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Inventory of the George Family Papers 1733-1920


TABLE OF CONTENTS

DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

FAMILY HISTORY

SCOPE AND CONTENTS

ORGANIZATION

RESTRICTIONS

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

CONTAINER LISTING


DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

Creator:  George Family
Title:  Papers
Dates:  1733-1920
Extent:  8.66 cubic feet
Accession Number:  24642
Location:  Local government records collection
Repository:  The Library of Virginia, 800 E. Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219

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FAMILY HISTORY

The George family were prominent residents of Caroline, Henrico, and Middlesex Counties, and the City of Richmond, Virginia. Reuben George (d. 1799) was the son of John George (1704-1784) and his first wife Mary Jordan. Reuben George married Mildred Rogers. He died about November 1799. His son, Byrd George, was born on 17 May 1768. He married first, Mary Garthright, of Henrico County, and second, Catherine Wilson, of Caroline County. He died on 7 December 1836. A son by his second marriage, William Orville George, was born on 28 February 1811. He was a resident of Richmond, and owned a large amount of real estate and dwellings which he rented, and also bought, sold, and hired out slaves. He died in Richmond on 16 August 1869.

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SCOPE AND CONTENTS

Papers, 1733-1920, of the George family of Caroline, Henrico, and Middlesex Counties, and Richmond, Virginia. The majority of the collection concerns Reuben George (d. 1799), his son Byrd George (1768-1836), and his son William O. George (1811-1869). This collection was transferred to the Archives by order of the Circuit Court of the City of Richmond.

The correspondence covers the years 1763-1844. Topics covered include business and financial matters, legal issues, including land disputes and debts, and estate administrations. There is a substantial amount of correspondence concerning slaves owned by various members of the George family, including their division upon the deaths of family members, and the hiring out of slaves to individuals in the area. Correspondents include James Baber, Byrd George, James George, Reuben George, William O. George, Ursula George, Mary McHaney, Wilson Cary Nelson, and Achilles Rogers.

Also included in the collection are various official appointments of Reuben George, as well as bonds. A large portion of the papers are business and financial records, containing account books, agreements, powers of attorney, bank books, Confederate bonds, lists of money loaned, Negro hires, slave divisions, slave bills of sale, tobacco purchases and shipments, cancelled checks, and receipts. There is also information relating to the construction of the State Penitentiary in Richmond, covering the years 1798 to 1800, including orders written by the architect, Benjamin Henry Latrobe (1764-1820).

Another significant portion of the collection consists of court records, namely those relating to the suit Pilcher v. George, which began in 1869, with the death of William O. George, and continued up until 1920. The suit involved a dispute between the heirs of William O. George, and the settlement of his estate. The papers in the series are copies. The originals remain in the Circuit Court of Richmond.

The ficuciary records and estate papers include accounts, sales, divisions, and receipts relating to the estates of Dabney Garthright, Byrd George, Catherine George, John George Sr., John George, Mary George, Reuben George (d. 1799), Reuben George (d. 1807), Robert George, Beverley Graves, James Isbell, Betty Mickleburrough, Robert Mickleburrough, Achilles Rogers, Reuben Tankersley, Catherine Wilson, and Zachariah Wilson.

The land records contain deeds, both original and copies, land patents, plats, and surveys. The military records include adjutant general's orders, Council orders, militia payrolls, returns, and muster rolls, a copy of the constitution and by-laws of the Richmond Light Dragoons (1848), subscription receipts, and other miscellaneous items.

There are also a number of copies of wills of members of the George family, as well as for individuals for whom they were executors. The individuals include Julius Allen, John Garthright, Byrd George, Reuben George, Daniel Isbell, Nancy Clarke Mayo, Sarah Price, Robert Spear, Reuben Tankersley, Zachariah Wilson, and Nathaniel Young.

The miscellaneous records include clippings, George family genealogical notes, insurance policies, invitations, and promissory notes, as well as other unique items, such as a list of students at the College of William and Mary (1830-1831), a lockgate pass (1801), a lottery ticket from the Medical College of Maryland (n.d.), and a proclamation concerning a runaway slave of John George (1758).

There is also a box of oversized items, including deeds, land patents and grants, a relief subscription list, pardons and oaths of allegiance, patent papers for inventions of William O. George, plats and surveys, and tobacco bills of lading and invoices.

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ORGANIZATION

Series I. Correspondence.
Series II. Bonds, Commissions, Oaths.
Series III. Business and Financial Records.
Series IV. Court Records.
Series V. Fiduciary Records and Estate Papers.
Series VI. Land Records.
Series VII. Military Records.
Series VIII. Wills.
Series IX. Miscellaneous Records.
Series X. Oversized Items.

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RESTRICTIONS

None

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ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Preferred Citation

George Family, Papers, 1733-1920, Accession 24642, City of Richmond Circuit Court Records, Local government records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

Transferred from the City of Richmond Circuit Court, Richmond, Virginia, 20 March 1956

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CONTAINER LISTING

Series I. Correspondence, 1763-1869

Box Folder Contents
1 1-13 Correspondence, 1763-1844
2 1-15 Correspondence, 1845-1862
3 1-5 Correspondence, 1863-1869
6 Correspondence, n.d.

