Manuscripts
This collection consists of papers and manuscripts chiefly related to the history of Virginia, which were collected by historian R. A. Brock (1839-1914). The materials cover a period from 1582-1914, although the main bulk of the manuscripts come between 1780 and 1900 Brock's collection of papers and manuscripts relating to political, military, economic, religious, social, and genealogical history of the state of Virginia. Included are papers of prominent Virginia families, business firms and businessmen, religious and fraternal organizations, government offices and departments, politicians, statesmen, and administrators. The large group of individual items described by a misnomer Miscellaneous File and Miscellaneous Manuscripts apparently constituted the core of Mr. Brock's collection. Most materials concern history of Virginia, with items relating to other Southern States, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, New York, etc. Brock's own voluminous private and official correspondence, and papers of the Virginia Historical Society and the Southern Historical Society. United States presidents represented in the collection include: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Chester A. Arthur, James Buchanan, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Jackson, James Madison, James Monroe, James K. Polk, Franklin Pierce, Theodore Roosevelt, John Tyler, and Martin Van Buren. See series container lists for item details, especially the Miscellaneous File series. The volumes are mostly:
Account books, including a copy of George Washington's ledger
Letter books
Diaries
Orderly books
Sermons
Parish records, including the original Mannakin Town register
The single letters and documents are of all types – personal, commercial and political. They have been divided into sub-collections wherever there were enough papers of one individual, one family, or one institution, to justify such division. These sub-collections include about 25,000 manuscripts. Correspondence of Mr. Brock and other officers of the Virginia Historical Society, amounting to at least 15,000 pieces, has been arranged in a rough chronological order. A group of several hundred pieces of literary material is sorted alphabetically. The rest of the manuscripts have been arranged chronologically in a miscellaneous file of about 7,000 to 8,000 pieces. Subject matter consists of:
A. The Land
1. Northern Neck Proprietary: 1721-1776
a. Rent rolls for the following counties: Berkeley (3 pieces); Culpeper (3 pieces); Dunmore (3 pieces); Fairfax (5 pieces); Fauquier (3 pieces); Frederick (4 pieces); King George (3 pieces); Lancaster (4 pieces); Loudoun (3 pieces); Northumberland (3 pieces); Prince William (11 pieces); Richmond (12 pieces); Stafford (6 pieces); Westmoreland (3 pieces)
b. Survey warrants issued by Robert Carter, 1722-1730; William Fairfax, 1739-1752; Thomas Bryan Martin, 1760-1761
c. Correspondence of the Fairfax family
2. Other counties: grants, deeds, of sale, etc.
3. Virginia land office
a. Survey warrants issued for bounty lands
b. Correspondence of William Price, register of the land office
B. Government and civil authority
1. State, county, and U.S. district court records
2. Board of trade
3. Treasury
C. Military affairs
1. Board of war
a. Scattered official papers
b. Correspondence of William Davies, commissioner of the War office
2. Virginia regiments: orderly books, returns, lists, accounts, pay-rolls, muster rolls, etc.
D. Business firms represented by 20 or more pieces (before 1800): Donald & Burton & James Brown (20 pieces); Freeland & Gillies (25 pieces); John Cunliffe (58 pieces); John Norton & Sons (225 pieces); Micajah Crew (150 pieces); Mutual Assurance Society (44 pieces); Robson & Harford (30 pieces); Williams Cuninghame & Company (100 pieces); William Prentiss & Company (20 pieces)
E. Virginia families represented by 20 or more pieces (before 1800): Fairfax (100 pieces); Harrison (41 pieces); Lee (30 pieces); Pleasants (104 pieces); Randolph (27 pieces); Scott (Charles & Daniel) (20 pieces)
F. Society of Friends: records and correspondence
G. Freemasons (Virginia Grand Lodge): records and correspondence
Some notable items include:
Virginia. Council. Patent (with seal) to Richard Kempe for 840 acres of land called "The Meadows." 1638/9, Mar. 4.
Byrd, William II. Notebook containing drafts of addresses, petitions, etc., representative of Byrd's activities in London while agent for the colony of Virginia, 1697-1702.
-----. Journal, in shorthand, 1709-1712.
-----. Secret history of the Dividing Line, 1726-1729.
-----. Description of the Dismal Swamp, and proposals for draining the swamp, 1729.
"Registre Contenant le Baptesme qui se sont fait Dans L'Eglise Des francois Refugiée a Mennekintown," 1721-1754. The Mannakin Town Register.
Virginia. Proprietors Office. To George Washington: Warrants to survey certain lands. (27 pieces, mostly signed by George William Fairfax; nearly all endorsed by Washington, and many in his handwriting), 1749-1752.
Rose, Robert. Diary of Reverend Robert Rose, 1746-1751. (Note: this manuscript is a copy made ca. 1850; the original was destroyed by fire in Richmond, Virginia, during the Civil War).
"Dinwiddianae; or, Select Poems Pro Patria." Anonymous, ca. 1757.
St. Ann's Parish, Albemarle County, Virginia. Vestry books, 1772-1785.
Armand, Charles Tuffin, Comte de la Rouerie. Letter to Theodoric Bland. "…As you had showed me great politeness and some friendship during my sickness, I Expected that I was authorized to tell you with frankness my trouble and my case in general – and as the resolve from Congress hurted my reputation and my hart…I wished that you could have influenced in the House for not render this resolve publick in inscribing in on the Journal" [ca. 1779].
Laurens, Henry. Letter to James Lovell. "…Tomorrow I proceed to Paris having now a prospect that our Negotiations for a solid Peace will be brought to a speedy and I trust happy Issue – but mark what I say prospect, the greatest adepts in Weather and Politics are sometimes mistaken…." London, 1783, Apr. 7.
Toulmin, Harry. Journal of a voyage to North America (together with descriptive and statistical information concerning various counties in Virginia and Kentucky), 1793-1794. (Note: this manuscript is a copy. If the original exists, its whereabouts is unknown.)
Richmond (Virginia). City Assessor. Assessment of Houses and Lotts in the City of Richmond for 1799.
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