Perine Family Papers, 1783-1941, MS 645

DAVID M. PERINE PAPERS

David's papers deal with his career as Register of Wills for Baltimore City and County and with his management of the estates of several prominent Baltimoreans. Perine was also associated with the Bank of Maryland when it closed in March 1834, and there is material defending his role in the affair.

David was the Register of Wills for Baltimore City and County from 1825 until 1851. The papers (1825-1851) dealing with this position are largely yearly financial accounts. There is some routine correspondence (1840s-1851) between David Perine and the State of Maryland concerning the transfer of funds and the Register's annual tax. There are also several petitions (1825) supporting Perine's promotion from clerk in the Register's office to Register of Wills. Although not a lawyer by training, Perine had legal duties as Register of Wills, and the collection contains this memoranda on various laws and cases. These are filed with the Register of Wills papers (Boxes 3 and 4).

David Perine spent much time handling the estates of prominent Baltimoreans.

He was the Executor for the estates of Roger B. Taney, Moses Sheppard, John Van Lear McMahon, William H. Marriott, and Andrew Aldridge, and he was the agent for the Executors of the estates of Robert Oliver, Charles Carroll, and George Brown. Except for the Robert Oliver estate papers (which are a separate collection, MS. 626.2) the Estates' correspondence, legal papers, account books, check books, and cancelled checks are filed under the name of the Estate (Boxes 9-19).

The remainder of David Perine's papers deal with his personal life, especially his connection with the Bank of Maryland affair. His correspondence (1825-1882), although touching on his work as Register of Wills, deals largely with personal matters. His most frequent correspondents were Roger B. Taney, Reverdy Johnson, and John Van Lear McMahon.

The Bank of Maryland is the subject of much of Perine's correspondence from 1832-1839. Perine had a financial interest in the Bank of Maryland when it failed in March 1834. He subsequently came under attack for his actions, and the correspondence for the years 1835-1836 reveals Perine's attempt to clear his name. This includes two of the anonymous letters [1835] that accused John Glenn, Reverdy Johnson, Evan T. Ellicott of swindling bank funds. These were circulated, according to an attached note by Perine, to incite a mob riot and divert suspicion from the true culprits. Perine publicly defended himself in a speech (1835) to the creditors of the Bank of Maryland and a copy is included. In addition, Perine had a holograph copy of Reverdy Johnson's speech (554 pp.) in the trial of Trustees of the Bank of Maryland v. Thomas Ellicott. Both of these writings are in Box 8.

Other Bank of Maryland material is the Roger B. Taney - Thomas Ellicott correspondence (1833-1837). As Taney's Executor, Perine had many of Taney s papers in

his possession. The Taney-Ellicott letters were used as evidence by Taney in refuting Ellicott's pamphlet on the Bank of Maryland affair. This Taney manuscript (70 pp., 1839) is also part of the collection. These Roger B. Taney papers are in Box 9.

Other Taney material includes a few letters to Perine discussing banking. One letter (1832) details Taney's views on the Bank of the United States. The bulk of Taney's letters to Perine (1830-1865, ca. 200 items) deal with Taney's health and financial affairs. Some discuss politics and life in Washington in the 1860s. All these Taney letters are filed with Perine's correspondence in Boxes 1 and 2.

Two final Taney items in Perine's possession were a holograph copy of Taney's autobiography written in 1854 (70 pp.) and holograph copies of Taney's opinions in four court cases including the decisions on Dred Scott, conscription law, and paper money. These are in Box 9.

After Taney, Reverdy Johnson was Perine's most frequent correspondent. Johnson was also implicated in the Bank of Maryland affair, and there are a few of his letters (1835-1836) dealing with the subject, especially the indemnity cases for property damage incurred by Johnson when the mob attacked his house in August 1835. The bulk of Johnson's letters were written during the 1840s and 1850s when Johnson was arguing the Mexican claims case for Perine's clients, the Robert Oliver estate Executors, before the Supreme Court. These brief letters state the progress of the case and are filed in Boxes 1 and 2.

There is a series of letters (1860-1871, ca. 30 items) to Perine from his friend John Van Lear McMahon. McMahon suffered from progressive blindness and had to retire from his Baltimore law practice about 1860. He moved to Cumberland, Maryland and then Dayton, Ohio. His letters to Perine largely discuss his deteriorating

eyesight and financial affairs. These are in Box 2.

