Use Restrictions

Permission to publish material from Litchfield Family Household Ledger must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.

Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Litchfield Family Household Ledger, Ms2013-008, Special Collections, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Acquisition Information

The Litchfield Family Household Ledger was purchased by Special Collections in 2012.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Litchfield Family Household Ledger was completed in February 2013.

Biographical Note

While the creator of the household ledger is unknown, the likely candidate is Elizabeth Pannill Peirce Litchfield (1843-1892). She married George Victor Litchfield in November 1867. A list of plants in the ledger is attributed to Mary Litchfield (abt. 1828-1906), likely George's sister, who lived with the family.

Sources:

Rootsweb. http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=woodrow_wilson&id=I01868

Find A Grave website. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=57268485

Scope and Content

The collection consists of a handwritten collection of recipes, household accounts, and schoolwork. In addition to recipes for pickles and preserving, cakes, puddings, breads, and meats, there are also directions for home products like furniture polish, and lists of greenhouse plants. There are several pages of questions and answers relating to European history, indicating the ledger may have also been used for school assignments.

A dated list in the back of the ledger suggests it was at least partially created around 1877. Some household accounts included date to the late 1880s. The inside cover contains the name "Mrs. G. V. Litchfield," likely Elizabeth P. Litchfield, wife of George Victor. A list of plants in the ledger is attributed to Mary Litchfield. According to the 1880 census, Mary was the sister of George and was living in his home around this time. The variety of content and different handwritings suggest both women, and possibly other family members, may have contributed to the ledger over time.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• History of Food and Drink
• Local/Regional History and Appalachian South
• Women -- History