Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials. Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction. Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], John Howe Peyton Letter, Ms1977-001, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The John Howe Peyton Letter was acquired by Special Collection prior to 1977.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the John Howe Peyton Letter was completed prior to 2010. Additional description was completed in November 2010.

Biographical Note

John Howe Peyton was born in Stony Hill, Stafford County, Virginian on April 3, 1778. He attended the College of New Jersey at Princeton, graduated in 1797. He passed the bar and became a lawyer in 1799, focusing on criminal law. He worked as deputy US Attorney for the western district of Virginia. He turned down several nominations, one to congress in 1820 and a judgeship in 1824. He later became a state senator (1839-45), and founder of the Virginia Female Institute at Staunton. In 1840, he was appointed a visitor to the United States military academy, and he wrote the report of that year. For ten years he was president of the board of directors of the Western Virginia lunatic asylum. He was a member of the Whig party. He died in 1847.

He married Susanna Smith Madison (1780-1820) in 1802, and after her death married Ann Elizabeth Lewis (1802-1850).

He had a son, John Lewis, born in Staunton, Virginia, 15 September 1824, who graduated from the law department of the University of Virginia in 1845.

Scope and Contents

The collecton consists of a letter from Peyton in Staunton to his first wife's mother, Elizabeth Preston Madison (1762-1837) at Fotheringay, Montgomery County, Virginia, and contains information about the family and personal concerns.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Local/Regional History and Appalachian South
• Montgomery County (Va.)

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the John Howe Peyton Letter by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).