Administrative Information

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Preferred Citation

William Garth Account Book, 1844-1856, Accession #11081, Special Collections Dept., University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

This item was purchased by the Library from Preston A. Coiner, Charlottesville, Virginia, on March 8, 1993.

Scope and Content Information

This collection consists of a single small light-brown bound account book, 1844-1856, labeled "The Children's Accounts," belonging to William Garth (1794-1860) of "Birdwood" and "Midway", Albemarle County, Virginia. The account book includes notations concerning cattle sales in Washington and Baltimore; amounts of cash and land advanced to various children; and several references to slaves given to his children with their value.

These notations include:

Georgiana Garth Kirk - $ 12,000 cash advance
Adeline Bankhead - $ 3400 cash advance
James Woods Garth - $ 12,000 advance in land
Lewis Winston Garth - $ 12,000 cash advance
Gabriella Garth Kirk - $ 5,800 and $ 1,900 cash advance
George M. Garth - $ 7,400 cash advance
William S. Bankhead - "one Negro girl at $ 800.00" and $ 4,100 cash advance
Adeline Bankhead - "two Negroes Sofey & Kittey valued at $ 1000"
Celestine Garth Walker - "1 girl named Creakey & two Chil. $ 1000" and cash advance $ 200

Also present is a note concerning twelve thousand dollars paid to William Edgar Garth for his services and his share of the crops grown at "Midway" for the last eight years, 1846-1854, and not to be considered an advance on his legacy.

Genealogical Notes re: the Garth Family

The first known member of the Garth family in Albemarle was Thomas Garth, Sr. (d. 1812) who eventually owned all the land from the Staunton Road to the forks of the Mechum's and Moorman's rivers. He married Judith Long (d. 1808) and had at least nine children:

1) Thomas Garth, Jr. (1758-1834) m. Susan Durrett ( - 1829)
2) John Garth m. Ann Rodes
3) Elijah Garth (1772-1817) m. a) Susan Fretwell b) Catharine Wayt
4) Jesse Garth ( -1836) m. Elizabeth Brown
5) Garland Garth of "The Barracks" m. Susan Crenshaw
6) Ann Garth m. Richard Gaines
7) Sarah Garth m. Samuel Poindexter
8) Susan Garth m. Isaac Dalton
9) Mildred Garth m. John Fretwell

The children of Thomas Garth, Jr. and Susan Durrett include:

1) Jesse Winston Garth (1788-1867) m. Unity Dandridge, and sold "Birdwood" to his brother William
2) Willis Garth m. Martha Graves (d. 1851)
3) William (1794-1860) m. Elizabeth Martin
4) Elizabeth Garth (1792- ?) m. Dr. Thomas K. Clark
5) Frances Garth m. James Michie

William Garth (1794-1860) resided at "Birdwood" and built a brick structure on the site; he married Elizabeth, daughter of George Martin and Barbara Woods and had at least eleven children:

1) James Woods Garth m. a) Nellie Peters and b) Mary Edmonds
2) Edgar Garth m. Mary Netherland
3) Lewis Garth m. Lucy Cross
4) George Garth
5) Georgiana Garth m. Rolland Kirk
6) Gabriella Garth m. a) James Kirk b) Dr. John Mayes and c) Dr. Chancellor
7) Susan Adeline Garth m. Smith Pyne Bankhead
8) Barbara Elizabeth Garth m. William S. Bankhead
9) Celestine Garth m. a) Marshall Walker and b) John Stockton
10) Alice Garth m. Philip Gilchrist
11) Eugene Garth m. Katie Gilchrist