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Inventory of the Richard H. Patchin Papers, 1829-1902 Richard H. Patchin Papers, Mss. 2008.57

Inventory of the Richard H. Patchin Papers, 1829-1902

A Collection in the
Special Collections Research Center
Accession Number Mss. 2008.57


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Earl Gregg Swem Library, College of William and Mary

Special Collections
Earl Gregg Swem Library
College of William and Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia 23187-8794
USA
Phone: (757) 221-3090
Fax: (757) 221-5440
Email: spcoll@wm.edu
URL: http://swem.wm.edu/scrc/

© 2008 By the College of William and Mary. All rights reserved.

Processed by: Sarah M. Dorpinghaus

Repository:
Special Collections Research Center
Identification:
Mss. Acc. 2008.57
Title:
Richard H. Patchin Papers 1829-1902 1860-1890
Quantity:
4.00 Boxes
Creator:
Richard H. Patchin; Patchin, John; Patchin, Leah; Stevens, Sarah.
Language of Materials
The papers are in: English
Abstract:
The Richard H. Patchin papers largely includes accounts of Patchin’s daily activities and personal reflections. Correspondence and professional documents also make up a portion of the collection. The materials document Patchin’s work as a teacher, farmer, clothing sales clerk, and lecturer in and around Marlborough, New York during the mid and late 19th century. The documents also address religion, relationships, business activities, and personal aspirations. Some of Patchin's writings suggest that he had periods of mental instability that appear to have increased with age.

Biographical Note

Richard H. Patchin worked as a teacher, farmer, clothing sales clerk, and lecturer in New York during the 1870s.

Scope and Contents

The Richard H. Patchin papers largely includes accounts of Patchin’s daily activities and personal reflections. Correspondence and professional documents also make up a portion of the collection. The materials document Patchin’s work as a teacher, farmer, clothing sales clerk, and lecturer in and around Marlborough, New York during the mid and late 19th century. The documents also address religion, relationships, business activities, and personal aspirations. Some of Patchin's writings suggest that he had periods of mental instability that appear to have increased with age.

Arrangement of Materials

The materials are arranged in nine series: Personal Writings, Correspondence, Teaching, Business, Poetry and Lyrics, Public Lectures, Miscellaneous Materials, Bound Volumes, and Photographs. Within each series folders are arranged chronologically with undated and miscellaneous material placed last. The Public Lectures series has two subseries: Lectures and Notes and Ephemera.

Index Terms

    Genre/Form of Material:

  • Account books
  • Certificates
  • Clippings
  • Diaries
  • Invoices

    • Occupation:

  • Farmer
  • Lecturer
  • Teacher

    • Topical Term:

  • Mental illness--United States.
  • New York (N.Y.)--History--19th century.

Information About Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open to all researchers.

Conditions Governing Use

Before publishing quotations or excerpts from any materials, permission must be obtained from the Curator of Manuscripts and Rare Books, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Preferred Citation

Richard H. Patchin Papers, Accession # Mss. 2008.57, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Processing Information

Machine-readable finding aid derived from MS Word, created by Sarah M. Dorpinghaus.

Significant Persons Associated With the Collection

  • Patchin, John;
  • Patchin, Leah;
  • Richard H. Patchin;
  • Stevens, Sarah.
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Detailed Description of the Collection

Box 1
  • Personal Writings,
    1857-1898 and undated
    • Folder 1: Religion,
      1857-1894,

      reflections of the role of religion in patchin's life and his ambitions to become more religious

    • Folder 2: Mental health,
      1863-1889 and undated,

      writings about the state of his mental health

    • Folder 3: Occupations,
      1864-1871,

      thoughts about his various professions- a majority of the documents focus on his teaching and farming career

    • Folder 4: Marriage,
      1864-1875 and undated,

      writings on Patchin's relationships with women, especially finding a suitable wife

    • Folder 5: Mother,
      1866-1871 and undated,

      reflections on Patchin’s mother, whom he finds frustrating and irritating

    • Folder 6: Acquaintances,
      1870-1880,

      documentation of friends and acquaintances, often detailing the times when people are unkind to Patchin

    • Folder 7: Miscellaneous,
      1863-1898,

      writings about Patchin’s daily activities, goals, and decisions

  • Correspondence,
    1832-1902
    • Folder 8: Letters to Richard Patchin from others,
      1832-1902,

      A majority of these letters are from Patchin’s mother, sister, and brother. Also included are several response letters from school board members whom Patchin contacted in hopes of securing a teaching position.

