PUBLIC "-//Colonial Williamsburg Foundation::John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library//TEXT (US::ViWC::viwc00063::Guide to the Alexander Spotswood Papers)//EN" "viwc00063.xml" A Guide to the Alexander Spotswood Papers, 1646-1830 Spotswood, Alexander, Papers, 1646-1830 MS 48.2 Web version of the finding aid funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation © 2002 By the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. All rights reserved.

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 Machine-readable finding aid derived from MS Word 2000, created by Doug Mayo, 11/15/2002 Description is in English Feb 13, 2004 PUBLIC "-//Colonial Williamsburg Foundation::John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library//TEXT (US::ViWC::viwc00063::Guide to the Alexander Spotswood Papers)//EN" "viwc00063.xml" converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02.xsl (sy2003-10-15). Feb 26, 2004 converted to conform to eadVIVA.dtd by vivastrict.xsl 2013-11-21 Converted to schema conforming EAD by dtd2schema.vh.xsl. A Guide to the Alexander Spotswood Papers, 1646-1830 A Collection in the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation's John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library MS 48.2

John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation 2002 Special Collections staff Web version of the finding aid funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library, Colonial Williamsburg Descriptive Summary John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Alexander Spotswood Papers, 1696-1745, 1646-1830. MS 48.2 45 items. English Alexander Spotswood, 1676-1740. Administrative Information Access

There are no restrictions.

 Publication Rights/ Restrictions on Use

Before publishing quotations or excerpts from any materials, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Librarian/ Associate Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts, and the holder of the copyright, if not the Rockefeller Library at Colonial Williamsburg.

 Preferred Citation

Alexander Spotswood Papers, Manuscript MS 48.2, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

 Acquisition Information

Purchase, 1948.

 Alternative Form

Also available on microfilm M-1555 and in transcription TR/79.

 Biographical/Historical Information

Alexander Spotswood (1676-1740) was a lieutenant in the British Army, and later lieutenant governor of Virginia, 1710-1722.

 Scope and Content Information

Personal correspondence of Alexander Spotswood. The bulk of the correspondence is between Spotswood and his cousin, John Spotswood (1666-1728) of Edinburgh, concerning the Spotswood family, the lieutenant governor's character, his career in the British army and ambitions before becoming lieutenant governor, and political and social conditions in Virginia. These letters are practically the only source of information on Spotswood's early life.

Included in the correspondence is a copy of a letter, 1646, from Sir Robert Spotswood (1596-1646) to his children stating their names and dates of birth; also, a letter, January 4, 1646, from Sir Robert Spotswood to the Laird of Bogir and Mr. Robert Berrsay; a letter, 1744, from the Rev. Robert Rose, a close friend of the governor's and later one of his executors, to Andrew Anderson containing a biographical sketch of Spotswood; a rough draft of a letter, 1746, from John Spotswood, Jr., to Rose, with a genealogy of the Spotswood family; and a British army commission to Maj. George Spotswood, 1830.

 Arrangement

Chronologically arranged.

