Preferred Citation

MSS 16808, John Jones letter to William Massie, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia Library.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This collection was purchased from Michael Brown Rare Books, LLC by the Small Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia Library on 20 January 2023.

Biographical / Historical

John Jones (1795-1863) was born and lived in Richmond, Virginia. He was a commercial merchant, married Sarah Brooks in 1818, and had eight children. William Massie (1795-1862) was born and settled in Nelson County  , Virginia. Massie was a farmer and enslaver and owned two plantations in Nelson County  , Virginia, "Pharsalia" and "Level Green," a gift from his father, Thomas Massie.

For more research and census information: https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/family-tree/person/tree/114335142/person/200148181467/facts)

William Massie enslaved 21 people in 1816. At the time of his death in 1862 he enslaved 154 people. He also kept detailed records of their names and birthdates. See MSS 12705 for his record book. Massie was a large-scale planter,owner,trader and breeder of enslaved people. https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/VA-02-051-0001

Content Description

This collection contains one autograph letter dated September 14, 1852, signed by John Jones of Richmond, Virginia, to William Massie, Piedmont Post Office, Nelson County  , Virginia. In the letter, Jones wishes success to Massie's attempts to locate the home where he was born. Jones discusses his family's health, noting that his daughter, wife, and grandchild will return from a hot spring trip to improve their health, a discussion on seed wheat, and a request for Massie to tell Mrs. Barbara and sister Mrs.Penny to visit the Jones family in Autumn.

John Jones (1795-1863) was born and lived in Richmond, Virginia. He was a commercial merchant, married Sarah Brooks in 1818, and had eight children. William Massie (1795-1862) was born and settled in Nelson County  , Virginia. Massie was a farmer and enslaver and owned two plantations in Nelson County  , Virginia, "Pharsalia" and "Level Green," a gift from his father, Thomas Massie.

There is a related collection MSS 12705 which contains William Massie's record book with the names and birthdates of the people that he enslaved. At the time of his death, he enslaved 154 people on his estate Pharsalia.

https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/VA-02-051-0001

Related Material

MSS 12705 contains William Massie record books of the people he enslaved.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Massie, William, 1795-1862
• Nelson County (Va.) -- History