Brune-Randall family papers

The papers in the Brune-Randall family papers span the period 1782 until 1972, although the bulk fall between 1860 and 1920. The major types of papers are letters, diaries, and school papers.

The nearly 30,000 items that comprise this collection are largely the papers of, or collected by, three women: Emily [Barton] Brune, Susan [Brune] Randall, and Elizabeth [Randall] Slack. Although there are papers of these women's husbands, siblings, cousins, and children, the papers of these other people are papers that relate to their relationship with the above-mentioned three women. For example, the husbands' papers are not for the most part these men's business papers but their personal and family correspondence. The children's papers are those generated by the three women's children while still living at home; papers presumably left when the children moved to homes of their own. The papers of cousins and other relatives are mostly ones that relate to one of these women and which were returned upon the death of the relative. Thus the Barton Family Papers are mainly letters written to them by their daughter or sister Emily [Barton] Brune.

The provenance of these papers, then, defines the scope of this collection. Although the items collected by Emily Brune, Susan Randall and Elizabeth Slack shed light on, for example, Zachary Taylor's presidential campaign in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, or the legal and medical for mens the collection as a whole is most useful in a study of the women of this nineteenth and twentieth century upper-middle class family. The most detailed correspondence is that among Emily and her daughter Susan and Susan and her daughters Elizabeth, Emily B. Webster, Katharine R. Pincoffs and Evelyn R. The letters among these women are detailed accounts of daily social activities and responsibilities, family health, and travel. There is also much advice from mother to daughter. By their very nature these letters today seem tedious and repetitious, but they are a complete record of the lives of upper-middle class women from 1870 until 1920.

The papers have been arranged by family member and for convenience the scope and content of each individual's papers will be discussed separately.

Ambrose Clarke papers

Ambrose Clarke was a Baltimore merchant who traded with the West Indies and Europe. His daughter Anne married Frederick William Brune (1776-1860). Clarke's papers consist of 30 letters (1804-8) with merchants in Amsterdam concerning prices of goods and shipping conditions and from ship captain Thomas B. Smith while in the West Indies. There is a copy of one letter (1808) by Clarke concerning use of his vessel "Ethan Allen" to transport french seamen to France. The papers include 20 receipts (1796-1806) for goods Clarke purchased in Baltimore. Clarke's business records are in MS1754.

Thomas B. Smith papers

Thomas B. Smith (fl. 1796-1808) was a ship captain who did business with Ambrose Clarke. His papers include several bills of lading, an account book (1803-4), a journal (1802-3), and a few letters. The account book recorded his expenses with Clarke and has a log of his voyage from Baltimore to St. Lucie [West Indies] on the schooner "Eleanor." The journal records events on a voyage (1803) from St. Pierre, Martinique to Baltimore on the ship "Margaret." He included sketches of birds, fish, and trees. The journal also included some of Smith's financial accounts.

Maria Clarke papers

Maria Clarke of Baltimore was the daughter of Ambrose Clarke and the sister of Anne [Clarke] Brune. Her papers consist of 20 letters (1827-1857) and are largely from her nephew (Anne's son) Frederick William Brune (1813-78). He wrote to his aunt while away at school at Round Hill in Massachusetts, 1827-29, and Harvard University, 1830, and also while he was in Europe 1836-37. There are also 2 letters (1856, n.d.) from another nephew George C. Shattuck. A few letters written by Maria Clarke can be found in the F. W. Brune (1813-78) incoming letters.

Anne Clarke Brune papers

Anne Clarke (1780-1859) was the daughter of Ambrose Clarke, and in 1805 she married Frederick William Brune (1776-1860). Her papers consist of twenty letters (1829-1856). Almost all the letters were written by her son Frederick William Brune (1813-78) while he was at school at Round Hill in Northampton in Massachusetts (1829) and at Harvard (1831-32).

Frederick William Brune (1776-1860) papers

Frederick William Brune (1776-1860) was the first of four F. W. Brunes whose papers are in this collection. He was born in Bremen, and as a young man came to the United States, first to New York, then to Baltimore. In 1799 he joined Berend Johann Von Kapff (1770-1825) in the mercantile firm of Von Kapff & Brune, later F. W. Brune and Sons. Business records relating to this firm are found in MS 1754.

Sketches of F. W. Brune and his mercantile firm appear in Howard, George W. The Monumental City (Baltimore, 1873), pp. 520-22 and Baltimore Past and Present (Baltimore, 1871), pp. 207-10. Copy in Appendix.

The papers of Brune in this collection are 30 letters (1827-32, 1841), a draft of his will, and some Von Kapff Estate papers. The letters relate to the education of his sons John C. and Frederick W. at Round Hill School in Northampton, Massachusetts. The letters are from the school's principal Joseph Green Cogswell and from John and Frederick. There is one letter [1832] from Frederick about listening to Daniel Webster and John C. Calhoun speak on Henry Clay's tariff bill in the Senate. A signed copy of Clay's speech, "In Defense of the American System" is in Frederick's papers in Box 12.

John Christian Brune papers

John Christian Brune (1814-65) was the son of F. W. and Anne [Clarke] Brune. He attended the Round Hill School in Northampton, Massachusetts and joined his father's mercantile firm.

A sketch of his life appears in Baltimore Past and Present (Baltimore, 1871) pp. 207-10. Copy in Appendix.

Few of his letters have survived. This collection includes letters (1827-30) written to him by his family while he was at the Round Hill School. Brune was president of the Baltimore Association for the Improvement of the Condition of the Poor, and a speech to the group in this collection has been attributed to him. In 1861 Brune represented Baltimore in the House of Delegates. A printed list of that session's legislators is also part of his papers. The last items of his papers are a tribute to him by a merchant's association on his death and his will.

Ellen A. Brune papers

Ellen A. Brune (1807-52) was the daughter of F. W. and Anne [Clarke[Brune. Her papers consist of 50 letters written to her by her younger brother F. W. Brune (1813-78). He wrote from Round Hill School (1827-29), Harvard University (1830-32) and Baltimore while she was away in the 1840's. There are a few letters written by Ellen to her brother Frederick in his incoming letters 1827-32. She wrote about her activities, including school.

Anne H. Brune Shattuck papers

Anne Henrietta [Brune] Shattuck was the daughter of F. W. Brune and Anne [Clarke] Brune. She grew up in Baltimore, but upon marrying her cousin Dr. George C. Shattuck in 1840, she moved to Boston where she spent the rest of her life. Her papers consist of 70 letters (1825-1838, n.d.). The majority of these were written by her brother Frederick W. Brune (1813-78) while at the Round Hill School (1827-29), Harvard (1830-32) and in Europe (1836-37). These letters are in Box 104.

Frequent letters written by Anne are found in the incoming letters of her brother Frederick and after 1853 those of his wife Emily. Anne described her activities in Baltimore (1827-39) and in Boston after 1840. Her early letters mention her education.