 Additional Descriptive Data Bibliography Cappon, Lester, J., ed.Correspondence of Alexander Spotswood with John Spotswood of Edinburgh.Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, LX. 1952: 211-240. Index Terms Persons: Blair, Archibald, 1685-1734. Browne, John, d. 1726. Campbell, Archibald, ca. 1730-ca. 1802. Cocke, William, 1672-1720. Gooch, William, Sir, 1681-1751. Kerr, Alexander, d. 1737. Robertson, William, d. 1739. Rose, Robert, 1704-1751. Spotiswood, John, 1667-1728. Spotswood, Alexander, 1676-1740. Spotswood, George. Spotswood, John, b. 1711. Spotswood, Robert, Sir, 1596- 1646. Thompson, Andrew, 1674-1719. Wythe, George, 1726- 1806. Genre and Form Terms: Military commissions--Great Britain--1830. Contents List Robert Spotswood, St. Andrews, to the Laird Bogir & Mr. Robert Berrlay, 4 January 1646. 1 Alexander Spotswood, Sudbury, to John Spotswood, 20 April 1696. 1 Alexander Spotswood, Sudbury, to John Spotswood, 17 May 1696. 1 Alexander Spotswood, Sudbury, to John Spotswood, 24 August 1696. 1 Alexander Spotswood, Sudbury, to John Spotswood, 2 November 1696. 1 John Spotswood to "the Generall" [Alexander Spotswood]. Copied by John Spotswood II, 1696. 1 Katherine Mercer, Westmunster, to John Spotswood, Eddenbrough, 25 May 1698. 1 A[lexander] Spotswood, Colchester, to John Spotswood, Edinburrough, 4 July 1698. 1 A[lexander], London, Spotswood to John Spotswood, Edinburg, 15 March 1703/4. 1 John Spotswood to Mrs. Mercer, 30 January 1705. 2 John Spotswood to [Alexander Spotswood], 30 January 1705. 2 London, Alexander Spotswood to [John Spotswood], 17 April 1705. 2 A[lex] Spotswood, London, to John Spotswood, Edinburg, 25 February 1705/6. 2 A[lex] Spotswood, London, to John Spotswood, Edinburrough, 14 March 1705/6. 2 [John Spotswood to Alexander Spotswood.] Copy, 12 January 1706. 2 [John Spotswood to Alexander Spotswood], 26 February 1709. 2 William Elliot, London, to John Spotswood, Edinburgh, 10 December 1709. 2 Alexander Spotswood, London, to John Spotswood, 24 December 1709. 2 Alexander Spotswood, London, to John Spotswood, 14 March 1709/10. 2 Alexander Spotswood, Williamsburg, to John Spotswood, Edinburgh, 17 August 1710. 3 Alexander Spotswood, Virginia, to John Spotswood, Edinburgh, 20 March 1710/11. 3 John Spotswood to Alexander Spotswood, November 1711. 3 John Spotswood to Mr. Robertson, Secretary to Colonel Spotswood, 1717. 3 Alexander Spotswood, Virginia, to John Spotswood, Edinburgh, 1 August 1712. 3 [John] Spotiswoode, Edinburgh, to [Alexander Spotswood], 4 October 1712. 3 Alexander Spotswood, Virginia, to J. Spotiswood, Edinburgh, 20 July 1714. 3 [John Spotswood] to Alexander Spotswood, May 1717. 3 [John Spotswood] to Alexander Spotswood [1717?] 3 Alexander Spotswood, Virginia, to John Spotswood, Edinburgh, 3 September 1718. 3 William Robertson, Virginia, to [John Spotswood], 6 August 1720. 3 [John Spotswood to Alexander Spotswood], [29 November 1722] 3 Alexander Spotswood, Virginia, to John Spotswood, Edinburgh, 12 July 1723. 4 Alexander Spotswood, Virginia, to John Spotswood, Edinburgh, 21 December 1724. 4 [John Spotswood], Ed[i]nb[u]rgh, to Alexander Spotswood], 1740. 4 [Reverend] Robert Rose to Andrew Anderson, 25 July 1743. 4 [Reverend] Robert Rose to Andrew Anderson, 25 July 1743. 4 John Anderson, Edin[bu]r[gh], to John Spotswood, Spotswood, 29 September 1743. 4 [John Spotswood], Edinb[u]r[gh], to Robert Rose, Virginia, [copy], 20 March 1743/4. 4 Robert Rose, Rappa[hannoch] River, Virginia, to John Spotiswood, Edinburgh, 20 May 1744. 4 Spotiswoode, [John Spotswood] to the Reverend Robert Rose, Virginia, [copy], 12 February 1744/5. 4 Enclosure. Sir Robert Spotiswoode to his children. With a list of their births, [copy], 1646. 4 Robert Rose, Essex County, Rappahanock River, to [John Spotswood, Edinburgh], 2 December 1745. 5 "The within Inscription written by George Fraser in the Excise Office upon Spottiswoode Practiques w[hi]ch I sent to Virginia by Jos. Nasmith. See my letters relative unto addressed to the Reverend Mr. Robert Rose Minister of the Gospel in Virginia dated _____1745." Inscription in Latin. Translation available, 1745. 5 [John Spotswood], Newabbey, to [Robert Rose], 29 September 1747. 5 Alexander Spotswood (Governor's grandchild) to John Spotswood, Edinburough, 6 June 1763. 5 Alexander Spotswood (Governor's grandchild), London, to John Spotswood, Edinburgh, 26 June 1764. 5 [John Spotswood], Spottiswoode House, to Alexander Spotswood, Virginia, 29 May 1773. 5 Printed history of Spotswood lands & summons to appear before the Lords of Council and Session at Edinburgh, 6 January 1774. 5 Clapham, S. Spottiswoode and R. Fanny Spottiswoode to J[ohn] Spottiswoode, 17 September 1801. 5 Commission of Major General George Spottiswoode to be Lieutenant Colonel in the British Army, 1 December 1830. 5