Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

The collection is without restrictions.

Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred Citation

Holland and White Family Papers, 1775-1926, Accession #11356, Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

This collection was purchased by the Library from The Book Broker in Charlotesville, Virginia, on December 18, 1997. There are no restrictions.

Scope and Content Information

This collection consists of ca. 525 items, (1775-1859)1926, pertaining to the Holland and White families of Fluvanna County, Virginia. There are correspondence, business and legal papers, genealogical information, and printed material. The business papers of John C. Holland, Capt. John White, and James P. White form the majority of the collection and consist of 478 items.

The correspondence, 1837-1859, consists of eighteen letters. A letter dated October 1840 to John C. Holland expresses the wishes of its writer to retain Holland's negroes for another year, relates that "Phill" was bitten by a snake, and discusses prices for "Phill," "Edmund," and "Elias" and the possibility of hiring more hands for the following year. In January 1841, John Bragg of Richmond, Virginia writes to John C. Holland about a dispute over a settlement involving wool and machines and offers to buy Mr. Shepherd's part of the machine. A letter, January 3, 1853, from Winchester, Kentucky, to John White, discusses family news, the high prices for stock, hogs, and mules, and the railroad being complete to the mouth of "Big Sandy." A letter, June 20, 1856, from G. R. Button in Oldham County, Kentucky to John White, relates some family news, that rain is needed for their crops of corn, oats, and wheat and that the drought is adversely affecting the horses and mules as well, and makes an offer to buy a negro woman with stock. There is a letter, October 2, 1856, from Jennie St[range], Sussex, Virginia, to Miss Willie [White] which discusses a big religious meeting during which numerous people made professions. There are four letters, 1859, from Sallie T. Shepherd to Willie White, which discuss school life at Albemarle Female Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia, Fluvanna Female Institute, and Beaumont. Other topics mentioned in Miss Shepherd?s letters include comments on Willie White teaching school, the Jefferson Society of the University of Virginia, spring fashions, social activities, and a visit by preacher Cumberland George.

The business papers, 1775-1926, consist of accounts, receipts, promissory notes, tax notices, and miscellaneous papers relating to business affairs. There are numerous accounts of John White for the purchase of calico, gingham, cotton, flannel, muslin, gloves, shoes, knitting needles, thread, and buttons as well as sugar, coffee, salt, and other staples and goods. There is a notice of a sale, March 25, 1830, of Capt. Joshua Key's land. There are records of the overseers of the poor of Fluvanna County for June 27, 1831 and June 1, 1857. Missionary Society at Lyles Church records are dated 1832 and October 3, 1843. There is an October 26, 1836 receipt for "one negro boy Albert appraised to eight hundred dollars..." Documents dated December 26, 1836, October 25, 1837 and January 3, 1838 concern the estate of Pleasant White. There is a notice of sale, November 7, 1838, for the late residence of Susan Howard. There are various receipts for tuition for the children of the Holland and White families: paid by John White in 1838, 1839 and April 1842; paid by John C. Holland in January 1851 and 1858-1859; paid by James P. White in December 1856 and August 1858; and, paid by R. S. Holland in April and October 1859. There are two receipts, December 5, 1840 and June 17, 1843, concerning a carding machine, one re the profits and one re the cost of making rollers for the machine. There are tobacco (April 18, 1850 and July 18, 1852) and wheat accounts (August 29, 1850). Several documents relate to African-Americans: account for hauling slaves, November 26, 1852; account for "visit to negros," January 1853; and, supplies for Sally [Sarah] Stone's slaves and amount paid W[illiam] A. Nicholson for removing slaves, 1859. Receipts, 1852-1854, relate to John C. Holland, administrator for the estate of P[hilip] A. Holland. Five receipts dated November 27, 1856 relate to John C. Holland as attorney for the division of the dower and other property of Lucy Holland. A detailed medical account to James P. White, April 19, 1853, includes services for several women. There is also an account for dental work, March 7, 1855, from T. Wills to James P. White. Miscellaneous accounts include ones for making shoes and shoe repair (June 1853; April and September 1859); blacksmithing (January 1859); and, wagons and accessories (June 10, 1869). There are two Civil War documents, January 13, 1865, received of John C. Holland for the Mounted Guard supplies under order allowing soldiers to purchase for their families. On April 27, 1874, there is a notification of petition presented by Nicholson against the estate of Sarah Stone. Two letters, January 25, 1893 and February 15, 1897, from William B. West Company, Wooden Ware and Fancy Groceries, in Richmond, Virginia, to Lucy M. Holland, concern a business agreement whereby Lucy Holland receives interest on a regular basis and any part or all of the principal with ten days' notice. A promise to pay Lucy M. Holland by William B. West and Mary C. West is dated January 1, 1914. A notice, June 7, 1926, from M. C. Pitman, real estate and abstracts, to John B. White, pertains to lands in west Florida deeded by the St. Andrews Bay Railroad Land and Mining Company.

The legal papers, 13 items, 1828-1858, deal chiefly with land transactions and estates. A certificate dated November 9, 1829, appointing John White to Captain of the twelfth regiment, third brigade, second division of the Virginia Militia, is signed by William B[ranch] Giles (1762-1830), governor of Virginia. There is a deed of trust, March 8, 1830, executed by Joshua Key for land transfer for payment of debt to Freeman H. Woodruff. There are two documents, September 15, 1830 and September 14, 1831, between Martin Strong and John White for the sale and purchase of land in Fluvanna County. There is a charter, August 25, 1831, for the Lyles Meeting House Missionary Society. Papers re the estate of Pleasant White are dated December 2, 1836 and April 28, 1842. There is a consent by the legatees of the estate of Lucy Holland for the sale and division of her estate, October 22, 1856. A few documents relating to transactions involving miscellaneous lands in Fluvanna County, Virginia are included.

There is a memorandum book, 1857-1864, kept by James P. White, concerning miscellaneous financial matters, including records of lugs; amounts for the hire of men; tobacco, wheat, oat, and corn sales; and, oak sold to C. B. Perkins. There is a notation, March 22, 1858, regarding the sale of Sarah Stone's slaves, including a boy "Frank" and a girl "Matitcia." Other notations concern the amount received from William A. Nicholson for the hire of two men for thirty-three days; the amount received for keeping Lyles Church; pears plants; hogs killed in 1861; and, the amount of time Thomas Shepherd's hands worked, naming "Dolley," "Billy," and "Maria."

The genealogy material contains notes on the wills of members of the Parish, Perkins, Shepherd, Seay, Holland, and other families of Fluvanna County, Virginia. There is also a notebook containing notes on marriages recorded in Palmyra, Fluvanna County, Virginia and marriages recorded in Goochland County, Virginia.

Among the printed items are a broadside for a public sale of the personal property of A. Wakeham on April 28, 1892 and an advertisement for S. T. Beveridge & Company of Richmond, Virginia dated October 11, 1907.