Perine was a member of the Church of the Redeemer, and there are some letters (1855-1856) from the Rector, J. Campbell White, who rented a house from Perine.

The David Perine papers contain two items relating to the Civil War. One is a scrapbook of clippings about the Conference Convention which met in Baltimore in 1861 to discuss Maryland's relation to the Union. Perine was a member of the convention. The other is a letter (August 1866) written to Perine by Albert T. Bledsoe, former Assistant Secretary of War for the Confederacy. In the 12-page letter, Bledsoe describes a visit he made to Jefferson Davis and his family in prison.

WILLIAM B. PERINE PAPERS

William Buchanan Perine (1823-1863), David's son, was a lawyer in Baltimore. His papers consist of some correspondence and three irregularly-kept diaries. His correspondence (1843-1857, n.d. ca. 500 items) is largely incoming letters with an occasional draft of William's reply. The letters are largely from clients or associates and deal with routine legal matters such as the settlement of estates or the collection of debts. There are a few letters (1841-1862) written by William to his family, especially E. Glenn Perine, while William was travelling. These are filed with E. Glenn's incoming correspondence. The three diaries (1859-1861) contain brief notations relating to business appointments.

ELIAS GLENN PERINE PAPERS

Elias Glenn Perine (1829-1922) was the son of David M. Perine. He was engaged in mercantile activities but retired at an early age, and his papers deal with his

other activities. His correspondence deals largely with his research on the Glenn family and the settlement of the Mary Peter's estate. Other papers deal with the estates of William Henry Norris, Daniel B. Banks, and Willie Swan. In the Norris Estate Papers there is one detailed letter (1871) from lawyer Judah Philip Benjamin to William Henry Norris in which Benjamin describes the differences between British and American law practices. The estate papers are in Boxes 22 and 23.

Glenn was vestryman and treasurer of the Church of the Redeemer, and there are a few papers (1859, 1879) dealing with the church structure. He was also a trustee of the Samuel Ready Asylum, and there is a copy of a sketch (1909) about the school written by Glenn. Another position he held was Trustee of the Sheppard Asylum. The collection includes a copy of his reasons for resigning this position in 1897. These papers are in Box 22.

WASHINGTON PERINE PAPERS

Washington Perine (1870-1944), the son of E. Glenn Perine, was an avid genealogist. The bulk of his papers deal with his family history. He was related to the Washington and Barroll families on his mother's side and the Glenn family on his father's, and there is material relating to these families in his papers.

In studying his family Washington gathered original manuscript material (wills, deeds, diaries, letters), secondary literature, and photographs of family members. This genealogical material is filed by family name. Individuals about whom there is manuscript material are: Bushrod Washington (1762-1829), John Augustine Washington (1792-1832), Betty Lewis, William Augustine Washington (1757-1810), Lewis William Washington (1812-1871), Eliza Ridgely Beall Washington Perine (1844-1919), Mary Ann

Barroll (1817-1844), William Lanier Washington (1865-1933), Mary Washington Keyser (1841-1931), Elias Glenn (1769-1846), Ann Carson Glenn (1770-1847), John Glenn (1795-1853), William Wilkins Glenn (1824-1876), William Perine, Peter Perine, Hephzibah Perine (1769-1832), Maulden Perine (1771-1797), Ann Carson Perine (1819-1919), Susan B. Perine (1820-1899), Mary Glenn Perine (1822-1896), Thomas Harwood Perine (1830-1861), and David M. Perine (1869-1919). This material is in Boxes 24 and 25.

The result of Perine's research was two volumes of genealogy. These include narrative and many photographs of family members, documents, and possessions. The families covered in this in-depth family history are Perine, Washington, Glenn, Barroll, Beall, Bushrod, Aylett, Buchanan, and Ludwell. These volumes are in Boxes 27 and 28.

There are also three volumes of photographs, some duplicates of those in the genealogy but many others, also. These include many photographs of the Perine estate Homeland and other Maryland and Virginia homes. The photographs are in Boxes 29-31.

Perine also compiled notes on topics peripheral to his family history. These topics include: Homeland, Reverdy Johnson, John V.L. McMahon, Roger B. Taney, and Wakefield. These are in Box 32.

