Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred Citation

Cocke and Related Family Papers, Accession 2433-ad, Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library

Acquisition Information

These two collections were given to the University of Virginia Library by Mrs. John Page Elliot of Charlottesville, Virginia, on June 1 and September 3, 1993.

Funding Note

Funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities

Scope and Content

The Cocke - Elliot Family papers contain ca. 15,000 items (41 Hollinger boxes, ca. 17 linear feet and four oversize folders), ca. 1773-1992, and consist largely of personal and family correspondence, financial and legal papers, memorabilia, bound volumes, and genealogical and historical research material pertaining to the Cocke , Elliot , and related families from the colonial period through the twentieth century, assembled by John Page Elliot .

The correspondence consists chiefly of the letters of Betty Page Cocke (1872-1973), a prominent resident of Charlottesville, Virginia , and those of her sister, Lucy Hamilton (Cocke) Elliot (1876-1969), descendants of General John Hartwell Cocke . The collection also includes some correspondence of John Hartwell Cocke (1780-1866), 1853 Mar 9, 1856 Nov 4; General Phillip St. George   Cocke (1809-1861), John Bowdoin Cocke (1836-1889), John Tucker Bowdoin Cocke (1871-1951), Bettie Burwell (Page) Cocke (1841-1900), Mary Louise Cocke (1868-1966), Milton Courtwright Elliot (1879-1928), John Page Elliot (1913-1992), George   H. Venable (1864 Mar 16), and other members of the Cocke and Elliot families.

Early letters of interest include many during the courtship and marriage of John Bowdoin Cocke and Bettie Burwell Page (1860s-1870s); Bettie Burwell Page offering her services and those of a Miss Taylor to the Confederate Secretary of the Treasury (1862 Oct 3); a letter to Bettie Burwell Page concerning her participation in a ceremony to honor the Confederate dead (1866 Jul 18); John Bowdoin Cocke to his wife Bettie describing the release of Jefferson Davis from prison (1867 May); and Betty Page Cocke to General G.H. Bridges concerning the Civil War record of her grandfather Philip St. George   Cocke (1892 Dec 2).

The letters of Lucy Hamilton (Cocke) Elliot consist of correspondence with family and friends, and contain a series of courtship letters written from about 1890 through 1906 by several University of Virginia students, including Basil Jones , Archibald Watson , R.C. Blackford , Richard S. Whaley , Robert L. Parrish , and Hermann Holst Swift , among others. Several letters written between March and August of 1903 describe a tour of Europe and the Mediterranean made by Lucy Hamilton Cocke and give her observations on the sites she visited, including Gibraltar , Naples , Pompeii , Athens , Constantinople , Alexandria , Cairo , Giza , Luxor , Sicily , Rome , Venice , Florence , Switzerland , Paris , and London .

Also included are letters from Robert L. Parrish which describe his travels in July and August of 1905 to the Grand Canyon , Yosemite Valley , California , the Great Lakes , Canada , and Alaska . The majority of letters circa 1902 -1928 are written by Milton Courtwright Elliot who married Lucy Cocke in 1906. The correspondence contains letters written to and from Lucy and Milton Elliot's two sons, Warren Grice Elliot and John Page Elliot , as well as letters of sympathy received on the death of Milton Elliot in 1928. The later letters of Lucy Cocke Elliot are mainly to and from members of the Cocke family , especially her sister Betty Page Cocke with whom she resided after the death of her husband Milton, and also include a continued correspondence with Hermann Holst Swift .

The letters of Betty Page Cocke are considerably more extensive and pertain to her involvement in politics and historic preservation while also containing letters to family and friends. The collection includes letters which outline her active involvement in such organizations as the Robert E. Lee Memorial Foundation , the Woodrow Wilson Foundation , the National Women's Liberty Loan Organization , the Women's Section of the State Council of Defense , the Albemarle County   Historical Society , the Albemarle County   Chapter of the Red Cross , the Women's Organization for Prohibition Reform , and the Virginia War History Commission .