George C. Shattuck papers

George C. Shattuck (1813-93) was a physician and philanthropist. He was a cousin of F. W. Brune (1813-78) and of his wife Anne H. [Brune] Shattuck. In addition George and Frederick were close friends and constant correspondents from 1832 until Frederick's death in 1878. After that both George and Anne Shattuck corresponded with Frederick's wife Emily. George Shattuck's incoming correspondence in this collection is 100 letters (1832-78) largely written by Frederick W. Brune. The letters begin in 1832 after Shattuck and Brune graduated from Harvard, and Brune returned to Baltimore to read law. The letters from 1836 and 1837 described Brune's travels in Europe, and those from 1840 to 1848 described Brune's activities in Baltimore. The correspondence is scarce for the period 1849-1878, but there are a few of Brune's last letters to Shattuck in 1878. These letters are in Box 104. Shattuck had a habit of writing to Brune on letters he received especially those from his children. Many of Shattuck's incoming letters from his children are found in F. W. Brune's incoming letters.

Frederick William Brune (1813-1878) papers

Frederick William Brune (1813-78) was the son of F. W. and Anne [Clarke] Brune. He was born in Baltimore and lived most of his life there except for his years (1827-32) at school in Massachusetts and those he spent in Europe (1836-38). After studying law at Harvard and in the office of Judge John Purviance, he was admitted to the bar in 1834. Brune and George William Brown (1812-90) formed the firm Brown and Brune which dealt in commercial and maritime cases. F. W. Brune practiced law with this firm until his death in 1878. His major activity outside his law practice was work with the Protestant Episcopal Church, especially St. Paul's Parish in Baltimore. He attended the church diocesan and general conventions. He was also a vestryman.

A Sketch of his life appears in Howard, George W. The Monumental City (Baltimore, 1873), pp. 599-601. Copy in Appendix.

F. W. Brune was a devoted family man, and the majority of his papers revolve around family activities, except those few dealing with his law practice and religious activities.

Brune's school years are the most well-documented of his life. He attended the Round Hill School in Northampton, Massachusetts from 1827 until 1830. Brune's papers include nearly 60 essays written while at Round Hill; and these reveal some of the educational theory of the school as well as the ideas which helped shape Brune's life. The essays covered topics such as; On Manual Labor; Ought the Penitentiary System of Maryland Be Abolished; The Morality of Signing One's Name to All One Publishes; On General Feeling toward Revolution; On Public Response to Political Issues; On the Manner We Celebrate Centennials and Anniversaries; Eclipses...and Their Effect on Feelings of...People. These are in Box 11. Brune's reaction to the Round Hill School is detailed in his frequent letters to his parents, his sisters Ellen A. Brune, Clara [Brune] Brown, and Anne H. [Brune] Shattuck and his aunt Maria Clarke. These letters are found in boxes 1, 2, and 3. While at Round Hill, Brune received nearly 50 letters from his parents, sisters, and aunts. These letters detail their activities in Baltimore during his absence.

In the fall of 1829 Brune entered Harvard University. He graduated in 1831, and spent the following year at the Harvard Law School. He kept a detailed and introspective diary during his year at law school. In it he described his work and plans. It is in Box 11. Four of his writings from this period are in this collection. They are in Box 11 and deal with the abolition of lotteries, and 3 speeches on a debating club to which he belonged. The debating club might have been the Friday Evening Club he joined in 1833 after his return to Baltimore. The account book and minute book (1832-34) of the Friday Evening Club are in Box 11, and letters concerning the club are in Brune's incoming letters, 1834, in Box 4.

While at Harvard Brune wrote frequently to his parents, sisters, and aunt. These letters describing this phase of his education are in boxes 1, 2, and 104. Brune also wrote letters (1829, 1831-32) about Harvard to his good friend Robert Habersham in Savannah, Georgia. Habersham died soon after, and these letters written by Brune were apparently returned to Brune. They are filed with Brune's letters in boxes 3 and 4. As before Brune was kept informed of the families activities in Baltimore during 1829-32 through their frequent letters to him in boxes 3 and 4. These letters also had much advice to him on preparing for a legal career. Other correspondents while at Harvard were George W. Brown and J. E. Howard in Baltimore. Brune also received letters (1831) from his close friend and classmate Edgar Buckingham on religion and his divinity studies.

After leaving Harvard Brune received letters from his college friends telling of their new careers and often about courtship and marriage. There are 3 letters (1830, 1833) from classmate Wendell Phillips. One letter (October, 1835) from G. C. Shattuck described an attempt to lynch William Lloyd Garrison. In 1833 there are a few letters from J. Bozeman kerr in Easton, Md.

The two most constant correspondents of Brune's classmates were Thomas Donaldson (1815-77) and George Cheyne Shattuck. Donaldson was studying law at Harvard and kept Brune informed of mutual friends and school activities. He returned to Baltimore in 1834 and remained a close friend of Brune's, but his letters are sparse after 1834.

George Cheyne Shattuck (1813-93) was Brune's most constant correspondent from 1833 until Brune's death in 1878. Shattuck married Brune's sister Anne, and Shattuck's voluminous correspondence with the Brune family continued until his death in 1893. Shattuck's letters are full of family news, but he also mentioned his medical practice in Boston, and his work (1855-93) with Harvard Medical School. His interests outside of medicine were the Protestant Episcopal Church and the founding of St. Paul's School in Concord, N. H., in 1855. His letters reflect these interests. Letters written by Brune to Shattuck from 1836-37 while in Europe, from 1840-48 while a lawyer in Baltimore, and from 1878 are found in Shattuck's incoming letters in Box 104.

F. W. Brune set out to travel and study in Europe in the spring of 1836. His papers include his journal for the second year of his trip. The two volumes cover his travels in Italy, France, England, Switzerland, and Austria from March until November, 1837. These detailed journals describe Brune's activities and observations as a traveler. They are in Box 11. The first year in Europe (March, 1836-March, 1837) was apparently spent in Germany where he attended lectures on law. The majority of items from this first year period are the letters written to Brune from his family in Baltimore. Few of Brune's letters to his family about his studies in Germany have survived. There are a few notes in German and some memorabilia collected by Brune while in Germany. These items are in Box 11.

After Brune returned to Baltimore in [1838] he formed a law partnership with George William Brown. His correspondence from 1839-78 contains some items dealing with the law practice but is mainly letters from the Shattucks in Boston and other family members while away from Baltimore. After Brune's marriage in 1853 to Emily Stone Barton of Fredericksburg, Va. his correspondents included her parents Thomas B. and Susan C. [Stone] Barton and her brother William S. Barton. Few of Emily's letters to her husband survived, but his many letters to her during courtship (1852-53) and during her frequent visits to her family after their marriage are found in her incoming letters boxes 13-21, 36.

Brune's correspondence contains much about the Civil War. His letters to his wife (in Box 15) described events in Baltimore including those leading up to the arrest of his brother-in-law and Baltimore Mayor George William Brown. Brown's letters to Brune while he was imprisoned first at Fort Lafayette and later at Fort Warren in Boston are in boxes 6 and 7. Also the Shattuck's wrote to Brune about Brown at Fort Warren. Other letters by Brown from Fort Warren are in Emily Brune's incoming letters in Box 15.