The correspondence (1915-1941, ca. 50 items) of Washington Perine in the collection deals largely with his work on the family history. The few papers that relate to his life are typed copies of journal fragments (1875-1937), fragmentary reminiscences, photographs of his house on Cathedral Street, and memorabilia concerning his participation in laying the cornerstone of the administration building for the 1939 World's Fair. These items are in Boxes 32 and 33.

There are several items that do not deal with the Perine family or family history. There is a holograph copy (?) of a letter (May 31, 1800) from James McHenry to President John Adams. In it, McHenry gives a verbatim transcript of his interview with Adams that led to McHenry's resignation as Secretary of War. Artist Philip Thomas Coke Tilyard's (1785-1830) notebook of sitting appointments for 1827 and 1828 is part of the collection. There are also holograph copies of six letters (1862) concerning the promotion of Confederate officer Seth M. Barton. These are in Box 33.

BOX 1

David M. Perine Correspondence 1825-1854

BOX 2

David M. Perine Correspondence 1855-1882, n.d.

Register of wills administrative papers

BOX 3

David M. Perine Subject Files

Register of wills administrative papers

Register of wills memoranda

Register of wills oaths of office

Register of wills petitions

Biographical material

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad papers, 1869-73

Church of the Redeemer papers, 1855-1857

County Seat (Towson) papers, 1853

Phrenological chart, 1870

St. Paul's Church papers 1817, 1825, 1854

Newspaper clippings

BOX 4

David M. Perine Register of Wills Papers

copies of legal documents, 1825-1851,

1 vol.

financial accounts, 1825-1844

financial accounts, 1845-1848,

2 vols.

BOX 5

financial accounts, 1848-1851,

7 vols.

BOX 6

David M. Perine Papers

Register of wills bank books, 1845-1851,

3 vols.

Scrapbook 1861,

1 vol.

Notebook, n.d.,

1 vol.

BOX 7

Legal memoranda,

4 vols.

BOX 8

David M. Perine Bank of Maryland Papers

Perine, Address to the Creditors of the Bank of Maryland, 1835,

1 vol.

Speech of Reverdy Johnson (case of the Trustees of the Bank of Maryland v. Thomas Ellicott), 1836,

1 vol. (554 pp.)

Record of cases 1834-1836: Thomas Ellicott v. Bank of Maryland; and Reverdy Johnson and John Glenn v. Union Bank of Maryland

Legal and financial documents, 1834-1835

BOX 9

Roger B. Taney Papers

Correspondence, 1833-1837

Remarks on Thomas Ellicott's pamphlet, 1839,

72 pp.

Autobiography, 1854,

90 pp.

Copies of his legal opinions,

1 vol.

Bank Book, 1857-1865,

1 vol.

Cancelled checks, 1864

BOX 10

Roger B. Taney Estate Papers

D.M. Perine correspondence, 1840-1884

Administrative papers, 1865-1872

BOX 11

Copies of legal documents, 1859-1872,

1 vol.

Account book, 1865-1872,

1 vol.

Bank book, 1865-1872,

1 vol.

Check book, 1865-1872,

1 vol.

Cancelled checks, 1865-1872

Receipts, 1866-1882

Taney Trust Fund bank book, 1865-1866,

1 vol.

Taney Trust Fund account book, 1865-1866,

1 vol.

Taney Trust Fund check book, 1866,

1 vol.

Estate papers

BOX 12

Taney Trust Estate account book, 1866-1884,

1 vol.

Taney Trust Estate bank book, 1866-1882,

1 vol.

Taney Trust Estate check book, 1866-1882,

1 vol.

Taney Trust Estate cancelled checks, 1866-1882

George Brown will, 1859

George Brown Estate correspondence, 1860-1880

George Brown Estate inventory

Charles Ridgely of Hampton Estate correspondence, 1830

BOX 13

Charles Carroll Estate Papers

correspondence, 1834-1854, n.d.

will, 1825,

2 vols.

legal proceedings, 1832,

2 vols.

memoranda of proceedings, 1833-1855,

1 vol.

record of appeal, 1836,

1 vol.

