Administrative Information

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open to all researchers.

Conditions Governing Use

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Preferred Citation

Offley Family Papers, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Acquisition Information

The materials were acquired by Special Collections Research Center on 05/05/2008.

Biographical Note

John Holmes Offley, the son of David Offley and Mary Ann Greer Offley, was born at Brooke Court-House, Virginia on 13 October 1802.  Educated in Philadelphia, he first traveled to Smyrna (Izmir), Turkey in 1815 where his father, David Offley, had established the first American commercial firm, Woodmans and Offley, in the Levant.  John Holmes Offley later entered into a commercial partnership at Trieste with his brother Richard Jones Offley (Richard & John Holmes Offley Co.).  He later served as a ship chandler, contracted to provide provisions for the American squadron then stationed in the Mediterranean. John Holmes Offley returned to the United States with his family in 1835.  He served, for a time, as the Inspector of Customs for the port of New York City.  He moved to Georgetown in Washington, D.C. in 1838.  After serving on special assignment for the U.S. War Department, he was appointed as Corresponding Clerk in the U.S. War Department, and later saw service as the Acting Chief Clerk of the U.S. War Department.  He served as vestryman for St. Johns Episcopal Church of Georgetown from 1840 until the time of his death.  It was at that church that he married Catherine Van Rensselaer Heaton (1806-1887) on 22 September 1823.  John Holmes Offley died on 20 December 1845. Further information about this individual or organization may be available in the Special Collections Research Center Wiki: <a href="http://scrc.swem.wm.edu/wiki/index.php/John Holmes Offley">http://scrc.swem.wm.edu/wiki/index.php/John Holmes Offley</a>.

Scope and Contents

This collection details the history of the Offley Family from 1826 to 1916 through correspondences, diaries, photographs and personal effects.  Its creators include multiple generations of Offleys and their associates.  The papers provide insight into the daily life of the era as well as major geopolitical events such as the Greek War of Independence,  the Spanish-American War, the Philippine-American War, the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake,  and World War I.  Many of the Offleys served in the United States armed forces.  The collection also includes photographs of individuals unrelated to, but, of the same era as, the Offley Family.

Arrangement of Materials

This collection is arranged into twelve series centered around creators.  Series One through Five detail the correspondences, diaries, photographs, and personal effects of J.H. Offley, R.S. Offley, C.N. Offley, and E.M. Offley.  E.M. Offley's papers comprise the bulk of the collection.  Series Six covers the diary of Deborah H.R. Priestly, a relative of the Offleys.  Series Seven examines the diary of L.P. Corr, an associate of the Offleys.  Series Eight consists of a correspondence between R.P. Hobson and an unspecified Offley.  Series Nine contains photographs of the Young Family.  Series Ten includes a photograph of Cleland Kinloch Nelson.  Series Eleven consists of two photographs ascribed to Herman Schreier.  Series Twelve consists of papers and photographs with unknown creators.

Index Terms

Genre/Form of Material:

• Correspondence
• Diaries
• Photographs

Geographic Name:

• California--History--1850-1950.
• Greece--History--War of Independence, 1821-1829

Topical Term:

• Diplomatic and consular service.
• Philippines--History
• Spanish-American War, 1898
• United States. Army--Appointments, promotions, salaries, etc.
• United States. Navy--History--19th century.
• United States. Navy--History--20th century.
• World War, 1914-1918.

Additional Information