Isabella Tyson notebook, Shelter for Aged and Infirm Colored Persons, 1882-1891

The Fitzhugh-Tyson papers consists of three series: Series I. Fitzhugh family papers; Series II. Tyson family papers; and Series III. Rev. Dr. James Morss papers.

Series I contains materials related to members of the Fitzhugh family. The correspondence is comprised (1835, 1837) primarily of letters from Henry Maynadier Fitzhugh (1815-1900) to his parents, Daniel Dulany Fitzhugh and Margaret Maynadier Fitzhugh, during his time as a Maryland representative to the House of Delegates. There are also letters written by Kate Mason Rowland from 1891 to 1895 to her cousin Henry Maynadier Fitzhugh discussing a Mason relative as well as invitations to various events (including one at the White House in 1912) addressed to Henry Maynadier Fitzhugh (1875-1935).

Also in this series are the writings of Henry Maynadier Fitzhugh (1815-1900), which include an 1868 pamphlet entitled "Cash and Credit" and "Notes on Dulany's Valley, MD. by an Exile" written in 1878 for the Baltimore County Union. This 57 page memoir of life in Baltimore County's Dulaney Valley mentions various residents during the early 1800s, social customs, attire, politics, road and bridge building, the captain of the first Baltimore Clipper, and farming techniques such as liming, mechanical threshers, reapers, and cider-making.

The mixed materials mainly contain newspaper clippings and ephemera related to Fitzhugh genealogy.

Series II consists of materials belonging to Nathan Tyson (1787-1867), his wife Martha Tyson (1795-1873, and their daughter Isabella Tyson (1823-1903). There is correspondence from friends and relatives accepting or declining the invitation to celebrate the 50th Wedding Anniversary of Nathan and Martha Tyson as well as items related to Isabella Tyson's work with two charitable institutions. Isabella was treasurer for the Shelter for Orphans of Colored Soldiers and Friendless Colored Children and included in this series is her account book, dated 1870 to 1882, for the building fund as well as household facilities. There is also a notebook belonging to Isabella that is related to the Shelter for Aged and Infirm Colored Persons. Dated 1882 to 1891 it contains short biographies of approximately 68 residents of the shelter listing information such as date of entry and who paid entrance fee, birth date, death date, burial site, and name of enslaver if not born free.

Series III contains the correspondence of Rev. Dr. James Morss (1779-1842), a distant relative of the Fitzhugh family.