BOX 14

John V.L. McMahon Estate Papers

correspondence 1861, 1871-1876

legal and financial papers, 1872-1874

BOX 15

copies of legal documents, 1861-1875,

1 vol.

account book, 1871-1875,

1 vol.

accounts with Alex. Brown and Sons, 1871-1872,

2 vols.

vouchers, 1871-1875,

bank book, 1871-1875,

1 vol.

check book, 1871-1875,

1 vol.

cancelled checks, 1871-1875

BOX 16

Moses Sheppard Estate copies of legal documents, 1855-1862,

1 vol.

Moses Sheppard Estate accounts 1857-1862

Moses Sheppard Estate bank book 1857-1862,

1 vol.

Moses Sheppard Estate cancelled checks, 1857-1862

Robert Oliver will, 1834,

1 vol.

John A. Brown will, 1873,

1 vol.

Eleanor Waters Estate papers, 1855-1872,

1 vol.

John Fisher will, 1877,

1 vol.

William Patterson will, 1827,

1 vol.

Columbus O'Donnell will, 1873,

1 vol.

John Clark will, 1867,

1 vol.

James I. Fisher will, 1877,

1 vol.

BOX 17

William H. Marriott Estate Papers

correspondence, 1851-1853

vouchers, 1851-1869

BOX 18

copies of legal documents, 1844-1869,

1 vol.

account book, 1851-1852,

1 vol.

account book, 1851-1869,

1 vol.

bank book, 1851-1868,

1 vol.

check book, 1851-1868,

1 vol.

cancelled checks, 1851-1868

BOX 19

Andrew Aldridge Estate

copies of legal documents, 1861-1874,

1 vol.

will, 1861

account book, 1874,

1 vol.

vouchers, 1874

bank book, 1874,

1 vol.

check book, 1874,

1 vol.

cancelled checks, 1874

BOX 20

William B. Perine Papers

diaries, 1859-1861

newspaper clippings, 1848-1851

school papers, 1837, 1839

correspondence, 1843-1853

BOX 21

William B. Perine Correspondence, 1854-1857, n.d.

BOX 22

Elias Glenn Perine Papers

correspondence, 1841-1922

genealogical notes

school papers, 1840-1841

phrenological charts, 1852, 1865

engraving

Church of the Redeemer papers

Samuel Ready pamphlet

Sheppard Asylum pamphlet

newspaper clippings

George Washington seals

Mary Peter Estate correspondence, 1870-1876

Mary Peter Estate papers, 1854-1877

BOX 23

Norris Estate copies of legal documents, 1889-1890,

1 vol.

Norris Estate account book, 1890,

1 vol.

Norris bank books, 1881, 1884-1889,

2 vols.

Norris cancelled checks, 1881, 1887-1890

Norris Estate papers, 1889

Judah Philip Benjamin letter, 1871

Banks Estate copies of legal documents, 1872-1882,

1 vol.

Banks Estate papers, 1882

Swan Estate papers, 1904,

1 vol.

Carroll, MacTavish family wills

BOX 24

Washington Perine Papers

genealogical material

BOX 25

genealogical material

BOX 26

Perine family scrapbook

BOX 27

genealogy Volume I

BOX 28

genealogy Volume II

BOX 29

photograph album

BOX 30

photograph album

BOX 31

photograph album

Washington Perine photographs

Wakefield scrapbook

BOX 32

notes

reminiscences

BOX 33

correspondence, 1915-1941

reminiscences

journals, 1875-1937

World's [UNK] memorabilia

certificates

Perine Family scrapbook

printed material

Non-Perine material

James McHenry to John Adams, 1800

Philip Thomas Coke Tilyard appointment book, 1827-1828

letters re: Seth M. Barton, 1862

HOLLINGSWORTH-PARTRIDGE-GILPIN FAMILY PAPERS

MS 642

The collection consists of papers of Col. Henry Hollingsworth (1737-1803) and his descendents relating to land owned in Cecil County, Maryland and in Newcastle County, Delaware. Papers are largely correspondence, land deeds, and land plants. Included are papers relating to: [UNK] Henry Hollingsworth ([UNK]-1803), his wife Jane, his brothers [UNK] and Levi, Henry's children William (1773-1817), Henry (b. 1790), Elizabeth (b. 1785), Ann [Hollingsworth] Talley (b. 1787), Hannah [Hollingsworth] Partridge (1782-1844), Hannah's husband James Partridge, her son John (1810-1898), and Mary [Hollingsworth] Gilpin Henderson (1772-1850), [UNK] second husband Frisby Henderson. There are also papers of Mary Henderson's descendents John Gilpin, William H. Gilpin, Thomas H. Gilpin (d. 1908) and John P. Cochran.

