Waldrop, Eloise Taylor – Young Family

Waldrop, Eloise Taylor, Papers, 1889–1980. 48 items. Mss1W1477b.
Include letters, 1918 March–September, written by Mary Virginia Peyton [later Wendt] to Eloise Waldrop (1885–1967) of Norfolk while Mary was in Aisne, France, with the American Fund for French Wounded, a volunteer group working in cooperation with the American Red Cross to set up hospitals and otherwise aid wounded Allied soldiers during World War I. These letters describe her work with the wounded, life near the battlefront, and economic conditions in France during the war. The bulk of this collection consists of letters written by Eloise Taylor Waldrop in 1937 while taking her first cruise abroad and touring Italy. The main recipient of Eloise's letters was her sister, Ellen Douglas (Waldrop) Brooke [i.e., Mrs. Douglas Shelby Brooke], though a few were addressed to friends. She describes her voyage on the SS City of Hamburg and arrival in Paris, along with subsequent rail travel to Geneva, Switzerland, and Florence, Italy. Also described are her numerous shopping excursions, including a trip to a monastery to buy wine, and local celebrations of holidays during her five-week stay. Also described are her brief trip to Rome, the masses she attended on board ship and in Italy, and her visit to Vatican City. A few of the letters also comment on politics and her opinions of Mussolini.

In 1956, Eloise made another voyage to Italy, this time on board the Andrea Doria. The letters from this trip are fewer in number and not as detailed as those from the 1937 trip, and are signed by Eloise as Zia. Little information about her trip is relayed in these letters, as most concern people and activities of family members in the U.S.

Also, include letter from Virginia Robertson Taylor Waldrop to her sister-in-law, Eliza ["Lila"] Brend Waldrop Wilson at Swoope, describing a violent storm and the resulting damage in the Norfolk area (April 6, 1889).

Walke, Jane Randolph, Commonplace Book, 1739–1743. Photocopy. Mss5:5W1507:1.
Kept by Jane (Randolph) Walke (1729–1756), Jane (Bolling) Randolph (1703–1766), and others, this "cookbook" contains recipes for food preparation and medicinal remedies, as well as business accounts for household items and clothing. The original remains in private hands.

Waller, Nelson Samuel, Papers, 1857–1860. 2 items. Mss2W1565b.
Consist of letters, 1857–1860, written to Dr. Nelson Samuel Waller (1817–1868) of Spotsylvania County by Alfred L. Holladay ([b. 1828] of Richmond) concerning the hiring out of Waller's slaves Peter and Lewis; and Patrick H. Jackson ([1800–1880] of Farmville) discussing the sale of a female slave, Sarah, and bearing a letter written for Sarah's husband, Peter Shelton, a slave belonging to Dr. Waller.

Wardlaw, Virginia Clyde, Papers, ca. 1898–1991. ca. 1,000 items. Mss1W2197a.
This collection consists of the contents of six disassembled scrapbooks compiled by Virginia Clyde Wardlaw (1911–1991) documenting her service as a flight traffic clerk in the United States Woman's Army Auxiliary Corps during World War II. The scrapbooks contain materials concerning Wardlaw and other women serving at different army bases around the country, including photographs, medals, and military documents. Also, includes photographs and correspondence with Wardlaw's family and friends, detailing her postwar civilian employment with the Air Force, and genealogical notes and lineage charts regarding the Wardlaw family.

Ware Family Papers, 1748–1981. 6,788 items. Mss1W2296b.
The Ware family papers include correspondence, accounts, diaries, legal papers, commonplace books, scrapbooks and miscellany of the Ware family of Essex County and the related Latané, Maddox, McWane, Ritchie, and Rouzie families. Section 12 of the collection contains letters exchanged between Catesby Ware of Dunnsville, Essex County, and Eliza Constance “Lila” (Maddox) Ware (1888–1981) of Wythe County. They begin between 1907 and 1913, a period that spans their long-term, long-distance courtship and the early years of their marriage. These letters contain details of their daily lives and family. Lila's letters to Catesby discuss her social activities, her health, her job as a teacher, and later her studies at Memorial Hospital Training School for Nurses in Richmond and Washington Christian College in Washington, D.C. Their later correspondence covers Lila's 1914 surgery for appendicitis in Richmond, a 1920 surgery to have her tonsils removed, and her stay at Catawba Sanatorium for treatment of tuberculosis in 1923. Sections 19–27 contain the papers of Eliza Constance “Lila” (Maddox) Ware, which include her diaries, correspondence, receipts, legal papers, school materials, organizational materials, religious materials, WWII materials, and miscellaneous items. Section 32 contains the papers of Catherine (Kegley) Maddox (1815–1893) of Wythe County. She was the grandmother of Lila Maddox. Her papers include legal materials, such as lease agreements made by Maddox in the 1850s, as well as her financial accounts. Sections 34–35 contain the papers of Lucy Ellen “Ella” (McWane) Moore Maddox (1861–1937) of Wythe County. She was the mother of Lila Maddox and her papers include correspondence from 1879 to 1936, primarily with her family, as well as a diary, financial accounts, legal papers, a scrapbook, an autograph album, and other miscellaneous papers.

Warren, Sarah Robb Tyler Marshall, Cookbook, 1904–1935. 1 volume. Mss5:5W2555:1.
This volume contains recipes recorded or clipped by Sarah Robb Tyler (Marshall) Warren (1886–1964) while living at Pembroke in Fauquier County. She and others also saved printed booklets issued commercially or by the United States government on specific foods and their preparation.

Washington, Ella More Bassett, Diary, 1864. 24 pp. Photocopy and typescript. Mss5:1W2767:1.
Ella More (Bassett) Washington (1834–1898) kept this diary as a young mother living with her parents at Clover Lea in Hanover County, while her husband fought in the Confederate army. Washington discusses Union occupation of the area. The original manuscript is in the Historical Society of York County in York, Pa., and was transcribed by James Otis Hall in 1977.

Watson, Walter Allen, Papers, 1820–1925. 71 items. Mss1W339a. Microfilm reel C493.
This collection contains business correspondence and diaries, 1894–1916, of Walter Allen Watson (1867–1919), an attorney and United States congressman who resided at Woodlawn in Nottoway County. The diaries document Watson's courtship of Constance (Tinsley) Watson, whom he married in 1905. Her correspondence, 1889–1925, includes letters from the Reverend Moses Drury Hoge, minister of the Second Presbyterian Church in Richmond (folder 10).

Watson Family Papers, 1771–1934. 932 items. Mss1W3395a. Microfilm reels C369–371 and C493–494.
This collection contains papers of various members of the Watson, Archer, and Riddle families of Richmond, but the papers of George Watson (1784–1853) and his wife, Anne (Riddle) Watson (1792–1882), account for the bulk of it. Correspondence, 1802–1830, of George Watson with his brother David Watson (1773–1830) discusses the latter's medical education in Scotland, England, and France; agriculture in Virginia; and a slave insurrection (section 1). His correspondence, 1816–1851, with his wife, Anne (Riddle) Watson, concerns family news, slavery, business accounts, and an incident of domestic violence (section 2). There are also business papers, 1816–1854, documenting George Watson's medical practice and other economic activities (section 4). Anne (Riddle) Watson's correspondence, 1815–1874, is with various family members, mostly regarding family news and the education of children (section 5).

