Munford-Merrill family papers, 1765, 1818-1998 (bulk 1860-1950)

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

Summary

Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

Papers, 1765-1998 (bulk 1860-1950), of the Munford and Merrill families of Chesterfield and Hanover Counties and Richmond, Virginia. Included are correspondence, deeds, estate records, genealogical notes, photographs, publications, and scrapbooks. The bulk of the collection consists of the Photographs and Scrapbooks Series. The photographs include numerous carte de visites, cabinet cards, and a few tintypes from Richmond photographic studios. Included are photographs of family members, African Americans, buildings, college, pets, and vacations and travels. Scrapbooks include clippings of poetry and fiction stories, genealogy, local news, Civil War, historic Richmond homes, and college.

Biographical / historical:

The Munford and Merrill families were residents of Chesterfield and Hanover Counties and Richmond, Virginia. Dr. Robert Munford (1816-1843) was the son of William Munford (1775-1825) of Mecklenburg, Virginia, and Sarah Radford Munford (1785-1864). He married Anne Elizabeth Curtis (1821-1917) in 1838, daughter of Henry Curtis (1793-1862) and Christiana Booth Tyler Curtis (1795-1842) of "Puccoon" Hanover County. Christiana Booth Tyler Curtis was the daughter of John Tyler (1747-1813), Governor of Virginia (1808-1811), and sister of John Tyler (1790-1862), President of the United States (1841-1845). Dr. Munford was a physician and died of yellow fever while on a medical mission to Cuba. Their children included: John Henry Munford (1843-1863), who served with Lechter Light Artillery Regiment and was killed during the Civil War; Robert Beverley Munford (1841-1900); and Christiana Curtis Munford (1843-1916), who married George Franklin Merrill.

Robert Beverley Munford (1841-1900) was a Commissioner of the Revenue for Richmond and married Mary Gray (1856-1880) daughter of James H. Gray, in 1877. Their children included Robert Beverley Munford Jr. (1878-1952) and Mary Gray Munford (1880-1880). He married for a second time to Lucy Taliaferro Smyth (1858-1906) and their children included John Henry Munford (b. 1888) and Kathleen Beverley Munford (ca. 1890-1957). Robert Beverley Munford Jr. was an author and wrote the book, "Richmond homes and memories" (1936).

George Franklin Merrill (1834-1899) was born in Gilmanton, New Hampshire, and attended Dartmouth College, graduating in 1858. He moved to Mobile, Alabama, where he practiced law and joined the 4th Regiment, Alabama Infantry during the Civil War. After the war he moved to Richmond to work at a school for girls and was principal of the Richmond Normal School. He was married first to Mildred Briggs of Culpeper County, Virginia. He married for a second time to Christiana Curtis Munford and their children included: Mary Page Merrill (1868-1959); Robert Munford Merrill (1869-1947); George Franklin Merrill (1873-1875); Annie Merrill (1877-1965) who married Daniel W. Lindsey (1871-1961); Rosa Merrill (b. 1878); David Batchelder Merrill (1883-1959); William Preston Munford Merrill (1886-1972); and Edith Carleton Merrill (1880-1937) who married Jesse Foster Roache (1881-1975). Their daughter, Edith Merrill Roache (b. 1908) married Sverre F. Tollefsen (1902-1963) in 1946.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Ms. Jon Jones Montgomery, Richmond, June 2002.
Arrangement:

This collection is arranged into the following series:

  • Series I: Papers, 1765, 1818-1998 (bulk 1880-1950)
  • Series II: Photographs and Photograph albums, 1860-1994 (bulk 1860-1950)
  • Series III: Scrapbooks and Ephemera, ca. 1920-1960
Physical description:
7.55 cu. ft. (24 boxes)