Six Elizabeth Upshur Teackle letters with transcriptions, one of which is addressed to Mrs. Teackle from William Wirt, esquire. Mrs. Teackle in the letters mainly discuss the hardships of her family after her husband, Mr. Teackle, was sent to prison in Baltimore, the circumstances surrounding his imprisonment and those responsible for it, and the actions and support of their family friends. She writes to two government officials making appeals on behalf of her husband for his release from prison. Mrs.Teackle also writes about the return of her husband from prison and some of their experiences after, as well as her desire to see her family.

These letters are also available online at the Voices of the Eastern Shore website: https://texashistory.unt.edu/explore/collections/VOESH/

This collection is open for research.

This collection was a gift from Randolph George, Somerset County Maryland Historical Trust to the Small Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia Library on 12 July 2024.

MSS 2338, Teackle and Bancker family papers, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia Library.

This addition (ViU-2024-0134) to MSS 2338, Quinby, Teackle, and Upshur Families of Somerset County, Maryland, and Accomack and Northampton Counties, Virginia Papers includes one legal document and eight handwritten letters from the Teackle and Bancker family. Correspondents are Elizabeth Dennis Teackle Montgomery, Littleton Dennis Teackle, John Teackle, and William White Bancker. Letter recipients are Elizabeth's sister, Sarah Upshur Teackle Bancker, Henrietta Bancker, Aunt Hetty (Esther Maria Fisher Teackle), and Messrs. Blair from the Maryland House of Delegates.

The legal document, dated 1801, is from Littleton Dennis Teackle, recording his moving two enslaved women, Sarah alias Sally and Nanny alias Nancy, from Virginia to Maryland. The rest are letters dated between 1807 and 1835, primarily to family members. One included letter is from John Teackle to his granddaughter Henrietta Bancker, dated 1815 and postmarked to Chestnut Street, Philidelphia, is a photocopy of an original not present in this collection. The eight remaining letters are originals, postmarked on their exterior.

These letters are also available online at the Voices of the Eastern Shore website: https://texashistory.unt.edu/explore/collections/VOESH/

The collection centers around the family of John Teackle of Kegotank (1753-1817) and his wife Elizabeth Dennis Teackle (1760-1811) and their children from the Eastern Shore (Somerset County and Accomack County of Maryland). Their granddaughter, Elizabeth Ann Teackle (daughter of their son Littleton Dennis Teackle (1777-1848) and his wife Elizabeth "Eliza" Upshur (1783-1835), married Aaron Balderston Quinby in 1839.

Both families came to Virginia and Maryland from Great Britain around the same time, were owners of enslaved people and were probably related through cousins. Genealogy: Arthur Upshur (1624-1709) was born in Essex County, England. He immigrated to the Eastern Shore of Virginia about 1637. His descendants for the next five generations remained on the Eastern Shore. The Teackle family goes back to Thomas Teackle (1624-1695) who came to the Eastern Shore from Gloucester, England. They are related to the Admiral Lord Nelson (1758-1805) who fought in the Battle of Trafalgar.

The collection is reparative in that Elizabeth Upshur Teackle was an exemplary independent woman and poet. It is also reparative because the Teackle family enslaved many people, who are mentioned in the letters.

The Voices of the Eastern Shore project headed by Dreanna Belden sums it up well, "Topics such as: slavery, women's history, home life, the economy, the War of 1812, social life, religion, health, and death – the letters encompass virtually every aspect of society that informs our understanding of the era."

Children of John Teackle of Kegotank,Maryland and Elizabeth Dennis: Littleton Dennis Teackle (1777-1848) m. Eliza Upshur (1783-1835) Sarah Upshur Teackle Bancker (1783-183) Henrietta (Hetty) Teackle Chauncey (1780-1832) Elizabeth Dennis Teackle Montgomery (1786-1823) Henry Dennis Teackle (1786-1807) John Justice Teackle (1790-1824) Esther (Hetty) Maria Fisher Teackle (1795-1840) James Henry Dennis Teackle (1796-1840)

Ann Upsher Eyre,sister of Elizabeth Upshur Teackle (1780-1829) lived at Eyre Hall with her husband John Eyre.

Sources: Upshur, John, A. "Upshur Family in Virginia" Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize,preserve and extend access to The William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine https://www.jstor.org/stable/1923340?seq=2

Digitized letters by the Voices of the Eastern Shore and was provided by the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library to The Portal to Texas History, a digital repository hosted by the UNT Libraries. https://voicesoftheeasternshore.org/

This collection contains some in-copyright material. Visit our Permissions and Publishing page (https://www.library.virginia.edu/special-collections/services/publishing) for more information about use of Special Collections materials. The library can provide copyright information upon request, but users are responsible for making their own determination about lawful use of collections materials.