A few items, 1826–1839, document Dr. Robert Archer's (1794–1877) military service in the U.S. Army in Florida (section 9). Papers, 1841–1899, of his son Robert Samuel Archer (1828–1901) of Richmond illuminate his Confederate service and economic activities (sections 11–12). Letters, 1876–1902, of his wife, George and Anne Watson's daughter Virginia (Watson) Archer (1826–1920), are to various family members (section 13). Papers, 1802–1873, of Elizabeth Riddle include letters, accounts, and a number of lists, 1845–1846, of members and contributions to the Virginia Association of Ladies for Erecting a Statue to Henry Clay; Riddle served as the organization's treasurer (sections 17 and 18). There are also a few papers, 1854–1901, pertaining to the Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond (section 16) and papers, 1849–1862, of Thomas R. Price & Co. (section 8).

Watt Family Papers, 1821–1895. 64 items. Mss1W3403a. Microfilm reel C290.
This collection contains papers, 1821–1895, of several generations of Watt and Fitzhugh family members who resided in Fairfax County. Letters, 1891–1895, from Mary Tabb (Bolling) Lee (1848–1924) to her neighbor, Mrs. William Watt, document Lee's purchases of poultry and garden produce from Watt (section 2). Among the miscellaneous materials of other family members are two notebooks that contain information on the study of law and on surveying (sections 3 and 4).

Webb, Susan Elizabeth Gordon, Diary, 1858. 1 volume. Mss5:1W3843:1. Microfilm reel C290.
This diary, kept by Susan Elizabeth (Gordon) Webb (1830–1864) as a young mother living at Hampstead in New Kent County, focuses on the death of her own mother and her attempts to come to terms with her grief. It includes an account of Webb's visits to Red Sweet Springs and White Sulphur Springs and a brief biography of her life added by a niece.

Weddell, Alexander Wilbourne, Papers, 1659–1946. 455 items. Mss1 W4126e.
This collection is largely comprised of manuscripts collected by Virginia diplomat Alexander Weddell of Richmond. Section 4 contains items relating to Virginia author Amélie Louise (Rives) Chanler Troubetzkoy (1863–1945). These items include a letter from 1935 and an original, signed manuscript of "Death the Interpreter."

Weddell, Alexander Wilbourne, Papers, 1858–1955. ca. 27,500 items. Mss1W4126bFA2.
This collection contains the papers Alexander Wilbourne Weddell (1876–1948) of Richmond, a career diplomat, and his wife, philanthropist Virginia (Chase) Weddell (1874–1948). It chronicles many facets of their lives together from their marriage in 1923 until their deaths in a train wreck on New Year's Day, 1948. Alexander Weddell served as United States consul in Zanzibar, Athens, Calcutta, and Mexico City; his wife accompanied him to his last two posts. Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed him ambassador to Argentina following the 1932 presidential election, and in 1939 he became ambassador to Spain, a position that he held until his retirement in 1942. Alexander Weddell's papers include thirty-six diaries, 1907–1947, (boxes 1–3) extensive correspondence, 1883–1947 (heaviest after 1927) (boxes 4–15), financial records (boxes 16–29), and scrapbooks (box 30); all contain materials by and about Virginia Weddell, as well. While posted to his various diplomatic assignments, both of the Weddells traveled widely in their host countries and maintained ties with family members, friends, and officers of social, political, and philanthropic groups in the United States, especially in Virginia. Both directed the efforts of their secretary, Elizabeth (Cabell) Dugdale (1902–1990), who managed Virginia House, which they transported across the Atlantic and reconstructed in Richmond. Records of the Weddells' support for and involvement in groups such as the Children's Home Society in Richmond (box 35), the Richmond Community Fund (boxes 37–38), and the Virginia Historical Society (boxes 39–40), as well as Virginia's service as an officer in the Women's Organization for National Prohibition Reform appear in the collection (box 41). Both were among the founders of the Richmond Academy of Arts, which later became the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (boxes 36–37). Virginia Weddell also worked to aid victims of the Spanish civil war through the American Committee for Relief to Spain, the American Red Cross, and Quaker Relief Fund and by establishing her own relief fund (box 53). After returning from Spain, the Weddells participated in a number of organizations designed to mobilize civilian support during World War II, including the Navy League of the United States and the Virginia Office of Civilian Defense (box 36). Virginia Weddell's personal papers include two diaries, 1922–1923, documenting her courtship and marriage (box 52); correspondence, 1866–1947, primarily concerning her philanthropic activities and the maintenance and furnishing of Virginia House (and including letters from Ellen Glasgow and Eleanor Roosevelt) (boxes 52–53), and extensive records of the estate of her first husband, St. Louis industrialist James Harrison Steedman (1867–1921) (box 54). A finding aid is available in the repository.

Weddell, Alexander Wilbourne, Papers, 1888–1947. ca. 800 items. Mss1W4126cFA2.
This collection of papers of Alexander Wilbourne Weddell (1876–1948) of Richmond and his wife, Virginia (Chase) Weddell (1874–1948), primarily concern his diplomatic and consular career; Weddell organized the papers in preparation for writing a memoir, which he never produced. The collection includes his correspondence, 1907–1942, with his sisters and brother, fellow diplomats, and close friends in Richmond while Weddell was stationed in Copenhagen; Zanzibar; Catania, Italy; Athens; Calcutta; Mexico City; Buenos Aires; and Madrid (boxes 1–4). His letters contain information on his own activities, as well as those of his wife. Virginia Weddell's correspondence, 1923–1947, discusses her husband's career (box 5). A lengthy exchange with Sir Samuel John Gurney Hoare, British ambassador to Spain during World War II, discusses war measures and relief efforts. Additional correspondence files and financial records document her activities with the American Red Cross, Richmond War and Community Fund, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and Women's Council of the Navy League of the United States (box 6). There are also records concerning the reconstruction and maintenance of the Weddells' residence in Richmond, Virginia House, including correspondence with architect William Lawrence Bottomley (1883–1951) (box 6). A finding aid is available in the repository.

Welby, Mary M. Coppuck, Autograph Album, 1788–1903. 1 volume. Mss5:6W4418:1. Microfilm reel C513.
This album contains signatures of prominent American men and women solicited by Mary M. (Coppuck) Welby, apparently with the intention of selling them to raise funds for the Southern Relief Association in Baltimore, Md., in 1866. There are also a few earlier manuscripts and several letters, 1863–1903, to Welby in Baltimore.