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Series II. Bonds, Commissions, Oaths

Box Folder Contents
4 1 Appointments - Reuben George
2 Bonds

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Series III. Business and Financial Records

Box Folder Contents
4 3 Account Book, 1854-1856
4-5 Account Book, 1855
6 Account Book, 1855-1856
7 Account Book, 1859-1861
8-9 Agreements and Powers of Attorney, 1784-1869
10 Bank Book, 1837
11 Bank Book, 1837-1844
12 Bank Book, 1844-1849
13 Bank Book, 1850-1859
14 Bank Book, 1854-1859
15 Confederate Bonds
16 Exchange Bank Account, 1857-1865
17 Bank Book, 1859-1865
18 Estimates
19 Horse Book, 1854-1855
20 James River Company, 1801
21 James River Cement Works, 1867
22 Lists of Money Loaned
23 Lists of Negro Hires, and Division of Negroes 1836-1842
24 Negro Hires
25 Notices to Vacate
26 Penitentiary Papers, 1798-1800
27 Slave Bills of Sale
28 Tobacco Purchases
29 Tobacco Shipments, 1756-1770
5 1-21 Cancelled Checks, 1837-1856
6 1-19 Cancelled Checks, 1857-1868
7 1-58 Receipts, 1733-1818
8 1-19 Receipts, 1827-1840
9 1-14 Receipts, 1841-1845
10 1-12 Receipts, 1846-1850
11 1-12 Receipts, 1851-1855
12 1-12 Receipts, 1856-1861
13 1-12 Receipts, 1862-1869

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Series IV. Court Records

Box Folder Contents
14 1 Miscellaneous Suit Papers
2-14 Pilcher v. George, 1869-1877
15 1-11 Pilcher v. George, 1878-1884, 1892, 1920
12-14 Pilcher v. George, n.d.
15 Exhibit Receipts

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Series V. Fiduciary Records and Estate Papers

Box Folder Contents
16 1 Garthright, Dabney
2 George, Byrd
3 George, Catherine
4 George, John, Sr. (d. 1784)
5 George, John (son of Reuben I)
6 George, Mary
7 George, Reuben (d. 1799)
8 George, Reuben (d. 1807)
9 George, Robert (d. 1775)
10 Graves, Beverly
11 Isbell, James
12 Mickleburrough, Betty
13 Mickleburrough, Robert
14 Rogers, Achilles
15 Tankersley, Reuben
16 Wilson, Catherine
17 Wilson, Zachariah
18 Miscellaneous Estate Papers

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Series VI. Land Records

Box Folder Contents
16 19 Deeds - Byrd George
20 Deeds - John George
21 Deeds - Miles George
22 Deeds - Reuben George
23 Deeds - William O. George
24 Deeds - Miscellaneous Individuals
25 Deeds - Overseers of the Poor, 1788-1790
26 Land Patent (copy)
27 Plats and Surveys
28 Miscellaneous Land Papers

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Series VII. Military Records

Box Folder Contents
17 1 Adjutant General's Orders, 1814
2 Council Orders, 1798-1799
3 Militia Pay Roll, 1862
4 Militia Return, 1812
5 Militia Returns, 1814
6 Militia Returns, n.d.
7 Muster Roll, 1794
8 Muster Rolls, 1814
9 Richmond Light Dragoons - Constitution and By-Laws, 1848
10 Subscription Receipts, 1814
11 Miscellaneous Military Papers, 1781-1814

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Series VIII. Wills

Box Folder Contents
17 12 Allen, Julius
13 Garthright, John
14 George, Byrd
15 George, Reuben
16 Isbel, Daniel
17 Mayo, Nancy Clarke
18 Price, Sarah
19 Spear, Robert
20 Tankersley, Reuben
21 Wilson, Zachariah
22 Young, Nathaniel

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Series IX. Miscellaneous Records

Box Folder Contents
18 1 Auction Catalogue, 1867
2-3 Clippings
4 George Family Genealogical Notes
5-6 Insurance Policies, 1839-1864
7 Invitations
8 Licenses to Operate a Still, 1794, 1795, 1798
9 List of Students at the College of William and Mary, 1830-1831
10 Lockgate Pass, 1801
11 Lottery Ticket - Medical College of Maryland, n.d.
12 Memorandum Book, n.d.
13 Miscellaneous
14 Proclamations re. Runaway Slave of John George, 1758
15 Promissory Notes
16 Wrappers

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Series X. Oversize Items

Box Folder Contents
19 Deeds - Byrd George
Deeds - Reuben George
Deeds - John George
Henrico Militia - Relief Subscription List
Land Patents and Grants
Pardon and Oaths of Allegiance, 1865
Patent Papers
Plats and Surveys
Tobacco Bills of Lading and Invoices, 1756-1762, 1792

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