Collection Guide
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Van Every (Patricia J.) collection
Wyles Mss 216
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Title: Patricia J. Van Every collection
Identifier/Call Number: Wyles Mss 216
Contributing Institution:
UC Santa Barbara Library, Department of Special Research Collections
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
5.26 linear feet
(2 document boxes, 2 half-size document boxes, 2 flat boxes, 1 flat oversize box)
Creator:
Van Every, Patricia J.
Date (inclusive): early 19th century-mid 20th century
Date (bulk): 1860-1900
Abstract: This collection consists of a mixture of letters, legal documents (deeds, guardianship transfers, quit claims, etc.,) newspaper
clippings, and keepsakes pertaining to the Bean and McMaster families from various locations within the United States. The
bulk of the collection dates from early 19th century to early 20th century. Also contained within the collection are photographs
in a variety of formats including tintypes, gelatin prints, cabinet cards, ambrotypes, and daguerrotypes of family members
during this period. The Van Every Collection also contains various artifacts from the period including medical and field tools
utilized during the American Civil War, leather wallets, a decorated coin from 1826, and a family bible that dates back to
1859.
Copyright has not been assigned to the Department of Special Research Collections, UCSB. All requests for permission to publish
or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Research Collections. Permission for publication
is given on behalf of the Department of Special Research Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended
to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained.
The collection is open for research.
Gift of Patricia J. Van Every, 2016.
[Identification of Item], Patricia Van Every collection, Wyles Mss 216. Department of Special Research Collections, UC Santa
Barbara Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.
The Patricia J. Van Every Collection consists of a mixture of letters, photographs, papers, and artifacts collected by the
Bean and McMaster families from various locations within the United States. Comprised of materials that range from the early
19th century to mid-20th century, this collection is unique in its offering of insight into the daily life of a typical middle
class American family of the Civil War and Reconstruction eras.
Containing over 90 legal documents, the collection includes sick and wounded reports during the war, last wills and testaments,
quit-claims, deeds, transfers of parental and legal guardianship, collection and seizure notices, account balances acquired
through local vendors and businesses, estate and inheritance inventories, as well as bills and receipts. Also included in
the collection is a large series of over 100 personal correspondence letters between the Beans, McMasters, and acquaintances.
These letters can be considered primary sources demonstrating contemporary prices of goods, rent, legal fees, as well as cultural
practices and social behaviors during Reconstruction in the United States. Since the scope of the collection ranges from pre
to post Civil War, the content of these papers sometimes includes the buying, selling, and freeing, of slaves. The points
of origin of most of the letters include the states of Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, New Hampshire, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia.
These documents and papers have been organized and catalogued by date.
In addition to these papers and letters, the collection also includes photographic prints tintypes, daguerreotypes, ambrotypes,
cabinet cards, and clippings collected by these families during the pre- and post-Civil War eras. Artifacts included consist
of pocket knives and multi-tools possible used by soldiers during the Civil War, a Civil War era bloodletting kit, a family
Bible, leather wallets, and leather-framed photographs.
Series 1.Correspondence. This series of letters documents the daily lives of many of the Bean and McMaster family members. Featured heavily are the
letters of Irving, Hattie, Addie, William H., and Stephen Bean, Millicent B. and Gertrude Heath, Caroline and Irving McMaster,
and others. The majority of the letters are postmarked either to or from the town of South Royalton, Vermont, where the family
had its roots. The letters were composed on various forms of stationary from hotels, businesses, railways, newspapers, playbills,
and lined paper stock. The range of these letters date from 1840 to 1922.
Series 2. Family Documents. This series contains the legal documents consisting of last will and testaments, quit-claims, deeds, transfers of parental
and legal guardianship, collection and seizure notices, account balances acquired through local vendors and businesses, estate
and inheritance inventories, as well as bills and receipts. Also included in the collection are miscellaneous clippings, advertisements,
and postcards. The bulk of this collection dates from 1819 to the 1920's. These documents are arranged by date.
Series 3.Photographs. This series is a small assortment of approximately 30 photographs, the subjects of which are portraits of the Bean and McMaster
families. The collection is comprised of daguerrotypes, ambrotypes, tintypes, cabinet cards, and black and white prints. Family
members known to be represented here are Irving, Gertrude and Helen McMaster as well as Caroline Bean. Also included is a
photograph of the Bean Family estate in South Royalton, Vermont. The range of these photographs range from the late 19th century
to the early 20th century, and are arranged by the subject in the method of acquirement.
Series 4. Artifacts. This series of artifacts includes a report of sick and wounded during the Civil War for the month of February in 1864 (Fourth
Regiment, Sixth Company), a visitor's registry for an orphan's home, a family Bible dated in 1859, leather wallets used for
carrying letters, money, and important documents, an ivory handled multi-tool with a silver name plate with retractable dining
utensils, a bloodletting tool with case, a pocket knife with a carved wooden handle, and a United States coin ceremoniously
defaced and decorated, minted in 1826. The scope of this series ranges from 1826 to early 20th century.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877)
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives
Artifacts (object genre)
Clippings (information artifacts)
Legal documents
Letters (correspondence)
Photographs
Postcards
Bean family -- Archives
McMaster family -- Archives