Conditions Governing Use

Before publishing quotations or excerpts from any materials, permission must be obtained from the Curator of Manuscripts and Rare Books, 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

Robert C. Winthrop letters, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated by Gary Barranger

Biographical / Historical

Robert Charles Winthrop (1809-1894) was a member of the United States Whig Party during his political career. He studied law at Harvard and passed the bar in 1831. Winthrop was later elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives, serving six years as speaker. He was elected to the federal House in 1840 and became speaker in 1847. He joined the Senate in 1850 but after an unsuccessful run for Massachusetts Governor in 1851, he retired from politics. Winthrop was married three times: Elizabeth Cabot Blanchard (m. 1832; died 1842), Laura Derby Welles (m. 1849; died 1861), and Adele Granger Thayer (m. 1865; died 1892). He had three children from his first marriage: Robert Charles Winthrop Jr., Elizabeth Cabot Winthrop, and John Winthrop.

Content Description

Collection contains letter from Whig party politician Robert C. Winthrop to I. J. Cohen. In the letter, Winthrop asks for a private railroad car for his disabled wife. The collection also includes biographical information about Robert C. Winthrop. During his lifetime, Whinthrop was a lawyer, Congressman, and Senator.

Arrangement

Collection is arranged by file.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Abolitionist
• Correspondence
• Gary Alonzo Barranger
• Letters (correspondence)
• Politicians
• United States -- Politics and government -- 19th century
• United States--History--19th century