    • Folder 9: Letters to others from Richard Patchin,
      1853-1884,

      including letters asking for employment, requesting money, and letters to the editors of several newspapers correcting errors noted in previous issues

    • Folder 10: Letters to Leah Patchin (mother) and Sarah Stevens (sister) from Richard Patchin,
      1843-1863,

      provide insight to the period before Patchin’s writings became more eccentric

    • Folder 11: Letters to Leah Patchin (mother) from others,
      1844-1868
    • Folder 12: Letters to Richard Patchin from family,
      1846-1861
    • Folder 13: Envelopes,
      undated,

      included with Patchin’s papers, but were separated from the letters that they held

  • Teaching,
    1846-1879,

    documents relating to Patchin’s teaching career in Ulster and Orange counties, New York

    • Folder 14: Compositions,
      1846 and undated
    • Folder 15: Licenses and contracts,
      1847-1879
    • Folder 16: Notes,
      1857-1870 and undated,

      of a reflective nature about daily issues as a teacher, such as student behavior and lesson plans, as well as personal reflections

    • Folder 17: Letters of recommendation,
      1863 and undated
Box 2
  • Business,
    1849-1889
    • Folder 1: Receipts and invoices,
      1849-1881 and undated
    • Folder 2: Licenses, certificates, and contracts,
      1850-1897 and undated,

      hand-written business contracts and city-issued peddler’s licenses

    • Folder 3: Accounts,
      1856-1881 and undated
    • Folder 4: Daily notes (folder 1),
      1863-1889 and undated
    • Folder 5: Daily notes (folder 2),
      1863-1889 and undated
    • Folder 6: Business philosophy,
      1863-1889 and undated
    • Folder 7: Hired help,
      1868-1872
    • Folder 8: Farming,
      1868-1875 and undated
    • Folder 9: Clothing,
      1881-1888 and undated
    • Folder 10: Miscellaneous,
      1856-1888 and undated,

      the majority are scraps of paper on which Patchin used for business calculations

Box 3
  • Poetry and Lyrics,
    1846-1880 and undated
    • Folder 1: “Clothing Song” materials,
      undated
    • Folder 2: Darius Green and his Flying-Machine”,
      undated
    • Folder 3: Various poems,
      1846-1880 and undated
  • Public Lectures,
    1870-1898
    • Lectures
      1870-1898
      • Folder 4: “The Characteristics for the Highest Human Happiness,”
        1871
      • Folder 5: “Variation and Variety,”
        1871
      • Folder 6: “Miscellanies,”
        1883 and undated
      • Folder 7: “Debate over the American Indian,”
        1898 and undated
      • Folder 8: Crusades,
        undated
      • Folder 9: “Anecdotes,”
        undated
      • Folder 10: “A Little of Several Things,”
        undated
      • Folder 11: Order,
        undated
      • Folder 12: Various,
        undated,

        Various lectures written by Patchin.

    • Notes and Ephemera,
      1870-1882
      • Folder 13: Notes and reflections,
        1870-1882 and undated
      • Folder 14: Handbill notes,
        1871-1881
Box 4
  • Public Lectures, continued,
    1870-1879 and undated
    • Notes and Ephemera, continued,
      1870-1879 and undated
      • Folder 1: Temperance notes,
        1870-1879 and undated
      • Folder 2: Printed handbills,
        undated
  • Miscellaneous Materials,
    undated
    • Folder 3: Miscellaneous materials,
      undated
  • Bound Volumes,
    1829-1881 and undated
    • Folder 4: Newspaper clippings,
      1829 and undated
    • Folder 5: Notes and newspaper clippings,
      1859-1881 and undated
    • Folder 6: Notes,
      undated
  • Photographs,
    undated
    • Folder 7: Unidentified man,
      undated,

      possibly Richard H. Patchin