The papers pertaining to most family members are small in number and are usually incoming letters from family members or legal papers. Exceptions are Henry Hollingsworth (b. 1790), John Partridge, and William H. Gilpin.

Henry Hollingsworth appeared to have worked for Cecil County [as a clerk?] and an auditor and many of his papers (1906-38) are copies of legal documents used in various types of land transactions. John Partridge's papers (1835-60) deal with the sale of lands and his mercantile business in Elkton, Md. Partridge also kept a scrapbook of newspaper clippings and notes (1845-1852) on water power. William H. Gilpin's papers (1862-1898) deal mainly with the collection of bounties by Maryland soldiers who enlisted in Maryland regiments during the Civil War. Gilpin apparently acted as an agent for a group of soldiers, and the papers include correspondence, legal opinions, and lists of soldiers seeking bounties.

Land papers, deeds and plants, are a large part of the collection. Hollingsworth family land papers cover the period 1687--1861 and deal with land in Cecil County, Md. and Newcastle County, Delaware. There is another group of land papers dealing with land in Newcastle County, Delaware. These are from the period 1866-1895, and the principal owners appear to be a [UNK] Green and John P. Crawford, father-in-law of Thomas H. Gilpin (1847-1879).

There are five letters relating to Republican politics of the period 1800-1811. All but one appear to have been collected by someone in the collection. On December 3, 1800 John Gilpin wrote to Col. Henry Hollingsworth from Annapolis about the electoral votes for the presidential election and the possibility of Jefferson's election. There is a letter ([UNK]) from [UNK]

Clinton introducing journalist and Republican supporter James Cheetham (1772-1810) to James Madison. A letter (1808) from Republican William Eustis (1753-1825) while he was secretary of war mentions negotiations between Fance and Russia, and [UNK] peace with France. There are two letters written to Richard Cutts. One(November 1803) from John Langdon (1741-1819) comments on the current session of Congress and the possible appointment of Jeremiah Clark as collector for the port of New York. Cutts' other letter is from Henry Dearborn (1751-1829) then collector for the port of Boston in which he explains a controversial act in connection with the position.

CONTAINER LIST

Box 1

Col. Henry Hollingsworth Papers, 1781-1800)

Jane [Evans] Hollingsworth Papers, 1806, 1812

Zebulon Hollingsworth will, n.d.

Levi Hollingsworth letters, 1817, 1819

Mrs. Mary Hollingsworth letter, 1813

William Hollingsworth will, 1817

Henry Hollingsworth (b. 1790) Papers, 1806-1838

[UNK] Hollingsworth letter, n.d.

Ann [Hollingswoth] Talley papers, 1812, 1849

Frances Hollingsworth letter, 1819

notes on Hollingsworth Family

Hollingsworth Family land deeds, 1687-1861

Hollingsworth Family land plats

James Partridge Papers, 1811-1832

Hannah [Hollingsworth] Partridge letters, 1836, 1837

Joseph G. Partridge estate papers, 1833

John Partridge (d. ca. 1835) estate papers, 1835

John Partridge (1810-98) Papers, 1835-1860

Box 2

Frisby Henderson Papers, 1823-1843

Mary [Hollingsworth] Gilpin Henderson Estate Papers, 1850-1852

Samuel Gilpin financial paper, 1790

Henry H. Gilpin Papers, 1850-1859

[UNK] H. Gilpin Papers, 1862-1898

John Gilpin Papers, 1870-1905

Cochran Family legal papers, 1880-1904

John P. Cochran [UNK] papers, 1893-1902

Thomas H. Gilpin estate papers, 1908

Gilpin miscellany

notes on Gilpin [UNK] papers

Delaware land papers, 1866-1895

Hollingsworth-Partridge-Gilpin genealogical material

list of Hollingsworth-Gilpin papers, 1935

engravings

printed material

fragments

Charles Carroll deeds, 1713, 1737

George Washington military pass (copy), 1780

William Eustis to _____, 1808

DeWitt Clinton to James Madison, 1801

Richard Cutts letters, 1803, 1811