Other topics include letters concerning a trip made by Betty Page Cocke to England in 1937 to view the coronation of King   George   VI and a subsequent tour of Europe during which she injured her hip and had to return home for a long convalescence. Correspondence concerning the involvement of Betty Page Cocke in the settlement of several Cocke family estates include those of Leila B. Cocke , ca. 1925-1930 where Betty acted as the administratrix, Rowena L. Cocke , ca. 1961, and Mazyck Wilson Shields , ca. 1942. These papers describe the sale of items from the plantation of " Bremo , " Fluvanna County  , Virginia , at auction in 1926 and the proposed formation of the Bremo Plantation Inc. from the property of the late Leila B. Cocke . Milton C. Elliot acted as legal representative during the disposition of the estate.

Other correspondents and subjects include: Robert D. Ballantine , who was supposed to have committed suicide partly because Betty Cocke rejected him (17 Nov 1896; 4 Jan and 6 Feb 1897; 25 Oct and 31 Dec 1901), letters describing his travels in Europe for education in music and German, and in India with his family and friends; the illness and death of Bettie Burwell Page Cocke (Aug 1900); lists of and letters by students who lived in the boarding house run by Betty Cocke (1961-1964); and Thomas Nelson Page to "Miss Cocke" (2 Dec 1902) concerning her request to "hear him read for her." Letters concerning artwork include: several to John Bowdoin Cocke about the sale of a Napoleon miniature by Jean Baptiste Isabey (July-Oct 1879); and the disposition of the equestrian portrait of General Scott painted by Edward Troye from Troye's widow, Cornelia A. Troye (Dec 1874-May 1876); letters from representatives of the Virginia Military Institute to Betty Page Cocke concerning the location of the bust of General Philip St. George   Cocke by Alexander Galt (Sept 30, Oct 7, 24, 31, 1938; and Nov 6, 1939); letters from Bailey and Griffin Inc. , "Importers of Unusual Chintzes," to Betty Cocke about a loan of the heirloom chintz quilt from " Bremo " to have the pattern copied (Oct 25 and Dec 9, 1938; Mar 4, 1939; and Mar 4 and 13, 1940); correspondence of Betty Cocke with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts about the loan of 17th and 18th century silver utensils for an exhibit (Oct 11, 28, and Nov 9, 1940; and Jan 15, 1941).

The letters of Milton C. Elliot are chiefly concerned with business matters, especially those to Betty regarding the buying and selling of property and the Leila B Cocke estate; but also include letters to his sons, John Page Elliot and Warren Grice Elliot in the 1920s while they were boarding students at the Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia , and letters to his wife Lucy before and after their marriage (previously mentioned in connection with Lucy's correspondence). Milton was the toastmaster of the Alfalfa Club in Washington, D.C. in 1919 and some menus and invitations concerning the Alfalfa Club are mixed in with the correspondence.

Other items of interest include letters to Betty Page Cocke which describe the involvement of her friends in World War I, including: a French soldier, A. Murail , thanks Betty Cocke for a Christmas gift (27 Dec 1916); John Skelton Williams ' telegram (6 April 1917) announces that the President had signed the declaration of war; letters from Dr. Hugh H. Young describe his activities as an army doctor, the morale of the soldiers, conditions in France , and meetings with General Pershing (26 Nov 1917; 26, 29 Mar, 10 Jun, and 3 Sep 1918); Corporal Marion S. Dimmock writes to Betty Cocke , describing conditions at the front (June 1918 and 18 Nov 1918); Other letters (30 Aug, 12 Sep, and 30 Nov 1918) written by "Mary P." to Betty Page Cocke describe conditions in France and her work in the offices of the American Fund for French Wounded ; and a description of France during the Armistice (21 Nov 1918).

