Collection Overview

Title

Tyler Family Papers, Group A, 1716-1946

ID

Mss. 65 T97 Group A

Extent

11.0 Cubic Feet

Primary Creator

Tyler, John (1790-1862)

Other Creators

Ellis, Pearl Tyler (1860-1947), Semple, James, Semple, Letitia Tyler (1821-1907), Spencer, Julia Gardiner Tyler (1849-1871), Tyler Family, Tyler, David Gardiner (1846-1927), Tyler, John, Jr. (1819-1898), Tyler, Julia Gardiner (1820-1889), Tyler, Lachlan (1851-1902), Tyler, Letitia Christian (1790-1842), Tyler, Lyon Gardiner (1853-1935), Tyler, Robert (1816-1878), Tyler, Robert Fitzwater (1856-1927), Tyler, Tazewell (1830-1874)

Arrangement

Any letter by a Tyler or a Tyler spouse is under the writer, even it the recipient was also a Tyler. Arrangement after President Tyler's papers is by his first wife and their descendants, and then his second wife and their descendants.

Date Acquired

12/15/1922

Forms of Material

Account books., Correspondence, Diaries, Financial records, Receipts (financial records), Speeches

Languages

English

Restrictions

Access

Collection is open to all researchers. Before publishing quotations or excerpts from any materials, permission must be obtained from the Manuscripts and Rare Books Librarian, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Papers, 1716-1944, of the John Tyler family of "Sherwood Forest," Charles City County, Va. The collection contains correspondence, 1818-1862, of John Tyler concerning politics, War of 1812 claims, presidential election of 1840, land purchases in western Virginia, Kentucky and Illinois, "Sherwood Forest," business matters and his family.

Some of the children of John Tyler and his first wife, Letitia Christian Tyler, are represented in the collection: Robert Tyler (and wife, Elizabeth Priscilla Cooper Tyler), John Tyler, Jr., Letitia Tyler Semple (and husband James A. Semple) and Tazewell Tyler.

A great part of the collection consists of the papers of John Tyler's second wife, Julia Gardiner Tyler, which concern education, clothes, social life, political appointments, slavery, the Civil War, "Sherwood Forest," familiy, and pensions for presidential widows. All of the children of John Tyler and Julia Gardiner Tyler are represented in the collection: David Gardiner Tyler, John Alexander Tyler, Julia Gardiner Tyler Spencer, Lyon Gardiner Tyler, Lachlan Tyler, Robert Fitzwalter Tyler and Pearl Tyler Ellis.

An introduction to the collection, including biographies of members of the Tyler family, can be found at:

http://scrc.swem.wm.edu/findingaids/Tyler_Family_Intro.pdf

Biographical Note

John Tyler was the 10th president of the United States. John Tyler was born the son of John Tyler, Sr. (1747-1813) and Mary Armistead (1761-1797), in Charles City County, Virginia, as the second of eight children. He was the 10th President of the United States. Other offices held include Governor of Virginia, U.S. Senator, member of the House of Representatives, member of the Virginia House of Delegates, Captain of a military company, and other offices.

He was educated at the College of William and Mary and went on to study law with his father. John Tyler was married twice. His first wife was Letitia Christian Tyler with whom he had 8 children; she died in the White House in September 1842. His second wife was Julia Gardiner Tyler (July 23, 1820 - July 10, 1889), with whom he had 7 children.

Subject/Index Terms

• College of William and Mary--Alumni and Alumnae.
• Education--Virginia--History--19th century.
• Legal documents.
• Patronage, Political--United States--History.
• Sherwood Forest (Virginia : Estate).
• Slavery--Virginia--19th century.
• Tyler, John, 1790-1862
• Tyler family.
• United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
• United States--History--War of 1812
• United States--Politics and Government
• United States--Presidents
• Virginia--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
• Virginia--History--Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775
• Women--Virginia--Social life and customs.

Box and Folder Listing

Box 19: Papers of Lachlan Tyler, George P. Tyler, and Robert F. Tyler, 1872-1927

Folder 1: 1883-1888 and undated

Various medical articles and papers written by Lachlan Tyler. Also including a read leather binding for a small notebook [?] embossed in gold with his name. 5 items (and several envelopes).

Folder 2: 1894-1902

Correspondence of Georgia Powell Tyler, wife of Lachlan Tyler including correspondence with Julia (Spencer) Fleurot Cheever, Lyon G. Tyler, and Lachlan Tyler, concerning her attempts at publishing a book; financial matters; family news; Lachlan Tyler's illness and her own poor health. 6 items.

Folder 3: 1872-1883

Correspondence of Robert Fitzwalter Tyler including correspondence with Julia Gardiner Tyler and Pearl Tyler Ellis chiefly consisting of letters written to "Fitz" from various female acquaintances. There are references to the Tyler family; social news; his life as a farmer; his marriage. 25 items.

Folder 4: 1884-1898

Various papers of Robert Fitzwalter Tyler including correspondence with Julia Gardiner Tyler and Annie (Tucker) Tyler; including correspondence with family and friends; sale receipts; a recipe for catsup; and two wedding invitations--one being to his sister's [Pearl Tyler] wedding in November, 1884. The letters concernfamily news; his farm; financial mattrs; social news. 20 items.

Folder 5: 1891-1919

Corespondence of Robret Fitzwalter Tyler including correspondence with Lyon G. Tyler and Annie (Tucker) Tyler concerning news of family and friends; financial matters; state politics; his farm; the poor health of his first and second wives; inveiling of a monument to President John Tyler. The majority of the letters are written to his brother, Lyon G. Tyler, asking for money. 43 items.

Folder 6: 1921-1927 and undated

Various papers of Robert Fitzwalter Tyler including correspondence with family and friends including correspondence with Annie (Tucker) Tyler, Lyon G. Tyler and Mary Morris (Jones) Tyler; Christmas cards; calling cards; bills; real estate transactions; poetry; recipes. The letters concern family news; his poor health; his far; financial difficulties; his need for further employment; news of his sister-in-law's [Annie Tucker Tyler] death. 40 items.

Administrative Information

Repository

Special Collections Research Center

Acquisition Method

W&M Special Collections Research Center began acquiring and collecting Tyler family papers in 1922 and the collection has grown considerably since. The vast majority of this collection was donated by generous family and friends of the Tyler family between 1922 and 2002, with the bulk of the collection being donated to in 1949 by Mrs. Sue Ruffin Tyler and in 1955 by the children of Lyon G. Tyler. Some materials in this collection were purchased by W&M Special Collections Research Center.

Related Materials

See the Tyler Family Papers, Groups B-H, as well as the Tyler Family Papers Additions, A-H.

Related Publications

See Lyon G. Tyler, <i>The Letters and Times of the Tylers</i> (Richmond, 1884-1896), and Robert Seagar, <i>And Tyler, Too: a Biography of John Tyler and Julia Gardiner Tyler</i> (N.Y.: McGraw-Hill, 1963.). Letters of Robert Tyler were printed in Philip Gerald Auchampaugh, <i>Robert Tyler: Southern Rights Champion</i> (Duluth, 1934).

Preferred Citation

Tyler Family Papers, Group A, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.