Manuscripts Department
Library of the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill
SOUTHERN HISTORICAL COLLECTION
#1998-z
RANDOLPH AND YATES FAMILY PAPERS
Inventory
Abstract: Sarah Ann Yates Randolph Stewart (fl. 1815-1852),
daughter of Peter Randolph, Mississippi's first U.S.
District Court judge, and Sara Greenhill Randolph of
Virginia, married T. Jones Stewart sometime prior to
1833. They lived at Centreville, Amite County, Miss.,
and Holly Grove, Woodville, Wilkinson County, Miss.
Chiefly letters to and from members of Sarah Ann
Yates Randolph Stewart's immediate family and members
of the related French, Stewart, Thornton, and Ventress
families, primarily at locations in Virginia,
Mississippi, and Louisiana. The letters discuss
family matters; school; legal affairs, particularly
atendance at court in Mississippi; the weather; and
other topics. There is one Civil War letter from 1864
about Confederate army supplies at Natchitoches, La.
Also included are a chart and accompanying note, made
by George Edward French, Jr., in June 1952, providing
genealogical information and showing French's line of
descent from Peter Randolph.
Online Catalog Terms:
Courts--Mississippi--History--19th century.
Family--Louisiana--Social life and customs--19th century.
Family--Mississippi--Social life and customs--19th century.
Family--Virginia--Social life and customs--19th century.
French family.
French, George Edward.
Holly Grove Plantation (Wilkinson County, Miss.).
Natchitoches (La.)--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
Randolph, Peter.
Randolph, Sarah Greenhill.
Randolph family.
Stewart, T. Jones.
Stewart, Sarah Ann Yates Randolph, fl. 1815-1852.
Stewart family.
Thornton family.
Ventress family.
Women--Mississippi--Social conditions.
Yates family.
Yates, Sara Greenhill Randolph.
Size: 46 items
Provenance: Received from George Edward French, Jr., in April
1952. An accompanying pamphlet entitled "History
of Grace Episcopal Church, West Feliciano Parish,
St. Francisville, La.," was transferred to the
Southern Pamphlet Collection in June 1952.
Access: No restrictions.
Copyright: Retained by the authors of items in these papers, or
their descendants, as stipulated by United States
copyright law.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Peter Randolph and Sarah (Sally) Greenhill Randolph were
children of Peter Randolph and Sara Greenhill, a first cousin of
Martha Dandridge Custis Washington of Virginia.
Peter Randolph, a lawyer and cousin of both John Randolph of
Roanoke (1773-1833) and Thomas Jefferson, was appointed by
President James Monroe as the first U.S. District Judge in the
new state of Mississippi. At the time of his appointment, he was
residing in Nottoway County, Va. He, his sister, Sarah Greenhill
Randolph Yates, and her husband, William Yates of Virginia, moved
to Mississippi in the early 1820s.
Peter Randolph married at least twice. His first wife was
Sallie Cocke Randolph; his second wife was Elizabeth
Leatherbury[?] Randolph (as of March 1833). Peter Randolph was
the father of Sarah (Sally) Ann Yates Randolph; Cornelia Virginia
Randolph; Augusta Randolph; Sydney (also spelled Sidney); and
possibly Juliana Randolph.
Sarah Ann Yates Randolph married T. Jones Stewart sometime
prior to 1833; they resided at Centreville, Amite County, Miss.,
and Holly Grove, Woodville, Wilkinson County, Miss., in the
1830s, 1840s, and 1850s. Sarah (Sally) Stewart, Penelope
Stewart, and possibly Nell (Stewart?) were their children.
Letters 1847 and 1848 indicate that Sarah Ann Yates Randolph
Stewart married William Fort in that period.
Augusta Randolph married a Mr. Ventress sometime prior to 1842
and wrote of her family in a letter, 23 June 1842, mentioning
Florence, William, Peter, and Jim, who probably were her
children. Letters she wrote in the 1840s were written from
Louisiana.
Cornelia Virginia Randolph (b. ca. 1819) wrote a number of the
letters in the collection. They indicate that she was a
schoolgirl in the early 1830s and that she married Charles
Augustine Thornton prior to 1846; her letters for that year and
afterward are signed Cornelia V. Thornton. Her letters in the
1840s were written at Bayou Goula and Saint Francisville, La.
Among her children were Sarah Thornton, Anna Maria Thornton (who
married Philip Barton Key), and Cornelia Virginia Thornton.
Letters, 1850-1852, indicate that these children were living with
their aunt, Sarah Ann Randolph Stewart at Holly Grove, Miss.,
during those years and going to school there.
Sydney (or Sidney) Randolph (fl.1820s) married Phebe Vail.