West Family Papers, 1843–1976. 2,005 items. Mss1W5207b.
A second collection of West family papers contains correspondence, 1853–1877, (section 1) an account book (section 2) and loose accounts, 1845–1877, (section 3) and miscellaneous financial and legal records produced primarily by John S. West (1815–1878) (sections 4–7). West ran a store and tavern at Gravel Hill in Buckingham County, adjacent to the Buckingham Female Collegiate Institute (sections 9–10). His records, including some photocopies of items from other repositories, contain information on supplying students with various goods, as well as on the financial and administrative operations of the school and the attendance and boarding of specific students.

West Family Papers, 1837–1896. 761 items. Mss1W5207a.
The records of John S. West (1815–1878) and his brother-in-law, William C. Agee, concerning the operations of several mercantile firms at Gravel Hill and Buckingham Court House in Buckingham County, make up the bulk of this collection. West operated a country store and tavern near the Buckingham Female Collegiate Institute during the middle decades of the nineteenth century and the store's records include information on supplying students at the Institute with various products. West was also a member of the school's Board of Directors, so some materials also discuss the Institute and the boarding of students at West's home. The papers, primarily 1848–1872, consist of correspondence (section 2), account books (sections 8–11), loose accounts (section 12) and legal papers (sections 5–6), and related materials. The collection also contains records of the Gravel Hill Post Office, 1855–1890, maintained by postmistresses Beverly A. Brown, Martha Jane West, Sarah E. (Agee) West, and postmaster William C. Word (section 23).

Westminister-Canterbury House Papers, 1975–1989. 11 items. Mss4W5281b.
This collection illuminates the history of Westminister-Canterbury House, a Presbyterian and Episcopalian retirement home in Richmond, from its origins as the Protestant Episcopal Church Home for Ladies in 1875. It includes the constitution, summary of minutes, 1875–1956, and a list, 1875–1975, of male corporators, who oversaw the home's finances, and of female managers who supervised daily operations, as well as a biography of Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans (1872–1953), a director and board member of the Coca Cola Company, who served as the Home's principal benefactor.

Wheat, Ella Wood Rutherfoord, Papers, 1843–1939. 194 items. Mss1W5602a.
Chiefly correspondence (section 1), 1869–1912, of Ella Wood (Rutherfoord) Wheat (1852–1927) of Amelia County and Richmond. The majority of the letters are from her husband, Dr. S. H. Lewis Wheat, written both before and after their marriage. Courtship letters discuss his views on love and trust and urge his fiancé to set a wedding date. Post-wedding letters, written mostly during the summer months while his wife and children were visiting family, talk of town life, weather, medical cases, and the health and well-being of the couple's children. Other correspondents include Ella’s sister Frances (Rutherfoord) Bernard, daughter Frances Rutherfoord (Wheat) Bushnell, sister Letitia (Rutherfoord) Goodwin (including a long, descriptive letter giving family and social news, extensive fashion details, and an account of a young relative's experiences in a train accident), cousin Richard Eggleston Hardaway, childhood friend James Pinckney Harrison, sister Martha (Rutherfoord) Harvie, J. Brooks McGann (an erstwhile suitor), sister Sarah Rutherfoord, cousin W. Leslie Van Sinderen (letter of 1878 September 20 describes his love for her and also his concerns about her reputation after hearing she drove out with someone), sister-in-law Eleanor C. Wheat, and son James Clifton Wheat. Section 2 features correspondence of Dr. Wheat with his young daughters and son during their summer vacations.

Wickham Family Papers, 1754–1977. ca. 11,500 items. Mss1W6326cFA2. Microfilm reels C375–379.
This collection contains the papers of Richmond attorney John Wickham (1763–1839) and descendants from his first marriage to Mary Smith (Fanning) Wickham (d. 1799). It provides information on agricultural practices, including farm labor, and the continuous management of family property for more than a century.

John Wickham's papers consist primarily of records, 1801–1804, documenting the purchase and operation of his East Tuckahoe plantation, straddling Henrico and Goochland counties, and files concerning the settling of his estate (boxes 2–4). The executor's correspondence, 1852–1875, in the estate papers includes letters of his daughter, Julia (Wickham) Leigh (1801–1883), regarding the family's economic life and a United States Customs House built on Wickham land in Richmond, as well as information on the trust estate of another daughter, Frances (Wickham) Graham; materials, 1858, concerning Amy, a slave confined to the Eastern Lunatic Asylum (later Eastern State Hospital) in Williamsburg; files on the lawsuit of Wickham's widow and second wife, Elizabeth Selden (McClurg) Wickham (1781–1853), against his executors; and records of a trust estate established for John Wickham's granddaughter, Charlotte Georgianna (Wickham) Lee, and administered by her uncle, William Fanning Wickham, and her father-in-law, Robert E. Lee.

John Wickham's son, Richmond attorney William Fanning Wickham (1793–1880), built Hickory Hill in Hanover County during the 1820s. His papers include seventeen diaries, 1828–1880 (box 5); accounts, ca. 1828–1878; and other land records, 1828–1878, documenting plantation operations there (box 7); many antebellum diaries include lists of slaves grouped by families. William Wickham served as a trustee of the estate of the English Quaker merchant Samuel Gist (d. 1815), who emancipated his Hanover County slaves by will and provided money to resettle them in a free state. William Wickham's papers also contain information on the trust estate of his half-sister, Frances (Wickham) Graham, who loaned money to three brothers facing bankruptcy proceedings (box 9).

His son Williams Carter Wickham (1820–1888), an attorney who lived at Hickory Hill, served as a Virginia state senator, a Confederate cavalry general, and a Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad official. Three letterbooks, 1877–1880, illuminate his business dealings and activities in the Republican party (box 10). Fifteen volumes of farm books, 1866–1888, record expenditures and receipts at Hickory Hill and contain accounts with individual laborers and managers (boxes 13–15). Papers of Williams Carter Wickham's wife, Lucy Penn (Taylor) Wickham (1830–1913), include letters, 1848–1866, documenting her long friendship with Elizabeth (Kane) Shields of Philadelphia; correspondence, 1888–1913, mostly with male family members concerning Hickory Hill; accounts, 1875–1913; personal property tax returns, 1893–1909 (box 20); and records concerning the estate of her father, Henry Taylor of Belvidera in Spotsylvania County, as well as her own estate (box 20–21).

