Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

Should you wish to quote from or reproduce images of any of the materials, you must write to the Librarian of the Huntington Library, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108, requesting formal permission to do so. Please note that you do not have to obtain permission if you are quoting fewer than fifty words, or if you are only citing the document. Images made with microfilm-reader printers are for research use only and may not be used for publication without permission.

Preferred Citation

Robert Alonzo Brock Correspondence, ca. 1880-1910. Henry E. Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Acquisition Information

The Robert Alonzo Brock Collection was filmed by The Huntington Library in cooperation with The Library of Virginia with funding provided by The Library of Virginia Foundation with the support of The Roller-Bottimore Foundation and The Robins Foundation. Microfilm received April 2005.

Biographical Information

Robert Alonzo Brock, historian, antiquarian, and collector, was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1839. At the outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted in the 21st Virginia Regiment, transferring later to a hospital unit with which he remained for the duration of the war. Brock later served as associate editor of the Richmond Standard (1879-1882), corresponding secretary of the Virginia Historical Society (1875-1892), and secretary of the Southern Historical Society (1887-1914). He also edited the societies' papers and authored the first biographical dictionary of Virginians ( Virginia and Virginians ). An avid collector of Virginiana, Brock started his collection before the Civil War and added materials up to the time of his death in 1914, accumulating nearly 50,000 manuscripts relating to Virginia and the history of the South.

Scope and Content

Correspondence, ca. 1880-1910, to Robert Alonzo Brock, written while he served as secretary for the Virginia Historical Society and Southern Historical Society. Topics include membership to the Virginia Historical Society, dues, subscriptions to the Southern Historical Society Papers, purchases of archival manuscripts and publications for the society, loans of books, and general Virginia historical and genealogical research inquiries. Also included are letters regarding Brock's participation and involvement in many historical boards and associations.

Many of the letters relate to genealogy, requesting Brock's assistance in researching family histories. The letters include some Bible records and genealogical notes for the family the correspondents were researching, making these letters a great source for genealogists. Often the correspondents were researching their last name, although included are some requests for other family names. Therefore a thorough checking of all family names may be required to find genealogical information relating to a specific family name.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged alphabetically by author's last name.

Adjunct Descriptive Data

Originals located at the Henry E. Huntington Library, San Marino, California.