Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation

MSS 16688, Garland family papers, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia Library.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This collection was a gift from Margaret L. Newman to the Small Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia Library on May 6, 2019.

Biographical / Historical

Jane Moore (Taylor) Garland (1810-1861) is a 3rd cousin of United States Presidents Zachary Taylor (1784-1850) and James Madison (1751-1836). Presidents Madison and Taylor were second cousins and had the same grandparents, Frances Taylor Madison (1700-1761) and Ambrose Madison (1696-1732). Jane Moore (Taylor) Garland is the daughter of Sarah "Sallie" Garland Swan Burnley Day (1780-1815) and William Day and the granddaugher of Frances Taylor Burnley (1753-1825) and Garland Burnley (1753-1793) and the great granddaughter of Erasmus Taylor (1715-1794) who was the brother of President James Madison's grandmother Frances Taylor Madison. Zachary Taylor Sr.(1707-1768) (President Taylor's grandfather) was the brother of Erasmus Taylor (1707-1768). The family is from Orange County, Virginia also known as New Kent British Colonial Virginia. Other residences include Everettsville, Louisa County, and Fredericksbury Virginia.

Content Description

This collection consists primarly of 26 letters of correspondence between Thomas Garland, his wife Jane Moore Taylor Garland (1810-1861), her father William Day Taylor (1781-1858), and Jane's sisters and sisters(-in-law?) F. A. Taylor (Frances Ann Taylor), Clarissa "Clara" Garland Kean (1816-1845), her husband Dr. Ortho Williams Kean (1813-1865), and Mary Garland from New Kent, British Colonial Virginia (Orange County, Virginia) and other locations including Botetourt County, Goochland, Everettsville, Taylorsville, Boyd's Tavern, and Fredericksburg, Virginia from about 1830-1858. Other family members mentioned in the collection are Angelina "Ange" Fitch Mitchell, William Jacquelin "Jack" Taylor (1815-1854) and Miriam Nones Jacob Taylor. There is a receipt from a D. J. Cauthen and a photograph of Frank Everett Hartmann and family at his graduation from the University of Virginia in 1911.

The letters often refer to enslaved persons who were hired out or relocated by the family. Of interest regarding nineteenth century women is a letter (December 19, 1833)from Frances Ann Taylor to her sister Jane Moore Garland describing the difficulties and lack of opportunities for women who were trying to obtain financial security.

Other topics include business and local news about the family. The letters make brief references to local people including Dr. J. Minor, Alex Rives, and the families of Ruffner, Randolph,and Taliaferro.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged chronologically.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• enslaved persons
• letters (correspondence)