Dent Family Collection--Correspondence

Archive

-

St. Mary's County Historical Society, Leonardtown, MD

Name/Title

Dent Family Collection--Correspondence

Entry/Object ID

1991.001.0002

Scope and Content

ca. 500 letters in 41 folders in 1 Hollinger box and 1 correspondence box This collection includes more than 500 letters. A substantial portion of the letters are to and from John F. Dent (1814-1898) and his daughter, Frances (1858-1938), known as Fannie, and her husband, Joseph Hugh Dent (1845-1929) and Fannie's and Joe's correspondence when he was in Georgia and she was at Burlington, the family farm in St. Mary's County. John F. Dent (1814-1898) came to St. Mary's County from Charles County in 1836 to read law with Benjamin Harris of Leonardtown. Mr. Dent was admitted to the bar in 1837. He married Lillia Dent Blakistone (1815-1884) in 1839 and together they raised a family at Burlington near Oakley. A total of 8 children were born to the couple, but only 3 lived to adulthood, and the eldest daughter died at 30. After ten years as a widower, Dent married Lucy P. Chandler of Montrose, Virginia in 1894. John Dent was an educated man, a lawyer, a diligent farmer and man of affairs. As were so many in St. Mary's county, Mr. Dent was a Confederate sympathizer and suffered substantial economic losses during the War Between the States. Mr. Dent's eldest son, John Marshall (1844-1929), was among several young men from the district who fought on the Confederate side. J. Marshall returned to the home place, married and raised a large family. His life was not easy and he often is mentioned in the letters. He also wrote to his sister Fannie when she was in Georgia. John F.'s eldest daughter, Catherine (1842-1872), known as Kate, married a distant cousin from the Georgia family of Dents, Joseph Hugh Dent. When Catherine died, Joseph Hugh eventually married her younger sister, Frances Lillia Dent (1858-1938). Despite long separations, the couple had at least 5 and possibly 7 children, of whom 4 survived. Joseph H. was a business man in Georgia and staked young relatives who wanted to try their luck ranching in Texas. There are many letters back and forth about these ventures. After John F.'s death, Joseph and Fannie bought Burlington and she lived there full time and farmed. There is a considerable body of letters to children who are away at school, but the children all came back to live in the county after their schooling, so that correspondence ceases in 1919.

Collection

Dent Family Collection

Archive Details

Primary Language

English

Archive Items Details

Date(s) of Creation

1851 - 1934

Location

Container

Dent Family Collection, Box 2

Shelf

Rack 02, Shelf 1

Rack

Rack 02

Wall

South wall

Room

Archives 1

Building

Tudor Hall

Container

Dent Family Collection, Box 1

Shelf

Rack 02, Shelf 2

Rack

Rack 02

Wall

South wall

Room

Archives 1

Building

Tudor Hall

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Blakistone, Nettie

Person or Organization

Burch, Elliott E.

Person or Organization

Dent, Arthur St. Clair

Person or Organization

Dent, Catherine Rebecca (1842-1872)

Person or Organization

Dent, Elliott

Person or Organization

Dent, Frances

Person or Organization

Dent, Frances Joseph (1886-1987)

Person or Organization

Dent, Frances Katherine

Person or Organization

Dent, Frances Lillia (1858-1938)

Person or Organization

Dent, Helen (1895-1913)

Person or Organization

Dent, Ida Louise

Person or Organization

Dent, Ida Wright (1847-1925)

Person or Organization

Dent, John F. (1814-1898)

Person or Organization

Dent, John Francis (1896-1973)

Person or Organization

Dent, John Marshall

Person or Organization

Dent, John Marshall (1844-1929)

Person or Organization

Dent, Joseph Hugh (1844-1929)

Person or Organization

Dent, Lettie Marshall (1894-1982)

Person or Organization

Dent, Lillia Blakistone (1815-1884)

Person or Organization

Dent, Lillia Genevieve (1849-1851)

Person or Organization

Dent, Ruth Petrie (1890-1959)

Person or Organization

Dent, Wade Gilbert

Person or Organization

Dent, Walter

Person or Organization

Dent, Wright B.

Person or Organization

Palmer, Elizabeth