The son of Williams Carter and Lucy Taylor Wickham, Henry Taylor Wickham (1849–1943), who served as legal counsel for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad and a member of the Virginia Senate, inherited Hickory Hill. Six letterbooks, 1931–1940, illuminate business and family affairs, his legal and senatorial careers, and Democratic party politics and community service (boxes 22–23). Four farm books, 1893–1913, document the operation of Hickory Hill and loose accounts, 1929–1943, include time sheets, payrolls, and produce statements (boxes 27–30). Three volumes of speeches include addresses to local women's clubs (box 31), and twelve scrapbooks document Republican Party politics, his own career, the family, and Virginia history (boxes 32–37). His estate papers include correspondence of his widow, Elise Warwick (Barksdale) Wickham (1861–1952) (boxes 38–39). Elise's own papers contain correspondence, 1896–1948, with her sons and as a member of the Board of Managers and president of the Exchange for Women's Work in Richmond (box 40). Her financial papers include Hickory Hill farm records (boxes 43–45), Richmond real estate rental records (boxes 45–47), and state and federal income tax returns, 1941–1951 (box 42). Other papers include records, 1893–1916, of her work as an officer of the Ladies' Aid Society of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Hanover County and an Ashland Garden Club visitors' register, 1949 (box 48).

This collection also contains miscellaneous papers of other members of the Wickham family in Virginia and a few papers of John Wickham's uncle, Edmund Fanning (1739–1818), a colonial bureaucrat and Revolutionary loyalist who became governor of Nova Scotia, and his family of England and Prince Edward Island, Canada (box 1). A finding aid is available in the repository.

Wickham Family Papers, 1766–1945. ca. 5,500 items. Mss1W6326aFA2. Microfilm reels C371–375.
This collection contains the papers of three generations of members of the Wickham family, centering on John Wickham (1763–1839), a Richmond attorney, and his second wife, Elizabeth Selden (McClurg) Wickham (1781–1853) of Woodside, and their descendants. It documents the Wickhams' wide-ranging economic and political interests and provides insights into gender roles and the dynamics of family life, including inheritance and family property, and into the history of slavery, slaves, and plantation life in the nineteenth century.

The papers, 1766–1839, of John Wickham include records of the so-called British Debt Cases in Virginia and of the trial of Aaron Burr for treason in the Richmond federal court in 1807, as well as records for the East Tuckahoe plantation in Henrico County that later became Woodside (box 3). Estate papers include information on the estate of John Wickham's father-in-law, physician James McClurg (box 3). Wickham's personal correspondence, 1798–1839, with his wife and children discusses politics in Virginia and the nation, as well as family matters (boxes 1–2). The correspondence, 1794–1850, of Elizabeth Selden (McClurg) Wickham contains letters from prominent political and military figures, as well as courtship letters from and the will, 1798, of an early suitor, Edwin Burnley, whose estate she inherited (box 4). One of John and Elizabeth McClurg Wickham's sons, Littleton Waller Tazewell Wickham (1821–1909), practiced law in New Orleans but returned to Virginia just before the Civil War. His correspondence, 1836–1897, illuminates student life at the University of Virginia and includes information on the estates of his two wives and on the operation of Woodside (boxes 5–8). Lengthy exchanges with his sister, Elizabeth Selden Maclurg Wickham of Richmond, discuss his wives, his career in New Orleans, and everyday life and society in Richmond. Other papers include financial records and materials documenting the purchase of Bunker Hill plantation in Darlington County, S.C., and its enslaved population from Thomas Ashby, the father of his second wife, Elizabeth Peyre (Ashby) Laurens Wickham (1824–1859) (box 11). A conflict developed between the two men after her death. The papers of Littleton Wickham's first wife, Eliza Wyckoff (Nicholson) Wickham (d. 1850) of New Orleans, contain correspondence, 1846–1850, with relatives and local officials about the estate of her father, John Nicholson (d. 1848) (box 12). Papers of Elizabeth Peyre (Ashby) Laurens Wickham include letters, 1852–1859, written to her, along with letters, 1821–1831, by her mother, Elizabeth (Peyre) Skinkler Ashby, directed to various individuals (box 12).

Littleton and Elizabeth Ashby Wickham's son, Thomas Ashby Wickham (1857–1939), practiced law in Sprague, Wash., and Richmond, Va., where he also served as judge of the Henrico County Court and a member of the Virginia Senate. Taken together his papers and those of his wife, Julia Wickham (Porcher) Wickham (1860–1933), account for about half of the collection. His diaries, 1900–1939, contain brief daily notations of weather, farming, travel, and personal finances (boxes 15–19); his correspondence, 1872–1938, is primarily with family members about his law practice in the Washington territory and service in the Virginia Senate (boxes 19–20). Thomas Wickham's papers also include financial accounts, records of his legal practice, and records of the estate of an aunt, Frances (Wickham) Graham (boxes 21–22). Incorporated within Thomas Wickham's papers are the personal and professional papers of his cousin and law partner, William Fanning Wickham (1860–1900) (boxes 23–27); they concern their law practice, St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Hanover, and the Virginia militia. Papers of Thomas Wickham's wife, Julia Wickham (Porcher) Wickham of Charleston, S.C., include a diary kept on a trip to England and France in 1896 (box 28); a scrapbook, 1904, on Huguenots in America and local history in South Carolina (box 35); account books, 1891 and 1895–1896 (box 33); an essay on the influence of women on men; a student notebook; materials concerning the "Half-Hour Reading Club," probably in Charleston, S.C. (box 35); and a two-volume autograph collection (boxes 33–34). Julia began the autograph collection as a child, probably at the suggestion of her father, and with his aid compiled a significant collection of letters, autographs, and documents of American and English political, literary, and theatrical figures. Her correspondence, 1870–1929, consists primarily of letters to and from Porcher family members and friends, but it also includes letters from a number of French soldiers and widows during and just after World War I (boxes 28–32). Papers of her father, Francis Peyre Porcher (1824–1895), a Charleston physician and medical author, contain family correspondence, 1864–1895, and letters from prominent American and European physicians and financial associates (box 14). Papers, 1909–1945, of Julia and Thomas Ashby Wickham's son, Littleton Maclurg Wickham (1898–1973) of Woodside, document his career as a student and teacher at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Va., and his service in World War I (boxes 36–37). The collection also contains papers of a few other members of the Wickham and Porcher families (box 37). A supplementary finding aid is available in the repository.

Wickham, Dorothy Marie Mosby, Papers, ca. 1924–1985. 32 folders. Mss1W6324a.
Include correspondence (section 1), estate papers (section 2), newspaper articles and publications (section 3), scrapbooks (section 7), and photographs (sections 5 and 6) relating to Dorothy Marie (Mosby) Wickham (1914–1985) of Richmond and her husband, Lucien Wickham of Chicago, Ill. Dorothy trained with Richmond dance teacher Elinor Fry and gained moderate fame in Richmond before moving, ca. 1933, to New York City. There she appeared in the chorus of several musicals and was hired for the traveling version of "George White's Scandals." She met Lucien Wickham, a grain broker, in the summer of 1936 and they wed several months later. The records in this collection reflect Dorothy's dancing career, ca. 1927–1936, and, in the 1950s, her entry into high society in Chicago, where she was active in a number of charitable organizations. Following Lucien's death in 1959, Dorothy moved first to New York City and then back to Richmond, where she took care of her elderly mother until the latter's death in1968. Dorothy became reclusive in her later years, and it was largely through the efforts of a longtime friend, Ellen "Bruce" (Crane) Fisher, that she eventually moved out of her decrepit apartment and into a nursing facility. She died less than a year later.

