William Wirt Henry to Alexander Brown

Letter

Patrick Henry's Red Hill

Name/Title

William Wirt Henry to Alexander Brown

Entry/Object ID

2023.39

Description

Ink on laid paper. Letter from William Wirt Henry to Alexander Brown. From Richmond, VA, dated October 29, 1878. One sheet, three pages of writing.

Transcription

Richmond, VA Octo 29th 1878. Dear Sir. Yours of the 30th ultimo came only at hand – but I have been a good deal absent from the city since & have not found time to answer it till now. Patrick Henry married Dorothea Dandridge, daughter of Nathaniel West Dandridge, Octo 9. 1777. They had issue. - Dorothea Spotswood Henry born Augt 2. 1778 - Sarah Butler Henry “ Jany 4. 1780 - “ “ died 18 Dec. 1856. - Martha Catharina Henry born Novr 3d. 1781. … died May 22. 1801. - Patrick Henry born August 15. 1783 … died Sepr 22d. 1804 - Fayette Henry born Octo 9. 1785 … died March 16. 1813 - Alexander Spotswood Henry born June 2d. 1788 - Nathaniel Henry born April 7. 1790. - Edward Winston Henry … Jany 21. 1794 Died Octo 11. 1872 [page 2] John Henry born Feby 16. 1796 … died Jany 7. 1868. This is from the family record, where the births are entered by Patrick Henry. I have no record of the births or deaths of his children of the first marriage. Sarah Winston the daughter of Isaac Winston & Mary Dabney, first married John Syme, who so far as I can ascertain was the first of the family who came to Va & was connected with John Henry in Scotland, who afterwards married his widow. I do not know the name of the wife of John Syme jr. his son by the first marriage. Mrs. N. __[?] Cabell I doubt not can tell you, & give you his descendants. Dorothea Dandridge the 2nd wife of Patrick Henry was the granddaughter of Govr Alexr Spotswood. If you can get a copy of the “History of St Marks Parish” by the Rev Philip Slaughter. Culpeper County Va it will give you very full [page 3] genealogies of some of the families you ask about. I hope to get a copy of the work you are now doing at last of the Cabell family & connections. I am yours very truly W. W. Henry Alexr Brown Esq Norwood P.O. Nelson Co. Va.

Language

English

Dimensions

Width

9-3/4 in

Length

15-1/2 in

Provenance

Notes

This letter was written by William Wirt Henry (1831-1900) to Alexander Brown (1843-1906) in October 1878. In it, Wirt Henry details the partial genealogy of the children of Patrick Henry (1736-1799) and Dorothea Dandridge (1757-1831). He does not include their two children who did not make it to adulthood. The children of Henry's first wife, Sarah Shelton (1738-1775), are not listed by Wirt Henry, who admits he has "no record of the births or deaths of his children of the first marriage." Wirt Henry begins with the first child of Patrick and Dorothea, Dorothea Spotswood Henry (1778-1854), and ends with their youngest son, John Henry (1796-1868). Wirt Henry does not include Richard (1792-1793) or Jane Robertson Henry (1798-1798). The book Wirt Henry references, “History of St Marks Parish,” was first published in 1877 under the title, "A History of St. Mark’s Parish, Culpeper County, Virginia: with Notes of Old Churches and Old Families," and was written by Reverend Philip Slaughter (1808-1890). At that time, Rev. Slaughter was serving as historiographer for the diocese of Virginia in the Episcopal Church. Alexander Brown, recipient of this letter, was at that time writing his landmark book, "The Cabells and Their Kin," which would first be published in 1895. He was likely inquiring to Wirt Henry for genealogical information as part of his research for his book. Brown cataloged over 540 descendants of the first Cabell in America. In addition, he gave biographical sketches of the more prominent members of the family and included family portraits. In 1873, Brown married his distant cousin, Caroline Augusta Cabell and moved into “Union Hill,” the Nelson County, VA home built by Col. William Cabell (1730-1798) and the birthplace of his father, Robert L. Brown. Alexander Brown remained at Union Hill following the death of Caroline in 1876. He remarried to Caroline’s sister, Sarah Randolph Cabell, in 1886 and stayed at the home until his death in 1906. This letter was purchased by PHMF from Kaaterskill Books on September 19, 2023