Sarah Greenhill Randolph Yates is sometimes referred to as
"Sally," but, after her marriage to William Yates, more often as
"Aunt Yates."
DESCRIPTION
These papers chiefly consist of personal letters written by
members of the Randolph and Yates families, primarily at
locations in Virginia, Mississippi, and Louisiana. They discuss
family and personal matters, with incidental comments about
family members, travel, school, legal affairs, the weather, and
other miscellaneous subjects. There is also a chart and
accompanying note, composed by George Edward French, Jr., in June
1952, explaining his line of descent from Peter Randolph, and
providing additional genealogical information.
In a letter, 11 January 1815, R. Lorrain at Petersburg, Va.,
wrote to Sarah Greenhill Randolph Yates at "Ansville"
[Annesville], "Dinwiddee" [Dinwiddie County], Va., mostly about
religious sentiments; the death of a relative in Philadelphia;
and family personal matter. She also mentioned "Methodist
meetings."
In a letter, 27 February 1818, "DPN" at Norborne (or
Norbonne), Va., wrote to William Yates c/o the Annesville post
master, Brunswick County, Va., mostly about her husband's recent
death. She also requested his help in settling her financial and
legal affairs.
In a letter, 17 February 1820, Sarah Ann Yates Randolph at
Amelia, Va., wrote to Sarah Greenhill Randolph Yates c/o
Kennedy's Post Office, Brunswick County, Va., chiefly about
family and personal matters, and about being taught at school by
Julia Melford.
There is a letter, 8 and 18 July 1821, from Julia Melford at
Petersburg, Va., to Sarah Ann Yates Randolph c/o William Yates,
Kennedy's Post Office, in which Melford mentioned her safe
arrival from New York; studying music and taking lessons from
"Mr. Giel, the finest Teacher in this or I believe any other
Country ... ," and the sudden death of Harriet Randolph, Sarah's
cousin. Sarah Ann Yates Randolph, in a letter 3 August 1821,
suggested to Julia Melford that she move with members of the
Randolph family to Mississippi. In a letter, 3 September 1821,
Julia Melford at Petersburg, Va., wrote to Sally Ann Yates
Randolph c/o Kennedy's Post Office, Va., mostly about numerous
deaths in the vicinity of Petersburg by "billious fever," and
personal matters. She also mentioned the approaching marriage of
Fanny Archer and William Eggleston.
There are two letters, 8 and 10 October 1821, from William
Yates to Sarah Greenhill Randolph Yates c/o Kennedy's Post
Office, Va., written while he was travelling overland to
Mississippi in company with Peter Randolph. The first was
written at Wythe Court House, Va., and the second at
Surgoinsville, Tenn. He mentioned the progress of their travel
and gave instructions for his affairs at home, including what to
do about lottery tickets.
In a letter, 20 December 1821, Sarah Ann Yates Randolph at
Petersburg, Va., wrote to Sarah Greenhill Randolph Yates,
Brunswick County, Va., mostly about her piano lessons. Her
teacher, Julia Melford, added that Sarah Ann was studying
reading, writing, history, geography, and French, but primarily
music.
There are two letters, 18 April and 3 May 1822, from William
Yates at Woodville, Wilkinson County, Miss., to Sarah Greenhill
Randolph Yates c/o Kennedy's Post Office, Va., mostly about
practice in Mississippi Superior Court in Wilkinson and Amite
counties; his plans to attend the state Supreme Court at
Columbia, Miss., on 1 June 1822; and family affairs. In a letter
of 18 April 1822, he also wrote about the importance of keeping
his Virginia papers in order: "There will no doubt be many unjust
claims raised against me -- which may be defeated by the
documents contained among those papers."
In a letter, 20 June 1823, Edward P. French at Manchester (a
southern suburb of Richmond), Va., to Sarah Greenhill Randolph
Yates, his cousin, at Woodville, Miss., mentioned his recent
journey by ship from New Orleans to Richmond; his recent marriage
to Matilda Burfoot; his consideration of and decision to put off
the possibility of their moving to Mississippi; and visiting "Mr.
Epes" at Nottoway, Va.
In a letter, 17 March 1833, Elizabeth Leatherbury[?] Randolph
at Natchez, Miss., wrote to Sarah Ann Yates Randolph Stewart at
Centreville, Amite County, Miss., about personal and family
matters. She mentioned gifts she sent to Sarah and her children
and her recent acquisition for $250 of a German piano at auction.
There are four letters, 1833-1834, from Cornelia Virginia
Randolph at "Beech Grove" (apparently located at or near St.
Francisville, West Feliciano Parish, La.) to Sarah Ann Yates
Randolph Stewart at Centreville, Miss. In them, she briefly
mentioned some aspects of her life as a boarding school student,
the weather, and family matters.