Wickline, [?], Student Notebook, ca. 1800. 1 volume. Mss5:4W6326:1.
This volume belonged to [?] Wickline, mother of Louisa (Wickline) Edwards (b. 1819). It consists primarily of notes and arithmetic problems concerning weights and measures. Also included is a list, 1819–1845, of birth and death dates for the owner's children and a verse account of Rebecca Ervine's deathbed conversation with her husband and children. The volume concludes with a three-page diary, 1834, chronicling the owner's travels through Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio, probably en route to Ohio. The VMHC also owns the arithmetic book (Mss5:4Ed973:1) of her daughter, Louisa, kept in Jackson County, Ohio, ca. 1838.

Wight Family Papers, 1861–1879. 5 items. Mss1W6398a. Microfilm reel C290.
This collection centers on Charles Copland Wight (1841–1897) and his mother, Margaret (Brown) Wight (b. 1809). It includes recollections of Charles Wight as a student at Virginia Military Institute and a soldier in the Confederate army (section 1), and his student notebook containing information on the origins of the English language (section 3). The first two volumes of Margaret Wight's diary, 1863–1865, discuss her family's flight from Norfolk to Hanover County; the activities of her sons and daughters during the Civil War; life on the home front, including a food riot by Richmond women and her own work making envelopes; the fall of Richmond; Lincoln's assassination; and race relations in the South (section 2). The third volume, 1878–1879, kept as an aging widow, focuses on religion, death, and family news. It includes a description of her husband's death and deathbed conversion.

Wilkinson, Linda Harville Magee, Papers, 1895–ca. 1904. 5 items. Mss2W6596b.
This small collection contains a report card, 1895, issued by The Stony Creek School District in Sussex County to Linda [Harville] Magee [Wilkinson] (1876–1958) and, presumably, her brother Charlie Magee; photographs, 1895 and 1896, of Linda Wilkinson; a marriage license, 1901, of Linda Harville Magee and Thomas Redmon[d] Wilkinson issued in Prince George County (photocopy); and a photograph of Linda Wilkinson, Thomas Wilkinson, and their daughter Winnie Magee Wilkinson (1901–1924?).

Wilkinson, Mary Elizabeth Davenport, Album, 1846–1860. 1 volume. Mss5:5W6595:1.
Mary Elizabeth (Davenport) Wilkinson (b. 1832) included lines of verse and genealogical notes on the Davenport and Wilkinson families in this book; the cover is stamped "Religious Album."

Williams Family Papers, 1801–1889. 321 items. Mss1W6767g. Microfilm reels C494–495.
This collection consists primarily of papers of James Harrison Williams (1836–1903) of Winchester and Woodstock and his wife, Cora DeMovelle (Pritchart) Williams (1840–1927), who worked for the Confederate War Department in Richmond and later served as principal of the Shenandoah Female Institute. James Williams's papers include a diary, 1862, during his service in the Confederate Army kept in an account book, 1801–1826, that belonged to his grandfather Philip Williams (1770–1846) (section 1), and correspondence, 1861–1889, mostly with his wife (section 2). Letters, 1860–1883, to Cora Williams are from various family members (section 4). The collection also contains a pamphlet about the school, as well as materials documenting James Williams's political career (section 3). There are a few letters, 1861–1863, from George Henry Williams (1844–1863), to his sister, Mary Julia (Williams) Wagner (1846–1930), written during his service in the Confederate Army (section 5), and some papers pertaining to other family members (section 6).

Williams Family Papers, 1816–1939. 27 items. Mss1W6767f. Microfilm reel C316.
This collection centers on Alice Marshall (Taylor) Williams (1865–1939) of Richmond and her sister, Eliza Adams (Taylor) Robinson (1853–1926). Letters, 1883–1886, to Williams include courtship letters and a few letters from family members (section 5). Robinson's correspondence, 1876–1903, contains letters from their mother, Isobel De Leon (Jacobs) Taylor (1822–1896), offering advice and discussing family news and one from Alice describing the Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia in 1876 (section 3). A few papers pertain to other members of the Jacobs and Taylor families in Philadelphia, Pa., and Virginia.

Williams Family Papers, 1830–1946. 4,043 items. Mss1W6767a. Microfilm reels C309–315.
This collection consists primarily of correspondence of John Langbourne Williams (1831–1915), a Richmond banker, his wife, Maria Ward (Skelton) Williams (1843–1929), their children, and a few other family members. Correspondence of Maria Williams, her daughters, and other female relatives accounts for more than half of the collection. John Williams's correspondence is primarily with his wife and four sons (sections 1–10). Maria Williams corresponds with a number of male and female relatives, but most extensively with her own children, especially her daughters, Cyrane Dandridge (Williams) Bemiss (1866–1952) of New Orleans, La., and Richmond and Maria Ward Skelton (Williams) Williams (1888–1920) of Richmond (sections 11–17) . The letters discuss family news and the education of children; only a few date from as early as the Civil War. Family correspondence of the sons and sons-in-law of John and Maria (Skelton) Williams composes approximately one-quarter of the collection; most prominent among them is John Skelton Williams (1865–1926), U.S. Comptroller of the Currency and Assistant Secretary of the Treasury (sections 27, 28, 48 and 60).

Williams Family Papers, 1884–1915. 247 items. Mss1W6767p.
While the bulk of this collection concerns John Langbourne Williams, there is also a commonplace book, 1884–1889, compiled, presumably, by members of the Williams family following the deaths by drowning of Charlotte Randolph Williams and her cousin, Susan Eleanor Williams Gibson, while on vacation at Old Point Comfort. Included are newspaper clippings concerning the accident, obituaries, lines of verse, scripture, passages copied from the girls' autograph albums and scrapbooks, locks of hair, and an unidentified picture of one of the girls.

Williams Family Papers, 1922–1968. 501 items. Mss1W6767c.
This collection contains the papers of Richmond author Rebecca (Yancey) Williams (b. 1899) and her husband, dentist and pharmacist John Bell Williams (1890–1970). John Williams's papers include business correspondence, 1932–1966, essays, and speeches (sections 1 and 2). Among the speeches is a memorial to Margaret Nolting (1883–1966), the first woman graduate of the Medical College of Virginia and director of the Sheltering Arms Rehabilitation Hospital in Richmond from 1924–1949. There are also programs and speeches, 1948–1967, concerning St. Luke's Training School for Nurses (section 3).

Rebecca Williams's papers constitute the bulk of this collection and contain a manuscript of her book, The Vanishing Virginian (1940) and correspondence, 1939–1942, documenting the process of making a movie based on it, including an exchange of letters between Williams and producer Edwin Harris Knopf, as well as scripts, contracts, photographs, publicity releases, and an architectural drawing of the house of Robert Davis Yancey (1855–1931) in Lynchburg (section 4). There are also manuscripts for Carry Me Back (New York, 1942) and various essays on biographical or political and historical subjects (sections 5 and 6). Williams's diary, 1942–1944, records her activities during World War II (section 7), and correspondence and other materials, 1956–1966, illuminate the activities of the Jamestown Society, a patriotic lineage society, during Williams's tenure as the organization's historian (section 8).

