Conditions Governing Use:

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Conditions Governing Access:

Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Preferred Citation:

James D. Blackwell Papers, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Biographical Information:

James De Ruyter Blackwell, Jr. was born 17 May 1870. He was educated at Bethel Military Academy [Fauquier County, Virginia] as a civil engineer. Worked as a civil engineer on various railroads including electric streetcar system. He was on the Board of Survey for Boston and was City Engineer of Seattle, Washington. He also was in private practice. He died 5 September 1929. Further information about this individual or organization may be available in the Special Collections Research Center Wiki: .

Scope and Contents

Letters and accounts of James DeRuyter Blackwell, Sr., lawyer and poet, his wife Judith Emma (Edmonds) Blackwell of Warrenton, Virginia and of members of their family including their son, James De Ruyter Blackwell, Jr.

There are letters written from Richmond and Petersburg, Virginia concerning social life, and letters concerning the hiring of enslaved persons and the illnesses of enslaved female persons.

Furthermore, the collection includes a genealogy of Blackwell family and three bound manuscript volumes of poetry by James De Ruyter Blackwell, Sr., as well as a letter, 6 September 1879, of John S. Mosby, concerning his work as American consul in China.

Arrangement of Materials:

Organization: Organized into five series: 1. Letters, 2. Accounts, 3. Papers of James D. Blackwell, 4. Biographical and genealogical information regarding James D. Blackwell and the Blackwell family, and 5. Miscellaneous items. Arrangement: Series 1 is arranged chronologically; Series 2 is arranged alphabetically by name.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Agriculture--United States--History--19th century
• Agriculture--Virginia--History--18th century
• American poetry--19th century
• Correspondence
• Diplomatic and consular service
• Diplomats--United States
• Fauquier County (Va.)--History--19th century
• Financial records
• Poems
• Receipts (financial records)
• Richmond (Va.)--Social life and customs
• Slavery--Southern States--History
• Slavery--Virginia--19th century

General

Additional information may be found at http://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaead/published/wm/viw00062.frame