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Melvin E. Steadman. Collection, 1698-1927. Personal papers collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond.
Purchased, May 1990.
Melvin Steadman (1932-1987) was a United Methodist minister, an amateur genealogist, and a historian of Northern Virginia. These papers from his personal collection are largely from the Northern Virginia counties in which Steadman centered his own work.
Papers, 1698-1927, collected by Melvin Steadman of Northern Virginia. The collection is organized into three series: Local records, Organizational records, and Private papers. Included are accounts, bonds, correspondence, court records, deeds, estate papers, financial records, plats and surveys, school records, and wills. The bulk of the collection relates to Fairfax and Loudoun Counties and includes numerous 18th century documents. The Local records comprise the largest series and include Chancery Records, Circuit Court Records, Deeds, Fiduciary Records, Free Negro and Slave Records, Indentures, Overseers of the Poor, Road and Bridge Records, School Records, and Wills.
The Organizational records include receipts and accounts of Alexandria Boarding School and Leesburg Academy, as well as records relating to the Methodist Episcopal Church in Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Lovettsville, Loudoun, and Sussex County.
The Private papers contain estate accounts and inventories for the Binns, Chichester, Cooke, Davis, Ellzey, Hamilton, Hopkins, Lane, Lewis, McCabe, Mason, Oxley, Price, Scott, Sinclair, Taylor, Updike, Whaley, and Wrenn families, among others.
This collection is arranged into the following series:
This series includes accounts, agreements, bills, bonds, court records, deeds, election records, manumissions, petitions, plats and surveys, power of attorneys, receipts, reports, road records, and wills. The counties covered include: Alexandria, Arlington, Augusta, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, Frederick, King and Queen, King George, Loudoun, Madison, Northumberland, Pittsylvania, Prince George, Prince William, Rockingham, Stafford, and Westmoreland Counties, Virginia. Also includes information from Henderson County, Kentucky; Frederick County, Maryland; and Jefferson County, West Virginia. The collection includes many 18th century records and is a great resource for genealogists and historians.
The materials were maintained in their original order and are arranged by category. Categories include Bonds, Circuit Court, County Court, Court of Chancery, Superior Court of Law and Chancery, Deeds, Electors Records, Fiduciary Records, Free Negro and Slave Records, Judgments, Justice of the Peace, Land Records, Marriage Records, Overseers of the Poor Records, Plats and Surveys, Reconstruction, Road and Bridge Records, School Records, and Wills.
Of note are the numerous deeds, especially those from the 18th century. The Deeds are organized by the Deed Book in which they were recorded and many include information on the sale of land and slaves. The County Records include information relating to cases brought before the County Courts. Some of the cases include judgments, promissory notes, summons, receipts, agreements, depositions, and correspondence.
Arranged alphabetically by county name and then by record type.
The Organizational records series include accounts, bills, certificates, deeds, list of trustees, policies, and receipts. Included are papers of the Alexandria Boarding School and Leesburg Academy, as well as records relating to the Methodist Episcopal Church in Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Lovettsville, Loudoun, and Sussex County. Of note are affidavits and certificates concerning a dispute and charges against Thacker Muire. Muire was known for instigating numerous lawsuits in his neighborhood and was later expelled from the Methodist Episcopal Church in Sussex County, Virginia.
Arranged alphabetically by organizations name.
Boarding and tuition receipt of Charles B. Tebbs.
Includes bills for building of academy, deeds, Mutual Assurance Society policy, and newspaper clipping.
Tuition receipt of Heston Hirst.
Legal opinion regarding church by Henry Hunter Davis (1850) and Church appointment (1890).
Copy of Deed of Dedication of Crossman Methodist Episcopal Church.
Application and list of trustees.
Appointment and election of trustees.
Deed.
Affidavits and certificates concerning dispute and charges against Thacker Muire, who was later expelled from the church.
Testimony, petitions, correspondence and other papers regarding the case against Rev. Charles A. Davis. Rev. Davis was charged with attacking a fellow parishioner.
Policy for William Paxson (Waterford, Va.).
Blank form for application for prize money person out of service.
Assignment of right in a patent to William Palmer.
The Private Papers series contains accounts, agreements, correspondence, deeds, estate accounts and inventories, receipts, and wills. The bulk of the collection consists of estate accounts and inventories. Surnames mentioned include: Binns, Chichester, Cooke, Davis, Ellzey, Hamilton, Hopkins, Lane, Lewis, McCabe, Mason, Oxley, Price, Scott, Sinclair, Taylor, Updike, Whaley, and Wrenn, among others.
Arranged alphabetically by peronal name, with miscellaneous materials arranged to the front.
Accounts.
Alexander vs. Alexander.
Correspondence to Francis Berryman.
Account.
Tuition receipt.
Correspondence.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Correspondence from Noble S. Braden.
