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Princeton University Library Collection of George Washington Materials

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Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Washington, George, 1732-1799.

Bushrod Washington was George Washingto's nephew. He inherited Mount Vernon.

John Augustine Washington was the great-grandson of Washington's brother, John Augustine Washington.

Lawrence Washington was a great-great grandson of Washington's brother, John Augustine Washington.

The collection consists of selected correspondence and documents by and about George Washington, first president of the United States, as well as some items of members of his extended family. There are two letters by Washington addressed to Major William DeHart of the New Jersey Regiment: the first, sent from Trenton, N.J., on January 1, 1777, regards the appointment of Col. Newcomb; the second, written at Morristown, N.J., and dated January 8, 1780, concerns provisions for the Continental Army. One letter to Col. Dayton of Chatham, N.J., dated June 14, 1781, concerns the movement of the British fleet; another to Edward Pemberton in London mentions the Revolutionary War. Included are a letter by Washington to the Rev. Jonathan Boucher, schoolmaster of Washington's stepson, Jack Custis, about paying for the boy's tuition, clothing, and the stabling of his horse, and a letterpress copy of a letter sent by Washington to his mother, Mrs. Mary Washington. In adddition, there is a copy of a letter by Jacob Duché to George Washington, dated December 8, 1777, asking him to stop rebelling against England, as well as a note from Richard Price which accompanied a presentation copy of a pamphlet Price wrote about Washington.

Documents signed by Washington include a certificate of membership of John Lawrence in the "Society of the Cincinnatis" and another appointing William Patterson of New Jersey to the Supreme Court. In addition, there is his survey, dated November 24, 1750, for a tract of land (453 acres) that he purchased in West Virginia.

Material by members of Washington's family includes a letter from John Augustine Washington to "Mrs. Morgan," dated December 25, 1860; three letters (1808, 1818, and 1826) and three engravings of Bushrod Washington; and a letter from Henry Augustine Washington, Princeton Class of 1839, to his father, Lawrence Washington, dated June 18, 1847. There is also a letter from Lawrence Washington certifying the authenticity of the signature and bookplate of George Washington which he sold, giving the successive ownership of the book in which they appear. This letter is dated October 17, 1904.

The items are arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent or subject.

The collection was formed as a result of a Departmental practice of combining into one collection material of various accessions relating to a particular person, family, or subject.

Survey was a gift of Junius Spencer Morgan, Princeton Class of 1888, in December 1932.

Copy of Duché's letter was purchased in July 1940.

Autographed document of James Patterson was a gift from Mr. Dean Mathey, Princeton Class of 1912, in April 1948.

Letter to Mary Washington was a gift from Dan D. Coyle, Princeton Class of 1938, on November 21, 1960.

Bushrod Washington material was a gift from James D. Pitney, Princeton Class of 1943 on May 26, 1965.

Letter of Henry Augustine was purchased on February 2, 1967.

Letter to Pemberton was a gift of Mr. & Mrs. William M. Cahn, Jr., Princeton Class of 1933, on November 21, 1980.

Letter to Col. Dayton, dated June 14, 1781, was a gift of Julian F. Thompson, Princeton Class of 1949, on May 12, 1982.

Letter to Rev. Boucher was a gift of Mr. & Mrs. William M. Cahn, Jr., Princeton Class of 1933, in memory of Dewitt Millhauser, on December 20, 1982.

Letter to DeHart, dated Jan. 1, 1777, were the gift of Julian F. Thompson, Princeton Class of 1949, on July 9, 1984 and August 5, 1985.

Letter to Dayton, dated April 4, 1784, was a gift of Dr. James H. Armstrong, Princeton Class of 1952, on November 18, 1985.

Letter by Lawrence Washington was transferred from Rare Books in 2003.

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Folder inventory added by Nicholas Williams '2015 in 2012.

During 2022, restrictions on original George Washington letters were lifted as part of a restrictions review project.

No appraisal information is available.

Publisher
Manuscripts Division
Finding Aid Date
2009
Access Restrictions

Open for research.

Use Restrictions

Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. No further photoduplication of copies of material in the collection can be made when Princeton University Library does not own the original. Inquiries regarding publishing material from the collection should be directed to RBSC Public Services staff through the Ask Us! form. The library has no information on the status of literary rights in the collection and researchers are responsible for determining any questions of copyright.

Collection Inventory

Boucher, Johnathan, Reverend: Letter from George Washington (Copy), 27 July 1769. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Byrne, George: Survey of Land Belonging to George Washington, 21 November 1750. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Dayton, Col: Letter from George Washington (Copy), 14 June 1781. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Dayton, General Elias: Letter from George Washington (Copy), 4 April 1784. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

DeHart, William, Lt Col: Letter from George Washington (Copy), 1 January 1777. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

DeHart, William, Lt Col: Letter from George Washington (Copy), 8 January 1780. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Duche, Jacob: Letter to George Washington, 8 October 1777. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Henderson, Thomas: Photostat of Document by George Washington and Henderson, 17 September 1784. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Knox, Henry: Letter to George Washington (Copy), 2 March 1789. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Lawrence, John, Esquire: Document by President George Washington (Copy), 31 October 1785. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Patterson, William: Appointment Document by President George Washington (Copy), 11 March 1793. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Pemberton, Edward: Letter from George Washington (Copy), 20 June 1788. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Price, Richard: Note to George Washington, undated. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Washington, Bushrod: Portraits of Bushrod and 3 Letters (Copies), 1803-1826. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Washington, George: Letterpress Copy of Letter to Mary Washington, 18 July 1755. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Washington, Henry Augustine: Letter to his Father, 18 June 1847. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Washington, John Augustine: Letter to Mrs. Anne Morgan, 25 March 1860. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Washington, Lawrence: Letter to Unknown Recipient, 17 October 1904. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

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