<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><ead xmlns="urn:isbn:1-931666-22-9" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="urn:isbn:1-931666-22-9 https://www.loc.gov/ead/ead.xsd"><eadheader countryencoding="iso3166-1" dateencoding="iso8601" langencoding="iso639-2b" repositoryencoding="iso15511"><eadid countrycode="US" mainagencycode="US-ViLxW"/><filedesc><titlestmt><titleproper>Davidson Family Papers<num>WLU.Coll.0113</num></titleproper></titlestmt><publicationstmt><publisher>Washington and Lee University, University Library Special Collections and Archives</publisher></publicationstmt></filedesc><profiledesc><creation>This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on <date>2025-09-16 07:02:12 -0400</date>.</creation><langusage>Description is written in: <language langcode="und" scriptcode="Zyyy">Undetermined, Code for undetermined script script</language>.</langusage><descrules>Describing Archives: A Content Standard</descrules></profiledesc></eadheader><archdesc level="collection">
  <did>
    <repository>
      <corpname>Washington and Lee University, University Library Special Collections and Archives</corpname>
    </repository>
    <unittitle>Davidson Family Papers</unittitle>
    <origination label="Creator">
      <persname rules="aacr" source="ingest">Davidson, James D. (James Dorman)</persname>
    </origination>
    <origination label="Creator">
      <persname rules="aacr" source="ingest">Davidson, Mary</persname>
    </origination>
    <origination label="Creator">
      <persname rules="aacr" source="lcnaf">Letcher, Greenlee D. (Greenlee Davidson)</persname>
    </origination>
    <unitid>WLU.Coll.0113</unitid>
    <unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/resources/70</unitid>
    <physdesc altrender="whole">
      <extent altrender="materialtype spaceoccupied">0.5 Linear Feet</extent>
    </physdesc>
    <unitdate calendar="gregorian" certainty="inferred" datechar="creation" era="ce" normal="1830/1915" type="inclusive">1830-1915</unitdate>
    <langmaterial>
      <language langcode="eng">English</language>
    </langmaterial>
  </did>
  <userestrict id="aspace_227931ff0dcc7f6cc0b914a19f38adf7">
    <head>Conditions Governing Use</head>
<p>The materials from Washington and Lee University Special Collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law.  The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials.  Any materials used should be fully credited with the source.  Permission for publication of this material, in part or in full, must be secured with the Head of Special Collections.</p>  </userestrict>
  <prefercite id="aspace_9690df25d2798b90e12892337dd74275">
    <head>Preferred Citation</head>
<p>Preferred citation: [Identification of item], Davidson Family Papers, WLU Coll. 0113, Special Collections and Archives, James G. Leyburn Library, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA. <p>In some cases the citation format may vary. Please contact Special Collections staff to verify the appropriate format.</p></p>  </prefercite>
  <scopecontent id="aspace_96fc52676b5ba63c81d39a5f1362cfcb">
    <head>Scope and Contents</head>
<p>This collection consists of papers of Lexington, Virginia lawyer James D. Davidson and his daughter Mary Davidson and includes some correspondence, manuscript and printed poems of James D.Davidson, clippings, and some miscellaneaous papers from the family. James Davidson's printed and handwritten writings in the collection were compiled for his book "A Curiosity in the Chancery and Rhyme and Prose," (N.D., but likely 1876-81). The collection contains detailed genealogy of the Davidson, Greenlee, and McDowell families of Virginia and Kentucky.  Other highlights are a typescript paper presented in 1915 by Greenlee Davidson Letcher to the Fortnightly Club of Lexington (Va.) on the life of Capatian Greenlee Davidson, son of James D. Davidson, who died fighting for the Confederacy during the American Civil War, a fragment of a handwritten 19th century recipe book, a small pen and ink drawing on Washington College stationary of the Virginia patriotic doodles and quotations, and a carte de visite photograph of the steamship "City of New York".</p>  </scopecontent>
  <separatedmaterial id="aspace_cc1f2e997ab9eeded31bf4ef9364cd17">
    <head>Separated Materials</head>
<p>The copy of James D. Davidson's book, "A Curiosity in Chancery and Rhyme and Prose," was removed from this collection and cataloged for our rare book collection housed in Washington and Lee University Special Collections.</p>  </separatedmaterial>
  <controlaccess>
    <subject source="fast">Poetry</subject>
    <subject source="fast">Manuscripts</subject>