There are three letters, 1836, from Cornelia Virginia Randolph
at Louisville, Ky., Guyandotte, Va., and at an unspecified
location in New York, to Sarah Ann Yates Randolph Stewart at
Woodville, Miss. In them, she mentioned eating ice cream,
enjoying an illuminated garden, and listening to music. She also
discussed her trip from New Orleans to Saratoga, N.Y., by way of
Louisville, Ky., and White Sulphur Springs, Va. She also
mentioned other family members and James Ventress, who were with
her on at least part of the trip.
There are two letters, 6 and 27 August 1837, from Cornelia
Virginia Randolph at Shieldsborough, Hancock County, Miss., to
Sarah Ann Yates Randolph Stewart at Woodville, Miss. In them,
she mentioned social activities, clothes, family members and
friends, and the spread of yellow fever around New Orleans.
In a letter, 23 June 1842, Augusta Randolph Ventress wrote to
Sarah Ann Yates Randolph Stewart at Centreville, Miss., mostly
about family and personal matters. She mentioned Florence,
William, Peter, and Jim, probably her own children.
In a letter, 26 January 1846, Sarah Ann Yates Randolph Stewart
at Holly Grove, Miss., wrote to T. Jones Stewart at Jackson,
Miss., mostly about personal and family matters. She mentioned
visiting his brother James Ventress, plans for a trip to the
coast, and regret that his session (presumably at court) would be
lengthy. In a letter, 15 July 1846, Augusta Randolph Ventress at
"Coast" (letter postmarked Donaldsonville, La.) wrote to Sarah
Ann Yates Randolph Stewart at Woodville, Miss., about family and
personal matters.
There are three letters, 19 July, 5 August, and 27 December
1846, from Cornelia Virginia Randolph Thornton at Bayou Goula,
La., and St. Francisville, La., to Sarah Ann Yates Randolph
Stewart at Woodville, Miss., about personal and family matters
and social activities. In a letter, 10 October 1847, she wrote
at Hopemore, Bayou Goula, to Sarah Ann at Woodville, more about
family and personal matters; she mentioned a recent illness, and
Hamden's [not identified but probably a relative] family.
In two letters, 15 January and 7 February 1848, Sarah Ann
Yates Randolph Stewart at Holly Grove, Miss., wrote to T. Jones
Stewart at Jackson, Miss., about family and personal matters; she
also mentioned activities of friends, such as a visit by "Judge
Cage," and agricultural matters. In a letter, 10 July 1848,
Cornelia Virginia Randolph Thornton at Bayou Goula, La., wrote to
Sarah Greenhill Randolph Yates at Woodville, Miss., in which she
discussed activities in her daily life--reading, playing the
piano, talking to her husband, and associating with her children.
She also mentioned the children's schooling, and Hamden's family,
and made inquiries of other family members.
There are eight letters, 1850-1852, from Anna Maria Thornton
and Cornelia Virginia Thornton at Holly Grove, Miss., to T. Jones
Stewart at Jackson, Miss., and Sarah Greenhill Randolph Yates at
Woodville, Miss. The girls, living with their aunt, Sarah Ann
Yates Randolph Stewart, and going to school, wrote about family
and personal matters. They mentioned occasional visits from
their father, and gave news of other relatives.
There is a letter, 5 May 1853, from Jennie D. Stocking at St.
Francisville, La., to an unspecified aunt, about her visit to St.
Francisville; she asked her aunt to address future letters to her
at Binghamton, N.Y.
During the Civil War, there is a letter, 29 April 1864, from
H. Johnson[?] at Woodley (La. or Miss.), to Philip Barton Key,
lieutenant, commanding Confederate States Ordinance Department
affairs at Natchitoches, La. Mentioned are details of financial
and legal arrangements with Key and his mother, including the
dispatch of Confederate notes to buy cotton, a completed survey
of "Greenwood" [probably a plantation]; and bright prospects for
Confederate victory in the Red River Campaign.
There are two undated letters. In one, T. Jones Stewart in
Columbia County, Ga., wrote to Sarah Ann Yates Randolph Stewart
at Centreville, Miss., of his activities in attending to the
settlement of her father's estate, of his plan to visit her uncle
Randolph and his family, and of young ladies in the area who had
captivated Hampden (possibly his or her brother). In the second
undated letter, Phebe Vail Randolph at Troy, N.Y., wrote to Sarah
Ann Yates (Randolph) Stewart at Woodville, Miss., about personal
and family matters.
Also included is a letter and a chart, 1952, made by George
Edward French, Jr., showing his descent from the Randolph family
and notations about this and related families.
Folder 1 1815-1823
2 1833-1837
3 1842-1848
4 1850-1864, 1952, undated