Series IV: Maxwell Family Papers

The papers in the Mitchell-Stump-Maxwell-Magraw family papers span 75 years, from 1806 to 1881. The materials consists of correspondence, commonplace books, recipe books and sketches, which have been arranged within the framework of five series by family.

The bulk of the material in the collection focuses on the Mitchell and Magraw families. The Mitchell family correspondence mainly involves George E. Mitchell and the period of time between 1829 and his death in 1832. These are the dates during which Mitchell was a U.S. Representative for Maryland. He was living in Washington D.C at the time of the correspondence. In 1831 Mitchell suffered a neurological event which left him in poor health until his death in 1832. He addresses his poor health at length in his letters to family and friends. The majority of this correspondence is from Mitchell to his sisters who were caring for his daughters and to and from his children. None of the correspondence speaks about his activities in Congress.

The second major component of the collection is the Magraw family correspondence. Earlier correspondence consists of letters from James Magraw to his wife Rebecca. James Magraw traveled extensively in the Mid-Atlantic region because of his Presbyterian Synod and Assembly responsibilities. These letters give information on his travels and requests for family updates. The latter range of correspondence is many letters between his children, which gives news of family and friends.

In addition to the above, there is an exciting account of Alexander Mitchell when he was a blockade-runner for the Confederate Army during the Civil War. There is also two booklets which describe the Court Case which contests the will of Emily Magraw.

The family history preserved in this collection gives a perspective of society and the role of family in it during times that were historically significant. Both George Mitchell and James Magraw were prominent individuals in their fields. Unlike other correspondence, this correspondence focuses on their personal lives rather than their professional lives. It also demonstrates the importance of family and how difficult it was to be away from their homes and loved ones for extended periods of time.