The Winterthur Library

 The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum

5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, Delaware  19735

Telephone: 302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

 

 

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

 

Creator:         Cavanaugh, R. L.       

Title:               Collection,  

Dates:             1797-1936, (bulk 1797)

Call No.:         Col. 597

Acc. No.:        00x180

Quantity:        7 folders

Location:        18 B 2

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

The papers in this collection were collected by R. L. Cavanaugh of Delaware; nothing else is known about him.

 

Richard Richardson, born in 1720, was the son of John and Anna Ashton Richardson, who had married in 1704.  Richard married Sarah Tatnall, the daughter of Edward Tatnall, in 1766.  He built a new house for his bride, which a later generation named “Glynrich.”  Five children are mentioned in his will: sons Joseph (1767-1833), Ashton (1776-1852), and John (1783-1859); and daughters Elizabeth Strode (1771-1847) and Ann (1778-1845).  Richard died in 1797.  His son Joseph inherited “Glynrich.”  Ashton inherited another piece of property on which he built a house called “Ashley.”  The Richardson family owned grist and sawmills near Wilmington, Delaware.

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

A collection of miscellaneous documents and photographs concerning different people.  Included are three inventories relating to the Richardson family.  One inventory is an appraisal of the estate of Richard Richardson, who died in 1797.  He owned a clock, furniture, looking glasses, a spy glass, tools, linens, flatware, silver, china, pewter ware, blankets and pillows, guns, grain, livestock, harness, fence rails, coffee, yarn, pots and pans, a watch, a razor, mortgages, bonds, notes, certificates, and other items.  (Clothes were not included in the inventory.)  Another inventory is a list of Richard Richardson’s property that was taken by his son Ashton as his share of his inheritance.  The third list is an account of property taken by Ashton Richardson from the estate of Ann Armstrong.  From her, he received a silk gown, gold buttons, a caster, bottles, a tea chest, knives and forks, a looking glass, dining table, a coffee pot, silver spoons and sugar tongs, and a pewter dish.  All the items on these inventories were assigned a monetary value, expressed in dollars.  Also in the collection are photocopies of 20th century photographs of “Glynrich” and “Ashley,” which were Richardson family homes.

 

As well, the collection includes an engraved portrait of Alfred V. du Pont (1798-1856); two photograph studio portraits of an unknown man; a land plat that is unmarked and undated; a photocopy of a survey done in 1850 showing Jacob Yarnell’s land along Red Clay Creek; a photocopy of the will of Martin W. Barr of Middletown, Delaware, signed in 1934; photographs of the estates of Mrs. Victor du Pont and Eugene du Pont, showing landscaping done by Lewis & Valentine Co.; and pictures of an unidentified building.

 

           

ORGANIZATION

 

The items have been arranged by type of material.

 

 

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

 

The materials are in English.

 

 

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

 

Collection is open to the public.  Copyright restrictions may apply.

           

 

PROVENANCE

           

Gift of R. L. Cavanaugh.

 

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

People:

            Richardson, Richard, 1720-1797.

            Richardson, Ashton, 1776-1852.

            Yarnell, Jacob.

            Barr, Martin W., 1860-1938.

            Armstrong, Ann, -1799.

 

Topics:

            Lewis & Valentine Co. (Ardmore, Pa.)

            Decedents’ estates - Delaware.

            Distribution of decedents’ estates.

            Landscape architecture.

            Wilmington (Del.) - Dwellings.

            Inventories.

Black-and-white photographs.           

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: 18 B 2

 

 

All accession numbers begin with 00x180.

 

 

Folder 1: Richard Richardson and Ann Armstrong appraisals 

 

.1a-d    “Appraisment of the personal Estate of Richard Richardson of Christiana hundred (deceased), 11 mo. 17th 1797”

 

            A seven page list of furniture, table and bed linens, glassware, ceramics, flatware, wheat, flour, livestock, carts and wagons, tools, pots and pans, wine; plus mortgages, bonds, bills, notes, and cash.  Values are given for all items. 

On back of page 7 is a note about the amount taken by Joseph Richardson, signed A. Richardson.