Brune's activities in the Protestant Episcopal Church are documented in his papers about St. Paul's Church and his incoming letters from the 1860's. In the early 1850's Brune was a member of the St. Paul's Church vestry. His papers include vestry minutes, resolutions, correspondence, and some marriage certificates from 1850-55 and some correspondence from 1870. Brune apparently separated these items from his personal correspondence and the separation has been maintained. However, there is also correspondence relating to the church in Brune's incoming letters begining in the 1860's. There are letters from the Rector of St. Paul's Milo Mahan and his successor J. S. B. Hodges. Some of the letters deal with filling pastorates in various churches. In 1870-73 there are several letters concerning church conventions Brune attended including two lengthy letters (1872, 1873) about church policy from Arthur J. Rich. Other church items are printed material about St. Paul's Parish activities and about Protestant Episcopal Church conventions in Box 12.

Brune's incoming letters in the last years of his life include letters from his sons F. W., Jr. and Barton at school at St. John's in Annapolis. Also, letters from F. W., Jr. while studying law in Boston in 1875. Other correspondents were his nephews Arthur George Brown and Stewart Brown who had joined the law firm Brown and Brune and Severn Teackle Wallis who wrote mainly about personal matters.

Other items in F. W. Brune's papers include a bank book (1848-56) and receipts (1862-73). These are in Box 11. Other receipts for purchases by Brune and his wife can be found in her papers, boxes 40 & 41. Brune belonged to several organizations whose records he kept with his own papers. These include: Atheneum Building Committee account book, 1847; St. Paul's Benevolent Society minutes, 1851, 1852; list of subscribers to the Baltimore Manual Labor School for Indigent Boys, 1851; letters and papers pertaining to the College of St. James, 1858; Mt. Calvary Church account books, 1843, 1848; House of Refuge speech and accounts; and the Henrietta D'A. Wilson Estate account book. These are all in Box 12.

Emily Barton Brune papers

Emily Stone Barton (1826-1908) was the daughter of Thomas B. and Susan C. [Stone] Barton, Born and raised in Fredericksburg, Va., she moved to Baltimore in 1853 after marrying Frederick W. Brune (1813-78). Emily's life revolved around her roles as daughter, sister, wife, and mother. Her papers are almost entirely incoming letters from her immediate family, and the majority of these are from women. The frequency and detail of these letters indicates the importance to her of the network among her mother, sisters, and daughter.

Emily Brune's incoming letters began in 1846, but the bulk date from 1860 until 1908. Few papers of her childhood or early married life have survived, but she apparently saved all the letters she received from 1860 until 1908. Her incoming letters consist of approximately 9000 letters found in boxes 13-38. The small number of letters written by Emily are in the incoming letters of her husband F. W. Brune (boxes 5-9), her mother S. C. S. Barton (box 98), her sisters M. E. B. Jones, Box 100 and Eva Barton (box 98) and her daughter Susan [Brune] Randall (boxes 48-55). The largest number of extant letters written by Emily were written to her daughter from the 1880s until 1908. These describe Emily's life as a widow and contain much advice to Susan.

Although she moved to Baltimore in 1853, Emily Brune spent much time with her family in Virginia. Her letters include many from her husband while she was in Virginia and from her mother and sisters while she was in Baltimore. The bulk of the correspondence begins in 1860.

Emily was visiting her family in Fredericksburg when the Civil War broke out, and Frederick wrote her many letters about activities in Baltimore during the war. She also received letters from Frederick's brother-in-law George W. Brown who had been imprisoned at Fort Lafayette and Fort Warren. Other Civil War letters were from prisoners she sent food and clothing to in Delaware. While Emily was in Baltimore her mother wrote to her about the effect of the war on Fredericksburg. One letter (1862) especially described the arrest of Emily's father and her mother's views on emancipation. These Civil War letters are in Box 15.

Susan [Stone] Barton continued to write to Emily about family events in Fredericksburg until her death in 1875. Other than her mother Emily's most constant family correspondants were her sister Mary Eliza (M. E.) [Barton] Jones and her husband William Strother Jones. The Joneses lived at "Vaucluse" in Middletown, Virginia. The Joneses were apparently quite close to Emily, and there are many letters from them up to M. E.'s death in 1868. William Strother continued the frequent letters to Emily until the late 1870's when he and his children apparently moved to Baltimore. The Jones children Anne Cary [Jones] Atterbury, Susan K [Jones] Brackett, W. S. Jones, and T. Barton Jones considered Emily a second mother, and many of her letters in the 1880's and 1890's are from these nieces and nephews.

Through the 1870's and 1880's Emily received many letters from her brothers and sisters. Her sister Susan Caroline (Carry) [Barton] Johnston lived in Baltimore but wrote frequently about her declining health in the 1870's. She wrote quite candidly about the [cancer] which caused her death in 1876. Emily's brother William S. Barton was a lawyer, later Judge in Fredericksburg. He wrote about his professional work and his activities on behalf of the Episcopal Church. His wife Marion Eliza [Jenifer] Barton also wrote frequently to Emily. Most of her letters are undated and appear in Box 35. Emily's husband's brother-in-law George C. Shattuck also wrote frequently to Emily, especially after Frederick's death in 1878. Shattuck wrote about his medical and philanthropic activities in Boston and about summer vacations at Lake Champlain. His letters to Emily began in 1862 but increased in number from 1878 until his death in 1893.

Emily and Frederick Brune had four children: Frederick William (1854-94), Thomas Barton (1856-91), Susan [Brune] Randall (1860-1937, and Herbert Maxwell (1866-1948). Beginning in the 1870's much of Emily's correspondence is letters from her children. Frederick Barton wrote (1873-75) about school at St. John's in Annapolis. Frederick then studied law in Boston (1876) and Barton medicine in Germany (1878). Herbert attended St. Paul's School in New Hampshire (1880-83) and wrote frequently to his mother. After school the Brune sons settled in Baltimore and rarely wrote to their mother, but their sister Susan was often away from home in the 1880s and 1890s and was Emily's most frequent correspondent. Susan spent her summers in the 1880's with family or friends in Newport, R.I. or Dark Harbor, Maine. In the 1890's she wrote frequently from Deer Park in Western Maryland.

Aside from her immediate family, Emily received letters from a few close and life-long friends. There are letters from a Patty Burnley (PB) in Frankfort, Ky., Susan S.[Peyton] Hagner in West Troy, N.Y. and her sister Julia [Peyton] Washington. Julia married an older man rather late in life and her sister's letters to Emily in the 1870's discussed this. Julia's letters are written from Washington DC. and North Carolina.

Baltimore friends with whom Emily kept in close contact were Lindsay [Taliferro] Waters, E. H. Gordon, and Mary Glenn Perine. Perine shared Emily's philanthropic interests and her letters mention church and relief work.

Emily Brune's few letters not from family or close friends dealt with her religious and relief efforts. She was active in St. Paul's Episcopal Church and was on the boards of the St. Paul's Orphanage, the Maryland Line Confederate Soldiers Home, and the Home for the Incurables.

