Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Carter Family Shirley Plantation Records, 1736-1923. Accession 28429, Business papers collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Lent for copying by Mr. and Mrs. C. Hill Carter, Jr., Shirley Plantation, Charles City County, Virginia, 8 March 1967, 1 June 1967, and 14 November 1974.

Biographical/Historical Information

Prominent planter family resident in Charles City County, Virginia. The family has continuously resided on the land of Shirley in Charles City County, Virginia, since 1660 when it was patented.

Scope and Content Information

Shirley Plantation records, 1736-1923, of the Carter family of Charles City County, Virginia, consisting of five series: Shirley Plantation Business Papers, 1812-1879; Shirley Plantation Records, 1736-1923; Shirley Plantation Records, 1815-1906; Shirley Plantation Records, 1840-1876; and Shirley Plantation Records, 1801-1879.

Shirley Plantation records, 1812-1879, consist of Hill Carter, Shirley Plantation business papers, 1816-1879; Hill Carter's account book with Wortham and McGruder, 1818-1875; tax notices and receipts, court fees, and militia fines; "Upper Shirley" papers, 1867-1875; Carter-Randolph family papers, 1821-1862; and family genealogies. Shirley Plantation records, 1736-1923, consist of: Shirley Plantation business papers, 1736-1874; William Fizthugh Carter of Upper Shirley papers, 1867-1885; Confederate bonds, 1861-1864; and Robert E. Lee receipts, 1836-1845. Shirley Plantation records, 1815-1906, consist of: naval journal from aboard the USS Peacock in 1815; cruise journal from the USS Falmouth, 1842-1843; Robert R. Carter letter book, 1866-1887; Robert R. Carter account books, 1856-1899; Shirley notebook, 1866-1887 (1937); Shirley farm journal, 1872-1874 and 1882-1887; Marion Carter diary, 1878-1885; Louise Humphreys Carter Diaries, 1884-1889 and 1903-1906; Shirley slave record book, 1853-1864; Hill Carter cash account books, 1819-1875. Shirley Plantation records, 1840-1876, include: Shirley Plantation business records, 1858-1876; Carter-Randolph legal papers, 1862-1875; nad Hill Carter legal papers, 1855-1874. Shirley Plantation records, 1801-1879, include: Robert Carter diary, 1801; Hill Carter account book, 1816-1848; Shirley account book, 1816-1879; Shirley journal, 1822-1824; Hill Carter hirelings account books, 1822-1846 and 1866-1870; Hill Carter, memorandum books, 1842-1847 and 1850-1853; and Hill Carter, bank account books, 1819-1872.

Arrangement and Organization

The arrangement is more or less chronological within each group, except for the group headed "Genealogy."

Organized into the following five series: Series I. Shirley Plantation business records, 1812-1879. Series II. Shirley Plantation records, 1736-1923. Series III. Shirley Plantation records, 1815-1906. Series IV. Shirley Plantation records, 1840-1876. Series V. Shirley Plantation records, 1801-1879.

Originals

Originals are now located at Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, P.O. Box 1776, Williamsburg, VA 23187-1776.