Administrative Information

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open to all researchers.

Conditions Governing Use

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Preferred Citation

Ann Lettice Murdoch Diary, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Acquisition Information

The materials were acquired by Special Collections Research Center on 10/08/2009.

Processing Information

Accessioned and minimally processed in October 2009 by Ute Schechter. Further description by Marty Limber, SCRC Staff, in April-May 2010.

Biographical Note

Wife of Richard Potts (1786-1865). Further information about this individual or organization may be available in the Special Collections Research Center Wiki: <a href="http://scrc.swem.wm.edu/wiki/index.php/Ann Lettice Murdoch">http://scrc.swem.wm.edu/wiki/index.php/Ann Lettice Murdoch</a>.

Scope and Contents

Diary of Ann Lettice Murdoch (1785-1865) of Frederick County, Maryland. She was the wife of Richard Potts (1786-1865). The diary contains a lot of entries of religious nature as well as aphorisms. In addition, Ann L. Murdoch frequently recorded deaths in her family and community  -  including the death of black servants - and of friends and family members in other states. She also talks about her church, local politics and mention Richard Potts' and other family members' professional obligations, like being called away to Fort Levensworth, Kansas and being elected president of the local bank, going to San Francisco as a surgeon, etc.  Other topics are an orphanage and a farm that both Ann Murdoch and her husband were involved in managing.Furthermore there are comments on epidemics, national politics and emigration to Liberia.  Ann Murdoch mentions exchanging letters with her African-American friends,  sending a package to Liberia, and  having a visitor from Liberia come to town to encourage Blacks to emigrate.Also included in the back of the volume are two photographs of Ann Lettice Murdoch and  Richard Potts.For more details and selected excerpts from the diary,  see folder link below.

Index Terms

Genre/Form of Material:

• Diaries
• Photographs

Geographic Name:

• Maryland--Genealogy
• Maryland--Religious life and customs--19th century.
• Maryland--Social life and customs--19th century.
• Virginia--Genealogy

Topical Term:

• African Americans--Liberia--History--19th century.
• Genealogy
• Orphanages--Maryland--19th century.
• Women--Diaries.

Additional Information