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Papers of William Bailey, Accession # 10586, Special Collections Dept., University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.
This collection was purchased by the Library on February 16, 1984, from the Book Press of Williamsburg, Virginia.
This collection consists of items pertaining to William Bailey, John Sims, and William H. Sims of Halifax County Virginia. Correspondence, legal and financial papers, ledgers, commonplace books, a farm journal, a manuscript for an 1826 speech, and papers regarding Episcopal High School and Halifax Academy comprise the bulk of the collection. The collection consists of material generated by Bailey's dry goods and tobacco business, operated under several names, including Bailey & Young, Bailey & Clark, and William Bailey & Co., at Halifax Court House. The correspondence, financial records, and legal papers deal primarily with the sale of tobacco and general merchandise between 1800 and 1850. Most of the tobacco sold by Bailey was shipped from Halifax Court House to Richmond. Many of the financial and legal documents contain information regarding slaves, most of whom were owned by William Bailey or William Sims. Included are birth dates of slaves, mothers' names, bills of sale, agreements for the hire of slaves, tax lists, and records of tobacco production. A farm journal, 1855, gives a daily account of work done by slaves at William Sims' "River" and "House" farms. A list of items pertaining to Afro-Americans appears at the end of this guide.
The correspondence, 1820-1888, is primarily letters to William Bailey concerning his mercantile and tobacco business, financial matters, land dealings, and family news. Other topics mentioned in Bailey's correspondence include: a bishop's "slandering" of Robert Hurt; the Roanoke Navigation Company; a nephew recently settled in Fayette County, Tennessee; a dispute over the sale of a slave named Paulina (see list of material pertaining to Afro-Americans at end of guide); and a mill in Danville. Other letters, 1864-1865, addressed to William H. Sims, concern the Civil War and the procurement of food from Sims' store. One letter (September 12, 1864) R. H. Fitzhugh to Sims, mentions securing supplies for Fitzhugh's family, the evacuation of Atlanta, and a conference attended by Fitzhugh with Generals Jeremy Francis Gilmer, John C. Pemberton, and George Washington Custis Lee on contemplated changes in General Lee's troop dispositions.
The legal papers, 1806-1878, include deeds of trust, bonds, articles of copartnership, deeds, wills, summonses, and court orders. Most of the legal documents involve William Bailey or William Bailey & Co. Among the papers are three partnership agreements between Bailey and others (including John Clark, John H. Clark, and Clark Coleman) for a mercantile establishment at Halifax Court House and for a mill; an unsigned deed for land for a site for an Episcopal Church in the parish of Antrim; bonds for deputies; a deed for shares in the Roanoke Navigation Company; a 1773 plat of a tract bought by his father, William Sims, from John Randolph, father of John Randolph of Roanoke; a deed in which a wife was questioned separately from her husband before witnesses as to whether she wished to sell her inheritance; a deed of trust in which Reuben Lacy signed away any rights to his wife's inheritance.
The financial papers, 1800-1871, include receipts, notes, and accounts, primarily of William Bailey or his dry goods and tobacco business. Also included in this section are financial and legal documents of estates for which Bailey served as executor, mill accounts, receipts of "overseers of the poor," collections of bonds due Bailey, and tax lists for several years.
The miscellaneous section includes items pertaining to Halifax Academy, for which Bailey served as treasurer, and Episcopal High School; two prescriptions, including one "For The Collick in Horses"; an account of a visit to the 1876 Centennial in Philadelphia; a speech by John H. Clark in the fall of 1826 at Halifax Court House; and several printed items. Included in the material pertaining to Halifax Academy are receipts, student accounts, lists of students and subjects studied, as well as a legal document establishing Halifax Academy. Items pertaining to Episcopal High School include a printed list of school prizes for scholarship, an examination schedule, and several compositions and class exercises by student William B. Sims.
There are eight bound volumes present, dating from 1805 to 1871. Two, 1823-1825 and 1830-1846, are William Bailey's or his firm's records and include accounts and a list of debts owed the firm. Three ledgers, 1805-1828, 1829-1869, and 1830-1852, of John Sims and William H. Sims are present. The first, 1805-1828, belonging to John Sims, includes accounts as well as several "lists of Negroes" and of "Negroes hired out" between 1804 and 1828, and prescriptions for the treatment of "poch" and "clap." A second ledger, 1829-1869, of John Sims and William H. Sims, contains accounts as well as "Lists of Negroes," 1834-1853, which contain birth dates and mothers' names. The third ledger, 1830-1852, of John Sims, contains blacksmith accounts with receipts, accounts, and a "list of Negroes the 1st April 1822" laid in, listing birth dates and names of mothers. A farm journal, January-August, 1855, belonging to William H. Sims, gives a daily account of farming activities, primarily the raising of tobacco, at "the River" and "the House," including the division of labor between men and women and children. The last two bound volumes are a commonplace book, 1855-1856, of Sallie Bettie Tayloe, containing poems written by friends, and a commonplace and composition book, 1871, kept by William B. Sims, while a student at Episcopal High School.
This collection has been divided into 5 series: I) Correspondence; II) Legal Papers; III) Financial Papers; IV)Miscellaneous; and V) Bound Volumes. Items within each series are in chronological order.
The following items are pertaining to Afro-Americans:
ALS, 1847 Apr 10, Howsin Bailey to William Bailey, re increasing price of slaves in Memphis.
ALS, 1847 Jun 7, Joseph Pointer to William Bailey, re returning slave named Paulina to Bailey because of disease.
ALS, 1847 Oct 5, C. H. Jordon to William Bailey, states that Paulina "is in advanced state of pregnancy."
ALS, 1847 Oct 6, William Bailey to Joseph Pointer, states that Paulina is pregnant, not diseased, and therefore belongs to Pointer according to their contract.
