Special Collections, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

Browse Items (63 total)

  • MS1958-2_0001.jpg

    John Robertson was Deputy Commissary General of Issues during the American Revolution and later a schoolmaster in Albemarle County and Lynchburg, Virginia.

    Robertson's account book includes receipts for supplies received from him at the magazine in Williamsburg (October-November, 1781); indexed accounts of his school in Lynchburg (1801-1802); house expenses (1807-1810); and, a register of his children with Sarah Rogers Robertson. The entries for 1781 include some for British prisoners of war.

  • MS1985-3_0001.jpg

    St. George Tucker letter to John Page, 1797 June 23 concerning American relations with France. Tucker mentions Napoleion, the Directory, and John Marshall's involvement in diplomatic negotiations with the French. Tucker also extends an invitiation to Page to visit him on the Fourth of July.
  • MS1992-5_0001.jpg

    Navigational exercise book consists of handwritten exercises to determine longitude and latitude between various ports with most originating in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Exercises consist of examples with originating longitude and latitude, place of departure, destination, and conditions which might influence arrival. Answers consist of a plat diagramming the course, changes in longitude and latitude, distances sailed and other concerns. Also included are directional tables, or charts, and small, but detailed drawings of ships and ports on nearly every page. The types of exercises are divided into problems concerning plain sailing, traverse sailing, and mercator's sailing. The routes the exercises present consist mostly of trips between Cape Cod and the West Indies.
  • M2904b0101001.jpg

    Contains various kinds of accounts including accounts with individuals (many individuals in Hanover Co., Va.), for goods purchased from Jerdone; with merchants in Great Britain, and with the ships' captains who carried goods between Virginia and England; lists of supplies of staples such as salt and rum; invoices for tobacco shipped to England; and a summary of Jerdone's finances. Goods include sugar, molasses, chocolates, cheese, tea, beer, raisins, hats, hosiery and snuff. Also concerns buying and selling of slaves; and shows tobacco marks of various planters. Accounts incl ude those of Robert Anderson, John Backhouse, John Baylor, John Chiswell, Henry Cooke, John Cooper, Archibald Crawford, Robert Donald, John Goldsmith, Dr. Alexander Jameson, Bennitt Kirby, Edward Lankford, Thomas Nelson, John Norton, Mann Page, the proprietors of the Raleigh Tavern, William Stevenson, John Thomson, John Winn and George Wythe.

  • MS2000-55_0001.jpg

    Manuscript music book of 134 works belonging to A. Bell, New York. Contains marches, jigs, some tunes referring to the Duke of York and to soldiers and sailors, and some love songs. One song is attributed to a Mrs. Melmouth, and one was sung by a Mrs. Bannister.

    Includes index-- pages [1-2] at end.

  • MS1973-4_0001.jpg

    Arithmetical exercise book explaining and demonstrating addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, wine measure, dry and long measures. Inscribed: “Robert Spilsbe Coleman His Book August the 19, 1773,” and probably used by him until 1775. Next used by Coleman’s son, Robert Spilsbe, Jr., in 1782–1783 and 1821. Also contains a list of family births, 1851–1857. The Spotsylvania County records, 1721–1800, list several branches of the Coleman family, which included several Robert Spilsbes. This individual cannot be absolutely identified.

    Bound in a limp canvas binding. The first and last leaves of text have been adhered to the canvas. Both the canvas covering and several pages have substantial areas of loss.

  • MS1965-7_0001.jpg

    Waste book record of cargo imported and tobacco shipped by Francis Jerdone at Yorktown, Virginia. The book documents the variety and volume of goods sold by Jerdone and the many customers he had in Virginia. Customers included Colonel Carter Burwell, the Reverend John Camm, Alexander Craig, Colonel Dudley Diggs, James Dixon, Robert Donald, Thomas Everard, Alexander Finnie, the Reverend Mr. Fontaine, William Jerdone, Warner Lewis, John Lightfoot, William Lightfoot, Thomas Nelson, William Nelson, John Norton, John Palmer, James Shield, Captain John Tabb, and Bennitt Tomkins.
  • MS1965-6_OV_0001.jpg

    Manuscript book of arithmetic rules, definitions, and problems, covering addition and subtraction of whole numbers, money and weights, multiplication and division, money problems, proportion, profit and loss, interest, and reduction of fractions, with many word problems for each type of problem.

    "Lewis Worrell's Cyphering"--folio 28v.