Williams, Belle Horner, Letter, 1861. 1 item. Mss2W6705a1. Photocopy.
Williams (b. 1844), writing from Union Female College in Danville at the end of April 1861 to "Mama," describes the excitement of the outbreak of war and the marathon sewing that has been going on to clothe the militia companies in time for their departure to Richmond. Many of her schoolmates have left or are planning to leave to avoid being separated from their families. Mentions Mr. Aylett having enlisted and also [W. A.] Tyree, president of the private Baptist college, who urges parents not to remove their daughters.

Williams, Maria Ward Skelton, Diary, [1916]. 1 volume. Mss5:1W6742:1.
Kept in Richmond by Maria Ward (Skelton) Williams (1843–1929), this diary lists menus, guests, some addresses and a few household activities. Also included is a copy of a letter of condolence.

Williams, Rebecca Yancey, Papers, 1940–1960. 804 items. Mss1W6767d.
The collection consists primarily of letters, 1940–1942, to Rebecca (Yancey) Williams (1899–1976) concerning her book, The Vanishing Virginian (1940) (section 1). It also contains an unpublished manuscript, ca. 1950, for "The Great Adventure: Jamestown, Virginia," (section 2) a few essays and speeches by Williams on historical subjects (section 3), and a small number of her reviews of other authors' books (section 4).

Wilson, Nathaniel Venable, Papers, 1834–1878. 43 items. Mss1W6957a.
The collection consists primarily of papers of Nathaniel Venable Wilson (b. 1814) and his wife, Elizabeth (Ruffner) Wilson (b. 1815), of Charleston (now W. Va.). Nathaniel Wilson's correspondence, 1834–1857, with family members includes information on the estate of his father, Goodridge Wilson (1776–1845), and on the operation of Kanawha Salines, a salt manufacturing firm (section 1). Elizabeth (Ruffner) Wilson's correspondence, 1836–1878, contains letters from family members and women friends, including one from her daughter, Kate (Wilson) Noyes, describing her life as a young, single teacher and another, 1868, from Elizabeth Runyan describing a potential family move from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Omaha, Nebraska (section 3). A few papers pertain to other family members.

Wilson Family Papers, 1790–1944. ca. 3,050 items. Mss1W6997aFA2. Microfilm reels C146–152.
This collection centers on members of three related families—the Chamberlins, McPhersons, and Wilsons—of western Virginia and Berkeley and Jefferson counties, now in W.Va. The Chamberlins and McPhersons were Quakers, while the Wilsons embraced Presbyterianism. The collection as a whole documents the history of religion, agriculture, migration, the Civil War, and the dynamics of family life during the nineteenth century.

The papers, 1795–1817, of Elijah Chamberlin (d. 1818), a farmer in Charles Town, Jefferson County, contain information on wheat culture and milling, while those of his wife, Mary (McPherson) Chamberlin (1780?–1860), concern settling his estate, the guardianship of their children, and her financial affairs as a widow; there are also probate records for her estate, including wills written in Berkeley County (box 1). The papers, 1833–1875, of Mary McPherson Chamberlin's sister, Jane MacPherson (d. 1877), who lived in western Virginia and Baltimore, Md. (and used a different surname spelling), contain correspondence, 1836–1875, with family members in northern and midwestern states; these letters provide a Union perspective on the Civil War (box 2). Jane MacPherson's correspondents include a nephew, William M. Chamberlin, who worked as an insurance agent in postwar Vicksburg, Miss., and a niece, Mary Elizabeth (Chamberlin) Wilson, who frequently wrote about the troubled marriage of George A. and Jane M. (Chamberlin) Hamill.

Winfree, Judith Gates, Memoir, 1856–1871. 27 pp. Typescript. Mss5:1W7265:1.
In "A Little Southern Girl's Memories Without her Mother," written in 1930, Judith (Gates) Winfree (1856–1939) recalls her childhood after her mother's death. Included in her reminiscence of life at Seguine in Chesterfield County is information on specific slaves, cotton and tobacco cultivation, her father's remarriage, and life during and after the Civil War.

Wingo Family Papers, 1851–1985. 516 items. Mss1W7277b.
This collection consists primarily of papers of three generations of members of the Knight family. It opens with the financial accounts, 1857–1896, and a few other business records of Richmond merchant William Carter Knight (1818–1896) (section 3), and a cookbook, ca. 1871–1872, compiled by his wife, Cleverine (Thomas) Knight (1825–1911) (section 4). Personal and family correspondence, 1875–1933 and a personal account book, 1911–1918 of their daughter, Sally Belle (Knight) Wingo (1855–1947), document, among other things, the death of her husband, Richmond manufacturer Charles Evans Wingo (1843–1911), and the settling of his estate (sections 11 and 12). Personal and business correspondence, 1902–1985, (section 14) and school records (sections 15–16) illuminate the education of Sally and Charles Wingo's son, John Trevilian Wingo (1887–1986), at the University of Virginia and his career as a lawyer in Richmond. The autograph album, 1858–1865, of a relative, Virginia C. (Parrish) Trevilian (1844–1927), contains poetry composed or copied by friends (section 24). A few papers pertain to other members of the Wingo and related families.

Wingo Family Papers, 1889–1953. 548 items. Mss1W7277a.
This collection contains papers of Charles Evans Wingo (1843–1911), a Richmond shoe company executive, and his wife, Sally Belle (Knight) Wingo (1855–1947), and other members of their family. Charles Wingo's papers include correspondence, 1896–1909, and an account book, 1895–1896, for his firm, Wingo, Ellett & Crump, that also contains recipes collected by Sally Wingo (sections 2 and 3). Her papers contain family and personal correspondence, 1908–1945, primarily with her children (section 5), personal account books, 1889–1918, that include information on the Woman's Christian Association of Richmond (sections 6–7), and loose recipes and addresses (section 8). Letters, 1908–1927, of Charles Wingo's sister, Althea Wooldridge Wingo (1844?–1929), of Edgewood in Amelia County are generally directed to her nieces and nephews (section 1). The Wingos' son, John Trevilian Wingo (1887–1986), attended the University of Virginia and became a lawyer in Richmond. His diary, 1905 (section 10); correspondence, 1905–1953 (section 11); and school materials primarily document his education and legal career (section 13). Personal and family correspondence, 1920–1947, of his wife, Elizabeth Dallas (Brown) Wingo (1889–1969), was generated in Amelia County and Richmond (section 14). Some scattered materials survive for other members of the Wingo family.

