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Gilliam Family Papers, Accession #2608 , Special Collections Dept., University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.
The Gilliam Family Papers were purchased from Miss Jane Davis, P.O. Box 765, Petersburg, Va. on February 12, 1947.
The Gilliam Family Papers, 1802-1932, consist of ca. 1500 items (ca. 2 shelf feet) primarily pertaining to personal family correspondence, various accounts and bills, and political correspondence. These papers are grouped into the following categories: accounts, receipts; personal and family correspondence; slave trade papers; political correspondence.
The accounts and receipts, including various bills, etc., chronicle the daily financial activities of the family. They include indentures and a series of rent agreements made by Samuel Y. Gilliam during 1896- 1900. During the pre-Civil War period the accounts pertain to the operation of a farm or plantation. The personal and family papers are concentrated in the post 1850 years. The papers relating to slavery cover the years 1828-1865 and include the hiring out of slaves, trading of slaves, purchases, slavery accounts, and general papers revealing the daily involvement with the institution. The political correspondence is concentrated in the 1870-1899 period and centered on the activities of Samuel Gilliam.
Although historically obscure, the Gilliam family had a long and fruitful association with Dinwiddie County. John W. Gilliam was the most prominent memeber of the family until his death in 1853. He and his wife Mary Eppes Gilliam had four children. Joseph P., John W., and Samuel Y. Gilliam all appear subsequently in the family papers. The papers prior to 1853 are receipts, bills, accounts that indicate Gilliam's activities in running his farm. His name and that of his son Joseph P. Gilliam dominate the slavery papers. John Gilliam also represented Dinwiddie County in the state House of Delegates during 1847-1848 and vigorously criticized the Mexican War (see family papers 3593-a). Upon his death his wife Mary Eppes Gilliam carried on the family affairs and her name appears frequently in the accounts and correspondence during the 1850's and 1860's. There is surprisingly little material concerning the Civil War. But by 1866 the family was "heavily indebted," possibly as a consequence of the ravages of war.
Samuel Y. Gilliam dominates the family papers during 1870-1899. There is important political correspondence contained in the papers of these years. In 1877 he sought to represent Dinwiddie County in the legislature but was defeated. Subsequently, however, he became a leader of the "readjustor" party and by 1896 was described as the "leader of the Republican Party" in the county. In 1899 he was elected county treasurer. His letters are quite interesting, discussing candidly political maneuvering and the need to gain the votes of blacks to control county politics.
The latter portion of the papers, from 1901-1932, contain correspondence adn miscellaneous financial records such as tax receipts. They pertain chiefly to Rosa Boisseau, a cousin of the Gilliams, about whom little is known.
There are four topical groupings within a chronological arrangement. They include: accounts, receipts, bills, etc.; personal and family correspondence, slavery papers (three folders 1828-1861); and political correspondence. The accounts and receipts are arranged chronologically only by year while the other subdivisions are month by month and day by day.
This collection is related to subsequent purchases of the Gilliam Papers in 1949, 1950, and 1952. These collateral collections are: #3164, which contains indentures and miscellaneous correspondence for 1794-1913; #3593, which contains military commissions and miscellaneous correspondence for 1839-1905; #3593-a, which included various correspondence for 1840-1884. #3595-a also contains the speeches of John W. Gilliam against the Mexican War delivered as a delegate for Dinwiddie County.