Frederick William Brune (1854-1899)

Frederick William Brune was the oldest child of Frederick William and Emily Barton Brune. Few of Frederick's papers survive except those of his childhood which presumably were kept by his mother after he moved to his home. His papers consist of about 300 items (1859-98) and are comprised of incoming letters and school papers.

F. W. Brune (1854-99) grew up in Baltimore and spent several summers with his mother's sister M. E. Jones at the Jones home "Vaucluse" in Middleton, Va. There are letters (1867-68) from Brune to his mother written from "Vaucluse" in Emily Barton Brune's incoming letters, Box 16. Brune attended Pen Lucy School in Waverly, Md., graduating as valedictorian in 1872. His valedictory speech is in Box 44.

The bulk of Brune's incoming correspondence dates from his school days. These letters are from his parents, sister Susan and brothers T. Barton and Herbert while Frederick was at St. John's College, (1874-74, and in Boston studying law, 1874-75. After Brune returned from Boston and began practicing law, his letters (1876-84) are largely from his aunt and uncle Anne [Brune] and George C. Shattuck with whom he stayed while studying in Boston. There are some from his mother as she traveled to Boston and Lake Champlain, 1880's. These letters are in boxes 42-44. A few letters written by Frederick to his brother Herbert in 1880 are found in Box 45.

Brune married Blanche Shoemaker (1859-98) in [1885] and few of his papers after this event are in this collection. There are a few of Blanche's incoming letters, largely from her mother-in-law, Emily Brune. The collection includes a playscript "Sylvia" written by Frederick and Blanche Brune's daughter Blanche S. [Brune] Van Dusen.

Herbert Maxwell Brune

Herbert Maxwell Brune (1866-1948) was the youngest child of Frederick William and Emily [Barton] Brune.

For more details see C.M. Andrews, Tercentenary History of Maryland (Baltimore, 1925), III:591-92.

His papers consist largely of those of his childhood. There are about 150 items dating from 1871 until 1942.

Brune was born in Baltimore where he attended schools until enrolling in St. Paul's School in Concord, N.H. in 1880. Brune's uncle George C. Shattuck was instrumental in founding St. Paul's. His years (1880-84) at St. Paul's are the best documentated in this collection. His incoming letters (1880-84) are largely from his mother and brother Frederick in Baltimore while Herbert was at school. Herbert's letters to his mother about his studies and activities at St. Paul's are in boxes 23-27. There are also about 20 essays written by Brune at school.

After St. Paul's Brune returned to Baltimore to graduate from Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland Law School. There are no papers relating to this education or his subsequent legal career. There is one memo [1880s] concerning a financial deal of Freeman Rasin and some papers (1910) concerning some work Brune was doing for Elisabeth Gilman.

Brune married Lucy Fisher in 1892, and there are some letters from Herbert and Lucy to Emily Brune in her incoming letters, 1892-1908. Brune married Mrs. George Somerville Jackson in 1942.

Thomas Barton Brune (1856-1891)

Thomas Barton Brune was the second son of Frederick William and Emily [Barton] Brune.

For more details see Eugene F. Cordell, The Medical Annals of Maryland, 1799-1899 (Baltimore, 1903), pp. 336-37.

Only a small part of his life is covered by his papers in the collection. There are about 150 items from 1866 until 1891, but the bulk deal with the year (1878-79) Brune spent studying medicine in Vienna and Berlin.

Brune attended Pen Lucy School in Waverly, Md. and then St. John's College where he received a B.A. (1875) and M.A. (1878). A few of his report cards and essays are in this collection. His letters to his mother from St. John's are in Boxes 18 and 19. In 1878 Brune sailed for Europe to spend a year studying medicine in Vienna and then Berlin. He was engaged to be married to Agnes Wirt Randall and the bulk of Brune's papers is voluminous correspondence from Agnes. She was in Annapolis and wrote detailed letters of her activities. Other correspondents while he was in Europe were his mother, his uncle George C. Shattuck, and his Barton relatives. Brune's letters to his mother written while in Europe are in boxes 21 and 22.

Agnes W. [Randall] Brune was the daughter of Alexander Randall of Annapolis. In [1879] she married T. Barton Brune. A few of Agnes W. [Randall] Brune's letters are in this collection. Most of the surviving incoming letters are from her mother-in-law Emily Brune and are in Box 47. Agnes was a close to the Brune family. Not only did she marry a Brune but her brother Blanchard married T. Barton Brune's sister and Agnes's close friend Susan Brune. Letters written by Agnes are found in the incoming letters of Emily B. Brune, T. Barton Brune, Susan [Brune] Randall, and Blanchard Randall.

Susan Katherine Brune Randall

Susan Katherine Barton [Brune] Randall (1860-1937) was the daughter of Frederick William ans Emily [Barton] Brune. Like her mother Susan kept up a voluminous correspondence with her family and friends throughout her life. Her papers consist of her incoming letters (1865-1937) about 5000 items.

Susan was born and raised in Baltimore, and her correspondence did not really begin until she began to travel during the summers from 1880 until 1885. Susan spent her summers in Newport while her mother wrote of activities in Baltimore. Susan's letters to her mother describing Newport are in boxes 22-28. In 1884 Susan married Blanchard Randall and from 1886 through 1899 Susan spent her summers at the B & O Railroad hotel DeerPark in Garret County, Maryland. Both Blanchard and her mother wrote from Baltimore, and Susan's letters from Deer Park are found in boxes 30 and 31 amd boxes 64 and 66.

Other trips taken by Susan included two trips to Europe in 1892 and 1901, a trip to Chicago in 1893 and a winter in Anniston, Alabama, 1917-18. Letters written from Europe and Chicago are found in Emily [Barton] Brune's incoming letters boxes 65, 66, and 69.

Susan Randall's life revolved around her mother and her children. Even when Susan or Emily Brune were not traveling they corresponded constantly. Their letters from the 1880's until Emily's death in 1908 are full of detailed advice and news of the Randall children's health and activities.

Susan and Blanchard Randall had eight children, one of whom died in infancy. The surviving children were Frederick Brune Randall ([1886]-1961); Susan Katharine Barton [Randall] Pincoffs (b. 1888); Emily Brune [Randall] Webster (1890-1965); Elizabeth Blanchard [Randall] Slack (1892-19__); Blanchard Randall (1894-); Evelyn Barton [Randall] Hanrahan (1896-1978; and Alexander Randall (1898-1949).

Much of Susan Randall's correspondence from the 1890's until her death in 1937 is from or concerning her seven children. From 1900 until 1908 there are letters from Eva Waters the children's governess. The activities of the seven children over forty years are too numerous to cite here. They will be discussed under the section for each child's papers on pages 19-26. Aside from their activities, the letters reveal the extremely close relationship between Susan and her children, especially her daughters. The children obviously adored their mother and respected her judgement as the letters are always asking for advice. Fewer of Susan's replies to these requests survive, but there are letters from her in the incoming letters of all seven children.

Susan Randall also received letters from Eleanor (Hattie) McMain who was engaged in social work in Louisiana. McMain's first letter was written in 1909 while she was running a Junior Republic in Lewisburg, La. By 1911 she was in New Orleans working at a settlement, Kingsley House. McMain wrote once or twice a year about her work at Kingsley House until 1917. Susan Randall also received letters from Lucy [Fosdick] Minot. She was the wife of biologist Charles Minot. The Minots lived in Boston, and Lucy wrote of their activities and after 1914, her widowhood. Charles Minot's letters to the Randalls are in Blanchard Randall's incoming letters in boxes 65 to 69.

Susan Randall's one interest outside of her family was the Episcopal Church. She belonged to St. Paul's Church, and she and Blanchard took an active interest in the national Episcopal Church structure. They often attended the annual conventions and when Blanchard went alone in 1922 he wrote detailed letters to Susan about the convention. Sally R. and Mary Coles Carter, headmistresses of St. Timothy's School, also wrote to Susan about the Episcopal church convention of 1913.

Blanchard Randall

Blanchard Randall (1857-1942) was the son of Alexander Randall and his second wife Elizabeth Blanchard. Randall's papers (1871-1942) consist of about 2500 items most of which are his incoming correspondence.

Randall was born and raised in Annapolis, but very few records of his childhood are in this collection. When he began to work for the Baltimore export firm Gill and Fisher in the 1880's, his incoming correspondence began. Many of the letters from 1883 until the 1890's are from his mother Elizabeth [Blanchard] Randall who wrote to her son about her activities in Annapolis. Randall's sisters also wrote frequently from Annapolis including Elizabeth [Randall] Caswell, Kate Wirt Randall (d.1922), and Agnes W. [Randall] Brune who lived in Baltimore after 1878.

Blanchard's brothers wrote less frequently than his sisters, but A. B rton Randall wrote of his medical practice in Philadelphia 1890's-19__ and T. Henry Randall of his architectural practice in Boston with H. H. Richardson and in New York (1884-1904). In 1905 Henry was placed in Sheppard-Pratt Hospital and there are some letters (1905-6) concerning his care.

Randall kept in close contact with several friends throughout his life. His cousin, lawyer A. B. Hagner wrote frequently from Washington, D.C., 1897-1911. Blanchard also corresponded with Harvard biologist Charles S. Minot and his wife Lucy [Fosdick] Minot.

Randall was associated with the grain export firm Gill and Fisher for his entire career, but there are few of his business papers in this collection. Letters he wrote to his fiance Susan Brune in 1883 and 1884 were written while he was traveling for Gill and Fisher in Chicago, Cincinnati, and St. Louis. There is some mention of his work in these. There are two interesting letters concerning the export trade: one (1891) from a former employee engaged in the coffee trade in Brazil, and one (1900) from William Goodwin in Bueno Aires. In 1908 Gill and Fisher was sued by a french firm, and there are some letters concerning this.

Randall took an active interest in civic, philanthropic, political and church organizations. His correspondence has some mention of all these activities. In 1891 he received a lengthy letter from W. F. Brand outlining the Arbitration Council which was to bring peace between capital and labor. From 1902-3 Randall served as an official of the Baltimore Board of Trade. His interest in the city led him to participate in the City-Wide Congress held in 1911. The next year Randall was contacted about the Public Athletic League sponsored by the Social Service Corporation. He also received letters (1905) concerning Baltimore's first settlement house, the Lawrence Memorial and from Adelaide Nutting about the Grenfell Mission to Labrador, 1907. Randall's daughters Elizabeth, Emily, and Evelyn were also supporters of the Grenfell Mission, and their papers have references to it. By 1919 Randall served as chairman of the School Survey Commission of Baltimore. The purpose was to investigate the feasibility of surveying. Balto. City schools. Minutes and correspondence are in Box 71.

Blanchard Randall was active in the operation of Johns Hopkins Hospital. He corresponded (1905-) with William Osler. There are letters about the Harriet Lane Children's Home (1907) and the organization of the Phipps Clinic (1908). Randall acted as an intermediary (1911-12) between the medical school and a prospective professor, Dr. Pirquet. Pirquet wrote about what he expected from Hopkins, and Randall negotiated with board members. Randall was a good friend of John M. Glenn, superintendant of the hospital, but there are more letters from Glenn after he moved to New York to direct the New York Charity Organization Society. Randall was also interested in the Johns Hopkins University. In 1901 his brother Wyatt wrote a detailed letter about the future of undergraduate education at Hopkins. Charles M. Andrews taught history at Hopkins until 1911. There is one letter (1911) detailing why he was leaving Hopkins for Yale.

Not much is known of Blanchard Randall's political activities, but his incoming letters contain some information on Baltimore politics. There is a letter (1894) from J. Wirt Randall about William Cabell Bruce's election to the state senate. The next year Bruce wrote Blanchard about the anti-Gorman (the party boss) Democrats. By 1900, however, Randall apparently had become a republican. There is a letter (1900) about the Republican Club and one (1904) about the Republican State Central Committee. In 1920 Randall attended the Republican National Convention in Chicago. Letters concerning this are in Susan B. Randall's incoming letters, box 58. That same year (1920) Randall received a letter from Winfred Smith asking Randall, as a Republican, to talk to the Mayor (BROENING) about not making political appointments to the Board of City Supervisors. John Work Garrett wrote Randall in 1922 about that year's Republican campaign. He hoped the Republican women with their recently granted right to vote would organize. Garrett was also interested (1920) in distributing copies of The Red Conspiracy to schools.

Blanchard Randall had a personal print collection which was a hobby. There are letters from the New York dealer F. Meder from the 1890's. In 1903 Meder produced a catalog to Randall's collection. The draft of the catalog is in Box 71. One of Randall's prints was "Old Moses," and its history is described in a 1917 letter from David Bendann. Randall's interest in art led him to be elected President of the Baltimore Museum of Art in 1914. There are letters about the Museum in his letters for 1914 and 1915.

Randall's most consuming interest outside of his family was the Episcopal Church. He was a member of St. Paul's Church and friend of many Bishops. He often attended the Episcopal National Conventions, and his letters have some reference to these especially the Oregon convention in 1922. His letters from Oregon to his wife are in Boxes 58 and 59. Letters about church activities are found throughout his correspondence.

John Glenn letters

John M. Glenn and his wife Mary Willcox [Brown] Glenn, close friends of the Randall family, were active in national social reform movements. Due to this interest they were often asked to serve on national reform committees. This collection contains ten letters written to the Glenns about reform work. The letters are from nationally prominent individuals and apparently given to the Randall family because of the signatures. The individuals represented and the date of their signature are as follows: Lyman Abbott (1907); James S. Sherman (1908); Wallace Buttrick (1908); Jane Addams (1908); Frederick Law Olmstead (1909); James Bronson Reynolds (1909); Walter Hines Page (1909); Jacob A. Riis (1911); William H. Taft (1911); and Woodrow Wilson (1913). These letters are in Box 72.

Katherine Randall Pincoffs

Susan Katharine Barton [Randall] Pincoffs (b. 1888) was the eldest daughter of Susan Brune and Blanchard Randall. Her papers are incoming letters (1894-1921, n.d.) received by her while she was living at home with her parents. There are few items dating after her marriage to Dr. Maurice Pincoff in 1919. Her papers consist of about 150 items.

Some of Katharine's earliest letters are from Elisabeth Gilman from 1902-4. During this period Gilman was directing Katharine's religious instruction in Episcopal doctrine. The collection includes Gilman's questions and Katharine's written replies. The remainder of Katharine's incoming letters are from her family while traveling. In 1908 Katharine and her father wrote them letters from Baltimore. Emily Randall traveled to the Philippines in 1911 and 1912 and she wrote detailed letters to her sister Katharine.

Katharine became engaged to Dr. Maurice Pincoffs in 1917 just before he left for duty in a medical unit in France. Maurice's letters to Katharine are not in this collection, but Katherine's letters to her mother (1917-18) (in Box 57) discuss the difficulty of waiting to hear from soldiers on active duty. Maurice and Katharine were married in 1919, and Katharine's letters from a wedding trip to Florida and Chicago are in Susan Randall's incoming letters, Box 58.

The Pincoffses lived in Baltimore after their marriage, and there are few letters from Katharine after 1919 except when she traveled. Few of Katharine's incoming letters after 1919 are in this collection.

Alexander Randall

Alexander Randall (1898-1949) was the youngest child of Susan Brune and Blanchard Randall. Few of his papers are in this collection. They are school papers and incoming letters 1905-1922, n.d., about 300 items.

Alexander's school papers consist of essays he wrote for his governess Eva Waters, report cards, 1910-14, from Gilman school, grades from Johns Hopkins University 1916-17, and an essay, 1921, written while at Harvard Medical School.

Alexander was in the army from 1917 until [1919]. He was first stationed in Anniston, Alabama, and his mother's papers from 1917-1918 mention Alexander. Susan Randall, and daughters Elizabeth and Evelyn spent the winter of 1917-18 in Anniston and saw Alexander frequently. He was sent to France in 1918, and his papers have some letters written to him during this time.

There are a few papers relating to Alexander after his marriage in 1922 to Aurora Carter.

Blanchard Randall, Jr.

Blanchard Randall (b. 1894) was the second son of Susan Brune and Blanchard Randall. There are few of his papers in this collection. Those that exist are incoming letters (1898-1912, n.d.) received during his childhood. There are about 100 items.

The incoming letters are almost entirely written by his parents, sisters, a and brothers while he was away, usually in the summer.

There are a few of his school essays and grades from Johns Hopkins University 1910-11.

In 1918 Blanchard married Romaine McIlvaine. There are two letters written to her in this collection, and many written by her in the incoming letters of Susan Randall, Evelyn Hanrahan, and Elizabeth R. Slack.

Frederick Brune Randall

Frederick B. Randall ([1886]-1961) was the oldest child of Susan Brune and Blanchard Randall. Like his brothers' papers, few of his papers are in this collection. They are incoming letters (1893-1921, n.d.) written largely by his family during his childhood. There are about 75 items.

Frederick's incoming letters are almost entirely from his parents, sisters, and brothers, mostly while he was away, at school; College of St. James in Hagerstown, Maryland, (1899-1900), the Mackenzie School in Dobbs Ferry, New York (1902-4), and Choconut summer camp in Friendsville, Pa. Blanchard Randall's incoming letters for 1899-1904 contain letters concerning Frederick's education.

Frederick appeared to have been somewhat retarded. Letters written by Susan Randall to Blanchard during 1886 record a severe illness of Frederick's.

Throughout his life Frederick lived with his parents. After his father's death in 1942, Frederick apparently lived in a series of hospitals, and the correspondence of his sisters and brothers mention his care.

Evelyn Barton Randall Hanrahan

Evelyn Barton [Randall] Hanrahan (1896-1978) was the youngest daughter of Susan Brune and Blanchard Randall. As with the papers of the other children, Evelyn's papers are largely the letters she received during her childhood. They cover the period 1903-26 and are about 200 items.

The early letters (1903-12) were written to Evelyn by her parents and sisters and brothers while they traveled. For the year 1913-14 Evelyn attended Bryn Mawr College and her letters for these years are from college friends. Evelyn's letters from Bryn Mawr to her mother are in Box 56. She did not return to Bryn Mawr in the fall og 1914, and there are letters from her friends who did. There are also many letters (1914-15) from Charlotte Strong about debutante activities in Short Hills, N. J.

All of the Randall daughters were interested in church and social welfare work. Evelyn trained at Johns Hopkins Hospital as a social worker, and there is some mention of this work in her letters. She was also interested in the Grenfell family's mission to Labrador, and there are letters (1914) about this. Evelyn took an active interest in the Republican Party. Her incoming letters of the 1920's reflect this.

In 1923 Evelyn married Edward Hanrahan, and few of her papers after this have survived. Letters about plans for her wedding were written to Bessie [Randall] Slack and are in Box 81.

Emily Brune Randall Webster

Emily Brune [Randall] Webster (1890-1965) was the daughter of Susan Brune and Blanchard Randall. Her papers (1902-43, n.d.) are largely incoming letters received between 1908 and 1922. There are about 400 items.

Like those of other family members Emily's earlier correspondense is letters from her family while traveling. Her father wrote from Europe in 1906 and her sister and parents wrote from Baltimore while Emily spent the summer of 1907 in Red Bank [N. J.] with her cousins the Joneses.

In 1911 Emily left Baltimore with some family friends, the Forbeses, and travelled to Manila, Philippines. She was gone almost one year and wrote detailed letters to her parents and sisters. (In boxes 56, 68, 73 and 76). She traveled first to Carpenteria, California then Japan, and Shanghai. She arrived in China soon after the revolution and made some observations on the political situation in her letters. Once in Manila Emily wrote of her full schedule of social events. She was also hospitalized for [appendicitis]. During her absence Emily's sisters and parents wrote frequently of their activities in Baltimore.

After returning to Baltimore, Emily began what was to become her life-long work in medical social work. She received her early training as a volunteer at the newly-opened Johns Hopkins Hospital social service department. Many of the doctors and nurses she worked with at Hopkins subsequently served in France, and Emily received letters from doctors Kenneth Blackfan and A. Watson Sellards as well as non-medical personnel in France. These letters, 1916-19, are in boxes 77 and 78. Emily also corresponded with a nurse who described work in France, 1917 and a friend Alice who went to France in 1918 with the YMCA. Another friend Monroe McIver wrote in 1920 of his work in Poland with a Red Cross typhus unit. Letters from friends in the US 1916-19 described their war work on the home front, especially nursing and knitting.

Emily also took an active interest in mission and social settlement work. Emily and Evelyn Randall in 1915 and Emily and Bessie Randall in 1916 attended the summer Missionary Conference held at Silver Bay, Lake George, N.Y. These conferences like the YMCA conferences held at the same place, were to teach young men and women how to work for misionary activities. The conferences were a mixture of prayer meetings mission study classes, and summer camp. Emily's letters to her mother about the conference are in Box 57.

Emily was also active in Baltimore's short-lived Locust Point Settlement House. In 1916 she received a long letter from Ellen Emerson a former worker at Locust Point. Emerson detailed some of the settlement's organizational problems.

In 1920 Emily decided to pursue her social work activities professionally by attending a school of social work. Her uncle Jeffrey Brackett was connected with the Boston School of Social Work while an old family friend John Glenn was associated with the New York School of Social Work. In 1920 Glenn wrote Emily a detailed letter advising her on which school was best for her. It is in Box 78. Emily chose the New York school and spent the next five years studying and working in New York. During these years 1920-24 Emily wrote frequently to her parents about her work and studies. These letters are in boxes 58, 59, 69, and 76.

Emily became clinic executive for the Eye, Ear, and Throat Clinic at Cornell Medical College in 1923. She worked there for over a year but apparently resigned to return to her parents in Baltimore in 1924. Emily was the only unmarried daughter and believed it her duty to care for her parents. This sense of duty is quite evident in her letters to her parents inthe 1920's.

There are few papers relating to Emily Randall after her return to Baltimore. In 1951 she married Dr. Jerome Webster and returned to New York. There are some letters after this in the incoming letters of her sister Bessie Slack.

Elizabeth Blanchard Randall Slack

Elizabeth Blanchard [Randall] Slack (b. 1892) was the daughter of Susan Brune and Blanchard Randall. Her papers cover her life up to 1972, but the bulk of the material is incoming letters from 1909 through the 1940's. There are about 1500 items.

Like most of the Randall family Elizabeth, known as Bessie, was active in social welfare activities. She was interested in the Grenfell family's mission to Labrador. There are letters about the Grenfell Mission from 1909 and 1912 in Box 79. She also taught a Red Cross class on hygiene and home care of the sick in 1914-15 and was elected manager and secretary of the Electric Sewing Machine Society in 1916. This group trained women in the use of the electric sewing machine so they could become self-sufficient. There are letters concerning this work in Box 79.

Bessie's main interest was working with physically handicapped patients. She began work with the Johns Hopkins Hospital Social Service Department. In 1915 and 1916 through the Social Service Department she was writing to other agencies in the U.S. for descriptions of their programs in physical rehabilitation. Her incoming letters for these years contain much information on rehabilitation programs. In 1917 Bessie received a letter from Mary Richmond, a leading social work theorist. Printed material collected by Bessie on occupational therapy is in Box 84.

Experience such as Bessie's was much in demand during World War I. In 1917 Bessie contemplated going to France to help with rehabilitation. She instead went to work as a Reconstruction Aide in Occupational Therapy in army hospitals. She was in Rahway, N. J. in 1918 and at the U.S. General Hospital No. 3 in Colonia, N.J. the next year. Her letters to her parents describing this work are in boxes 57, 58, and 69. Letters to Bessie from her parents are in Box 80.

Bessie resigned her position as a Reconstruction aide in April 1920. That same year and the next the Public Health Service wrote several times asking her to work for them with veterans, but she refused.

Bessie married Dr. Harry Richmond Slack (1888-1957) in June 1922, and they immediately departed for a year at the Peking Union Medical College. As with other separations in the Randall family, the correspondence during Bessie's absence was voluminous. Bessie wrote detailed letters about life in China to her parents and sisters Emily, Katharine, and Evelyn. These letters are in boxes 59, 70, 73, 75, and 78. Other letters about this period can be found in Harry Slack's letters to his parents in boxes 88 and 89. Bessie's family wrote often to her especially about the plans for Evelyn Randall's marriage to Edward Hanrahan in 1923.

Bessie's incoming correspondence tapers off after her return to Baltimore in 1923. There are letters concerning her various civic projects, especially her work with the Federated Garden Clubs of Maryland. Material on the Federated Garden Clubs of Maryland is also found in Box 84. There are also letters from her children Harry R. Slack (1924-70), Wyatt Cameron Slack (b. 1928) and Elizabeth Slack (b. 1933).

Harry Richmond Slack papers

Harry Richmond Slack (1888-1957) was the son of Harry Richmond and Ruth Slack of LaGrange, Georgia. His papers consist of his correspondence with his family 1898-1957. His parents returned letters Harry wrote to them while he was in school and in France, 1905-18. His incoming and outgoing letters are filed by year. There are about 2000 items.

Harry was born and raised in LaGrange, Georgia. His correspondence began when he attended the University of Georgia in Athens, 1905-8. With this separation began a voluminous and detailed family correspondence that lasted throughout his parents' lives. While at the University Harry wrote detailed, weekly letters to his family telling of both his social and academic activities.

In 1909 Harry enrolled in the Johns Hopkins Medical School. Again his letters to his family detail his activities for the next four years. His letters of 1912 mention the Democratic National Convention in Baltimore and his proposed summer work at Mt. Wilson Hospital. His family's letters to Harry discuss their lives in LaGrange 1909-12. These letters are in boxes 85 and 86.

Harry Slack worked at Johns Hopkins Hospital for a short time in 1913 but sailed that summer for Europe to work with the Red Cross in France. His letters from June-August, 1913 describe life in Berlin. From August 1913 until 1915 he was working with the Red Cross in France. Again he was a regular and meticulous correspondent. The letters to his parents are in boxes 86 and 87.

After his return from France in 1915 Harry worked at Johns Hopkins Hospital. None of his letters from this period survived, but his family's letters to Harry are in box 87. Harry returned to France in June 1917 with a Johns Hopkins medical unit and was stationed at the American Expeditionary forces Base Hospital 18. Harry's letters to his parents from June 1917 through 1918 describe medical and military conditions. In 1918 he also sent them copies of soldiers' letters which had been censored. These letters are in boxes 87 and 88.

Harry was back at Hopkins in 1919 through June 1922 and wrote few letters to his parents. Their letters to him are in Box 88. After his marriage to Elizabeth (Bessie) Randall, Harry and Bessie sailed for China where Harry worked at the Peking Union Medical College for one year. His detailed letters to his family about China and the Slack's return trip through Cairo and Paris are in boxes 88 and 89.

The Slacks settled in Baltimore upon their return from China. Harry's correspondence with his parents and family in LaGrange continued through the 1940's and comprised the majority of his remaining correspondence.

Alexander Randall papers

Alexander Randall (1803-81) was the father of Blanchard Randall. He was a lawyer and businessman in Annapolis. His papers consist of some incoming correspondence and a large number of papers relating to his estate. There are about 400 items (1847-81).

There are few papers relating to Randall's legal and business interests, but there are letters concerning some of his political activities. Randall supported the presidential candidacy of Zachary Taylor and participated in the 1848 State Taylor Convention in Baltimore. There are letters concerning arrangements for the convention and a copy of the proceedings and Randall's speech in support of Taylor. These are in Box 92.

Randall was an ardent unionist during the Civil War. During the War he worked hard to keep the Naval Academy from being moved further North. His letters during the war reflect this struggle. There is also an interesting letter (September 5, 1861) from Bishop William Whittingham concerning the clergy and the American Revolution.

Randall was a friend and supporter of Dorothea L. Dix, the mental hospital reformer. Her letters to Randall 1870-81 spoke of his support. There are also several letters (1881-84) from Dix to Randall's widow Elizabeth [Blanchard] Randall.

Another reform interest of Randall's was temperance. There are copies of the constitution of the State Temperance Society, 1830, a list of subscribers, 1833, and an 1833 letter of Randall's concerning the Society. This was a life-long interest, and there is also a temperance speech (1881) by Randall.

Alexander Randall's first wife was Catherine Wirt. She died in 1852. In 1873 Randall received several letters from her [brother?] William Wirt concerning some Wirt property in Virginia. Alexander's brother Thomas had married Catherine's sister Laura Wirt. There is one letter (June 19, 1828) from William Wirt to his son-in-law Thomas.

The remainder of Alexander Randall's incoming letters are from his children especially his son Blanchard who was working for a commission merchant in Baltimore.

The settlement of Alexander Randall's estate was complicated, and the majority of his papers pertain to the estate. His second wife Elizabeth Philpot [Blanchard] Randall recorded "Reminiscence of Alexander Randall" and this is in Box 93.

Philpot papers

The Philpots were related to the Randall family through Elizabeth Philpot [Blanchard] Randall, Alexander Randall's second wife. The Philpot genealogical chart is on page 48 and a brief genealogical sketch is in Box 93. The Philpot papers cover the period 1750-1928 and contain about 200 items.

The bulk of the Philpot papers belong to Catherine Stewart Philpot (Kitty) of Phoenix, Maryland. She was a distant cousin of Elizabeth [Blanchard] Randall. Catherine's finances were apparently administered by Blanchard Randall, and most of her papers (1900-28) relate to the operation of her home "Rockland" in Phoenix, Md. and to her financial investments. There are few papers of her brother Thomas S. Philpot (d.1894) who was Register of Wills for Baltimore County.

The papers also include several wills and correspondence relating to the division of estates. From these items can be gleaned much philpot family genealogical information.

Stewart-Minor family papers

This group is largely the papers of Mary [Stewart] Minor and her parents David C. and Elizabeth [Buchanan] Stewart. The papers are mainly letters and diaries and consist of about 300 items, 1782-1856.

Elizabeth Buchanan (1771-1824) was the second wife of Baltimore commission merchant David C. Stewart (1775-1818). There are a few items relating to his first wife Jane Purviance (d.1801, but most are letters to Elizabeth [Buchanan] and David C. Stewart. They were married in 1803, and the letters between them indicate David was a poor provider. His incoming letters (1800-18) contain some material on his business. Elizabeth's letters (1803-24, n.d.) are from friends. Elizabeth Buchanan was from Bladensburg and there is one letter from E. B. Jackson to Mrs. Susan Johnston about the British attack on Bladensburg in 1814 which was sent to Elizabeth by her aunt E. Stewart. Both letters are in Elizabeth's incoming letters in Box 95.

Elizabeth B. and David C. Stewart had five children: Susan Isabella, Harriet Murray, Catherine, Dorothy, and Mary. The bulk of the papers in this collection are those of Mary Stewart.

In 1840 Mary Stewart married Protestant Episcopal missionary Launcelot B. Minor. Soon after the wedding the Minors returned to Launcelot's mission in Liberia. Mary S. Minor's papers (1837-56, ca. 250 items) relate almost entirely to her missionary experience. She kept a detailed journal of her voyage to Africa and a sporadic diary of the years she spent in Liberia. Missions at which the Minors served were Cape Palmas, Mt. Vaughn, Cavalla, and briefly Taboo River. In her diary Mary recorded her mission activities including running a sewing school and ocasionally reading sermons on Sunday when Launcelot Minor was away. It appeared that Launcelot was often away from Mary, and her diary recorded her loneliness.

The most detailed diary was kept on the days during Launcelot's fatal illness April-June 1843.

Mary Minor also wrote frequently from Africa to her sisters in Baltimore and these letters are in the collection in Box 96. Her sister's letters from Baltimore are in Box 97. After she left Africa in [1844], she corresponded with several of the natives. One woman wrote to Mary about the school Mary had run. The most frequent African correspondent was John Musu Neapo Minor. He appeared to have been a protege of Launcelot Minor and studied at the [Virginia Theological] Seminary in 1849. He corresponded with Mary Minor about his studies and ministry after he returned to Africa. Mary wrote a lengthy biographical sketch of John Musu Neapo Minor which is in Box 97.

Mary Minor wrote several other items about people whom she believed had lived exemplary lives. She wrote a lengthy instructive biographical sketch of Minna [Kirkland] Scotland. Minna had been orphaned at age 15, and then dedicated herself to helping others. She first taught a Sabbath School and then accompanied her missionary husband to Missouri. The story is greatly embellished with moralizing by Minor. It is in Box 97. After the death of her husband Launcelot, and her sisters Susan [Stewart] Philpot (d.1854) and Catherine Stewart (d. 1855) Mary wrote down particularly edifying incidents in their lives. The writing about Catherine Stewart is in the form of a diary remembered her sister. This along with the writings about Launcelot Minor and Susan S. Philpot are in Box 97.

Two copies of an African hymnal and a missionary newsletter printed in Cavalla, Liberia are part of Mary Minor's papers. A few letters (1837-42) to Launcelot Minor while in Africa are in Box 97.

Barton family papers

Emily [Barton] Brune (1826-1908) was the daughter of Susan Catherine [Stone] (1796-1875) and Thomas Bowerbank Barton (1792-1871). The few Barton papers in this collection (1817-74, ca. 200 items) relate to the Bartons' relationship with Emily B. Brune.

Susan C. S. and Thomas B. Barton had eight children. Susan S. C. Barton corresponded frequently with her four daughters. Her incoming letters (1817, 1847-75, n.d., ca. 60 items) contain many letters from her daughters Carry [Barton] Johnston and Emily [Barton] Brune. Susan's letters written to her daughters are found in their incoming letters boxes 13-19, 35, 99, 100, and 101. The Bartons lived in Fredericksburg, Va. and Susan's letters to her daughter in Baltimore described life in Fredericksburg. The group of Susan C. S. Barton's incoming letters appear to be letters she received while visiting her daughters in Baltimore.

The largest group of letters in this section is the incoming letters of Susan and Thomas Barton's daughter Evelyn Barton (d.1870). Her letters (1855-70, ca. 80 items) were written to Evelyn while she visited her sister Emily B. Brune in Baltimore.

The Barton family was physically separated by the Civil War, and much of the correspondence in this section dates from the War. Two of the Bartons, Thomas B. and his son Seth, were imprisoned by the Union and there are letters among the Bartons about this.

Other Bartons represented in this section are Susan C. S. and Thomas Barton's sons Howard and William S. Barton and William's son Thomas H. Barton.