Ireland family papers

Abstract

The Ireland family papers (dated 1823-1883; 0.1 cubic feet; 1 folder) primarily comprise correspondence and legal documents that document the daily lives of the Ireland family of Kentucky and their reactions to the Civil War in Kentucky.

Descriptive Summary

Title
Ireland family papers
Date
1823-1883 (inclusive)
Extent
0.1 Cubic Feet
Subjects
Elections -- Kentucky.
Legislators -- Kentucky.
Steamboats -- Kentucky.
Arrangement
Collection is arranged chronologically.
Finding Aid Author
Megan Mummey
Preferred Citation
2005ms023: [identification of item], Ireland family papers, 1823-1883, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Repository
University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History
The Ireland family lived in Fleming, Lewis, Mason, and Greeunp counties in Kentucky. Family members included Sarah Crutcher (1800-) and Captain Samuel D. Ireland (1798-1861) as well as their daughter-in-law and son Pamela D. Robb and William C. Ireland (1823-). Samuel Ireland built and captained several steamboats, including Emigrant and "S.B. Hunter", which plied the Ohio River to Cincinnati, Louisville, and other points upriver.
William C. Ireland studied law in Clarksburg, Lewis County. He moved to Greenupsburg (now Greenup), Kentucky, in 1852 and then to Ashland, Kentucky, in 1868. He served in the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1859 and again in 1861, and was elected assistant Clerk of the Senate in 1863. During the Civil War, as a former Whig, he was a Unionist who opposed secession. He later joined the Democratic party and was elected Judge from the Sixteenth District in August 1874. Pamela Robb Ireland's parents were Joseph Robb of Lewis County and Dorcas Fee of Flemingsburg.
Scope and Content
The Ireland family papers (dated 1823-1883; 0.1 cubic feet; 1 folder) primarily comprise correspondence and legal documents that document the daily lives of the Ireland family of Kentucky and their reactions to the Civil War in Kentucky.
The earliest group of documents consist of letters from and to Pamela D. Robb Ireland's mother, Dorcas Fee of Flemingsburg. Included in these documents is an advertisement from 1827 by Fee to begin a female school in Clarksburg, Kentucky, where she proposes to teach spelling, reading, writing, needle work, dancing, drawing, and painting. Additionally, there is a letter from Jane Campbell of Cynthiana, Kentucky, to Fee lamenting the death of a presumably enslaved woman named Nelly.
Other documents include letters to Captain Samuel D. Ireland and Sarah Crutcher Ireland as well as financial and legal documents. The bulk of the Ireland family documents consist of letters to and from William Ireland and his family. Several letters from William to his wife Pamela D. Robb, while serving in the Kentucky Legislature in 1861, include his thoughts on Kentucky's reaction to the secession of Southern states prior to the Civil War. Additionally, the collection contains several letter from William to his father Samuel, commenting on his election to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1859.

Restrictions on Access and Use

Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open to researchers by appointment
Use Restrictions
The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.

Contents of the Collection

Dorcas Fee correspondence, 1823-1827

  • Box OS-1, folder 1
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Captain Samuel D. Ireland correspondence and financial papers, 1834-1860

  • Box OS-1, folder 1
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William Ireland letters to Samuel D. Ireland, 1857-1860

  • Box OS-1, folder 1
To top

William Ireland family correspondence and papers, 1861-1883

  • Box OS-1, folder 1
To top

Assorted, 1826-1854

  • Box OS-1, folder 1
To top

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UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.

Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.

Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.

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You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.

If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.