Inventory of the William K. Perrin Papers 1820-1858, 1732-1902
A Collection in the
Manuscripts and Rare Books Department
Collection Number Mss. 95 P42
Earl Gregg Swem Library, College of William and Mary
Special CollectionsEarl Gregg Swem Library
College of William and Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia 23187-8794
USA
Phone: (757) 221-3090
Fax: (757) 221-5440
Email: spcoll@wm.edu
URL: http://swem.wm.edu/scrc/
© 2001 By the College of William and Mary
Funding: Web version of the finding aid funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Processed by: Ellen Strong, 1995.
Administrative Information
Restrictions on Access
Collection is open to all researchers.
Publication Rights/Restrictions on Use
Before publishing quotations or excerpts from any materials, permission must be obtained from the Curator of Manuscripts and Rare Books, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.
Preferred Citation
William K. Perrin Papers, Manuscripts and Rare Books Department, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.
Acquisition Information
Gift: Acc. No. 1995-18; ca. 200 items, 4/17/1995.
Biographical/Historical Information
William K. Perrin was the son of John and Elizabeth Carter Perrin. In 1833, he married Mrs. Sarah T. Nicolson, daughter of Ralph Wormeley of Middlesex County, Virginia and widow of George D. Nicolson. (Their children were Robert W., George Lewellyn, Andrew T. and James Monroe Nicolson.) The children of William K. Perrin and Sarah T. Nicolson were William Kennon Perrin (1834-1904) and John Tayloe Perrin (b. 1836).
Wyndham Kemp was married to Ann L. Perrin, a daughter of William K. Perrin. She was deceased by 1854. Their children were Perrin Kemp, Wyndham Kemp and Emily Kemp who married Peyton N. Page.
Scope and Content Information
Business letters, 1833-1839, to Major William K. Perrin and 1855, 1860, to his son-in-law Wyndham Kemp, both of Gloucester County, Virginia from Perrin's step-son Robert W. Nicolson in Uniontown, Perry County, Alabama, about the management of a cotton plantation. Letters mention purchasing land, growing and selling cotton management of slaves, legal and banking matters and uprising of the Creek Indians.
Papers, 1800-1855 and n.d., relating to the hiring out and management of slaves of Gloucester County, Virginia by William K. Perrin. Legal papers, 1723-1895, n.d., include indentures, agreements, and lists of debts of William K. Perrin, George D. Nicolson, Sarah T. Nicolson, and descendants of William K. Perrin. Also accounts and receipts, 1806-1902, n.d.
Arrangement
OrganizationThis collection is organized into 4 Series. Series 1 contains business papers; Series 2 contains legal papers; Series 3 contains accounts and receipts; Series 4 contains miscellaneous material.
ArrangementThis collection is arranged into series which are then arranged chronologically by date.
Related Material
There are four collections that relate to the William K. Perrin Papers and are located in Manuscripts and Rare Books Department, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.
John T. Perrin Papers, 1770-1931. 11 boxes. Collection number: Mss. 65 P42
Perrin Family Bibles Collection, ca. 1740-1938. 3 items. Collection number: Mss. 93 P42
James Monroe Nicolson Manuscript Volumes, 1853-1870. 4 items. Collection number: Mss. 76 N52
James Monroe Nicolson Account Books and Papers, 1802-1852. 38 items. Collection number: Mss. 93 N52
Controlled Access Terms
- Kemp, Wyndham.
- Nicolson, Robert W.
- Cotton growing.
- Creek Indians.
- Plantations-- Alabama--Perry County.
- Slavery-- Alabama.
- Slavery--Virginia.
- Gloucester County (Va.)--History--19th century.
- Perry County (Ala.)--History--19th century.
Persons:
Subjects:
Geographical Names:
Significant Persons Associated With the Collection
- Kemp, Wyndham.
- Nicolson, Robert W.
- Robert W. Nicolson,
- Sarah T. Nicolson,
- William K. Perrin.
- Wyndham Kemp,
Significant Places Associated With the Collection
- Gloucester County (Va.)--History--19th century.
- Perry County (Ala.)--History--19th century.
Components List
- Folder 1
Letters, 1826-1839.
A few letters, 1826-1832, to Mrs. Sarah T. Nicolson, Middlesex, including one dated 21 October 1827, stating the decree for dividing "Rosegill" has been set aside; chiefly letters, 1833-1839, to William K. Perrin of "Goshen," Gloucester County, Virginia from his step-son Robert W. Nicolson, Uniontown, Perry County, Alabama about the management of a cotton plantation.
- Folder 2
Letters, 1844-1884.
A few business letters, 1844-1849, to Major William K. Perrin but chiefly letters, 1855-1860, from Robert Nicolson in Alabama to Wyndham Kemp in Gloucester County, Virginia about his cotton crop.
- Folder 3
Papers relating to the hiring of slaves by William K. Perrin in Gloucester County, Virginia, 1800-1855, n.d.
Included are lists of slaves hired out giving names of slaves, masters' names, and amount of transaction, 1800-1806, n.d., receipts for sale of slaves, 1800-1855, and lists of Negroes at Guinea and Fairfield, 1852.
- Folder 4
Legal papers, 1723-1812.Physical Location: See also medium oversize file.
Indentures, lists of accounts for William, Willis, Louisa, and Eliza Perrin in the name of John W. Perrin, guardian, 1800-1807.
- Folder 5
Legal papers, 1820-1829.
Indentures and receipts of William K. Perrin, George D. Nicolson, and Sarah T. Nicolson.
- Folder 6
Legal papers, 1830-1847.
Includes indentures of Sarah T. Nicolson, widow of George D. Nicolson.
- Folder 7
Legal papers, 1850-1865.Physical Location: See medium oversize file.
Includes agreement, list of debts and receipts of William K. Perrin; last will and testament of William K. Perrin, 16 March 1854 and 25 July 1855; and last will and testament of Willis Perrin, 9 April 1865. Also, Presidential pardon and amnesty granted William K. Perrin for having serves in the Confederate Army, 24 August 1865.
- Folder 8
Legal papers, 1871-1895.
Includes indentures and deeds of the descendants of William K. Perrin.
- Folder 9
Legal papers, n.d.
Miscellaneous items.
- Folder
10
Accounts and receipts, 1806-1837.Physical Location: See medium oversize file.
Accounts and receipts of Sarah T. Nicolson, William K. Perrin, and Robert W. Nicolson.
- Folder
11
Accounts and receipts, 1840-1848.
Accounts and receipts of William K. Perrin, Robert W. Nicolson, and Andrew S. Nicolson.
- Folder
12
Accounts and receipts, 1852-1859.Physical Location: See medium oversize file.
Accounts and receipts of William K. Perrin and Andrew S. Nicolson.
- Folder
13
Accounts and receipts, 1860-1869.
Accounts and receipts of Wyndham Kemp, William K. Perrin, and John T. Perrin.
- Folder
14
Accounts and receipts, 1870-1902.
Accounts and receipts of William K. Perrin.
- Folder
15
Accounts and receipts, n.d.
Miscellaneous accounts of Willis Perrin, and John W. Perrin.