Papers, ca. 1959-2001

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888
Restrictions:

There are no restrictions.

Terms of access:

Microfilm reel in Box 5 is for reference use only; duplication is prohibited.

Preferred citation:

Nan Overton West Papers, ca. 1959-2001. Accessions 37849 and 38300, Personal papers collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Summary

Creator:
Nan Overton West
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Nan Overton West Papers, ca. 1959-2001. Accessions 37849 and 38300, Personal papers collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Background

Scope and content:

Papers, ca. 1959-2001, consisting of the genealogical research files on the Overton, West and Ray families and their allied families compiled by Nan Overton West. Folders principally consist of research files concerning specific individuals and families and correspondence exchanged with individuals concerning specific families. The research files contain genealogical notes concerning family lines abstracted and/or copied from census records, military records, Bible records, patriotic organization applications, family group sheets, pedigree charts, extracts from published sources, newspaper clippings, family descendants' newsletters, photographs, genealogical charts, and court records, including deed books, order books, will books, and marriage records. Correspondence concerning family lines also appears in this collection and often includes research files along with their letters. This material remains within the respective correspondents file. Miscellaneous correspondence concerning a certain family is filed by the family's surname and arranged chronologically.

These research files were the principal resource material Nan West used to write The Wests and The Rays and Their Allies: Southern Families from the Colonies to Texas and The Overtons: 700 Years with allied families from England to Virginia, Kentucky, and Texas. The files generally remain in the order kept by Nan West.

Research files exist for the following Overton allied family surnames: Bickley, Booker, Bosley, Briscoe, Brockman, Burch, Burkham, Clough, Compton, Crook, Garland, Garnett, Gerard, Goldsmith, Grundy, Harratt, Harris, Jennings, Lawson, Leake, McCarty, Muscoe, Poindexter, Shipp, Slye, Snow, Swan, Taylor, Terrell, Waters, and Whitworth. West allied family surnames are Ashley, Berry, Boatner, Culver, Dashley, Egner, Martin, Norris, Sanford, Smith, Swain, Ward, Weideman, Weyman, and Wyatt. Ray allied family surnames include Caldwell, Culpepper, Dean, Gillespie, Grant, Harrison, King, Kirk, Peek, Richards, Tatum, Wyatt, and Young.

Biographical / historical:

Nan Overton West is a life-long resident of Lubbock, Texas. She attended Lubbock Public Schools, Texas Technological College, Randolph-Macon Woman's College, and The University of Texas, where she graduated with a B.A. degree in 1941. After retiring from the family businesses, she published a genealogical history of her husband Pete's family, The Wests and The Rays and Their Allies: Southern Families from the Colonies to Texas. In 1991 this book was awarded First Place for Family History and Grand Prize for Writing by The Texas State Genealogical Society. In 1992 she published He Wore a Pink Carnation, a biography of Dr. Marvin C. Overton, her father and a pioneer physician in West Texas. She also has written The Overtons: 700 Years with allied families from England to Virginia, Kentucky, and Texas (1997) which will be followed by another genealogical history about the Jennings families and twenty related lines.

Acquisition information:
These collections were given to the Library of Virginia by Nan Overton West in 2000 and 2001.
Arrangement:
Arrangement

Within each series, files are arranged alphabetically.

Within each series, files are arranged alphabetically.

Organization

The collection is organized into the following series:

  • I: Overton Family
  • II: Overton Allied Families
  • III: West Family
  • IV: West Allied Families
  • V: Ray Family
  • VI: Ray Allied Families

The collection is organized into the following series:

  • I: Overton Family
  • II: Overton Allied Families
  • III: West Family
  • IV: West Allied Families
  • V: Ray Family
  • VI: Ray Allied Families
Physical location:
Personal Papers Collection, Acc. 37849
Physical description:
9.45 cubic feet and 1 microfilm reel