong at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Richmond, concerns the Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in South Bend, Indiana, African Americans, and civil disobedience.
Spotswood, John A., papers, 18031810. 3 items. Mss2Sp686a.
In September 1803, John A. Spotswood provided for the sale of the slave Arthur to Bushrod Washington and Lawrence Lewis to serve a six-year apprenticeship beginning in January 1804. Arthur's occupation is not specified. Also included is a certificate of freedom for Arthur Bradley, dated January 1810.
Spotswood family papers, 1760–1900. 56 items. Mss1Sp687c.
Concern members of the Dunlop, Mackenzie, and Spotswood families in Petersburg. The collection contains a receipt of Catharine Brooke (Francisco) Spotswood to Mary E. Brown for the gift of a slave, Collier (section 5).
Spragins family papers, 17531881. 4,971 items. Mss1Sp716a.
Planter family of Cherry Hill, Halifax County. Family members represented include Melchizedek Spragins (17631810), planter and militia officer; Thomas Lanier Spragins (17981863), lawyer, planter, ferry owner, and militia officer; and Thomas Melchizedek Spragins (b. 1819), lawyer. Also include papers of Philip King (d. 1804) and Brooks Baker (d. 1826), both of Charlotte County.
Many of the documents are deeds and notes of a legal nature, in particular concerning disputes over ownership of slaves. Sections 12 and 17 contain several documents, 17981809, of Philip King conveying slaves to his children, including his sons Philip King and Edmund King, both of Kentucky, and daughter Elizabeth (King) Baker and her husband, Brooks Baker. An undated notice of the younger Philip King appears in section 17, issued to Brooks Baker to prohibit sale of the dower slaves. Section 20 includes a 1796 document of Tabitha White conveying six slaves, one each to her six children. Appraisals and hiring records, 1817, of forty slaves of Melchizedek Spragins's estate note six male slaves hired by Robert Harvey of Botetourt County for Harvey's ironworks. Included in section 39 is a deed, 1774, of John Booth of Amelia County to Elizabeth Booth of Edgecombe County, N.C., concerning two slaves; and an 1807 memorandum of Samuel McCraw of Richmond, questioning Hector McNeil's ownership and right to sell a slave woman. Deeds, 17741826, are included in sections 40, 60, and 61. An elaborate 1774 printed deed appears in section 40. Section 61 contains deeds and affidavits pertaining to a 1788 transaction of Brooks Baker in a trade of four slaves (Tom, Dinah, Suckey, and Cuffey) for a horse. Cuffey was a cooper. An 1823 certificate issued for bringing in the fugitive Tom, slave of Brooks Baker, appears in section 63. Section 85 includes additional deeds, 18241859, of Thomas Spragins.
Section 79 contains material, 18051812, challenging the validity of the will of Reuben Abney. It calls for the emancipation of Hercules and Betty, with Betty to receive thirty acres and her daughter Betty for the duration of the mother's life. It also permits Melchizedek Spragins to choose a slave as compensation for serving as executor of Abney's estate. In 1812, Spragins chose Viney, thought to be pregnant.
Several passes, 18211841, appear in section 86 issued for travel between Halifax and Charlotte counties and for Lewis Sampson to take tobacco to a Richmond merchant for sale, because Lewis is trustworthy with money. An 1837 pass declares that Sirous has run away to Person County, N.C., but his mental faculties are such that he is likely to return home, because he has been told to do so. A notice, 1814, forbids the sale of the slave Boson, a blacksmith, pending resolution of a dispute between Thomas Spragins and C. Johnston concerning ownership of the slave (section 84). Thomas Lanier Spragins issued an appointment to five local citizens as slave patrolers for Halifax County in 1828 (section 88).
Spragins family papers, 18091967. 2,601 items. Mss1Sp716b.