 

.2         “An account of Property taken by me (Ashton Richardson) at the appraisment, formerly the personal Property of my Father.”  (no date)

 

            List of goods taken by Ashton includes silver canns, pewter dishes and plates, rifle and pistol, wheat and flour, some livestock, flour barrels from the cooper shop, some tools, cedar rails, coffee, silver watch, wine, etc.  Values are given.

 

.3         “An account of Property taken by Ashton Richardson, as pr appraisement, originally the property of Ann Armstrong (dec.)”  (no date)

 

            Ashton took an old silk gown, gold sleeve buttons, a caster and some bottles, a mahogany tea chest, knives and forks, looking glass, dining table, silver coffee pot, silver spoons, and a pewter dish.    Values are given.

 

            [These items seem to have been taken from that Ann Armstrong who was a widow living in Wilmington and who died sometime between Feb. 20 and March 14, 1799.  Ashton’s brothers John and Joseph Richardson were named executors of her will.  In her will, Mrs. Armstrong left money to Thomas Gunn and Mary Ford.]

 

 

Folder 2: photographs and photocopies

 

.4         photocopy of photograph of “Glynrich,” a Richardson home, built 1765

 

.5         photocopy of a sketch of “Glynrich”

 

.6-.7     interior views of “Ashley,” one a corner of a room with two chairs, a tilt-top stand, and shelves built into the wall; the other shows a woman knitting, a woman spinning, and a young man sitting with them

 

.8         home of Mrs. Victor du Pont, with note on back; taken by Lewis & Valentine Co., landscape contractors, Ardmore, Pa.

 

.9         grounds of Eugene du Pont, with note on back; taken by Lewis & Valentine Co., landscape contractors, Ardmore, Pa.

 

.10a-b  photo of a grand house, and photocopy of the photo

 

.11       photocopy of a photograph of a different side of the house depicted in .10

 

.12       photocopy of a letter written to Cousin Helen from Philadelphia, 12 mo. 20th, 1914: about the sketch that is now acc. 00x180.5; Helen was the great-great-granddaughter of Sarah Tatnall and Richard Richardson

 

[no accession number, not part of original gift]         information from the internet about “Glynrich” and “Ashley”

 

 

Folder 3: Alfred du Pont

 

.13       engraving of Alfred du Pont, engraved by Samuel Sartain (1830-1906) of Philadelphia.

 

            This is Alfred V. (Victor Philadelphe) du Pont (1798-1856), son of Eleuthere Ireneé du Pont.  Alfred du Pont was a chemist and was head of the Du Pont Company from 1837-1847.

 

            Samuel Sartain was the son of the note engraver John Sartain.

 

 

Folder 4: plat maps

 

.14       photocopy of “Draught of Jacob Yarnell’s Lot, surveyed Oct.[?] 19, 1850, J. Lobb.”

 

            It’s not quite clear which is Yarnell’s property, but the map focuses on land along Ham Run, which empties into Red Clay Creek near where Stanton Road and New Port Road intersect.  Properties owned by James Cranston, B.W. Duncan, and John Marshall are marked.

 

.15       plat map, showing roads and woods, and what is probably a pond, but nothing is labeled

 

 

Folder 5: Martin W. Barr

 

.16       photocopy of will of Martin W. Barr of Middletown, Delaware, dated Nov. 10, 1934.  Also includes two codicils, dated Nov. 14, 1934, Dec. 9, 1935, and March 16, 1936.

 

            In his will, Barr mentions a number of different objects, such as paintings, vases, chairs, a sampler by Mary Reese, beer mugs, etc.

 

            Martin W. Barr (1860-1938) was the son of Hannah M. Justis and Joseph M. Barr; he had a brother Eugene J. Barr and an aunt Susan G. Justis.  His paternal grandparents were Jane Adams Barr and Dr. Martin Barr.  He is buried in Old St. Ann’s Church Cemetery in Middletown.

 

 

Folders 6-7: portrait photographs

 

.17-.18             two different portrait photos of the same unidentified man, taken at the Marceau studio in Philadelphia