The following items are pertaining to Afro-Americans:
ALS, n.y. Aug 3, T.G. Green to Col. Bailey, re a slave who ran away after being whipped.
ALS, n.d., W. Craddock to William Bailey, re allowing Jefferey and his wife to spend the remainder of their lives together.
ALS, n.d., ( ? ) to William Bailey, sends a list of Bailey's servants.
The following items are pertaining to Afro-Americans:
1807 Aug 15, deed of trust, John Clark & Co. from David Pearson, lists "one Negro boy named Charles" as part of property to be held in trust.
1809 Jan 2, bond between Robert and John Smallman and Robert Harress or William Bailey (gaurdian of William and Betsey Hundley), for hire of slave; lists clothing to be provided.
The following items are pertaining to Afro-Americans:
1814 Nov 9 & 1817 May 18, deed of trust, Richard Stanaby to Bailey & Co., lists "one negro felloe named Pompey" as part of property to be held in trust.
The following items are pertaining to Afro-Americans:
1824 Nov 30, deed of trust, Branch Talley & wife to William Bailey & Co., lists "three Negros, Jessee Bettey and Viney" as part of property to be held in trust.
1825 Jun 9, J. Hardaway Chandler to R. Abbott, note "for hire of 4 Negroes belonging to the estate of Sarah Fulkerson."
1826 Jun 16, deed of trust, Oril Chandler to William Bailey & Co., lists "right and interest in the negros and other property that the said Oril Chandler may have in the State of John Faulkerson dec'd which falls to him the said Oril Chandler at the death of Sarah Faulkerson in Right of his wife Deborah."
1827 Nov 4, deed of trust, Richard Jeffress to William Bailey & Co., lists "one negro boy William One negro boy Gent" as property to be held in trust.
1829 Mar 4, deed of trust, John Murphy to Bailey, listing slaves as security.
The following item is pertaining to Afro-Americans:
1839, copy of document, Neal vs. Brown, details slaves to settle an estate.
The following items are pertaining to Afro-Americans:
1852 Dec 25, bond, William Bailey to Beverly R. Fleming, committee for Mary A. Hall, "for hire of a negro man named Sydnor."
n.d., register of dower slaves and other slaves belonging to Janet Robertson (widow of John Murphy?), including those lent to her daughter Mary Murphy.
The following items are pertaining to Afro-Americans:
1822, Mess'rs. William Bailey & Co. to William Leigh, re lawyer's fees, including fee for "defending Maj. Bailey's slave."
1826, "Acct of the hire of Cocks __ Negroes for the yr. 1826 and due Xmas 1826" & "Acct of the sales of Herbert Cocks __ Negroes made the 29th day Dec 1826" lists names of slaves, amount paid, and name of purchaser or hirer.
The following item is pertaining to Afro-Americans:
Papers re Samuel Williams, 1827 Mar 1, account, Samuel Williams with William Bailey, lists fee for "hire Jack."
The following items are pertaining to Afro-Americans:
1831 Nov 1, "Estate of John Hill in account current with William Bailey, Executor", includes payment for hire and purchase of 2 female slaves.
1836 Jul 14, bond for hire of Negro woman Lucy by Henry H. Morris.
Papers re John Murphy: 1832 Dec 25, list of bonds due for slaves belonging to the estate of John Murphy; 1836 Sep 21, account, estate of John Murphy to William Pleasants, lists treatments and costs for slaves.
Papers re John Hill: 1833 Sep 21, receipt, Fielding Williams to William Bailey, executor of John Hill, for hire of slaves.
The following items are pertaining to Afro-Americans:
1840 Jan 1, statement, William Bailey to John Buntin, Jr., "including $15 fr taking up 3 Negroes."
1843 Oct 1, statement, Col. William Bailey with B. Pleasants, dentist's bill for treating slaves.
1844 Oct 14, statement, Col. William Bailey with John Bunting, Jr., "to taking up three negroes."
1847 Jun 29, receipt, Joseph Pointer to William Bailey, for return of slave Paulina, whom Pointer believed to be diseased and whom he had purchased from Bailey.
Papers re John Murphy: 1842 Oct 14, account of estate of John Murphy, sales and hire of slaves are listed.
The following items are pertaining to Afro-Americans:
1852, list of William Bailey property, Murphy & Co., including number of slaves.
1854, list of taxable property of William Bailey, lists number of slaves.
1856, list of property, lists names of slaves.
1857, Dec 17, statement, William Bailey in account with C. J. Randolph, dentist's bill for treating slaves.
1859 Mar 7, statement, William Bailey in account with C. J. & J. W. Craddock, doctor's bill, includes treatment of slaves.
Papers re John Murphy: 1859, servants tobacco account, lists amount of tobacco and price paid for each slave and amount paid for fodder to each slave.
The following items are pertaining to Afro-Americans:
1861, list of taxable property of Wiliam Bailey, lists number of slave.
n.d., list of food wanted by slaves (listed by name) and list of tobacco production of slaves by name.
The following items are pertaining to Afro-Americans:
1805-1828, ledger, John Sims, includes several "lists of Negroes" and "Negroes hired out" for 1805 and 1820-1828.
The following items are pertaining to Afro-Americans:
1829-1869, ledger, John Sims and Wlliam H. Sims, contains "Lists of Negroes" with birth dates and mothers' names, 1834-1853.
The following items are pertaining to Afro-Americans:
1830-1852, ledger, John Sims, "a list of Negroes the 1st April 1822" laid in with birth dates and names of mothers.
The following items are pertaining to Afro-Americans:
1855 Jan-Aug, farm journal, William H. Sims, daily account of farming activities at "the River" and "the House"; division of tasks between men and women and children noted; records crops grown by slaves, "holy days," and church activities.