This collection is an addition to the one cited above. Miscellaneous notes, 18451857, of Thomas L. Spragins appear in section 5. These include a note, 1856, that Adam has permission to carry a parcel of tobacco to a Richmond merchant to be sold for the benefit of one of Spragins's slaves and that Adam can be trusted to handle money. Another note, December 1855, concerns a dispute over damage caused by a broken fence; Spragins believes that the slaves of a neighbor, A. M. Poindexter, have abused Spragins's hogs. Another memorandum concerns the preparation of Sarah Shipp's will, including her intended slave distributions. Other notes list errands to be done by Adam and Viney, such as the purchase of clothing and household items.
A summons, 1852, in section 6 pertains to the petition of Fortune Thomas, a free black, to be allowed to stay in Virginia, specifically Halifax County. A power of attorney, 1844, authorizes Thomas West, Spragins's overseer, to sell slaves for Thomas Spragins and others. A pass, 1843, issued by Thomas West (section 42) grants permission for the slave Charles to travel between Lynchburg and Halifax; in the same section, an 1845 affidavit of John Blair McPhail concerns the fugitive slave Charles, property of Thomas Spragins.
Section 39 contains correspondence, 18091865. A letter, 1853, of Granville White Spragins, a former Spragins slave, to Ritta Boscoe of Halifax, his mother, asks after Granville's family and friends and describes how he enjoys his freedom since his escape to Canada. Granville had heard of Leon Spragins's inquiries about trying to retrieve him.
Spratley, Peter Thomas, receipt, 1833. 1 p. Mss2Sp765a1.
The receipt, issued by Spratley and Joseph Bailey to Wilie T. Savedge on 7 January 1833 in Surry County, concerns the purchase of an African American slave, Davy, a blacksmith.
Stagg, Paul Leonard, papers, 1958–1959. 7 items. Mss2St136b. Photocopies.
Concern the opposition of the Reverend Doctor Stagg, pastor of First Baptist Church in Front Royal, and other clergy to massive resistance and the opening of local churches to private schools for white students in order to circumvent public school desegregation. Documents reflect activities in Front Royal and Warren County and include Dr. Staggs resignation announcement following threats to himself and his family.
Stanard, James, papers, 18331874. 6 items. Mss2St2423b.
Papers of the Spencer and Stanard families, freed slaves from Maryland and Virginia, who settled in Philadelphia, Pa. Included is Maria Spencer's manumission certificate (1833, Anne Arundel County, Md.); an 1847 letter written by George Fisher of Richmond (James Stanard's former master) to the captain of the schooner Lightfoot, inquiring about the cost of passage to New Bedford, Mass., for James, Maria, Dennis, Hannah, and her son Tom; an 1848 marriage certificate for Anna (Spencer) Stanard and James Stanard, both of Philadelphia; an 1857 letter of recommendation for James Stanard, written by A. J. White; an 1857 letter to James Stanard from George Fisher concerning family news of both white and African American members of James Stanard's former household and comparison of northern cities and the South with respect to the economy and unemployment; and an 1874 marriage certificate of George Sharper and Maria (Stanard) Sharper, both of Philadelphia.
Stanard family papers, 1707–1950. 894 items. Mss1St242a.
This collection concerns the Stanard, Fleming, and Woolridge families of Chesterfield, Goochland, and Powhatan counties, and Richmond. Section 3 contains correspondence between Charles Fleming (d. 1793) and Mary Fleming Bernard concerning slaves belonging to the estate of Caroline Fleming Deans Fyrie and Mary Deans Yates. Section 5 contains the papers of Judge William Fleming (1736–1824), including legal notes on the case of Thomas Adkins v. Lucy Harrison Adkins, concerning the ownership of slaves Fanny, Ephraim, and Anachy. Section 6 contains a deed of trust, 1810, of John Markham to William Fleming and George Markham for land and slaves in Goochland County. Materials concerning Susan Carter Jackson, an African American woman of Chesterfield County, are located in Section 13 and are related to the settlement of the estate of Thomas Carter of Mobile, Ala. Section 14 includes the personal accounts of Doctor Archibald Logwood Wooldridge ([1792?–1867] of Chesterfield County), including payments received for the medical care of slaves and a bond, 1822, of Dr. Wooldridge and William B. Wooldridge (1827–1881) to Edward Hack Moseley concerning William, a slave, as security for the payment of a debt.