Correspondence in individual folders includes: circular letters from the Rev. Beverley D. Tucker , 1958-1961, describing his missionary work in Japan , travels to Russia , his personal affairs, and pamphlets about the 1960 construction of St. Michaels Church in Sapporo, Japan ; John Skelton Williams , 1917-1921, about World War I, and his resignation as Comptroller of the Currency, excluding personal letters to the Cocke family chiefly of a social nature which are interfiled in the general correspondence; Edith Bolling Wilson to Lucy Cocke Elliot , 1924-1928, including letters of sympathy on the death of Milton; Woodrow Wilson and Edith Bolling Wilson to Betty Cocke (Edith was a girlhood friend of Betty), including some letters from White House secretaries, 1919-1955, and undated, chiefly of a personal nature except for a transcript of a letter from Woodrow Wilson to the Rector and Visitors at the University of Virginia voicing his opposition to the proposed moving of the Medical School to Richmond (1921 May 30); and letters from Napoleon Drew and family, a former slave at " Belmead . " For photographs of Napoleon Drew see Box 32.

Financial and legal papers includes information about court cases and petitions involving the Cocke family ; letters from Betty Cocke 's stockbrokers, John L. Williams and Sons , concerning stocks in the Seaboard Syndicate , Warner Bros , and the 2nd Bank of the United States ; letters about leases, sales of property, deeds, permits, building contracts and other papers regarding the real estate dealings of Betty Cocke ; Lucy Elliot 's correspondence with S.C. Chancellor , Redland Corporation , and the Xi chapter of the Theta Chi Fraternity ; a permit for liquor purchase during Prohibition (22 Jan 1921); funeral expenses and the finances of the Elliot family after the death of Milton C. Elliot in 1928; Atlantic Coast Railroad Company liens and garnishments, 1933-1938 (separately foldered); specifications for houses by Eugene Brady for Milton Elliot in Charlottesville and Washington, D.C. (which was never built); correspondence regarding the proposed creation of parking spaces in front of the Rotunda to which Betty was bitterly opposed (5 Dec 1941-12 July 1946); and some information about the sale of items from " Bremo , " the settlement of the estate of John Bowdoin Cocke , and the move of his wife and children after his death to Charlottesville (1889-1892). There are also original financial and legal documents from the Browne family and the Blow family in this collection, 1773-1948. The Blow family documents, 1884-1948, chiefly pertain to property belonging to George   Blow in Norfolk, Virginia . The Browne family documents, 1773-1813 and undated, consist of accounts and receipts of Colonel William Browne of " Four Mile Tree Plantation , " Surry County  , Virginia , with John Hay & Company , Kilmarnock Carpet Company , and John Hyndman & Company ; stud fees; and promissory notes.

The genealogical and historical research files were assembled by John Page Elliot (1913-1992), son of Milton C. Elliot and Lucy Cocke Elliot , and include correspondence, notes, genealogical charts and diagrams, photographs of portraits and individuals, printed material from magazines, newsclippings, copies and transcripts of letters, and miscellaneous related material. Most of the original letters have been filed with the correspondence series.

Several original items pertaining to the Cocke family have been interfiled with the rest of the Cocke Family Papers in 640, etc., including: " Belmead " building plans, Box 182 (n.d.); a letter from Buller Cocke to John Hartwell Cocke , August 23, 1820 (Box 32); a bank book of John T. Bowdoin , 1817-1819, with the Bank of the United States , Norfolk (Box 25); a bank book of Philip St. George   Cocke , 1838-1839, with the Exchange Bank of Virginia , Richmond (Box 93); a drawing of a carriage, Box 182 (n.d.); two appointments of Philip St. George   Cocke to Visitor of V.M.I. (1850 May 25 and 1858 May 25), Box 132, and an appointment as an "aide de camp," Box 131, (1850 Feb 22); pedigree for a horse owned by John Hartwell Cocke , Seagate, Box 182 (n.d.); a list of valuables, Box 172, (1865 Mar 13); and a drawing of an "Overseer's Cottage" at " Four Mile Tree Plantation , " Surry County   , possibly by Philip St. George   Cocke , Box 93 (1838).