    <subject authfilenumber="http://id.worldcat.org/fast/996779" source="fast">Correspondence</subject>
    <subject source="fast">Genealogy</subject>
    <subject source="fast">Cookbooks</subject>
    <subject source="fast">Country lawyers</subject>
    <persname rules="aacr" source="lcnaf">Davidson, Greenlee</persname>
    <famname rules="aacr" source="lcnaf">Davidson family</famname>
    <famname rules="aacr" source="lcnaf">Greenlee family</famname>
    <famname rules="aacr" source="lcnaf">McDowell family</famname>
  </controlaccess>
  <dsc><c id="aspace_e7c795c5a638082ce351df7c37243e66" level="file"><did><unittitle>Control Folder</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/15993</unitid><langmaterial><language langcode="eng">English</language></langmaterial><container id="aspace_65c6b75bea0b58142bbff2ce4fa7bbf6" label="Mixed Materials" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_bfde4e683b5a68829444a83c846fba1a" parent="aspace_65c6b75bea0b58142bbff2ce4fa7bbf6" type="folder">1</container></did></c><c id="aspace_ee5e6905fe791c806bcdd0a881aeb1ad" level="file"><did><unittitle>Correspondences</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/15994</unitid><unitdate calendar="gregorian" certainty="inferred" datechar="creation" era="ce" normal="1873/1881" type="bulk">1873-1881</unitdate><langmaterial><language langcode="eng">English</language></langmaterial><container id="aspace_4d99fe35a6a6809d3051848415c992a9" label="Text" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_40da34cb898591fefab0c8cca702257c" parent="aspace_4d99fe35a6a6809d3051848415c992a9" type="folder">2</container></did></c><c id="aspace_7e5ee780dd14fea768e92fad6975ee7b" level="file"><did><unittitle>Correspondences</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/15996</unitid><unitdate calendar="gregorian" certainty="inferred" datechar="creation" era="ce" normal="1876/1876">1876</unitdate><langmaterial><language langcode="eng">English</language></langmaterial><container id="aspace_c7be0c5b02946deb3abb96f3946ad805" label="Text" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_b00568598ea68130ece2cc5852f96b0e" parent="aspace_c7be0c5b02946deb3abb96f3946ad805" type="folder">3</container></did></c><c id="aspace_3429da5fa66f78ae6e771e729e566ba8" level="file"><did><unittitle>Notes on liquor laws, temperance, Biblical scripture pertaining to alcohol, and misc.</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/15997</unitid><langmaterial><language langcode="eng">English</language></langmaterial><container id="aspace_91a12d0cffbde0616e2d41704bd285b5" label="Text" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_a1106fd6ac723ccefe3aa94e5fe35335" parent="aspace_91a12d0cffbde0616e2d41704bd285b5" type="folder">4</container></did><odd id="aspace_a138fcb6433ab6a0a13be532b8f2d344"><head>General</head><p>Content by James D. Davidson</p></odd></c><c id="aspace_a310e9c6f1c00bab42056a8a271dee88" level="file"><did><unittitle>Poems and scriptural and general quotations</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/15998</unitid><unitdate calendar="gregorian" certainty="approximate" datechar="creation" era="ce" normal="1870/1881" type="bulk">1870-1881</unitdate><langmaterial><language langcode="eng">English</language></langmaterial><container id="aspace_32a954c268d71795b10dbf10a8ac76a5" label="Text" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_479d37208d627402c75928c45769a6e4" parent="aspace_32a954c268d71795b10dbf10a8ac76a5" type="folder">5</container></did><odd id="aspace_eaca65a29d416887e815698595db02a6"><head>General</head><p>Content in James D. Davidson's hand.</p></odd></c><c id="aspace_ef4c88e24bb54393c211a82dfad007d4" level="file"><did><unittitle>Poems and Speeches</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/15999</unitid><unitdate calendar="gregorian" certainty="approximate" datechar="creation" era="ce" normal="1830/1881" type="bulk">1830-1881</unitdate><langmaterial><language langcode="eng">English</language></langmaterial><container id="aspace_ce12305aa32dcf2ba339d6bf38f34af9" label="Mixed Materials" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_9f467f9a991ce737691332b85d64c1db" parent="aspace_ce12305aa32dcf2ba339d6bf38f34af9" type="folder">6</container></did><scopecontent id="aspace_d8497e0ccb63a3c7c455881fc837549e"><head>Scope and Contents</head><p>Includes handwritten and printed material by James D. Davidson. Materials in this folder seem to have been compiled for submission to the publisher (Lexington (Va.) Gazette Printing House)of his book "A Curiosity in Chancery and Rhyme and Prose". Includes a ticket stub for the "Natural Bridge Sunday School Convention Picnic and Music Festival, July 15, 1876".