Stanton, James (1779–1852), memoir, c. 1800–1847. [23] pp. Mss5:1St267:1. Photocopy.
A Quaker born in Dinwiddie County, James Stanton spent a number of years working to free slaves with Native American ancestry from bondage through court actions in Virginia, primarily in Prince George County. Stanton later moved to Ohio and was a member of the Underground Railroad. The original memoir is in private hands.
Stanwood, Joseph, deed, 1773. 1 p. Mss2St266a1.
This indenture, dated 12 May 1773 by Stanwood, a mariner of Newberry, New Hampshire, conveys to Thomas Adams of New Kent County an African American slave woman, Diana.
Stewart, Annie Carter (1853–1957), materials, 1893–1937. 4 items. Mss7:1D2944:3.
Information concerning Jefferson Davis and his personal servant Benjamin T. Montgomery (an African American of Warren County, Miss.).
Stickley family papers, 17951912. 416 items. Mss1St515a.
Shenandoah County family of farmers and local government officials. An 1844 list of slaves belonging to the estate of Philip Stickley indicates distribution to legatees and values (section 10). An interesting group of materials compiled by David Stickley as deputy sheriff of the county concerns a free black barber named Prince Henry in the town of Woodstock. Materials, covering the period 18261845, include promissory bonds executed by Prince Henry, an account book covering work completed and purchases made, loose accounts, a notice of the sale of personal effects, and an estate inventory listing names of purchasers (section 21).
Stone, Edmund Fitzgerald (b. 1836), letter, 1864. 4 pp. Mss2St714a1. Photocopy.
Written 7 December 1864 from Chester Station while serving with the 57th Virginia Infantry Regiment to Samuel Marion Stone concerning the reaction of Confederate soldiers to the use of African American troops by the U.S. Army and the conscription of Patrick and other slaves from Pittsylvania County to construct defenses for the Confederate army.
Stover, Nathan, commonplace book, ca. 1858–1863. [104] pp. Mss5:5St767:1.
Stover’s volume, kept in Winchester and Moorefield, Hardy County (now W. Va.), includes a “List of Prices of the House-Joiners and Carpenters” of Winchester (pp. 1–36) with detailed information on various services and their costs. Also, includes lines of verse and songs, some composed by Stover himself, one of which is titled, “Poor Old Slave” (pp. 47–48).
Stringfellow, Charles Simeon (1837–1912), papers, 1855–1962. 29 items. Mss1St863a.
The papers of Charles Simeon Stringfellow, a Petersburg lawyer who served in Company E of the 12th Virginia Infantry Regiment and later practiced in Richmond, include copies of "Some Rough Memoranda Concerning My Life and Family," written in 1908. The memoranda contain observations about slavery and the slave trade just prior to the Civil War.
Stringfellow, Charles S., papers, 1855–1962. 29 items. Mss1St863a.
Charles Simeon Stringfellow (1837–1912), a lawyer, enlisted in 1861 in Company E of the 12th Virginia Infantry Regiment. Included in his papers are two typescript copies of "Some Rough Memoranda Concerning My Life and Family,” written in 1908. His memoranda include family history, reflections on his marriage to Margaret Burwell Stringfellow (b. 1837), and his thoughts on slavery and the slave trade.
Stuart, Alice Jackson Houston (1913–2001), papers, 1933–2001. 417 items. Mss1St91015a.
Alice (Jackson) Houston Stuart is known for being the first African American to apply to graduate school at the University of Virginia, in 1935. After being turned down, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) supported her case and Thurgood Marshall became one of her lawyers in a case against the university. Although the suit was unsuccessful, it prompted the Virginia General Assembly to provide tuition supplements for African Americans to attend out-of-state schools. Alice, who obtained her bachelors degree from Virginia Union University in 1934, went on to get her masters degree from Columbia in 1939. A divorced single parent, she worked as a high school and college teacher while raising her son, Julian Towns Houston, Jr. (b. 1944). She later married James Earle Stuart. Julian obtained a law degree from Boston University and became a Massachusetts Superior Court justice. While a student, he participated in the Civil Rights Movement by attending peaceful sit-ins.
