Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Access Restriction

Collection is open to research.

Custodial History

Barbara Murphy, granddaughter of Mary Sinton Leitch, gave the papers to Roberta Cornelius, a faculty member at Randolph-Macon Women's College. When Cornelius retired in 1968, she gave the collection to Emma Gray Trigg.

Preferred Citation

Mary Sinton Leitch papers, Collection # M 52, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.

Acquisition Information

Donated to VCU by Emma Gray Trigg November, 1968.

Processing Information

The collection was initially processed in 1984 and revised in 1990. The collection was reprocessed in 2022 and the finding aid written to current standards. Files were rehoused, relabled, and condensed where applicable.

Biographical / Historical

Mary Sinton Lewis Leitch (1876-1954) was a prominent regional poet and fiction writer from Lynnhaven, Virginia, and a founding member of the Poetry Society of Virginia. During her career, she published seven poetry collections and sold original plays to regional performing arts theaters. Her published works include The Waggon and the Star (1922), The Unrisen Morrow (1926), The Black Moon (1929), Spider Architect (1937), From Invisible Mountains (1943), Himself and I (1950), and Nightingales on the Moon (1952).

Leitch was born 8 September 1876 in New York City, the daughter of Carlton Thomas and Nancy Dunlap McKeen Lewis. She received her early education in private preparatory schools, later attending Smith College and Columbia University and schools in France and Germany.

After completing her academic education, Leitch returned to New York City, where she served as an inspector of women's prisons. While working as an inspector, Leitch became a contributing editor to Harper's Monthly , the New York Herald , and the New York Evening Post . In 1907, Leitch left her professional positions to travel for an extended period, after which she married John David Leitch in 1907 and relocated to Lynnhaven, Virginia. Upon moving to Virginia, Leitch began her writing career. Leitch wrote the majority of her works in her Lynnhaven home, which she referred to in her works and correspondence as "Wycherley."

In 1923, Leitch became a founding member of the Poetry Society of Virginia, serving as its president in 1933 and co-president from 1944 to1945. She served as the editor for the poetry anthology Lyric Virginia Today in 1932, leaving the same year to focus on writing poetry and short stories. Leitch published seven collective works of her poetry between 1922 and 1952. Additionally, Leitch submitted her writings throughout her career to various publishing houses, journals, and performing arts theaters to varying degrees of success. During this process, Leitch became professionally acquainted with prominent writers, journalists, and illustrators such as J.J. Lankes   and Robert Frost, and Louis Jaffe.

Leitch died on 20 August 1954 in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Scope and Contents

The Mary Sinton Leitch papers, 1929-1954, 1968 is a collection of her personal works and papers. The papers consist primarily of early drafts of Leitch's writing, draft publications, and correspondence with poets and publishers. This collection provides a unique look into Leitch's creative process and her career as a woman writer in central Virginia during the early and mid 20th century.

Series 1: Stage Plays and Short Stories contains multiple working drafts of Leitch's works of fiction. The printed drafts include annotations and working notes. Some plays, such as The Black Moon and The Unwilling Conspirator, include multiple drafts at various stages of Leitch's creative process.

Series 2: Poetry and Songs make up the bulk of the collection, including typed copies of Leitch's poetry, workbooks of poetry drafts and concepts, and poetry publication proofs. This series contains both published and unpublished poems, organized in alphabetical order by title. Some drafts include notes, corrections, and general annotations. Also included are workbooks and scratch books used by Leitch to workshop poems. These workbooks contain a partially-complete paste-up and a proof book of Leitch's poetry compilation From Invisible Mountains, both of which have some editorial annotations.

The series includes a small number of songs that Leitch wrote and published herself or in collaboration with other songwriters. These songs are all finalized publications free of annotation.

Series 3: Correspondence encompasses Leitch's professional and personal correspondence regarding her works of poetry and fiction with publishers and professional peers. The majority of the correspondence pertains to Leitch submittingher works for publication. Leitch corresponded with other contemporary poets, and she expressed her admiration, requested advice, or planned social engagements. Individuals Leitch corresponded with include poets Robert Frost, T. S. Eliot, Archibald Rutledge, and illustrator J. J. Lankes  .

Series 4: Project Files and Subject Files is composed of Leitch's personal files related to publishing, professional and amateur reviews of her works, and research pertaining to her career as a writer. Some examples of the files included in this series are a workbook of submissions made to publishers, paste-up books of reviews of her poetry, and contact sheets for Virginia Poetry Society members.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into four series: Series 1: Short Stories, 1929, 1947, undated, Series 2: Poetry, 1936, 1943, undated, Series 3: Correspondence, 1939-1954, 1968, and Series 4: Project Files and Subject Files, 1931-1954.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Authors, American -- Archives -- Virginia
• Leitch, Mary Sinton, 1876-1954 -- Archives
• Poetry Society of Virginia
• Poets, American -- Archives -- Virginia