</p></scopecontent></c><c id="aspace_2f1c800a66e4b623fc7e8c4d61945548" level="file"><did><unittitle>Newspaper clippings</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/16002</unitid><unitdate calendar="gregorian" certainty="approximate" datechar="creation" era="ce" normal="1865/1880" type="bulk">1865-1880</unitdate><langmaterial><language langcode="eng">English</language></langmaterial><container id="aspace_3c003838dffa66b4230ccbf97367870c" label="Text" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_b525bd6aa6283bd302611a640c436537" parent="aspace_3c003838dffa66b4230ccbf97367870c" type="folder">7</container></did><scopecontent id="aspace_1bae52c6ae461e6ac25213bd26971cc9"><head>Scope and Contents</head><p>Includes a complete single edition of "The Commonweath" newspaper of Covington, Ky., July 6, 1876. Clippings of Davidson's writings and interests - Davidson's account of the burial in Hollywood Cemetery (Richmond, Va.) of an artillery soldier, Richard W. Outland, formerly of his son Greenlee's "Letcher Battery" of the Army of Northern Virginia during the American Civil War; humorous description of the hand writing of a number of Lexington's prominent citizens of the 1860s-70s including James D. Davidson.; et al.</p></scopecontent></c><c id="aspace_82a17138888a1299a879c03905676ad1" level="file"><did><unittitle>Book - "A Curiosity in Chancery and Ryhme and Prose" by James D. Davidson</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/16003</unitid><langmaterial><language langcode="eng">English</language></langmaterial><container id="aspace_b51eae3f5d53e95c152f21fae89cb540" label="Books" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_a9509ad08bb94aba62f8abd7a4fd95a0" parent="aspace_b51eae3f5d53e95c152f21fae89cb540" type="folder">8</container></did><separatedmaterial id="aspace_d08cececf0354e5829d0a34a1643c40e"><head>Separated Materials</head><p>This item has been removed frm this colleciton and cataloged within Washington and Lee University's Rare book collection.</p></separatedmaterial></c><c id="aspace_cb63acfd4fae0e03a91d646c3c8e7573" level="file"><did><unittitle>Letters to Mary Davidson</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/16004</unitid><unitdate calendar="gregorian" certainty="approximate" datechar="creation" era="ce" normal="1884/1885" type="bulk">1884-1885</unitdate><langmaterial><language langcode="eng">English</language></langmaterial><container id="aspace_3e778dcc52a40ed0d92a43510f3e9e8b" label="Text" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_3e0938c527d2d94d3d2b373353a7725f" parent="aspace_3e778dcc52a40ed0d92a43510f3e9e8b" type="folder">9</container></did><scopecontent id="aspace_008b810af2f8d579c5c1bdc278f8905f"><head>Scope and Contents</head><p>Letters written to Mary Davidson on genealogy of the McDowell family. There is one letter regarding genealogy written to Clara (Davidson) Estill, Mary's sister.</p></scopecontent><controlaccess><persname role="crp" rules="aacr" source="local">Pickett, Margaret Madison, 1806-1887</persname><persname role="crp" rules="aacr" source="lcnaf">Green, Thomas Marshall, 1837-1904</persname></controlaccess></c><c id="aspace_d27fd89fe82775c70aa31bdd09e2d04c" level="file"><did><unittitle>Genealogy - McDowell, Greenlee, Davidson Families</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/16005</unitid><unitdate calendar="gregorian" certainty="approximate" datechar="creation" era="ce" normal="1885/1885">1885</unitdate><langmaterial><language langcode="eng">English</language></langmaterial><container id="aspace_132a2ee1391722c833e27d6d1a12d4fe" label="Text" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_29d3e93613a6f552dcb2e1fb530bdd0d" parent="aspace_132a2ee1391722c833e27d6d1a12d4fe" type="folder">10</container></did></c><c id="aspace_bf4394dfd0d23b8a25d6e8da0ab4d45e" level="file"><did><unittitle>Genealogy - McDowell, Greenlee, Davidson Families</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/16006</unitid><unitdate calendar="gregorian" certainty="approximate" datechar="creation" era="ce" normal="1885/1885">1885</unitdate><langmaterial><language langcode="eng">English</language></langmaterial><container id="aspace_a33a20cb8eabf700bd54c12f4140a79f" label="Text" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_42e6bfdb85f295ddb88f0adcf7bec29b" parent="aspace_a33a20cb8eabf700bd54c12f4140a79f" type="folder">11</container></did></c><c id="aspace_ce2d8b40ab47f4b90b39aaad0e391854" level="file"><did><unittitle>Genealogy - McDowell, Greenlee, Davidson Families</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/16007</unitid><unitdate calendar="gregorian" certainty="approximate" datechar="creation" era="ce" normal="1885/1885">1885</unitdate><langmaterial><language langcode="eng">English</language></langmaterial><container