  • MS1939.6.pdf

    Cookbook dated 1836 containing a variety of different recipes for beverages, jellies, puddings, cakes, breads, sweets, and one possibly medicinal tonic for sweetening the blood. Finishes with a method for rendering tallow. Table of contents on the first page lists only recipes up to page 24 out of 40. Several people are mentioned as sources of recipes, though without enough to the name to identify them. Origins unknown. Across the bottom of the pages marked 37 and 38, upside down to the rest of the text, is a semi-legible heading to begin a ledger. It appears to read: By Gff Battakey m____y with Robt Hill Carter by 1835 Jan 12 back 1000
  • MS1932-14_0001.jpg

    Fragmentary ledger of accounts kept by Thomas Wharton (d. 1746), apothecary, of Williamsburg, Va., for various powders, drops, other medicines, and "advice and directions" furnished to customers in Williamsburg and neighborhood. Wharton bequeathed his stock of drugs, medicines, and shop utensils to Dr. Kenneth McKenzie. His customers included Col. Bassett, John Blair, Col. John Bolling, Bruton Parish, Col. Burwell, Robert Carter III, Mr. Coke, Roscoe Cole, the College of William and Mary, Gov. William Gooch, Col. Lightfoot, Philip Ludwell, Mr. Maury, Mr. Prentis, John Randolph, and Henry Wetherburn.
  • D2007-COPY-0409-1002.jpg

    Letter and account book of Colonel William Fauntleroy, a colonial planter living at Naylor’s Hole on the banks of the Rappahannock River in Richmond County, VA. There are 225 letters, many written to agents and merchants in London, Glasgow, Whitehaven, Liverpool, and Bristol concerning his tobacco shipments and the English manufactured goods that he requests in exchange. Also included is information concerning his plantations, the purchasing of enslaved laborers and instructions regarding his two sons studying law and medicine in London.
  • MS1932-07-001.jpg

    Benjamin Waller writes to Meriwether Skelton concerning interest on the debt owed Waller by Skelton. Waller laments that many men have repaid his loans made to them in hard currency with devalued paper money by which he has lost a considerable fortune.
  • D2011-Copy-0303-0001.jpg

    General Joseph Hooker letter to Captain Chauncey McKeever, Assistant Adjutant General of the Third Corps, dated from Williamsburg, Virginia, May 10, 1862. Hooker's letter discusses the Battle of Williamsburg and provides a list of his division's losses.
  • MS1996-11_001.jpg

    Medical record book prepared by a Barwick Bruce, a plantation doctor of Barbados.  A contemporary title added to the front cover reads: "Barwick Bruce's Day Book Commencing March 17, 1791." Most entries are signed by either John Austin or William Tull. Each entry lists a date, the name of the person examined, and the treatment prescribed. Plantations mentioned include Edge Hill, Grome Hall, and Bay Plantation. A majority of the entries concern treatments prescribed for illnesses or injuries suffered by enslaved persons. James Bruce is listed as the master of many of the slaves treated. In addition, some entries concern prescriptions given to treat planters and their family members. The entries provide insight into care provided by plantation owners for their enslaved laborers and family members and into different remedies prescribed for ailments, such as bleeding, purging, pills, and ointments.

  • D2010-COPY-0809-1022.jpg

    Philip III, King of Spain, letter to Alonso Pérez de Guzmán, Duke of Medina Sidonia, dated June 11, 1609. The King writes that he has received the Duke's letter concerning the attack on Spanish vessels by pirates and requests more information. He also wishes to know more about English plans to populate Virginia. The Duke, as Captain General of the Ocean Sea was expected to obtain this information from his subordinates in the treasure fleets.

    The letter was accomplished in manuscript by Antonio de Arostequi , and signed by the King. A hole in the paper shows where the King's seal was attached.

  • D2010-COPY-0809-1012.jpg

    Philip III, King of Spain, letter to Alonso Pérez de Guzmán, Duke of Medina Sidonia, dated July 29, 1608. The King writes to request information concerning the English settlements in Virginia. Specifically, he wishes to learn the locations, ports and sailing conditions which prevail there. The Duke, as Captain General of the Ocean Sea was expected to obtain this information from his subordinates in the treasure fleets.

    The letter was accomplished in manuscript by Andres de Prada, and signed by the King. A hole in the paper shows where the King's seal was attached.

