Use Restrictions

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).

Access Restrictions

Collection open to research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.

Provenance

Letters were found in the eaves of the Hooke house during renovations to the James Madison University farm. Dr. Carole Nash, who also serves as the chair of the JMU Farm Committee, transferred the letters to Special Collections in March 2019.

Other Formats Available

Partial transcriptions are available upon request.

Preferred Citation

[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Hooke Family Letters, 1845-1849, SC 0341, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.

Acquisition Information

Dr. Carole Nash, associate professor of integrated science and technology at James Madison University, transferred these letters to Special Collections on March 4, 2019.

Processing Information

Letters were received in a brittle and dirty condition. They were subsequently humidified, flattened, and placed in mylar sleeves.

Biographical/Historical Note

Robert "Robin" Hooke Sr. (1780-1858) was born in Cross Keys, Virginia to James (1747-1815) and Mary Houston Hook (1749-1844). Robert and his wife, Elizabeth Fisher Hooke (1801-1882), owned and lived on the Hooke property in Port Republic. Portions of the Hooke land was sold and repurchased throughout the 1800s, but the acreage on the Shenandoah River, called "Mill Creek '' remained in the family's possession from 1741to 1904. During a partial sale of land in 1816, a quarter of an acre of land was reserved to be used as a graveyard. This cemetery plot remains on the Hooke land, now owned by James Madison University, and is where a portion of the family is buried, including Robert Hooke Sr. and Elizabeth Hooke.

Robert Hooke Sr.'s siblings, Mary Washington Hook (1778-1867) and James Hook Jr. (1785-1848) moved to Montgomery County, Ohio in 1831 after selling their share of the Virginia Hooke land. Mary and James Jr. took Robert Sr.'s young children, Archabald Hooke (1823-1877) and Sarah Hooke (1822-1872), with them on their move to Ohio. Robert Hooke Sr. remained behind in Rockingham County, Virginia to run the Hooke land. The Hooke family settled in Montgomery County, Ohio with Sarah Hooke marrying David Trissel (1826-1903) and the Hooke family descendants splitting off with some settling in Xenia, Ohio on the "Oakwood" estate.

The remaining Hooke land, including "Mill Creek", was sold on August 15, 1929, to the State Teachers College (now James Madison University). The land was renamed College Camp during the 1929 purchase but was eventually changed to University Farm in 1977 when Madison College was renamed James Madison University. Used as a campsite for students between the 1930s to 1980s, the farmhouse itself was eventually closed for use in 1976. Now restored, the Hooke House is available for academic retreats and environmental learning opportunities for student classes and programs.

Researchers should note that the Hooke family name is variously spelled as Hooke and Hook. Seemingly changed in the latter portion of the 1800s, the spelling "Hooke" is more consistent with records surrounding the family estate. Additionally, within the archival record, Archabald Hooke is variously spelled as Archibald and Archable.

Scope and Content

The Hooke Family Letters, 1845-1849, comprise five letters between the Hooke family of Port Republic in Rockingham County, Virginia, and their family members in Montgomery County, Ohio. The letters, with varying legibility due to discoloration and page loss, discuss the farming conditions in Ohio as well as family updates including marriage, death, and illness. The letters were primarily penned by Archabald Hooke and occasionally on behalf of both him and his sister Sarah.

In the October 21, 1848 letter, Archabald mentions his aunt Ann Hook Thompson (1784-1870) and her move to Dayton, Ohio. In multiple letters, Archabald discussed living with an Adam Mason, the poor farming season, and the price of crops and supplies. A couple of the letters mention the illnesses of the family members in Montgomery County, Ohio, and specifically discuss James Hooke Jr.'s illness and eventual passing in 1848. There is a passing mention of Zachary Taylor's presidential win in the November 1848 letter.

Arrangement

The letters are housed in one oversize folder.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Agriculture -- 19th century
• Hooke family -- Records and correspondence
• Letters (correspondence)
• Montgomery County (Ohio) -- Correspondence
• Montgomery County (Ohio) -- History, Local
• Nash, Carole L.
• Port Republic (Va.) -- Correspondence
• Port Republic (Va.) -- History, Local
• Rockingham County (Va.) -- History, Local