id="aspace_da4e2b120d83e56600f1bd4f86ddfaac" label="Text" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_2b0b903e4b3edd3f0ec7a0cedadf57a3" parent="aspace_da4e2b120d83e56600f1bd4f86ddfaac" type="folder">12</container></did></c><c id="aspace_924c1f69ed7142e0414c44d59862c752" level="file"><did><unittitle>Genealogy - McDowell Family</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/16008</unitid><unitdate calendar="gregorian" certainty="approximate" datechar="creation" era="ce" normal="1885/1885">1885</unitdate><langmaterial><language langcode="eng">English</language></langmaterial><container id="aspace_f3bcd9d6aed8b2f4bf653c4ccfe51d39" label="Text" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_a1a71f9d89784a454e77f7df3aa08306" parent="aspace_f3bcd9d6aed8b2f4bf653c4ccfe51d39" type="folder">13</container></did></c><c id="aspace_ae52ae74ced4fda1c3dbdf75332ba6e4" level="file"><did><unittitle>Genealogy - McDowell Family</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/16009</unitid><unitdate calendar="gregorian" certainty="approximate" datechar="creation" era="ce" normal="1885/1885">1885</unitdate><langmaterial><language langcode="eng">English</language></langmaterial><container id="aspace_7504e590f0a8629f21e30d047715b9ec" label="Text" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_8c550a55d7549816ed25896d1271c4ed" parent="aspace_7504e590f0a8629f21e30d047715b9ec" type="folder">14</container></did></c><c id="aspace_31535db5385c25922dddcc73d6fd4b08" level="item"><did><unittitle>Typescript paper on Captain Greenlee Davidson</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/16010</unitid><unitdate calendar="gregorian" certainty="inferred" datechar="creation" era="ce" normal="1915/1915">1915</unitdate><langmaterial><language langcode="eng">English</language></langmaterial><container id="aspace_009226be6990fb53f994969937479585" label="Text" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_99f8a479239a12858cd1c6f076b2156c" parent="aspace_009226be6990fb53f994969937479585" type="folder">15</container></did></c><c id="aspace_ee45d2850f2572cff5095b0e2163cdee" level="file"><did><unittitle>Genealogy - Greenlee Family</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/16011</unitid><langmaterial><language langcode="eng">English</language></langmaterial><container id="aspace_7af9113daad85e3cf141be085facf28d" label="Text" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_ff8f95c43150f312aa026f4391fd7d08" parent="aspace_7af9113daad85e3cf141be085facf28d" type="folder">16</container></did></c><c id="aspace_b1cd82f6d22e6f785cab3cb444c85adb" level="item"><did><unittitle>Recipe book</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/16012</unitid><unitdate calendar="gregorian" certainty="questionable" datechar="creation" era="ce" normal="1830/1880" type="inclusive">1830-1880</unitdate><langmaterial><language langcode="eng">English</language></langmaterial><container id="aspace_f1b0a09368fa9621d3a5057c6d573862" label="Text" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_9fadcf9a47bd33bdb41249b6ca3b9e02" parent="aspace_f1b0a09368fa9621d3a5057c6d573862" type="folder">17</container></did><scopecontent id="aspace_df784a2b040decb50685697b78d9e44a"><head>Scope and Contents</head><p>Handwritten recipes from the Davidson family.</p></scopecontent></c><c id="aspace_e4862ccdf78f7987d8f28e055c8f7862" level="file"><did><unittitle>Newspaper clippings</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/16013</unitid><unitdate calendar="gregorian" certainty="approximate" datechar="creation" era="ce" normal="1850/1913" type="bulk">1850-1913</unitdate><langmaterial><language langcode="eng">English</language></langmaterial><container id="aspace_a2bf77f9178e15f02ddb1343d328db13" label="Text" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_da353bdbd90ae0ab2658949d992c5186" parent="aspace_a2bf77f9178e15f02ddb1343d328db13" type="folder">18</container></did></c><c id="aspace_5aff85856064bf9e96f8f5e9b5264ab4" level="file"><did><unittitle>Miscellaneous materials</unittitle><unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/5/archival_objects/16014</unitid><langmaterial><language langcode="eng">English</language></langmaterial><container id="aspace_420d99593c46132d3a561a8f1c82c65a" label="Text" type="box">1</container><container id="aspace_cae72b76d0e7a6bba4f1a2568e77435c" parent="aspace_420d99593c46132d3a561a8f1c82c65a" type="folder">19</container></did><scopecontent id="aspace_42d0413e37fc1ab564fcd826dbe10a29"><head>Scope and Contents</head><p>Carte de visite of the "City of New York", Virginia patriotic pen and ink drawing (c.1865 - 75?, receipt, Washington College stationary, dried flowers, a chart (table) for finding the day of the week in any month</p></scopecontent></c></dsc>
</archdesc>
</ead>