Winn, Elizabeth Jarvis, Memoir, 1898–1916. 12 pp. Photocopy of typescript. Mss5:1W7305:1
In "Memories of East Franklin Street," written in 1965, Elizabeth Jarvis Winn (1891–1965) recalls her childhood and neighborhood in Richmond during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Wise Family Papers, 1777–1973. ca. 6,500 items. Mss1W7547bFA2.
This collection consists primarily of the papers of Henry Alexander Wise (1806–1876), Eastern Shore lawyer, Virginia governor, and Confederate general, and his son, John Sergeant Wise (1846–1913), an attorney in Richmond and New York, N.Y., and their families. Henry's papers, ca. 1833–1874, include correspondence, speeches, and printed materials documenting his career in state and national politics (boxes 1–3). His correspondence also contains letters to each of his three wives, Anne E. Jennings (d. 1837), Sarah (Sergeant) Wise (1817–1850), and Mary Elizabeth (Lyons) Wise (1814–1901). The collection contains separate correspondence files for two of Henry's wives and several of his children. Correspondence, 1826–1848, of his second wife, Sarah Sergeant Wise, includes letters to and from her sisters, granddaughter, and other family members (box 4). Correspondence, 1853–1870, of his third wife, Mary Lyons Wise, is with her brother, stepdaughter, and husband (box 4). Among the papers of Henry Wise's children are correspondence, 1862–1898, of his daughter Mary Elizabeth (Wise) Garnett (1829–1898) (box 4) and correspondence, 1896–1909, of his daughter Margaretta Ellen (Wise) Mayo (1844–1909) (box 5).

The papers of Henry Wise's son, John Sergeant Wise, account for about two-thirds of the collection and include correspondence, ca. 1869–1912 (boxes 6–16); speeches, 1885–1913; essays, 1892–1908; articles, 1888–1908; and scrapbooks, 1864–1892, pertaining to his legal and political career, especially his status as a Confederate veteran and his involvement in the Republican party (boxes 17–18). Much of his personal correspondence is with his sister Anne Jennings (Wise) Hobson (1837–1914), his niece Katherine Sophia (Thayer) Jermain Hobson (1859–1915), and his daughter Virginia Peachy Wise (1871–1949). A small amount of family correspondence, 1888–1912, of his wife, Evelyn Byrd Beverley (Douglas) Wise (1851–1925), appears in the collection (box 19), as does personal correspondence, ca. 1905–1912, of his daughter, Evelyn Byrd Douglas (Wise) Barney (1879–1962), who accompanied her husband to the Philippines in 1905 (box 21). Papers, ca. 1912–1971, of Henry Wise's daughter, Margaretta Watmough (Wise) Moore (1884–1972), primarily concern her last illness and the settling of her estate (box 22). There are also three letters, 1812–1814, from John Cropper (1755–1821) to his daughters (box 1). A finding aid is available in the repository.

Wise Family Papers, 1840–1967. 17,727 items. Mss1W7547a.
Chiefly correspondence and other papers of New York City and Richmond lawyer John Sergeant Wise (1846–1913), and his son lawyer Henry Alexander Wise (1874–1968) of New York City and Accomac and Northampton counties. John S. Wise materials include extensive correspondence, 1872–1913 (section 14), accounts (section 15), legal papers (sections 17–18), literary writings on dogs (section 24), and estate materials (section 34). Henry A. Wise materials include extensive correspondence, 1886–1967 (section 51), scattered diaries (sections 47–50), accounts and account books (sections 52–55), and autobiographical materials (section 46). Significantly represented in John S. and Henry A. Wise's correspondence sections and in their financial materials are records relating to management of the estate of Henry's sister-in-law, Clara Thomson Booth (1882?–1956), an inmate at Eastern State Hospital, Williamsburg (sections 51, 53, 54, 59, 74, 82 and 107).

Other family members represented in the collection include Evelyn Byrd Beverley (Douglas) Wise (1851–1925), wife of John Sergeant Wise, and include correspondence, 1879–1918, with friends and family (section 36), accounts, 1883–1911, kept in New York City and Richmond (section 37), and miscellany (sections 38); Henrietta Edwina Thomson (Booth) Wise (1876–1957), wife of Henry A. Wise, and include correspondence, 1903–1956 (section 82), accounts, 1903–1957, kept in Charlottesville, New York City, and Washington, D.C. (section 83), and notes and an account book of her husband regarding his trusteeship of her inherited funds (sections 74 and 53); and Evelyn Byrd Douglass (Wise) Barney (1879–1962), daughter of John S. Wise, and include correspondence, 1891–1961, at Kiptopeke and while stationed with her husband, James Perrine Barney (1875–1966), in the Philippines (section 89), and miscellany (section 90). Of particular interest are letters in the correspondence of her father discussing her engagement to a "Dr. Cleary" in 1895, of which her father vehemently disapproved, and her difficult marriage to James Barney, who her father characterized as a fraud and confidence man (section 14). Letters to his son-in-law reflect Wise's feelings as his salutation changes from "Dad" in the early years of James and Evelyn's marriage to "Mr. Wise" as time passed.

Withers, Emily Theresa Harrold Marsh, Papers, 1948–1957. ca. 100 items. Mss1W7763a.
This collection documents historic preservation efforts at Woodlawn in Fairfax County, the house built in 1802 by Martha Washington's granddaughter, Nellie (Custis) Lewis (1779–1852), and her husband, Lawrence Lewis (1767–1839). The Woodlawn Public Foundation was formed in 1948 to raise money to purchase and restore the house. Emily Theresa Harrold Marsh Withers, a member of the Foundation's board, compiled this collection, which includes minutes of meetings of the board of trustees, correspondence, newspaper clippings, and brochures that illuminate the Foundation's efforts. In 1952 the Foundation's trustees leased the house to the National Trust and in 1957 transferred ownership of it to that organization.

The Woman's Club, Records, 1894–1995. ca. 450 items. Mss3W8405a.
Founded in 1894 by Jane Crawford (Looney) Lewis (b. 1852) and thirteen other prominent Richmond women, the Woman's Club was envisioned as "an organized centre for the intellectual and literary culture of its members." Over the years, the organization has expanded some of its goals while remaining loyal to its original purposes. Annual programs of literary and current events lectures, along with musical, artistic, and dramatic performances, have drawn an impressive list of nationally and internationally known speakers and performers to the club's quarters at the Bolling Haxall House on Franklin Street. The membership has grown from the original thirteen founders to some 1,600 women, and through the years has included some of the most notable women writers, artists, professionals, civic leaders, and public figures in Virginia's capital. This collection contains printed constitutions and by-laws, minute books, annual reports, programs, bulletins, scrapbooks, and miscellaneous materials concerning the operations, programs, and activities of the club and its members.

Wood, Leonora Whitaker, Papers, ca. 1930–1947. 79 items. Mss1W8505a. Microfilm reel C153.
The papers of Leonora Whitaker Wood (b. 1891), a local historian and antiquary of Keysar in Mineral County, W. Va., include essays and research notes on Margaret Brent (1601?–1671), John Champe (1752–1798), Michael Cresap (1742–1775), and George Washington (1732–1799) (section 1) and on local history and folk culture in West Virginia and western Maryland (sections 2–6).

