A Guide to the Papers of Creed Taylor
A Collection in the
Special Collections Department
Accession number 1232, 1398
![[logo]](http://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaead/logos/uva-sc.jpg)
Special Collections, University of Virginia Library
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections LibraryUniversity of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110
USA
Phone: (434) 243-1776
Fax: (434) 924-4968
Reference Request Form: https://small.lib.virginia.edu/reference-request/
URL: http://small.library.virginia.edu/
© 2016 By the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia. All rights reserved.
Processed by: Special Collections Staff
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Use Restrictions
See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.
Preferred Citation
Papers of Creed
Taylor
, 1791-1873, Accession #1232, #1398, Special Collections,
University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.
Acquisition Information
The library acquired this collection through gift and purchase in 1941 and 1942.
Biographical/Historical Information
Chancellor Creed
Taylor
of "Needham," was a lawyer and judge of the Superior Court of Chancery for the Richmond, Virginia. His estate, Needham,
is located in southern Cumberland County, Virginia near the Farmville town limits. It was the site of the first proprietary
law school (1821-ca.1830) in the state of Virginia, the state's second law school and the fourth in the U. S.
Scope and Content
The collection contains information on plantation life at Taylor's
"Needham" and Judith Randolph's "Bizarre;" legal and financial matters; Virginia politics and the Republican Party; the law
school maintained at "Needham" by
Taylor
; the Virginia Literary Fund to support public education; the division of Fincastle County, Va., in 1799; James Monroe's presidential
bid of 1808; and cases before the Superior Court of Chancery, including one involving William W. Hening
Other topics include the Virginia-Kentucky boundary dispute of 1803; the necessity of a Republican university education (Eldred
Simkins); a Virginia state bank (John Taylor
of Caroline); a book endorsement; the Mutual Assurance Society (Alexander McRae); changes in the Virginia judicial system
(Archibald Stuart, ); judicial procedure (Dabney Carr); residency requirements for judges of courts of chancery (Robert Nelson,
William Nelson); safety of court records in war time (Archibald Thweatte); Mordecai's school in Warrenton (Samuel
Taylor
); the sale of Thomas Mann Randolph's estate and Randolph's distrust of Francis Walker Gilmer's motives;
Taylor's
incipient problem with alcohol (Samuel
Taylor
, 1828 February 27).
Also of interest are letters concerning the binding out of a free black youth (John Michaux, Nat Dodson) and the disposition
of Taylor's
property and the fate of his slave Rhody and her family (Samuel
Taylor
1826 August. 28).
In a note, 1802 February 1, James Monroe sends a publication. In a letter fragment, ca. 1808, Monroe suggests corrections
in the wording of an endorsement of his presidential bid by Taylor
. In a letter, 1811 Janaury 21, he writes re the appointment of a Mr. Robinson to an unnamed position. In a letter, 1813 January
4,
Taylor
writes to Monroe recommending the appointment of William Randolph as Captain.
In a letter, 1813 January 4, James Madison writes re the appointment of R. M. Chapman as clerk of the Chancery Court at Fredericksburg.
There are several letters from admirers concerning Creed's
Journal of the Law School including one from Thomas Jefferson,1823 March 24.
In addition the collection contains accounts of Creed
Taylor
as executor of Beverley Randolph.
The collection also contains the diaries, 1852-1856, of Jennette Knickerbocker, a Madison County, New York school teacher, as well as her correspondence with Albert Howard, Jr. The 1852 diary describes her year at an institute in Cazenovia, N.Y. (Cazenovia College?).
Contents List
Typed transcript of three letters by Judith Randolph.
4 pp.; incomplete.