William Jones family papers

Descriptive Summary
Title: William Jones family papers
Creator: Jones, William, active 1833-1857
Inclusive Dates: 1813-1910
Language(s): English
Extent: 2.8 Linear Feet (7 document boxes)
Collection Number: ms1749
Repository: Hargrett Library

---

Collection Description

Historical Note

William Jones, businessman of Augusta, Columbus County, Georgia.

Scope and Content

The collection consists of papers of the William Jones family of Augusta, Georgia from 1813-1910. Includes correspondence; account books, financial records, and receipts relating to Jones' cotton gin business (1833-1857); freedmen contracts; and legal papers relating to Jones' duties as executor of Marshall Keith's estate and guardian of the Keith children. The correspondence, mainly to William Jones, pertains to business matters, his guardianship of the Keith children, and family matters. Correspondents include Sarah Jane Jones Griffin, Arthur W. Jones, William H. Jones, and Sophie Jones. The early materials (1813-1863) pertain to the Isham Keith family and contain correspondence between Isham, Marshall, and Peter Keith.

Organization and Arrangement

Arranged into 4 series: Series 1. Correspondence; Series 2. Cotton Gin papers; Series 3. Financial records; Series 4. Legal documents.

---

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

William Jones family papers, ms1749. Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of Georgia Libraries.

Finding Aid Publication

Finding aid prepared on: 2009 November 13.

General Notes

Portions of this collection are available through the Digital Library of Georgia: https://dlg.usg.edu/collection/guan_1749

---

Related Materials and Subjects

Subject Terms

---

Series Descriptions and Folder Listing

 

1. Correspondence, 1813-1910, undated
box	folder
Request box
1	1	Peter Keith regarding payment and British Chesapeake Campaign (War of 1812), 1813
1	2	Peter Keith regarding payment, illness, and political situation, 1815
1	3	Peter Keith's death from yellow fever, 1817
1	4	Estate of Robert Jones, 1833
1	5	Indenture between David and Susan James and Isham Keith; payment to Isham Keith from Marshall Keith, 1836
1	6	Business letters, 1840
			Includes mention of the Panic of 1837 and continuing financial crisis
1	7	1841
				Letter from P. H. Delane to William Jones regarding enslaved people named Moggy, Lindan, Dauphney, Eve, Delide (Moggy's daughter), Epraim, Jack, George, Ned, and Edward, 1841 November 9
1	8	Business and family correspondence, 1842
			Includes a letter on treating Bleeding Piles.
1	9	Business and family correspondence, 1843
1	10	Business and family correspondence, 1844
			Includes a bill of sale for an enslaved gift named Minta.
				Letter from Thomas A. Keith to William Jones regarding a bill of sale for an enslaved woman named Minta, 1843 April 27
1	11	Business and family correspondence, 1845
			Includes correspondence with John Wilkinson (Triana, Alabama) and Isham Keith to William Jones
1	12	Business and family correspondence, 1846
			Includes a letter from Philip Delane who is accused of stealing a slave. Several letters about cotton seed.
1	13	Business and family correspondence, 1848
1	14	Land to Elizabeth Gardner in Columbia County , 1849
1	15	Business and family correspondence, 1850
1	16	Business and family correspondence, 1851
			Includes letters from Sarah Jones at school; mention of small pox and vaccination
1	17	Letters from Sarah Jones, 1852
1	18	Business correspondence, 1853
1	19	1854
1	20	1857
1	21	1860
1	22	Letters from Charles at 96 Reg. Penna Vol. Headquarters, 1862
1	23	Letter from W. F. Berry, 1863
1	24	Letters from Frank in Washington, D.C., 1864
1	25	Letters from Frank and others, 1865
1	26	1866
1	27	1867
1	28	1868
1	29	Court summons, 1870
1	30	1871
1	31	[missing], 1872
1	32	1874
1	33	1877
1	34	How can we bets promote the Temperance Reforms?, 1880
1	35	1881
1	36	1882
1	37	1883
1	38	1884
1	39	1885
1	40	1887
1	41	1888
1	42	1889
box	folder
Request box
2	1	1890
2	2	1891
2	3	1892
2	4	1893
2	5	1894
2	6	1895
2	7	1896
2	8	1897
2	9	1898
2	10	1899
2	11	1900
2	12	1901
box	folder
Request box
3	1	1902
3	2	1903
3	3	1904
3	4	1905
3	5	1906
3	6	1907
3	7	1908
3	8	1910
3	9	Undated
3	10	Fragments

 