Estate accounts.
Receipt.
Accounts and receipts.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Depositions of John and William Brown and William Price.
Correspondence to John Sutton.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Accounts.
Correspondence to Chichester regarding the health of William Cooke and a disease in St. Francisville, Louisiana, that killed many slaves in the area.
correspondence.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Correspondence from Albert F. Fox.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Papers including correspondence, plats, and deeds (many from Thomas Lord Fairfax). Also includes the wills of William Cocke, John Graham, and Elizabeth Graham, and papers from case Graham vs. Graham.
Estate accounts.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Accounts and correspondence.
Accounts and receipts.
Receipts.
Estate accounts, inventory, and correspondence of Amelia Darne and Nicholas Darne (will).
Receipt.
Release of bound servant by James Barnes.
Estate accounts.
Accounts and receipts.
Correspondence to Mrs. Dickins, Ossian Hall, from A. M. Fitzhugh.
School accounts.
Receipts and warrant.
Estate accounts.
Accounts and receipts. Also includes agreements for Duncan to teach in Cameron Parish, Loudoun Co.
Estate inventory of Thomas Elzey, will of Jane Gregg, and accounts and depositions of Lewis Elzey and William Elzey.
Copy of will (1787).
Accounts.
Accounts.
Accounts.
Advertisement for the estate of James Fox.
Accounts and bonds.
Correspondence to Charles Binns.
Correspondence to Rawleigh Chinn.
Bond and account for stilling liquor in Loudoun Co.
Accounts, receipts, estate inventory, and will.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Correspondence to Charles Binns, Leesburg.
Accounts.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Correspondence from J. R. Cooke.
Accounts.
Estate accounts and inventory.
West vs. Holifield and Moxley vs. Holifield.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Receipt.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Estate accounts and inventory. (continues in next folder)
Estate accounts and inventories of Charles Lane and William Carr Lane.
Correspondence to Sampson Blincoe, Leesburg.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Receipts.
Teaching agreement between Thomas Owsley and James Lee.
Correspondence, insurance papers, accounts, and receipts.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Judgement against Thomas Lewis.
Account with Charles Binns.
Correspondence with Robert H. Miller, Alexandria, regarding an order for china, meats, butters, and other goods for a store at the Pot House, Loudoun County.
Correspondence.
Receipt to Lumley for teaching the children of Samuel Jenkins.
Agreement and plat of McCabe's land in Loudoun Co.
Estate accounts, deeds, and inventory.
Correspondence and receipts.
Call for depositions in a chancery suit Elisha McKim and Gabriel McKim against Heath etc.
Correspondence requesting their law services from T. Shreve.
Receipts.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Receipts.
Accounts and receipts.
Correspondence to George Rust.
Accounts.
Receipts.
Copy of deed from James and Ruth Ball and a report of slaves from the estate of Mason.
Accounts and receipts.
Correspondence to James W. Shelton.
Charles F. Mercer vs. Nathan and Peter Skinner. Includes plats of land in Loudoun Co.
Estate accounts.
Correspondence and deeds.
Correspondence and deeds.
Accounts and correspondence.
Correspondence.
Correspondence.
Receipt.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Accounts.
William Neilson vs. Nicholas McKnight.
Correspondence from John Nickols, Ohio.
Accounts.
Receipt.
Receipts.
Accounts and receipts.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Deed between Simon Pearson, son and heir at law of Thoams Pearson, and Lewis Ellzey.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Correspondence to Joseph Stephens.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Promissory notes and receipts.
Account with Charles Muirhead.
Receipt.
Accounts.
Correspondence.
Correspondence to James Keith.
Accounts, receipts, and correspondence.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Plat in case of William Simpson vs. William Wilkinson.
Agreements, clippings, and correspondence.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Accounts.
Receipts.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Blank invalid claim for pension, filed by attorney.
Receipts regarding estate of Benjamin Hopkins.
Estate accounts and inventory, including copy of the will Robert J. Taylor (d. 1840).
Estate accounts and inventory.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Correspondence.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Accounts and receipts.
Accounts.
Receipts.
Agreement between Trone and Macrae.
Accounts, receipts, and promissory notes.
Correspondence.
William Tyler vs. Thomas Parker, Frederick County Chancery suit.
Estate acounts and inventory.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Receipt.
Accounts.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Estate account.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Estate accounts and inventory.
Accounts, correspondence, and receipts.
Account book, accounts, promissory notes, and receipts.
Receipts for teaching students.
Deed between George Howard and Benjamine Howard, etc.
Deed between Louis Lurpenteur and George Arnold.
Survey for Thomas Neal estate (1792)
Survey for Sydney L. Dodgson (1870).
Deed between Lord Fairfax and J. Palmer.
Oversize deeds pulled from Local records. Separation notices placed in files where items pulled.