Ann Lettice Murdoch Diary

Access and use

Location of collection:
College of William and Mary
Special Collections Research Center
Earl Gregg Swem Library
College of William and Mary
400 Landrum Drive
PO 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
Contact for questions and access:
Phone: (757) 221-3090
Fax: (757) 221-5440
Restrictions:

Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Terms of access:

Before publishing quotations or excerpts from any materials, permission must be obtained from the Curator of Manuscripts and Rare Books, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Preferred citation:

Ann Lettice Murdoch Diary, 1845-1864, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, William and Mary.

Summary

Extent:
0.05 Linear Feet
Creator:
Murdoch, Ann Lettice, 1785-1865
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Ann Lettice Murdoch Diary, 1845-1864, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, William and Mary.

Background

Scope and content:

Diary of Ann Lettice Murdoch (1785-1865) of Frederick County, Maryland. She was the wife of Richard Potts, Jr. (1786-1865), a lawyer and Maryland State senator (1838-1844). The diary contains a lot of entries of religious nature as well as aphorisms. In addition, Ann L. Murdoch frequently recorded deaths of family, friends and community members, including the deaths of Black employees.

She also writes about her church, local politics, and often and mention Richard Potts' and other family members' professional obligations, like being called away to Fort Levensworth, Kansas and being elected president of the local bank, going to San Francisco as a surgeon, etc. Other topics are an orphanage and a farm that both Ann Murdoch and her husband were involved in managing. She also summarizes (and quotes from) sermons and books she has read.

Furthermore there are comments on epidemics, national politics and emigration to Liberia. Ann Murdoch mentions exchanging letters with her African-American friends, sending packages to Liberia, and mentions when a visitor from Liberia comes to town to encourage Black community members to emigrate.

Also included in the back of the volume are two photographs of Ann Lettice Murdoch and Richard Potts.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard