William T. Withers family papers
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- William T. Withers family papers
- Date
- 1832-1960 (inclusive)
- Bulk, 1832-1928 (bulk)
- Creator
- Withers, William Temple, 1825-1889
- Extent
- 5.64 Cubic feet
- Subjects
- Animal pedigrees.
- Education, Higher--Kentucky--Lexington
- Educators--Correspondence.
- Families--Kentucky--History--19th century.
- Family archives--Kentucky--Lexington.
- Harness racing--Kentucky.
- Horse breeders--Kentucky.
- Horse farms--Kentucky.
- Horse industry--Kentucky--History--19th century.
- Horse racing--Kentucky--Lexington.
- Horsemen and horsewomen--Kentucky
- Horses--Breeding--Kentucky.
- Households--Accounting.
- Lexington (Ky.)--History
- Plantation life--Mississippi.
- Practice of law--Mississippi.
- Race horses.
- Standardbred horse--Breeding--Kentucky
- State universities and colleges
- Universities and colleges--Administration--Kentucky.
- Universities and colleges--Faculty.
- Universities and colleges--Kentucky--Finance.
- Universities and colleges--Kentucky--Lexington
- Women in church work--Kentucky.
- Women--Kentucky--Lexington
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged into six series: William T. Withers, Martha S. Withes, Ida W. Harrison, Jennie W. Smith, Shakey Family, and Assorted Family and Friends.
- Preferred Citation
- 2013ms0772: [identification of item], William T. Withers family papers, 1832-1960, bulk 1832-1928, University of Kentucky Special Collections.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Col. William T. Withers (1825-1889) and his family were prominent plantation owners in Mississippi before the Civil War and owned Fairlawn Stock Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, following the war. They spent a brief time during the war as refugees in Alabama. William T. Withers, the son of William A. Withers and Elizabeth Perrin, fought in the Mexican War and as a Confederate during the Civil War. He and his wife, Martha Sharkey (1830-1915), had ten children together: Ida Withers Harrison (1851-1927), Sallie, Alice, Robert, Martha, Anna (Rebel), William, Jennie, Mary, and Edith. On his father’s side, Withers had a brother named James S. Withers and and a sister named Jennie Withers Smith (1842-1918). Martha Sharkey’s family included her adoptive parents Robert R. Sharkey (1794-1867) and Sallie Sharkey (1802-1876) as well as two cousins Allen and Greenwood Sharkey.
- Scope and Content
- The William T. Withers family papers (dated 1833-1960, bulk 1833-1928; 5.65 cubic feet; 15 boxes) comprise correspondence, legal documents, financial papers, mission and church papers, journals, ledgers and account books, play bills, pamphlets, newspaper clippings, and horse pedigrees that document the Withers' family personal, financial, legal, and business matters as well as that of the Kentucky University.
- The papers include material related to Col. Withers' Confederate service; his activities after the war in real estate and law; the business of his horse farm, Fairlawn Stock Farm in Lexington, Ky.; and the development of Kentucky University A&M (1865-1878), the precursor to the University of Kentucky. Additionally, the collection includes the correspondence, financial papers, and legal papers of other members of the Withers and Sharkey families: Martha S. Withers, Ida W. Harrison, Jennie Withers Smith, Robert R. Sharkey, and Sallie S. Sharkey. They document the history of Lexington, Kentucky; Mississippi; and the South. Many prominent people are mentioned, including Henry Clay, John Bryan Bowman, John C. Breckinridge, John Morrison Clay, and William Seward. Henry Clay's Ashland estate and the Main Street Christian Church feature prominently in the papers, specifically in relation to Kentucky University. The Assorted Family and Friends Papers series consists of contributions created by friends of the Withers family; his children, the spouses of children; and William A. Withers, William T. Withers father, as well as assorted materials unconnected to the Withers family.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- Property rights reside with the University of Kentucky. The University of Kentucky holds the copyright for materials created in the course of business by University of Kentucky employees. Copyright for all other materials has not been assigned to the University of Kentucky. For information about permission to reproduce or publish, please contact Special Collections.
Contents of the Collection
William T. Withers, 1839-1889
Biographical note
Col. William T. Withers, the son of William A. Withers and Elizabeth Perrin, was born in Harrison County, Kentucky in 1825 and married Martha Sharkey on April 24, 1850. He attended school at Bacon College in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, graduating as valedictorian. He fought in the Mexican War (1846-1848) as a Lieutenant and was shot in the leg at the Battle of Buena Vista. After studying law under Major William R. Wall, Withers gained bar admittance between 1847 and 1851. He practiced law in Jackson, Mississippi, first at the law firm of Sharkey & Withers and later with Judge Wiley P. Harris. Additionally, he owned a plantation outside of Jackson, specializing in cotton. He fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War as a Colonel, where he was an integral figure in the command of the Home Guard and artillery in the fall of Vicksburg. After the siege, he was present at the surrender to Ulysses S. Grant with General John C. Pemberton. Later in life, he became friends with General Grant, who visited his Kentucky horse farm, Fairlawn. Following the war, Withers led a prominent business in Standardbred horse breeding through Fairlawn Stock Farm in Lexington, even selling a horse to the King Kalakawa of Hawaii, who stayed at Fairlawn in 1880. Withers was also involved in high education at institutions such as the Kentucky University, Hamilton Female College, and Morehead State University. At the Kentucky University and Agricultural and Mechanical College he became the President of the Board of Curators from 1877 to 1887 as well as being involved as an elder of the Main Street Church in Lexington. William T. Withers, known as "General" to friends and family, died in August 1889 due to complications from his old Mexican War wound.
Scope and Contents note
Correspondence, legal documents, deeds and leases, financial papers, bills, checks, inventories, accounts, receipts, stock bonds, ledger books, horse pedigrees, and journals make up the William T. Withers series.
The Kentucky University subseries contains correspondence, financial papers, legal documents, business papers, affiliated church papers, and Ashland estate papers. The prominent people involved in these records include William T. Withers, John Bryan Bowman, and John M. Clay. Interesting items consist of William T. Withers' resignation from the university (Box 2, Folder 13); correspondence and documents regarding the legal issues between the university and J. B. Bowman (Box 2, Folder 16-25 and Box 3, Folder 1); and the correspondence of the affiliated Main Street Church of Christ concerning the functions of the university (Box 2, Folder 14).
The Equestrian subseries includes correspondence about Withers' standardbred horse catalog and the purchase of his bred horses; his horse journals; and horse pedigrees. The journals document the horses that Withers’ bred and purchased, while the pedigrees pertain to his most famous horse line, Almont’s.
Other items of interest include the Supreme Court case records of Mary Morrison, et al vs. Martha S. Withers, et al (Box 3, Folder 13) which document a dispute over land Martha purchased during the Civil War. The case was decided in favor of William and Martha Withers.
Correspondence, 1856-1889
Equestrian, 1861-1879
Horse pedigrees, undated
Financial, 1853-1884
William T. Withers stock bond, undated
Journals, undated
Kentucky University, 1852-1914
Ashland, 1852-1914
Martha S. Withers receipt, 1914 December 10
Adopted provision for Ashland mansion, undated
Account of sale, 1852 September 18
Real estate offer for Ashland, 1879 Janaury 27
Rental proposal for Ashland, 1880 August 16
Mortgage account, undated
Business papers for the Kentucky University, 1871-1880
Statement of John Morris Clark, 1871 November 2
Pastor S. R. Jones statement on Withers's resignation, undated
Bill from John M. Clay to Kentucky University, 1880 August 19
Vote count sheet, undated
Deposition by clergy, undated
"Kentucky University: Its Legal Status", 1873
Memoranda of agreement, undated
Church papers, 1872-1884
Proposal of the Main Street Church, undated
R. M. Bishop letter to elders of Main Street Church, 1872 May 3
G. W. Ellery letter to J. D. Pickett, 1872 June 10
J. D. Pickett letter to elders of the Main Street Church, 1872 June 17
G. W. Ellery letter to J. D. Pickett, 1872 June 10
Agreement to arbitration between J. D. Pickett and elders of the Main Street Church, undated
J. D. Pickett letter to G. W. Ellery, 1872 June 6
Elders of the Main Street Church letter to R. M. Bishop, 1872 May 7
Settlement and agreement of church difficulties, undated
Statement brought before elders of the Main Street Church, 1874 September 11
J. W. S. letter to unidentified correspondent, 1884 March 3
R. M. Bishop letter to elders of the Main Street Church, 1872 March 23
L. J. Stockdale and G. W. Ellery letter to R. M. Bishop, 1872 June 4
"Proceedings of the Church of Christ, Main Street, Lexington, KY in the case of Certain Members Excluded from her Fellowship", 1871
Authorization to confer with the elders of the Main Street Church, 1874 September 10
J. B. Bowman letters, 1875-1878
J. B. Bowman letters to William T. Withers, 1871-1879
J. B. Bowman letter to Willim T. Withers, 1871 August 13
J. B. Bowman letter to William T. Withers, 1871 September 29
J. B. Bowman letter to William T. Withers, 1877 July 2
J. B. Bowman letter to William T. Withers, 1877 August 1
J. B. Bowman letter to William T. Withers, 1877 December 3\
J. B. Bowman letter to William T. Withers, 1877 December 24
J. B. Bowman letter to William T. Withers, 1877 December 17
J. B. Bowman letter to William T. Withers, 1877 August 7
J. B. Bowman letter to William T. Withers, 1878 January 5
J. B. Bowman letter to William T. Withers, 1879 July 1
Breckingridge & Shelby legal firm letters, 1877-1880
Breckingridge & Shelby letter to William T. Withers, Hamilton A. Headley, W. E. Rogers, and A. M. Barnes, 1877 November 2
Kentucky University bill to Breckingridge & Shelby, 1879
Breckingridge & Shelby letter to William T. Withers, 1880 August 17
Breckingridge & Shelby letter to William T. Withers, 1880 October 8
Letters to the Executive Committee of Kentucky University, 1877-1887
J. A. Williams letter to the Kentucky University Executive Commitee, 1877 December 27
Breckingridge & Shelby letter to the Kentucky University Executive Committee, undated
D. V. Woody letter to the Kentucky University Executive Committee, 1880 August 16
Breckingridge & Shelby letter to the Executive Committee of Kentucky University, 1887 July 8
J. P. Torbitt letters to William T. Withers, 1883
J. P. Torbitt letter to William T. Withers, 1883 May 4
J. P. Torbitt letter to William T. Withers, 1883 May 6
J. P. Torbitt letter to William T. Withers, 1883 May 9
J. P. Torbitt letter to William T. Withers, 1883 May 18
N. B. Wells letters to William T. Withers, 1877-1879
N. B. Wells letter to William T. Withers, 1879 June 2
N. B. Wells letter to William T. Withers, 1877 September 27
N. B. Wells letter to William T. Withers, 1877 June 4
N. B. Wells letter to William T. Withers, 1878 January 8
N. B. Wells letter to William T. Withers, 1879 June 2
General correspondence of Kentucky University, 1872-1874
G. W. G. letter to Brother Williams, 1873 August 5
George Wintz letter to S. W. C., 1873 November 22
R. M. Bishop letter to the elders of Main Street Church, 1872 May 28
Elders leaving Main Street Church letter to whom it may concern, 1874 January 31
H. H. White Correspondence, 1879-1882
George Gist letter to H. H. White, 1882 March 11
George Gist letter to H. H. White, 1882 Mach 22
John J. Fisk letter to H. H. White, 1879 April 13
H. H. White letter to William T. Withers, 1881 December 19
H. H. White letter to William T. Withers, 1881 January 21
H. H. White letter to William T. Withers, 1882 January 14
William T. Withers letters to J. B. Bowman, 1877-1878
William T. Withers letter to J. B. Bowman, 1877 August 31
William T. Withers letter to J. B. Bowman, 1877 December 1
William T. Withers letter to J. B. Bowman, 1877 December 29
William T. Withers letter to J. B. Bowman, 1878 January 9
William T. Withers letter to J. B. Bowman, 1877 December 20
William T. Withers letter to J. B. Bowman, 1879 December 6
William T. Withers letter to J. B. Bowman, 1877 June 27
William T. Withers letter to J. B. Bowman, 1877 August 4\
William T. Withers letter to J. B. Bowman, 1877 July 29
William T. Withers letter to J. B. Bowman, 1877 October 1
William T. Withers letter to J. B. Bowman, 1871 July 30
William T. Withers letter to J. B. Bowman, 1878 August 3
General correspondence to William T. Withers, 1871-1879
R. Milligan letter to William T. Withers, 1872 June 10
Brother Franklin letter to William T. Withers, 1871 November 6
C. J. Washington letter to William T. Withers, 1871 November 4
A. Steele letter to William T. Withers, 1877 June 20
D. S. Gerald statement for William T. Withers, undated
Joseph Smith letter to William T. Withers, 1873 December 11
Unidentified correspondent letter to William T. Withers, 1873 August 8
W. T. Tibbs letter to William T. Withers, 1874 October 1
J. B. Bowman, J. Shackleford, and others proposition to William T. Withers, undated
J. B. Grubbs letter to William T. Withers, 1875 June 15
W. L. Williams letter to William T. Withers, undated
J. B. Grubbs letter to William T. Withers, 1875 October 27
Unidentified correspondent letter to William T. Withers, 1874 July 18
J. Lane Allen letter to William T. Withers, 1878 December 6
J. Lane Allen letter to William T. Withers, 1878 August 4
J. H. Hammond letter to William T. Withers, undated
D. M. Bowman letter to William T. Withers, 1878 August 20
Unidentified correspondent letter to William T. Withers, 1878 Novemer 25
David Cahill letter to William T. Withers, 1879 October 15
James K. Patterson letter to William T. Withers, 1878 September 5
William Mitchell letter to William T. Withers, 1878 August 20
B. J. Peters letter to William T. Withers, 1878 October 23
J. O. Harrison letter to William T. Withers, 1878 January 17
R. C. Ricketts letter to William T. Withers, 1878 July 12
Rob Peter letter to William T. Withers, 1878 September 9
James B. Clay letter to William T. Withers, 1879 Octobe 16
D. M. Bowman letter to William T. Withers, 1879 August 23
W. T. Tibbs letter to William T. Withers, 1879 August 20
R. Steel letter to William T. Withers, 1879 December 6
J. S. Reppert letter to William T. Withers, 1879 July 18
Bosworth letter to William T. Withers, 1879 December 15
John A. Dane letter to William T. Withers, 1879 October 16
General correspondence to William T. Withers, 1880-1882
Wood Springfield letter to William T. Withers, 1880 August 12
William E. Singleton letter to William T. Withers, 1880 August 16
W. H. Graham letter to William T. Withers, 1880 June 29
A. S. Talbert letter to William T. Withers, 1880 August 16
Morton & Packer letter to William T. Withers, 1880 July 7
Morton & Packer letter to William T. Withers, 1880 August 18
J. A. Tanner letter to William T. Withers, 1881 August 11
A. Steel letter to William T. Withers, 1881 August 16
E. F. Smith letter to William T. Withers, 1881 June 6
W. S. Jones letter to William T. Withers, 1881 August 6
W. T. Tibbs letter to William T. Withers, 1881 August 8
W. B. Kinkead letter to William T. Withers, 1882 July 22
L. M. letter to William T. Withers, 1882 june 7
S. W. C. letter to William T. Withers, 1882 September 28
C. L. Ford letter to William T. Withers, 1882 July 31
James B. Clay letter to William T. Withers, 1882 April 29
Unidentified correspondent letter to William T. Withers, undated
General correspondence written by William T. Withers, 1874
Kentucky University financial papers, 1860-1882
Geo Gist letter to William T. Withers, 1882 March 21
Financial note, undated
Sale of land, 1880 March 20
List of securities, 1876 June
Receipt from Austin Gold Mining Co., 1865 September 1
Receipt, 1869 September 6
Receipt to pay J. B. Bowman, 1860 September 7
Receipt to pay J. B. Bowman, 1860 September 7
Kentucky University legal documents, 1873-1882
Agreement to establish, 1875
Agreement, undated
List of offenses, undated
Agreement on J. B. Bowman suit, undated
Statement of C. B. Edgar, 1873 September 24
Indenture, 1878 November 23
Statement of G.W. William, 1873 September 26
Sale of Ashland, 1882 May 13
Court of Appeals order, 1878 October 22
Memoranda, undated
Court summons, 1879 March 14
Statement of Mrs. Jack McBrayer, 1880 November 26
Legal, 1839-1887
William T. Withers appointment, undated
Auditor documents, 1853-1872
Indenture, 1867
General legal documents from the Coleman, Britton, and Withers legal firm, 1858-1868
Legal documents between R. A. Edwards and the Coleman, Britton, and Withers legal firm, 1858-1866
Statement of William T. Withers, 1866
Martha S. Withers, 1858-1914
Biographical note
Martha Sharkey Withers was born in 1830 in Mississippi to William M. Knowland and Martha Hyland. After her mother died in childbirth, Knowland decided he could not support his daughter alone. Robert and Sallie Sharkey, her mother's aunt and uncle, adopted Martha. Martha married William T. Withers on April 24, 1850, and they had eight daughters and two sons between 1851 to 1871. She assumed charge of the family during the Civil War and took care of her husband throughout the last few years of his life when he suffered from illness. After William T. Withers' death in 1889, her children cared for her as she moved between Lexington and Florida. Eventually, she sold the family horse farm, Fairlawn. She died in Lexington, Kentucky, on December 29, 1915.
Scope and Contents note
The Martha S. Withers series comprises correspondence, financial papers, bills, receipts, checks, stock bonds, check books, account books, deeds, leases, and phrenological society documents. The series is organized into subseries by form. The bulk of this series consists of financial papers that document the financial obligations of Martha Sharkey Withers from 1894-1914. A large section of these papers documents the needs of a household during the late 19th century and contains checks, bills, and various account and check books. The correspondence primarily regards family and personal matters, although a small section concerns a land dispute and financial issues (Box 3, Folder 15). One notable document pertains to the will of Robert R. Sharkey (Box 3, Folder 17), Martha’s adoptive father.
Correspondence, 1873-1914
Financial, 1894-1916
Bankruptcy notice, 1915
Check book, 1902-1906
Check book, 1908-1910
Check book, 1911-1912
Check book, 1915-1916
Checks, 1890-1899
Checks, 1900-1901
Checks, 1908-1909
Checks, 1910-1912
Checks, 1913
Checks, 1914
Checks, 1915
Receipts, 1858-1915
Stock bonds, 1890-1891
Legal, 1866-1902
Ida W. Harrison, 1874-1928
Biographical note
The eldest child of William T. and Martha S. Withers, Ida Withers Harrison was born on her father's plantation in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1851. She was close to her mother's adoptive parents, although she and her siblings were unaware of their mother's adoption until after their grandparents’ deaths. Her father ensured she received a good education by sending her to the Patapsco Female Institute in Maryland (graduated 1863). She later attended Transylvania College in 1914. She married Albert M. Harrison in 1880, and they had one child, Jamie. After settling in Kentucky, she became very involved with the Christian Women's Board of Missions. She authored three books based on her life: one about her father, "Memoirs of William Temple Withers", one adapted from their times as refugees during the Civil War, "Beyond the Battle's Rim: a story of the Confederate refugees", and one about her mission service, "Forty Years of Service: a history of the Christian Women's Board of Missions, 1874-1914". Ida cared for both of her parents in their later lives. She died in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1927.
Scope and Contents note
Correspondence, financial papers, bills, receipts, checks, bonds, account books, inventories, legal agreements, and mission papers compose the Ida W. Harrison series. The bulk of this series includes the financial papers of Ida W. Harrison that pertain to the financial obligations she held from 1894 to 1928. The papers consist primarily of checks, check books, and bills that reflect not only her transactions but also those of Martha Sharkey Withers. The correspondence consists of her personal communication with family and friends as well as a small section of her legal and business correspondence documenting disputes with her siblings over William and Martha Withers’ estates. The collection contains reports, statements, and correspondence regarding her work for local churches and the Christian Women's Board of Missions.
Correspondence, 1874-1919
General legal correspondence, 1899-1915
Financial, 1890-1928
Bank books, 1889-1915
Electric bills, 1892-1924
Gas bills, 1914-1923
General bills, 1896-1923
Grocery bills, 1914-1923
House bills, 1892-1924
Merchandise bills, 1892-1923
Telephone bills, 1914-1923
Water bills, 1914-1924
Check accounts, 1916-1924
Check accounts, undated
Check accounts, undated
Check books, 1890-1905
Check books, 1906-1908
Check books, 1914-1915
Checks, 1892-1899
Checks, 1900-1909
Checks, 1910-1915
Checks, 1916-1919
Checks, 1920-1921
Checks, 1922-1928
Financial notes, 1887-1919
Receipts, 1893-1923
Tax papers, 1890-1919
Legal agreements, 1900-1918
Jennie W. Smith, 1859-1917
Biographical note
William T. Withers' only sister, Jennie Withers, was born in 1842 in Kentucky. At the age of twelve she moved with her father, William A. Withers, to join her brother in Mississippi on his plantation. She attended school in Kentucky but returned to Mississippi after the start of the Civil War. During the war she was a renowned belle who helped raise money and support for the Confederacy. While a refugee, she went to live with her other brother, James S. Withers, in Kentucky. She married Samuel M. Smith in 1878 but had no children of her own. After Jennie Withers Smith’s death in 1918, her estate was divided among her nieces and nephews.
Scope and Contents note
The Jennie W. Smith series comprises correspondence, financial papers, checks, accounts, receipts, account books, check books, and legal documents. The bulk of the series contains her financial papers, which document her financial obligations from 1893-1917. Smith’s will and codicils reflect personal connections and family matters over several years (Box 9, Folder 4). The correspondence primarily consists of her personal communication with family and her mission society (Box 8, Folders 9-11). Other items of interest include the arrangements made for her and her husband's cemetery plots (Box 8, Folder 7) and a program from her husband's funeral (Box 9, Folder 5).
Cemetery plot papers, 1873-1895
Correspondence, 1859-1913
General business correspondence, 1911-1912
Financial, 1893-1917
Fayette National Bank account books, 1899-1915
National Bank of Cynthiana account books, 1893-1908
Northern Bank of Kentucky account books, 1896-1898
Account statements, 1915-1917
Check accounts, 1917-1918
Check books, 1896-1912
National Bank of Cynthiana check books, 1892-1901
Fayette National Bank check books, 1914-1917
Checks, 1908-1917
Financial notes, undated
Receipts, 1892-1917
Rolled check accounts and checks, 1907-1916
Personal papers, 1884
Sharkey family, 1833-1909
Biographical note
Robert R. Sharkey (1794-1867) was born in Tennessee and owned a plantation in Mississippi. In 1818 he married Sallie Booker (1802-1876). In addition to living on their plantation, the couple spent time in Kentucky where their adopted daughter Martha Sharkey Withers would later attend school at Harrodsburg, Ky. In addition to adopting Martha Sharkey, their great-niece, the Sharkey’s also raised two of their nephews, Allen and Greenwood Sharkey. Allen, who was a member of William T. Wither’s regiment during the Civil War, died during the fall of Vicksburg. William Lewis Sharkey, Robert’s first cousin, became William T. Wither’s law partner in Jackson, Mississippi and later a judge.
Scope and Contents note
Correspondence, accounts, inventories, bills, checks, receipts, bonds, legal documents, notices, and deeds make up the Sharkey family series.
The Robert R. Sharkey subseries consists of correspondence, financial papers, journals, and legal documents. The bulk of the subseries documents his personal legal obligations as well as including notices of bankruptcy of William T. Withers’ law firm, court documents and summons, agreements, deeds, bonds, and an affidavit. The financial papers containing his accounts and inventories, along with his bills and receipts, document plantation life and legal practices of the antebellum period.
The Sallie S. Sharkey subseries includes correspondence, financial papers and legal documents. The bulk of the subseries contains her correspondence with family and friends as well as business correspondence following her husband's death. Her correspondence with family mostly consists of letters from Martha Withers, her adoptive daughter, as well as Greenwood and Allen Sharkey, her two orphaned nephews that she raised.
The Other Sharkey subseries contains financial papers and correspondence that includes Greenwood. L. Sharkey, Allen. N. Sharkey, and the Sharkey & Withers legal firm. The correspondence of G. L. Sharkey regards a business problem after Robert's death (Box 10, Folder 9). The financial papers of A. N. Sharkey and the legal firm include accounts, bills, and receipts.
