William Gregory Family Papers (MS417)

Access and use

Location of collection:
Alexandria Library
Alexandria Library
Local History/Special Collections
717 Queen Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Patricia Walker, Branch Manager
Phone: (703) 746-1719
Phone: (703) 838-4577
Fax: (703) 706-3912
Restrictions:

This folder contains materials which include the use of offensive, racist language as well as descriptions of people enslaved by the Gregory family which may be disturbing or offensive to readers.

Preferred citation:

[item description], William Gregory Family Papers, MS417, Alexandria Library, Local History and Special Collections, Alexandria, Virginia.

Summary

Extent:
1.11 Cubic Feet 1 document box, 2 flat file boxes, 1 oversize folder (assorted oversize box), 1 object (assorted media box)
Creator:
Gregory, William, III, 1789-1875
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[item description], William Gregory Family Papers, MS417, Alexandria Library, Local History and Special Collections, Alexandria, Virginia.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection predominantly contains the personal papers of William Gregory, including: journals, notebooks, property records, deeds, and family records. Approximately two-thirds of the collection comprise original correspondence, and late 20th century transcriptions of such.

Series 1 contains property records, birth and death records, manuscripts, journals, correspondence, and other ephemera of the Gregory family of Kilmarnock, Scotland, later Alexandria, Virginia, USA. The series also contains late 20th century correspondence between descendants of William Gregory that discuss some of the items within this collection.

This folder contains the donor's inventory of the correspondence in series 2. The donor compiled these letters in chronological order and numbered them 1-263. He then created this index which groups the letters according to three categories; Scottish internal, Trans-Atlantic, and American internal correspondence.

This folder contains an account of the history of the Gregory family beginning with William Gregory. It is retold by Judith Winter Hammet from a manuscript written by Mary G. Powell, and seems to be a collection of memories and oral histories constituting something of a family mythology.

Items of note include a portrait of Peter Mallard Gregory, an order from Gen. Robert E. Lee, and property records and deeds.

This folder contains property records related to a property in Alexandria, VA on Royal Street and Sharpshin

This folder contains correspondence between individuals associated with the Gregory family.

This folder includes a record of births/deaths/marriages, a manuscript, memoirs about the Kennedys, and other various pamphlets and papers.

Hand-drawn plat drawing of the McKnight property on Royal St adjoining Market Square from the Land records of Alexandria County, dated 1842

Series 2 contains correspondence between members of William Gregory and family, and others, dated between 1788 and 1896, and includes Scottish, Trans-Atlantic, and American correspondence. These letters have been indexed and described by the donor, whose index can be found in "Donor's index of correspondence" (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains correspondence dated 1788-1807. Correspondence matches #1-20 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains correspondence dated 1807-1812. Correspondence matches #21-40 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains correspondence dated 1812-1815. Correspondence matches #41-60 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains correspondence dated 1815-1818. Correspondence matches #61-80 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains correspondence dated 1818-1819. Correspondence matches #81-100 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains correspondence dated 1819-1822. Correspondence matches #101-120 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains correspondence dated 1822-1823. Correspondence matches #121-135 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains correspondence dated 1823-1826. Correspondence matches #136-150 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains correspondence dated 1826. Correspondence matches #151-170 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains correspondence dated 1826. Correspondence matches #171-190 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains correspondence dated 1826-1828. Correspondence matches #191-210 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains correspondence dated 1828-1829. Correspondence matches #211-224 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains correspondence dated 1830-1833. Correspondence matches #225-235 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains correspondence dated 1833-1845. Correspondence matches #236-250 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains correspondence dated 1847-1896. Correspondence matches #251-263 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains transcriptions of correspondence dated 1788-1807. Correspondence matches #1-20 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains transcriptions of correspondence dated 1807-1812. Correspondence matches #21-40 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains transcriptions of correspondence dated 1812-1815. Correspondence matches #41-60 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains transcriptions of correspondence dated 1815-1818. Correspondence matches #61-80 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains transcriptions of correspondence dated 1818-1819. Correspondence matches #81-100 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains transcriptions of correspondence dated 1819-1822. Correspondence matches #101-120 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains transcriptions of correspondence dated 1822-1823. Correspondence matches #121-135 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains transcriptions of correspondence dated 1823-1826. Correspondence matches #136-150 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains transcriptions of correspondence dated 1826. Correspondence matches #151-170 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains transcriptions of correspondence dated 1826. Correspondence matches #171-190 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains transcriptions of correspondence dated 1826-1828. Correspondence matches #191-210 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains transcriptions of correspondence dated 1828-1829. Correspondence matches #211-224 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains transcriptions of correspondence dated 1830-1833. Correspondence matches #225-235 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains transcriptions of correspondence dated 1833-1845. Correspondence matches #236-250 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

This folder contains transcriptions of correspondence dated 1847-1896. Correspondence matches #251-263 in Donor's index of correspondence (MS417-01-001)

Biographical / historical:

William Gregory was a Scottish immigrant, businessman, landowner, and enslaver.

He was born in Kilmarnock, Scotland in 1789, and emigrated to New York, and then Alexandria, Virginia in 1807. Gregory worked for Alexandria businessman Robert McCrea as a clerk until 1812, and then as a partner until 1827. He owned property in Alexandria as well as several enslaved persons ("Old Mary Morse", Charlotte Blue, Eugenia, Sarah, Roxie, Frank Stewart, and Lucy the daughter of Caroline Branham, as well as other unidentified individuals). Gregory served in the War of 1812. He was also a member of the Presbyterian Church and of St. Andrew's Society. In 1822 Gregory married Margaret Douglass Bartleman, who bore four children (Douglas Smith, Elisabeth Smith, William Bartleman, and Margaret Douglas) and died in 1833. In 1838, William Gregory married Mary Donaldson Long and had five more children (Isobel Anne, Julia Harper, Boyd, Mary Crawford, and Janet Boyd).

William Gregory passed in 1875 at the age of 87.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard