Letter archive related to the Randolph family of Virginia, including Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jefferson Randolph, Lewis Meriwether Randolph - the grandson of President Jefferson and secretary of Arkansas territory- and Lewis's widow Elizabeth Martin Randolph, who became the second wife of Andrew Jackson Donelson. 13 pieces of ephemera total. Includes a circa 1838 manuscript copy of a list of personal property and buyers from the sale of the estate of Lewis Randolph, circa 1838 (fire/water damage makes last few pages illegible); a printed announcement of the opening of the Edgehill School for Young Ladies in Albemarle County by Mrs. Thomas Jefferson Randolph and Miss Mary Jane Lewis, with ALS dated Jan. 30, 1838 from Mrs. Jane H. Randolph to Elizabeth Randolph in care of her father James at his home, Fountain of Health, "near the Hermitage," expressing condolences on the loss of Lewis Randolph; Thomas Jefferson Randolph ALS to Elizabeth Randolph expressing grief at the loss of Lewis Randolph and urging her that "should any accident happen to you, have [your son] sent to me that we may rear hm as our own most cherished," dated Edgehill, Dec. 25, 1837 (large separation at fold line); George Wythe Randolph ALS to Andrew Jackson Donelson regarding the settling of Lewis Randolph's estate and stating "Lewis carried with him to the West a violin given to him by Mr. Jefferson, of a peculiar construction, different from those in common use," and asking if he might have it, dated Sept. 1, 1842. Also included is a Lewis Meriwether Randolph ALS dated August 25, 1837 from his plantation in Arkansas to James Martin in Tennessee. Randolph asks his father in law to help him acquire an Eihart or Alhart rifle and gives specific instructions about how it is to be made. Randolph also writes about bilious fever which mildly sickened himself and Elizabeth and one family of his slaves. (Randolph would be dead less than a month after writing this letter, of unknown cause). Other letter writers include C.J. (Catherine?) Randolph to Elizabeth Randolph describing Andrew Jackson ("he reminds me so much of my grandfather that I am carried back to that happy times (sic) when we were all living with him at Monticello"), and the children of Andrew Jackson Donelson, dated Dec. 21, 1835; Jane Randolph and Caryanne Ruffin congratulating Elizabeth Randolph on her marriage to Andrew Jackson Donelson (undated, holes on p. 2); political related letter to Lewis Randolph from M.L.(?) Randolph, undated, from Edgehill, on "the triumph of the Democrats in this county" and family news. Provenance: the estate of Dr. Benjamin Caldwell, Jr., Nashville, Tennessee.

Significant fading to the letter from Lewis Randolph regarding bilious fever at his Arkansas plantation. Fire/water damage to Lewis Randolph estate sale record. Other letters generally good condition with some small losses, toning, creases, etc. Refer to description. Some previous owner notations. Scattered stickers are adhered to plastic sheaths and not on the paper.