Robert R. Sharkey, 1833-1872
Correspondence, 1834-1867
Financial, 1833-1870
Check, 1857
Financial notes, undated
Legal, 1835-1872
George W. Sanders affidavit, 1869
Mortgage assignment, 1844
Notice of bankruptcy, 1868
Notices of repossession and auction, 1868
Sallie S. Sharkey, 1861-1909
Correspondence, 1861-1871
Assorted family and friends, Bulk, 1833-1915, 1833-1960
Biographical note
Sallie Withers was born in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1852 on her adoptive grandparents' plantation and died in 1934 in Lexington, Kentucky. Alice Withers Headley was born in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1855 and died in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1940. She married James P. Headley in 1880; they had two children, James and Katherine. The first-born son Robert Withers was born in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1857 and died in 1935. William T. Withers chose Robert to take the King of Hawaii a horse from Fairlawn in 1880. Robert stayed in Hawaii following the delivery working for the King. He married Edith Chichester in 1898; they had four children: William, Martha, Robert, and Thomas. Martha Withers Moore was born in in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1859 and died in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1950. She married Charles Moore in 1883; they had four children: Temple, Virginia, Charles, and Ida. Anna "Rebel" Withers was the last to be born on her father's plantation in 1861. She never married and died in Lexington in 1938. William Withers was born during the family's time as refugees in Tuskegee, Alabama. He married Bella Wharton in 1889; they had five children: Martha, Catharyne, Bella, Lena, and William. He died in Orange County, Florida in 1933. Jennie Withers Ashbrook was born in 1866 during their short return to Jackson, Mississippi, after the Civil War. She married Thomas Earl Ashbrook, a lawyer, in 1889; they had three children: Allan, Temple, and Thomas. She died in Solano, California, in 1935. Mary Withers Booker was born in Mississippi in 1869 and named for a close friend of Martha Sharkey Withers. She married Henry Spencer Booker, a lawyer; they had two children, Jane and James. She died in Lexington, Kentucky in 1941. Edith, the youngest child, was born shortly after the family's move to Lexington, Kentucky, in 1871. She lived in her parents' home, along with Sallie and Anna, and never married. She died in 1920.
Scope and Contents note
Correspondence, financial papers, bills, receipts, legal documents, deeds, notices, newspaper clippings, play bills, and a report of the schools make up the Assorted family and friends series.
The Family subseries consists of the correspondence, financial papers, and legal documents of the children and their spouses including Jennie Withers Ashbrook, Sallie Withers, William T. Withers II, Robert S. Withers, Anna (Rebel) Withers, Mary S. Withers, A. M. Harrison, and T. E. Ashbrook; and William A. Withers, the father of William T. Withers. Interesting items include the Vital Statistics appointment of A. M. Harrison (Box 12, Folder 2), Ida Withers Harrison’s husband, the correspondence of the aforementioned children (Box 10, Folders 10-17 and 19), and a financial bond of William A. Withers (Box 10, Folder 18).
The Friends subseries contains the legal documents, correspondence, and financial papers of friends of the Withers family. Interesting items include W. C. Goodloe's bills at Fairlawn (Box 10, Folder 22) and the life insurance policy of J. R. Richardson (Box 10, Folder 26).
The Assorted papers subseries includes newspaper clippings, envelopes, letter fragments, play bills, pamphlets, and the assorted correspondence, financial papers, and legal documents unconnected to the Withers family. The interesting items include "the Annual Report of Public Schools" (Box 10, Folder 28), the stamp book (Box 10, Folder 38), various clippings of horse races and a clipping pertaining to the grandchild of William T. Withers joining the navy (Box 10, Folder 34).
Family, 1873-1915
Jennie Withers Ashbrook, 1900s-1910s
T. E. Ashbrook, 1895-1909
A. M. Harrison apointments, 1900-1915
A. M. Harrison correspondence, 1898-1916
Anna (Rebel) M. Withers, 1914-1918
Mary J. Withers, 1911
Robert S. Withers, 1892-1914
Sallie S. Withers, 1873-1915
William A. Withers, undated
William T. Withers II, 1898-1899
Friends, 1837-1914
Garland H. Barr, 1898-1900
Ann Clark, 1837-1875
William and Ann Clark, 1852-1855
W. C. Goodloe, 1913-1914
Col. Graves, 1865-1918
Major Kidd, 1916
Miles Moore, 1866-1867
J. R. Richardson, 1860-1869
Mrs. Jas (Mary) Robinson, 1899
Assorted Papers, Bulk, 1833-1922, 1833-1960
"Annual Report of Public Schools", 1895-1896
Assorted Correspondence, undated
Assorted Financial Papers, 1843-1922
Assorted Legal Documents, 1835-1889
Assorted Oversized Legal Documents, 1837-1876
Envelopes, undated
Fragments, undated
Newspaper Clippings, 1868-1912
Oversized Newspaper Clippings, 1872-1915
Pamphlets & Booklets, 1915-1960
Picture, undated
Play Bills, 1960
Stamp Book, undated
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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.