Smith Families of Virginia Letters, 1831-1942
Collection context
Summary
- Extent:
- 2 boxes
- Language:
- English
Background
- Scope and content:
The Smith Families of Virginia Collection contains approximately 100 letters and documents relating to two Smith families of Virginia. Series 1 of the collection contains letters and documents relating to the legal practice of prominent Williamsburg attorney Sydney Smith (1821-84). Sydney Smith was born and raised in York County, Virginia. After graduating from William and Mary College with a Bachelor of Laws in 1846, he married Virginia Constance Bucktrout and they had seven children. In the years leading up to the Civil War, Smith practiced law in Williamsburg and throughout York and Warrick counties. He served in "W" Co. Va., 3rd Cavalry during the Civil War and served as a member of the House of Delegates from York County. A few of the letters to Sydney Smith reveal the economic realities for Virginians during Reconstruction. Series 2 of the collection contains letters from the Smith Family of Mathews County, Va., a historic maritime community located 23 miles southwest of Williamsburg. Though the two families are not related, it is possible that Sydney Smith acted as attorney for a member of this large family. Most of these letters are addressed to Miss Elizabeth Susan Smith (1836-1917), affectionately known as "Lizzie." Lizzie Smith lived her entire life in Virginia and seems to have been a favorite correspondent of her many siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles. A few of the letters to Lizzie give descriptive accounts of life for Virginians during and after the Civil War.
Indexed terms
Access and use
- Restrictions:
Collections are available for supervised use in the Special Collections reading room during regular hours or by appointment. Users are required to complete a registration form and to comply with regulations governing use. Research assistance may be available but please email or phone first to set up an appointment. Photocopies or electronic copies of material in the collections may be provided within copyright limits but may not be ready immediately. In addition, selected materials are digitized and available electronically through the Digital Library. See less
- Terms of access:
Materials in the collections are to be used for private study, scholarship, or research in accord with the copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code). FAU Libraries adhere to all conditions specified in the law when providing reproductions of copyrighted material. Any subsequent use of a reproduction in excess of " fair use," may result in the user's liability for copyright infringement. When using electronic copies or images, please keep in mind that copyright law applies. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain copyright permission from the rights holder when copying material in excess of fair use. Restriction in the copying of materials may be imposed if the researcher does not have written permission from the rights holder. Should the researcher use or reproduce special collections material when submitting or publishing his or her own writing or research, the author should credit Florida Atlantic University Libraries Special Collections. If research at FAU Special Collections results in publication, we would appreciate citation information that would allow us to reference that work to future researchers. Also, If the researcher desires to reuse material for commercial use, please contact Special Collections. See less See less
- Location of this collection:
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S. E. Wimberly Library777 Glades RdBoca RatonFL33431USA