These genealogical files are arranged alphabetically by the name of the family, individual, or subject. Some files also include information about children and wives under the name of the father. Folders which include photographs, notable correspondents, etc. are listed here:

Barraud Family Portraits - Daniel Cary Barraud (1725-1784?); Ann Barraud Cocke (1785-1816); Ann Blaws Hansford Barraud (1760-1836); Dr. Philip Barraud (1758-1830); Catherine Curle Barraud ; Courtney Bowdoin Cocke Barraud ; and Philip Barraud & Courtney Barraud .

" Belmead , " Powhatan County   -Copies of correspondence re the sale of the plantation in 1892 and copies of correspondence with Fiske Kimball concerning " Belmead "; early photographs, including the house, furniture, furnishings, grounds, the mill, fields, barnyards and barn; a folder concerning " Belmead " after it was sold and became the St. Emma Military Academy for black men.

Blow Family -Photographs of Margaret Blow Elliot (1849-1910); Judge George   Blow (1813-1894); and Elizabeth Taylor Allmand Blow .

Bowdoin Family -Photographs of John Tucker Bowdoin (1787-1821); and Sally Elizabeth Courtney (Bowdoin) Cocke (1815-1872).

" Bremo , " Fluvanna County   -Photographs of " Bremo "; copies of correspondence with Fiske Kimball ; and material pertaining to the auction sale of 1926.

Browne Family -Photographs of Mrs. John Tucker Bowdoin ( Sarah Edwards Browne , 1794-1815); and Mrs. William Browne ( Elizabeth Ruffin , 1771-1799?).

Burwell Family -Photograph of Edmond Bradford Burwell .

Carter Family -Photographs of Mrs. Robert Carter ( Judith Armistead ) and Colonel Robert Carter of " Corotoman . "

Betty Page Cocke -Photographs of Betty Cocke and friends; a University of Virginia graduation scene; St. Paul's Memorial Church , at the University of Virginia ; "Winnie, the colored maid, cook, mammy & friend of Betty Page Cocke and Mary Louise Cocke "; UVA students; the boarding house; and Dr. Charles Minor .

John Bowdoin Cocke -Photographs of Betty Burwell Page Cocke (1841-1900); John Bowdoin Cocke (1836-1889); and the Rev. John Cosby ; the commission of J.B. Cocke in the Virginia Militia ; and the marriage license of Betty and John Bowdoin Cocke .

John Tucker Bowdoin Cocke (1871-1951) -Photographs of himself and the Gas Works Crew , Savannah, Georgia .

John Hartwell Cocke -Photographs of John H. Cocke ; Sally Cocke Faulcon ; Sally Faulcon (Cocke) Brent ; Anne Blaws Barraud Cocke (1784-1816).

Mary Louise Cocke -Photographs of herself and a trip to the West Coast.

Norborne Page Cocke (1878-1940) -Photographs of himself.

Philip St. George   Cocke -Photographs of Sally Elizabeth Courtney (Bowdoin) Cocke ; Philip St. George   Cocke (1809-1861); Miss "Bunny" Cocke ; Philip St. George   Cocke (1844-); and copies of correspondence with Douglas Southall Freeman .

Richard Cocke -Photographs of Richard Cocke IV (1707-1772); Colonel Nathaniel Cocke (1746-1813).

Corbin Family -Photograph of [ Henry Corbin ?].

Napoleon Bonaparte Drew -Photographs.

Elliot Family folders with photographs include: Allmand Elliot (1881-1908); Elizabeth Preston (Elliot) Wilson (1887 -?) and Dr. Gordon Wilson ; George   Blow Elliot (1873-1948); Esther Ellery Elliot Sparkman (?-1955); Ellery Sparkman ; Gilbert Elliot ; Charles G. Elliot ; Lucy Hamilton (Cocke) Elliot ; Margaret Elliot (1884-1966); Milton C. Elliot (1879-1928) and his sons, John Page Elliot and Warren Grice Elliot ; Warren Grice Elliot (1848-1906); Margaret Blow (1849-1910); and Warren Grice Elliot, Jr. (1875-1930).

" Four Acres , " Charlottesville, Virginia

" Four Mile Tree Plantation , " Surry County  

Grice Family -Photographs of Charles Grice (1762-1832); and Joseph Grice .