2. Cotton Gin Papers, 1833-1857, undated
box	folder
Request box
4	1	1833-1839
4	2	1840 January
4	3	1840 February
4	4	1840 March
4	5	1840 April
4	6	1840 May
4	7	1840 June
4	8	1840 July
4	9	1840 August
4	10	1840 September
4	11	1840 November
4	12	1840 December and Undated
4	13	1841 January
4	14	1841 February
4	15	1841 March
4	16	1841 April
4	17	1841 May
4	18	1841 June
4	19	1841 July
4	20	1841 August
4	21	1841 September
4	22	1841 October
4	23	1841 November
4	24	1841 December and Undated
4	25	1842
4	26	1843
4	27	1844
4	28	1845
4	29	1849
4	30	1850-1857
4	31	Undated

 

3. Financial records
	3.1 Receipts, 1813-1910, undated
box	folder
Request box
5	1		Marshall Keith - tax receipt, 1813
5	2		Ann Jones - tax receipt, 1815
5	3		Cotton sales, 1816
5	4		Estate of Peter G. Keith including bill for coffin, sexton, washing at quarantine ground, 1817
5	5		Estate of Peter Keith, 1818
5	6		Estate of Peter Keith, 1819
5	7		Purchase of bay horse, 1833
5	8		Estate of Peter Keith, 1836
5	9		Estate of Peter Keith, 1837
5	10		List of property including number of enslaved people; expenses for shipping goods from New York and Augusta, 1838
5	11		1839
5	12		Receipts for shipping, 1840
5	13		Receipts for shipping, cloth, and taxes, 1841
5	14		Receipts for cotton, daughters at County Line Academy, shipping, and cancelled checks, 1842
5	15		1843
5	16		1844
5	17		Includes receipts for County Line Academy; estate of Marshall Keith; receipts for cotton, cloth, buggy repairs, 1845
5	18		Receipts for cotton and bacon, 1846
5	19		1847
5	20		Includes a check to the Washington Lodge, IOOF, Augusta; miscellaneous receipts, 1849
5	21		1850
5	22		1851
5	23		1852
5	24		1853
5	25		1854
			Various receipts including one for hiring an enslaved man named Ceasar
5	26		1855
5	27		1856
5	28		1857
5	29		1858
5	30		1859
5	31		1860
5	32		1861
5	33		1862
5	34		1865
5	35		Includes cotton sales, Richmond Factory, grocers, and National Bank of Augusta cancelled checks, 1866
5	36		1867
5	37		1869
5	38		1870
5	39		1871
5	40		1872
5	41		1873
5	42		1874
box	folder
Request box
6	1		1875
6	2		1876
6	3		1877
6	4		1878
6	5		1879
6	6		1880
6	7		1881
6	8		1882
6	9		1883
6	10		1884
6	11		1885
6	12		1886
6	13		1887
6	14		1888
6	15		1889
6	16		1890
6	17		1891
6	18		1892
6	19		1893
6	20		1894
6	21		1895
6	22		1896
6	23		1897
6	24		1898
6	25		1899
6	26		1900
6	27		1901
6	28		1902
6	29		1906
6	30		1907
6	31		1908
6	32		1909
6	33		1910
6	34		Undated
	3.2 Account books, 1856-1886
box	folder
Request box
7	1		Ledger, 1856-1888
			Includes financial and harvesting information, enslaved hiring, drafts of agreements with freedmen, land rents, list of poor soldiers families
7	2		1866-1868
7	3		1863-1894
7	4		1880-1886

 

4. Legal documents
box	folder
Request box
7	5	Crop Lien 1872
7	6	Freedmen contract between John McSeed/Wade Glover and W. H. Jones, Columbia County, 1879 Access Online
7	7	Guardianship papers (Judith Keith.)
7	8	Insurance policy
7	9	Invitations
7	10	Keith, Marshall. (Estate papers)
				Receipt for hiring an enslaved blacksmith named Henry, 1842
				Receipt for Marshall Keith estate sale for enslaved people, 1843
				Receipt for enslaved people named Zack and his sister Martha; Jack, Agg his wife, and their children; Jim, Dilcy, and their children, 1843
7	11	Land papers
7	12	Miscellaneous
7	13	Guardianship papers for Isham Keith, Jr. and James Keith, 1841
7	14	Walton, Whann, & Co's pocket book diary and calendar, 1873
7	15	Road Overseer Commission appointing W. H. Jones as overseer of Washington Road from Haws Gate to Reds Creek
7	16	Financial papers and letters of Ishmael, Minny, and Elizabeth Keith, free people of color [formerly enslaved], 1843-1851 Access Online
			Ishmael, and his sisters Minny and Elizabeth, were enslaved by Marshall Keith and freed at his death. The letters document their lives in Ohio.
7	17	Bill of Sale for enslaved people: Bob, Ned, Ulisses, Sally and children, Daniel, Murriah, Milly Judy and children, Charlotte and Caroline, Margaret, Sylvia, and Daphney, 1836, 1840 Access Online
7	18	Financial document for "balance of the negroes corn and cotton", 1844 Access Online
7	19	Will of William Jones