Trent Hall--Correspondence

Archive

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

Name/Title

Trent Hall--Correspondence

Entry/Object ID

2016.004.0002

Scope and Content

1 folder ; 9 1/2" x 11 1/2" This group of materials includes many photocopies of documents held by Dr. Virts. The Society will be an alternate location for this material. January 16, 1790 Note from Elizabeth Armstrong to an aunt, Mrs. DeButts who lived in Soho, London, who transcribed letters from her uncle, John DeButts, living in America: October 30, 1789 John DeButts wrote to his younger brother's wife and anyone else who was interested about life in America. He thought that someone with a capital of L2000 could buy a square mile of farmland and furnish it with slaves, animals, and other equipment. The first year would be hard, but perseverance would bring reward. He defended the use of slaves for labor. He personally had about 700 acres on the Patuxent and had erected Trent Hall. He encouraged his relatives to visit. No date Letter from John DeButts to Sam, presumably a brother--with business details. His crop failed and tobacco prices were low. He compared economic opportunity in England and America and thought America was a better bet. He gave detailed instructions about how to get to Trent Hall and encouraged his brother to sell everything in Ireland and England and come out. He even offered to find his brother land in Virginia. A long P.S. piled on more persuasive arguments. No date Letter to Mary from her husband with lots of domestic detail. He chides her for walking in the streets and urges her to use a carriage. He also sent directions to make a cough syrup. He missed his wife terribly and wanted her to consider a move to America. March 16, 1794 Letter from John DeButts to his brother Samuel who had come to America and lived in Baltimore. Sam was considering buying a medical practice in Baltimore or returning to England, but John urged him to come to Trent Hall and help with the plantation. On the back of the envelope John wrote that he would much rather see Sam in Washington than Baltimore. February 26, 1796 Letter from John to Sam who was at Queentree in St. Mary's County. Apparently Sam and his family were really city people and had not been thriving in the wilds of the county and planned to leave soon. July 29, 1958 Letter from former President Harry Truman to Paul Bailey about a possible link between his family and St. Mary's County--Truman thought his family was from farther south. November 10, 1968 Letter from John A. Washington to a Mrs. Cain[?] running through part of the Washington genealogy, He said that Reverend Lawrence Washington had three children who came to America. John Washington came to Westmoreland County in Virginia, had Henry, who had John, who had Nathaniel, who married and moved to St. Mary's County and owned Trent Hall. He had a son Daniel, who bought out his siblings to own Trent Hall. September 5, 2002 E-mail from Linda Reno listing a Thomas Truman of Trent Neck, followed by Thomas Greenfield, John DeButts, whose wife was Margaret Truman Somerville. There were issues about an estate with petitions, claims, and counterclaims.

Collection

Trent Hall Collection, Small Collections

Archive Items Details

Date(s) of Creation

1789 - 2002

Location

Container

Small Collections, Box 3

Shelf

Rack 17, Shelf 4

Rack

Rack 17

Wall

North wall

Room

Archives 2

Building

Tudor Hall

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Armstrong, Elizabeth2

Person or Organization

Bailey, Paul J.

Person or Organization

Billingsley, Allen

Person or Organization

Bramell, Matthew

Person or Organization

Brown, Gustavus

Person or Organization

DeButts, John

Person or Organization

DeButts, John Henry

Person or Organization

DeButts, Samuel3

Person or Organization

Greenfield, Martha Truman

Person or Organization

Greenfield, Thomas4

Person or Organization

Hammett, Lydia

Person or Organization

Hawkins, John T.2

Person or Organization

Hawkins, Susanna G.

Person or Organization

Lashley, Mary

Person or Organization

Moran, John

Person or Organization

Ralph, George

Person or Organization

Reno, Linda Davis

Person or Organization

Somerville, Margaret

Person or Organization

Truman, Harry S.

Person or Organization

Truman, Martha

Person or Organization

Truman, Mary Lashley

Person or Organization

Truman, Thomas

Person or Organization

Washington, Daniel N.

Person or Organization

Washington, John A.

Person or Organization

Welsh, John