" Lower Bremo " and " Bremo Recess "

" Mount Pleasant , " Surry County  

Nelson Family -Photographs of Elizabeth Burwell Nelson (1718-1793); William Nelson (1711-1772); Margaret Reade Nelson ; Lucy Nelson ; and Jane Byrd Nelson (engraving).

Page Family -Photographs of Colonel John Page ; Jane (Byrd) Page ; " Rosewell " ruins; Colonel Matthew Page (1659-1703); Mary Mann Page (1672-1707); Mann Page I (1691-1730); Judith Carter Page ; Mann Page II (1749-1803); Anne Corbin Tayloe Page ; Lucy Landonia Page Booker ; Charles Carter Page ; William Armistead Page ; John Page ; Hamilton Page ; Norborne Thomas Page, Jr. ; Betty Burwell Page Cocke ; St. Paul's Church , Petersburg ; Mary Louise Jones Page ; Norborne Thomas Nelson Page ; Mrs. Lewis Booker , Betty Booker & Mrs. Lily Booker Cole .

Photographs -Miscellaneous - Woodrow Wilson ; Petersburg Mathematical & Classical Institute ; Fitzhugh Lee ; University of Virginia Rotunda ; Thomas H. Carter ; George   Ben Johnston ; Wilson Howe (1903 -?); Helen Johnston and Anne Roy Johnston ; University of Virginia students and buildings; Herman H. Swift ; William Lancaster ; Joe Cox ; Maria Garnett Venn ; Ellen Douglas ; Burton, Archibald Henderson and Jean Craige ; Vicksburg seawall; Bloomfield Academy , Albemarle County   ; French ruins Belleau Woods and Chateau-Thierry gravesite.

Tayloe Family -Photographs of Mr. & Mrs. John Tayloe I.

Edward Troye -Printed Material & Photographs -Horses "Utilitarian," "Roebuck," "Cleveland."

The bound volume, memorabilia, and oversize material series is listed in detail at the end of this guide. Any bound volumes not in folders have been assigned a number to facilitate location in the box. Memorabilia consists of membership cards, annual tickets of admission, and railroad passes belonging to Betty Cocke , Lucy H. Cocke Elliot and Milton C. Elliot ; calling cards; a Democratic National Convention souvenir; U.S. Government Thrift Card; Six Great Britain Coronation commemorative stamps, 1937 May 12; War Ration Book; Jamestown Exposition souvenir; autograph of Fitzhugh Lee ; and University of Virginia memorabilia, including ribbons and pins from various ribbon societies (see Box 39 and Mini-Tray 40). The bound volumes are chiefly those of the Cocke family and Milton C. Elliot , and include school notebooks, annuals and autograph albums; travel journals; memoranda books; a ledger; address books; a scrapbook of newsclippings; diaries; visitation and wedding invitation books; an account book; and a photgraph album of University of Virginia scenes, belonging to Lucy Hamilton Cocke Elliot [ante 1906?].

Oversize material includes a pardon to John Bowdoin Cocke (1865 Jul 6); photographs of Dr. Norborne Page Cocke , George   Blow Elliot , William Gibbs McAdoo , and members of the Federal Reserve Board ; certificates of membership and career advancements of Milton Elliot in law practice in Virginia , Pennsylvania , and Washington, D.C. ; Sons of the American Revolution certificate of John Tucker Bowdoin Cocke (1926 Jun 1); architectural drawings for residences and outbuildings of M.C. and Lucy Elliot and John Page Elliot ; and genealogical material pertaining to the Cocke and Page families.

Organization

Series I: Correspondence (Boxes 1-22)

Series II: Financial & Legal Papers (Boxes 23-24)

Series III: Genealogical & Historical Research Files (Boxes 25-38)

Series IV: Bound Volumes, Memorabilia, & Oversize Material (Boxes 39-41; Mini-Tray 40; Oversize Boxes P-16 & M-19; Oversize Trays 34 & 55)