Woodfin, Maude Howlett, Papers, 1915–1948. 21,021 items. Mss1W8555a.
The papers of Maude Howlett Woodfin (1891–1948), professor of history at Westhampton College (now a part of the University of Richmond) and a noted historian of colonial Virginia, document the evolution of her career as a scholar and teacher. Correspondence, 1924–1947, with manuscripts curators, editors, fellow scholars, and friends reveals an extensive network of contacts within historical and publishing circles (section 1). Letters from historian Louis B. Wright (1899–1984), editor Marion Tinling (b. 1904), and others document the trio's collaboration in editing and publishing the secret diaries of William Byrd II (section 8). Much correspondence reflects Woodfin's efforts to obtain primary sources from Byrd family collections and from public and private repositories in the United States and Britain. Most of the collection consists of Woodfin's research notes on Thomas Jefferson, Edmund Charles Genet, Thomas Stegge I and Thomas Stegge II, the three William Byrds of Westover and such varied topics as genealogy and architecture (sections 2–3). Notes taken by relatives, friends, and colleagues during World War II are interweaved with Woodfin's own, reflecting the limited availability of sources caused by gas rationing, the removal of valuable historical documents to safe havens, and other travel restrictions. The collection also contains over a dozen manuscripts, including Woodfin's Westhampton College thesis on Nathaniel Beverley Tucker and her dissertation on Citizen Genet done for the University of Chicago (section 4). Drafts of twenty-one Dictionary of American Biography articles, a short story entitled "The Silver Cup," and student essays collected by Woodfin during her years of teaching reflect her varied interests in colonial Virginia's history (section 7). Among her creative endeavors are an unpublished essay, "The Historian Looks at a New World," which interweaves a discussion of contemporary political situations with an account of colonial history from a Native American point of view (section 4). There are also scripts for radio promotional spots for Another Secret Diary of William Byrd, 1737–1741 (Richmond: Deitz Press, Inc., 1942) and Woodfin's contracts with and royalty reports from Deitz Press, Inc. (section 5). The collection illuminates Woodfin's plans for an extensive biography of the three William Byrds and a comprehensive history of colonial Virginia, but these works were never written. Additional papers exist in the University of Richmond Archives.

Worley, Marianna Jane Fricke, Papers, 1944–1946. 22 items. Mss2W8933b.
Collection concerns the recruitment and induction for training of Marianna Jane Fricke of Santa Monica, Calif., prior to her marriage and settlement in Richmond, in the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) component of the United States Navy during World War II. Items include orders to appear for induction and training at the United States Naval Training School in the Bronx, N.Y.; a letter issued by authority of the Under Secretary of the Navy, James Forrestal (1892–1949), at the end of the war acknowledging Fricke's service in the military; receipts for the purchase of a uniform and accessories; a WAVES mess ticket authorization; a muster report for Company 42, Platoon 31, signed by Marianna Fricke as the Muster Petty Officer; a sheet of WAVES stationery; mileage coupons from Santa Monica, Calif., used for her trip to New York; a per diem voucher for Reimbursement of Official Travel Expenses by passenger car; typescript directions for travel in New York City and the metropolitan area; lists of restaurants and entertainment spots, including the Woman's Military Service Club, American Women's Association and Hotel Biltmore; and a map of Navy districts in the United States.

Young, Fanny Churchill Braxton, Papers, 1857–1893. 34 items. Mss1Y425a. Microfilm reel C316.
The papers of Fanny Churchill (Braxton) Young (1828–1894), a wife and mother living at Westbrook in Henrico County during the Civil War, consist mainly of Young's letters to various members of the Braxton and Dallam families. Nearly two-thirds of the collection is made up of her letters, 1857–1870, to her sister Elizabeth Pope (Braxton) Dallam in Baltimore, Md. (section 1). Earlier letters document Young's requests for advice on fashion and courtship, give advice on making preserves and smoking meats, and contain numerous references to personal and social reactions to illnesses such as dementia, neuralgia, and post-partum depression. News from the Confederate front concerning the Siege of Richmond in 1864–1865 and Young's feelings about Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox are also reported. The collection illustrates the extent to which these women relied on letter-writing as a form of gathering and sharing personal and local information. They discuss family news, such as Mary Williamson (Tomlin) Braxton's mental breakdown at Chericoke in King William County after Union soldiers passed through the area and a fire that destroyed much of the Young family's property, within the context provided by their religious beliefs. The collection also includes short series of correspondence centering on Mary Williamson Braxton; Henry Clay Dallam (b. 1827), husband of Elizabeth Pope (Braxton) Dallam; Mary Tomlin (Young) Anderson (b. 1863); and Fanny Braxton (Young) Miller (1859–1913) (section 2).

Young, Jeanette, Album, 1882–1889. 1 volume. Mss5:5Y856:1.
This volume contains lines of verse copied or composed by Jeanette Young and her friends.

Young, John, Papers, ca. 1940–1964. 37 items. Mss7:1P7506:1.
Consist of correspondence, notes and notebooks of John Young (1880–1964) of Great Neck, N.Y., concerning the life of Pocahontas (d.1617).

Young, Mary, Account Book, 1760–1764. 12 pp. Mss5:3Y862:1.
Mary Young (d. 1775) boarded students attending Eton College in England. These accounts pertain to the board, laundry, mending, and other incidental expenses, including illnesses, of Alexander and John Spotswood, sons of Mary (Dandridge) Spotswood Campbell (1725?–1795) of Spotsylvania County, Va., and represent Young's attempt to secure payment from the boys' uncle and guardian, Bernard Moore of Chelsea in King William County. Because of insolvencies on both sides of the Atlantic, the account was never paid. The document has been published in the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 25 (1917): 180–189.

Young Family Papers, 1835–1900. 701 items. Mss1Y885a. Microfilm reels C316–320.
This collection consists primarily of the papers of William Junius Young (1853–1898), a Richmond tobacco manufacturer, and his wife, Caroline Virginia (Mercer) Young (1851–1941). William Young's correspondence, 1872–1898 (section 1); letterbook, 1875–1892 (section 2); commonplace books (section 5); personal and business accounts (sections 6–7); and other business records (sections 3–4) largely focus on his career as manager of a tobacco factory in Sydney, Australia, and include extensive correspondence with his wife in Richmond before their marriage. Caroline Young's correspondence, 1873–1900 (section 8); account books, 1879–1891 (section 11); and loose accounts (section 12) also concern her life in Australia with her husband, including extensive correspondence with her parents in Richmond, as well as information about her life in Virginia immediately following her husband's death. The collection also contains scattered papers of other members of the Mercer, Steel, and Young families (sections 13–18).

Updated January 13, 2010