Administrative Information

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Preferred Citation

Henkel Family Papers, Accession #8653-c, Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

This collection was given to the Library on November 6, 1935 by Mrs. John Godfrey Miller of New Market, Virginia, in memory of Mr. John Godfrey Miller, through D. H. E. Comstock of Winchester, Virginia.

Scope and Content

This addition to the Henkel family papers contains 225 items (3 Hollinger boxes; 1 linear shelf foot), 1791-1885, chiefly the correspondence of David Henkel (1795-1831) and other members of the family, manuscripts concerning religion and printing, notebooks relating to medical or scholastic subjects, and miscellaneous family papers. The Henkel family of New Market, Virginia, operated the Henkel printing press which became the most important bilingual printing establishment for German Lutherans in the states of Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina during the nineteenth century. For more information concerning the contributions of the Henkel family to the printing of religious works and preaching in the Lutheran Church, consult Klaus Wust's "Guide to the Henkel Family Papers " and Christopher L. Dolinetsch's book, The German Press of the Shenandoah Valley.

Most of the early correspondence, [1812]-1823, consists of letters of David Henkel to his brother, Solomon Henkel (1777-1847), or other family members, and generally concern the publication plans for religious books, pamphlets, and hymnals, his travels as a Lutheran preacher, Biblical exegesis, book sales, Lutheran synodical affairs, Lutheran doctrine, and revisions of Henkel publications. All of David Henkel's letters are in German script unless otherwise noted.

The following list of letters from David Henkel to his brother Solomon usually include brief content notes: fragment ( [1812] ); hymnal publication (Oct. 12, 1812); travel and news of South Carolina (Nov. 10, 1812); Biblical passages (Apr. 29, 1813); book orders (Jun. 17, 1813); content unknown (Jun. 19 and Oct. 21, 1813); in English, a long discourse on religious ideas, especially concerning the errors of the Calvinists and other sects (Jan. 15, 1814); in English, the need for many English Christian catechisms in the South (Jun. 28, 1815); book orders (Jul. 24, 1816 and Apr. 30, 1817); content unknown (Mar. 10 and May 22, 1817 ); in English, David advises Solomon not to print any more German hymnals and that the Synod has appointed him as a missionary to the West Tennessee area (Oct. 29 , 1817 ); publishing and theological writing (Jan. 23, 1818); travel plans and book orders from Europe (Jun. 17, 1818); book sales and travel plans to Louisiana (Aug. 21, 1818); David's aborted trip to Louisiana and his travels as a guest preacher in the Carolinas (Dec. 4, 1818); potential lawsuits over printing delays ard synodical matters (flay 31, 1819); synodical controversy (Aug. 9, 1819); printing (Jan. 27, 1820); proposed constitution for a German Society and publishing projects (Apr. 7, 1820); sales of ABC books (Jul. 7, 1820); proposal to puplish a book of Lutheran doctrine and belief (Aug. 9, 1820); outline of points to be included in a projected book (Oct. 3, 1820); committee report and findings regarding David Henkel and synodical affairs (Oct. 28, 1820); in English, news that the North Carolina synod is in great confusion and the necessity of a visit to all the churches (Oct. 29, 1820); hymnal orders and synodical matters, especially in Tennessee (Dec. 18, 1820 and Feb. 10, 1821); revisions and printing orders (Feb. 23 and Mar. 1, 1821); content unknown (Apr. 12, 1821); synod business, especially in Tennessee (Apr. 17, Jun. 9 and 23, 1821); cook orders (Jul. 9, 1821); hymnal orders, writing projects and synodical matters (Aug. 2, 1821); content unknown (Oct. 5, 1821); travels and book distribution (Nov. 29, 1821); fiscal affairs of the synod (Dec. 17, 1821); selections from the Catechism in both German and English and other religious writings (Jan. 31, 1822); the book business and church matters (Mar. 1, 1822); content unknown (Mar. 19, 1822); distribution of ABC books (Apr. 13, 1822); proposal to publish hymnal (May 30, 1822); business transactions (Jun. 25, 1822); consideration of whether to move to New Market (Aug. 9, 1822); tithing (Nov. 18, 1822); synodical matters (Nov. 24, 1822); book business and travel west to Kentucky and Tennessee (May 5, 1823); content unknown (May 11, [n. y.]); publishing proposal, including a tract on baptism (Dec. 25, [n. y.]); and Lutheran doctrine.

