Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Letter |
Dates of Creation |
February 9, 1842 |
Scope & Content |
Letter headed "Leigh Feb 9th,1842" from Mary Gilmer at Hardin's Tavern to her daughter Emma Breckinridge at Catawba near Fincastle telling of Mary's activities, such as making folk's (including slaves) clothing, 5 quilts and 1 comforter, 6 pairs of pantaloons, and overseeing preparation of the garden. She tells of the quantity of the tobacco crop from the previous year and plans for the upcoming planting season. She tells of a visit from her kin, the Minor's, with a small child who is the best managed she has ever seen. She tells of hard times in the community stating: "Alonzo Gooch is broke" and "poor old Mr. Shackelford was at court crying like a child; had 4 of the finest boys he ever looked at, the oldest 16 [all were] the great grandchild of Old Aunt Abe put up to the highest bidder to satisfy a security debt, he begged William (Gilmer) to buy them." Also mentions that more of the Farmington Negroes and others will be for sale soon. The letter closes with more family news. |
Year Range from |
1842 |
Year Range to |
1842 |
Subjects |
Aprons Boats Box Capes (Clothing) cart Child crop failure Death diaper frocks Gardens Grapes Heart disease Horses house furnishings judge ship Manure Monetary affairs Money Money crises Negroes Pantaloons Pruning Quilting Quilts rag rugs Raspberries security debt Sick children Sickness Slave auctions Slave markets Slave sale Slaves Tobacco Tobacco Crop Tobacco harvest Tobacco plantations Tobacco production Tobacco seed Visits Wedding clothing & dress Weddings Wheat |
Search Terms |
Catawba (home of Cary and Emma Gilmer Breckinridge) Charleston, South Carolina Farmington (residence) Fincastle Fincastle County, Virginia Fincastle, Botetourt County, Virginia Florida Fluvanna County, Virginia Hardins Tavern (Albemarle County, Virginia) Leigh, residence in Albemarle County, VA Lynchburg, Virginia Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
People |
Amanda, servant (slave) of Mary Gilmer B, Mr. [Breckinridge] Baldwin, General ? Breckinridge, Emma Gilmer Breckinridge, Emma Walker Gilmer Brook, Miss Helen Delilah, house servant (slave) of Mary Gilmer Edwards, Dick Emmit, Dr. Emmitt, Mrs. Gilmer, John Gilmer, Lucy Gilmer, Mary (Polly) House Gilmer, William Wirt Gooch, Alonzo Gooch, Dabney Kent, Mr. ? Minor, Lucy Minor, Mary Minor, Peter Reeves, Mrs. Maria Shackelford, Mr. Temple, Mr. Valentine, Fray and Company Watts, William White, Betty, White, Mr. ? Wilson, house servant (slave) of Mary Gilmer Winn, Ben |
Collection |
Breckinridge Collection |
Imagefile |
064\196951293-4.JPG |
Number of images |
4 |
Object Name |
Letter |
Object ID |
1969.51.293 |
Extent of Description |
Four leaves, size 7 3/4" x 9 3/4" |