Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

The collection is without restrictions.

Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred Citation

Joseph Jackson, Jr. Diary, 1847, Accession #11429, Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

Purchase: L & T Respess, Charlottesville, Va., July 26, 1998.

Scope and Content Information

This daily almanac and diary, January 1-June 30, 1847, of Joseph Jackson, Jr. of Richmond, Virginia, contains legal and social entries throughout. There are notes of Court House schedules in Richmond, Henrico, Hanover, Goochland, and Chesterfield. For January, clients or cases mentioned include: Cullen & Cullen, Louis Chitti, James Shelton, N. H. Turner, and Silas Beazley. Specific entries of interest include: January 12 - Kelly & Brittain - sale of negro woman, Elizabeth C. Smith - free negro obtained new free papers; January 20 - dinner at the home of Major Thomas Doswell with numerous guests; January 28 - wedding of Phoebe Gardner and Mr. Meriwether. For February, clients or cases mentioned include: Louis Chitti, John A. Lacy, John W. Royster, and William James. Specific entries of interest include: February 4 & 5 - attendance at a book auction. For March, clients or cases mentioned include: Louis Chitti, William Coles, Lewis S. King, and E. R. Sprague. For April, clients or cases mentioned include: Louis Chitti, John Redford, Thompson Burgess, Archibald Blair, and Nelson Smith. Specific entries of interest include: April 7, 8 & 9 - travel to King William Court House, King and Queen Court House, New Kent Court House, and Ben Robinson's; April 14 - guardianship of Catherine J. Randolph; April 19 - describes a visit with General Tom Thumb [Charles Sherwood Stratton (1838-1883)] at the age of fifteen [?] as well as his characteristics; April 22 - voted for [John Minor] Botts and Lancaster; April 27 - James Shelton courting Lucy Berkeley; April 28 - funeral of Archie Botts with sermon by Reverend Hoge [Mose Drury or William James, brothers]; April 29 - heard Daniel Webster speak. For May, clients or cases mentioned include: Louis Chitti, G. Washington Chilicothe, N. C. Crenshaw, J. H. Baptist, George Lowry, Joseph Nucholls, Joshua Alvis, John F. Russ, Augustus S. Jerome, Robert Barker, and Tyler & Tinsley. Specific entries of interest include: May 1 - visit to "Blue House," where he talked mainly to gentlemen; May 13 - Lucy Taylor married Charles Carter Lee; May 24 - spent evening at "Blue House" where he met two Miss Watkins; May 22 & 27 - time spent with Miss Kate Waddell, writing that she, as others of her sex, "likes the delicate flattery of her attendants..."; May 26 - gave an elderly African-American woman his last quarter. For June, clients or cases mentioned include: A. M. Bruen, Joseph Nucholls, J. C. Thomas, N. C. Crenshaw, Augustus S. Jerome, Reuben Ford, Seaton Tyler, John A. Lacy, Gordon L. Ford, William B. Chamberlayne, Pleasants & Clarke, and Tyler & Tinsley. Specific entries of interest include: June 1, 2 & 3 - social activities; June 2 & 5 - time spent with Miss Cornelia Grinnan; June 18 - comments on characteristics of Ann Francis, daughter of Ben[jamin] Francis; June 29 - cases involving C[adwalader] Ringgold (1802-1867) and his lands in western Virginia. There are also three scattered entries on August 10 & 14 and at the end of the diary.