Administrative Information

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Preferred Citation

Roger Atkinson. Letterbook, 1769-1774. Accession 20191, Business records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Lent for copying by P. Tulane Atkinson, 14 July 1930.

Biographical/Historical Information

Roger Atkinson (1725-1784) came to Virginia about 1750 and settled near Petersburg where he became a prominent businessman. His wife was Anne Pleasants, daughter of John Pleasants. From 1760 to 1784 he was a member of the vestry of Bristol Parish. Atkinson was among those merchants who signed the nonimportation association of June 1770 in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Scope and Content Information

Letterbook, 1769-1774, written while Roger Atkinson was in Williamsburg, Virginia, commenting on the Virginia tobacco trade and the current political situation. Throughout the period covered by this volume Atkinson remains a promoter of Virginia as a place for English investments. He also comments frequently on the increased tobacco production on the south side of the James River and the emergence of wheat as a second staple crop. In an interesting letter dated 1 October 1774, Atkinson described for his brother-in-law, Samuel Pleasants, the seven delegates elected from Virginia to attend the General Congress begun in Philadelphia (Pa.) during September 1774. Other correspondents include John Backhouse, Richard Bowman, Thomas Deane, Benson Fearon (a half-brother), Samuel Gist, William Hicks, John Ponsonby, Richard Yates, and Samuel Younghusband.