Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

The collection is without restrictions.

Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred Citation

Sidney F. Parham Collection ca. 1662-1886 , Accession # 11538, Special Collections Dept., University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

This collection was given to the University of Virginia Library by Louise Parham of Roanoke, Virginia, on July 1, 1999.

Processing Information

Printed materials, including about fifty issues of The Spectator and The Tatler , have been transferred to the Rare Books Division.

Scope and Content Information

The [Dr. Charles ?] Penfold legal papers are notes concerning legal precedent in cases of probate, the administration of estates, debts, wills, and marriage causes, dating from the eighteenth century. Some of these cases include: probate case of Speke v Pitt (1740); the will of Charles Didier (1725 Jul 22); the will of Katherine Winn (1735 Aug 24); the case of Mr. Pierson's error regarding the date on a will in Archer v Eyre (n.d.); opinion re the estate of Jonas Schish (n.d.); the debt of William Chalk (ca. 1738 Jun 28); and the period of time a will can be proved in common form (n.d.).

Other cases involve differences in the testimony of witnesses in a libel case (n.d.); notes re defamation of character, referring to the case of Lea v Gillett, where Mr. Gillett was accusing Joseph Lea of "attempting the chastity of his wife, Eleanor" (n.d.); a case of defamation of character brought against Joseph Ware by Edward Johnson, both of Chesham (1753); the will of Richard Mitchell (dated 1735 Aug 29); the will of John [Jeker?], made before marriage and the birth of his child (1755 Jun 25); power [of attorney?] against Sir John Osborne, living in Ireland (n.d.); and the obligation for debts of a [wife?] who has run away and vowed never to live with husband (n.d.).

Additional cases include whether lands must be sold to pay a legacy to Isaac Eve (n.d.); the validity of the wills of Edward King and Mr. Hawkins (n.d.); request of Isaac Cornell that witness Rebecca Pereira be sequestered during the entire lawsuit (n.d.); lawsuit against Anderson concerning gifts given to a young lady (n.d.); alimony case against Thomas Bird, an anvil maker, by his wife, Elizabeth Bell [Bird?] (1753); allowances for nullifying marriage due to frigidity or impotence (n.d.); a lawsuit Bourget v Imbert, where Imbert a minor had married and whether her former guardian, Mr. Gualtier or her husband, Mr. Jones, had to represent her in the lawsuit (1738 Jun 19); difficulties with the will of a relative of Catherine Thornburgh (1738); and the will of Sir Robert Cowan (1737 Oct 24).

A folder of legal decrees and notes concerning ecclesiastical matters includes "Fundamentals for the Subsistence of Foreign Churches Within the Realm, 1550-1662" (ca. 1662); from the Court of Whitehall, "Order of Council about Foreigners of the Walloon Church," located at Canterbury, signed by Richard Brown (1662 Nov 14); copy of a letter from a chapter of St. Paul's [Church] to the Bishop of London regarding a visitation, signed by William Shirlock, H. Godolphin, and Witt Stanley (1696 Jul 27); "The case of some united parishes in London..." (n.d.); and miscellaneous notes about ecclesiastical legal cases (1731 & n.d.).

A folder of legal decrees and notes concerning nautical matters includes "Articles of Agreement between the King of England and the States of Holland made the 12th of August [16]90"; legal notes re the decrees of the King of Denmark regarding nautical matters (ca. [16]91 June); discussion about the decision to try as pirates those men serving in "Several Privateers were taken above a year since, and the men detained in prison, being English & Irish men, and acting under King James' Commission" (ca. 1692 Nov); Commission from William and Mary for trying pirates in Latin and English (1693/4 Jan 4); "Constitutions of Louis XIV, King of France and Navarre touching Prizes" (ca. 1700); the case of Biddleford , Man of War, capturing Gottenburgh , a Swedish ship (1741 Oct 8); and miscellaneous other legal notes concerning shipping and privateers (1745 & n.d.).

A folder of notes concerning miscellaneous legal matters includes cases of libel (1677 Mar 9 & n.d.); a dispute over a partnership to open a school for children (1760 Jul 22); "a penalty for taking of salmon at certain times of the year" (n.d.); and an essay on suicide (n.d.). Also present in a separate folder is a digest of miscellaneous laws concerning administrations, legacies, nautical matters, marriage, etc. ([post 1667)].

There are also some autograph letters in this collection, including letters, 1744-1745, from Roger Comberback to Robert Dodsley concerning a translation of Cicero published anonymously by Dodsley as "The Oration for M. Marcellus." Also of interest is a letter, 1886 July 10, from Sir Leslie Stephen requesting an unnamed correspondent to submit his articles to the Dictionary of National Biography. Other letters, 1786, Charles Butler to an unnamed recipient concerning a petition to Parliament for the relief of Roman Catholics together with a fragment of an indifferent reply on one verso.

Other correspondents include: Addington Davenport, David Jamison, H. London, [J. Ross] Mackye, George Ross, and John [Tharpe]. Other miscellaneous printed and illustrative items include a fragment of De Illustribus Viris (n.d.); an engraving of Mr. Simmons as Abel (n.d.); two woodcut illustrations of a rose and a horse & rider on the covers of poetry by Ralph Hodgson (n.d.); and a news clipping of an article by J.H. Thornton, Jr. about Sidney F. Parham, Jr.'s collection of issues of The Spectator .