  • MS1938-09-001.jpg

    William Plume, Williamsburg, Virginia, letter to Joseph North, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 4, 1780. Plume writes briefly about the war including mentions of Cornwallis and the Leslie raid of Virginia. Plume notes that Leslie has failed in his primary goal and is opposed by a large number of American regular and militia forces commanded by Brigadier General Muhlenberg. The rest of Plume's letter concerns business and personal matters. Plume requests North procure some knives for him and discusses the high price of horses in Virginia. He also urges North to come to Virginia where he will find plentiful oysters, rum, cider, beer etc.

  • D2020-JBC-1118-0146.jpg

  • D2020-JBC-1118-0146.jpg

    Bound journal of accounts including household accounts and the settlements of the estates of his uncle and aunt, John and Mary Bagge on surviving pages 33-198. Names appearing in the accounts include Katherine Bagge, Robert Brooke, James Curtiss, William Fosset, John Greene, Robert Gresham, Dr. Alexander Parker, Robert Rose, Alexander Spotswood, William Taliaferro, Thomas Waring, and Benjamin Winslow.

    The second half of the volume is the diary of the Reverend Robert Rose.

    Edmund Bagge (d. 1734) was an Anglican minister serving St. Anne's Parish, Essex County, at the time of his death.

  • Recto

    Letter of James McHenry, aide-de-camp to Lafayette, to General George Weedon dated July 10, 1781. McHenry gives a brief and optimistic description of the Battle at Green Spring fought between American forces under Lafayette and the British under Cornwallis.
  • MS1984-01-001.jpg

    George Givens was born in Orange County, Virginia in 1740. At some point, he moved his family to Botetourt County. He had served as a lieutenant in Lord Dunmore's War and was at the Battle of Point Pleasant. For his service in the Revolution, Givens was awarded 400 hundred acres of land in Lincoln County. He died in Kentucky in 1825.
  • MS1999-10-001.jpg

    Alexander Spotswood writes from Surry County to Edmund Pendleton concerning the dispatch of William Woodford's troops to the defense of Southside Virginia. Spotswood also discusses John Murray, Earl of Dunmore, and loyalist sentiment in Norfolk and Portsmouth, Va. Spotswood expresses his belief that more is to be feared from the loyalists of those places than from Lord Dunmore writing "... I woud Rather burn the Towns of Norfolk, Gosport,& portsmouth, than hurt a hair of his Lordsh-ip's head ..."
  • MS2013-08-001.jpg

    Retained copy of a letter of American Brigadier General George Weedon to British Major General William Phillips concerning prisoners of war. Weedon expresses his desire "to render the Circumstances of war as little afflicting as possible ..." He notes he is willing to exchange prisoners or grant paroles when exchanges aren't "Subject to my will."


    Phillips himself had been a prisoner of war. Captured at the Battle of Saratoga in 1777, he was exchanged for the American general, Benjamin Lincoln, who was captured at Charleston in 1780. Shortly after rejoining the army, Phillips was sent to Virginia where he operated with the traitor, Benedict Arnold. He achieved a number of successes in the field before dying at Petersburg on May 13, 1781.


    Weedon was present at the Siege of Yorktown where he commanded American militia at Gloucester Point. He survived the war returning to Fredericksburg where he died in 1793.

  • MS1932-08-001.jpg

    Virginia Lt. Governor John Page writes to North Carolina Governor Richard Caswell concerning British naval operations in the region. The British had blocked Ocracoke Inlet and Page urges Caswell to send one of the galleys constructed at the joint expense of the two states to dislodge the British vessels blockading the inlet. Page notes he will have Champion Travis, a member of Virginia's Naval Board, work to get some of Virginia's galley fleet into action. Page also thanks Caswell for making part of the N.C. militia available during the British Army and Navy's move up the Chesapeake as they advanced to Philadelphia and discusses the outcome of the action between Washington and Howe at Brandywine on September 11, 1777.
  • MS2012-12-001.jpg

    Letter of Brigadier General Muhlenberg to Brigadier General Weedon in which Muhlenberg discusses the Battle of Green Spring fought July 6, 1781. The American forces were led by Lafayette and Anthony Wayne. Muhlenberg was critical of Wayne noting that "Green Springs ... might have proved fatal to this Army & the State, owing to the impetuosity of our Brother Brigadier." Muhlenberg describes for Weedon the course and outcome of the battle but advises Weedon that "... it will not do to make it public."
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