David Henkel's letters to others include the following subjects: travel to South Carolina (Apr. 22, 1813); various writings in progress (Dec. 1, 1815) and with content unknown (Feb. 22, 1815; Apr. 23, 1816; and Oct. 30, 1820).

The other major group of letters consists of the correspondence of the Henkel family . Most of this correspondence is concerned with the translation and revision of the Book of Concord, or Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church , which was undertaken by the Henkel family as a labor of love for the benerit of the Lutheran Church in the United States. In addition to members of the Henkel family , H. Wetzel and J. R. Moser were employed as translators for the Book of Concord by Solomon D. Henkel and Company . Both men corresponded with members of the Henkel family . Letters written on the following dates discuss their translations: Mar. 20, Apr. 30, and Aug. 18, 1846; Aug. 3 and Dec. 8, 1847; Feb. 4, Mar. 25, and Aug. 25, 1848.

The revision of the Book of Concord, begun in 1851, attracted the services of several well-known Lutheran scholars. Copies of the letters of Samuel G. Henkel and Solomon D. Henkel to these men asking for their help in revising the various sections of the Book of Concord and responding to the corrections and the replies from these scholars compose the majority of the correspondence from 1851-1854. Those scholars who contributed to the second edition include Charles Philip Rrauth of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, W. F. Lehman of Columbus, Ohio, John G. Morris of Baltimore and Charles F. Schaeffer of Easton, Pennsylvania. Letters concerning the work on the second edition of the Book of Concord include: Dec. 22, 24, 28, 30, and 31, 1851; Jan. 6, 12, 13, 15, 16, 21, and 25; Feb. 5 and 13; Mar. 2, 4, 6, and 27; Apr. 12, 20, and 26; May 18; Jun. 21 and 30; Jul. 23; Aug. 5; Sep. 3, 8, 20, and 22; Nov. 22; and Dec. 15, 1852; Feb. 19; Jun. 20; Jul. 16; and Nov. 1 and 2, 1853, Feb. 8; Mar. 2, 22, and 28; Apr. 3, 7, 14, 18, 21, 24, and 26; May 4, 5, 3, 9, 15, 22, and 30; Jul. 27; Sep. 9, 1854; and Sep. 17, n. y.

Other subjects include: the death of Solomon D. Henkel (Nov. 23, 1847); the Lutheran ministry (Feb. 23, 1848, and Aug. 1849); the translation of the Book of Concord (Aug. 11, 1848; Jan. 20, 1849; Feb. 13, 1849; Nov. 12, 1851; Mar. 22 and 29, 1853); various synodical affairs (Jun. 24, 1848; Dec. 5, 1851; Jan. 30, 1852; Apr. 28, May 2, and Aug. 31, 1853; and Sep. 21, 1857); deeds of the old Benner land in Albemarle County, Virginia (Dec. 21, 1849); publication of a translation of Luther's Church Postil, a series of sermons on the epistles of the Church Year (Oct. 29 and Llov. 4, 1356; and Apr. 29, 1857) and medical cases (Aug. 6, 1866; Dec. 13, 1880; and Apr. 9, 1885).

Other materials in this collection include notebooks kept by Samuel G. Henkel during the time he studied to be a physician, especially on nosology, osteology and myology. There are also German and English manuscripts concerning Lutheran doctrine, Biblical exegesis, commentaries, a catechistic tract, religious adages, religious treatises, synodical affairs, sermons, a translation of the "Apologia of the Confession " and "The Lesser Catechism of the Eminent Martin Luther ". There are also papers concerning the General and Tennessee Synod of the Lutheran Church and the translation of the revision of the Book of Concord.

Organization

The Henkel Family papers are organized in three series: I. Correspondence (which is arranged chronologically); II. Notebooks; III. manuscripts. The third series is further subdivided into German and English manuscripts.