The collection consists mostly of school-related items collected during Julians secondary education at Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Conn. Items include report cards, school correspondence, publications, receipts, and programs (sections 1, 7). Also in the collection are slides from the 1963 march on Washington, D.C., and a tennis match featuring Arthur Ashe (section 4). The rest of the items include newspaper clippings from 1933–2001, essays, personal correspondence of Alice and Julian, Julians baby book, and an autograph album (sections 13, 6, 8). One of Alices essays focuses on Julians birth and provides a commentary on segregated hospitals and unequal medical treatment (section 2).
Stuart family papers, 17851881. 164 items. Mss1St9102d.
Include the personal and legal papers of Archibald Stuart, Staunton attorney, state legislator, and judge. A 1787 agreement of Stuart with John Patterson of Augusta County concerns three slaves bought at public auction from William Allen; a 1791 agreement with William Wallace concerns Dinah, who is living with Stuart's slaves as collateral until Wallace repays a debt (section 4).
Stuart-Mosby Historical Society, papers, 1858–1929. 471 items. Mss3St935a.
Records of and materials collected by this organization that honors the memory of J. E. B. Stuart and John Singleton Mosby. Section 14 contains newspaper articles concerning the slave Aaron Burton.
Sublett, Peter (17471812), deed of emancipation, 1788. 1 p. Mss2Su162a1.
Issued in Powhatan County to fifteen slaves who were to be freed over the period from 1788 to 1807.
Summary of a letter from Portsmouth, Va., concerning a slave insurrection in the eastern part of the state, 1792. 1 p. Mss9:2P8388:1. Photocopy.
Written in French, this article appeared in the Gazette Nationale, ou Le Moniteur Universel of Paris, France, on 18 July 1792. The manuscripts department has cataloged a photocopy of the original in the rare books collection, and has included an English translation with the copy.
Surry County, Clerk, records, 1775–1868. 349 items. Mss3Su788a.
These records primarily concern free African Americans in Surry and nearby counties. Include deeds of manumission (copies and some originals), 1782–1795, issued by a variety of male and female slaveholders; letters and certificates addressed to the clerk attesting to the free-born status or emancipation of specific African Americans or verifying completion of apprenticeships by free-born or emancipated minors; and certificates (freedom papers) issued by the clerk. Most of the documents concern members of the local Bailey, Blizzard, Bowman, Charity, George, Gilchrist, Green, Roberts, and Spratley families. Also, include certificates concerning Captain William Gilchrist (also known as Billy Buck, 23 January 1809), Jesse Kelly (a Revolutionary War soldier, 31 March 1799), and James (whose freedom papers had been stolen on board a ship at City Point, 2 July 1798). Also, include a certificate, 1824 November 12, issued by Bartholomew Dandridge, clerk of New Kent County, concerning Arrena Pickett, emancipated by the will of George Washington; and a certificate, 1832 August 13, concerning Jane Tabb of Claremont, emancipated by the will of Colonel William Allen.
Surry County, Clerk, records, 1782–1856. 38 items. Mss3Su788b.
This second, smaller collection of records concerning free African Americans in the county includes about a dozen deeds of manumission, 1782–1792, along with letters and certificates addressed to the clerk attesting to the free-born status or emancipation of specific African Americans or verifying completion of apprenticeships by free-born or emancipated minors, and certificates (freedom papers) issued by the clerk. Some records concern African Americans living in nearby Isle of Wight and Southampton counties.
Sydnor, William Barrett (b. 1806), letter, 1862. 4 pp. Mss2Sy256a1. Incomplete.
Written 2 July 1862 from [Meadow Farm, Hanover County] to Thomas White Sydnor concerning the Seven Days' battles and slaves from the neighborhood who had run off to the Union army.
Updated June 4, 2009