Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Martin, Mary, 1815-1858
- Abstract:
- Correspondence of Mary Martin, and her family, who owned the Albemarle Plantation in Assumption Parish, Louisiana.
- Extent:
- 2.33 Linear Feet (2 boxes)
- Language:
- Materials are in English.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item]. Mary Martin correspondence, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
Mary Martin is the most prolific figure in the collection. Fifty-four of the eighty-two letters in the collection were penned by her, eight were addressed to her, and much of the remaining correspondence is about her. The vast majority of Mary's letters are addressed to her husband, Robert Campbell Martin, who also authors some of the collection's letters and accounts. Other significant authors and addressees in this collection include Mary's children and her sister, Maria H. Robertson. The letters are primarily domestic in nature, focusing on familial health, relationships and visits. Some of Mary's attention, when at home and abroad, lingers on outside events such as plantation life and local news, although the familial focus is never lost. Topics briefly addressed are the condition of Louisiana's enslaved people, fugitives from slavery, alcoholism, and educational practices.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Mary Martin (1815-1858), born Mary Winifred Hill Pugh, was the wife of Robert Campbell Martin (born 1813), the owner of Albemarle Plantation in Assumption Parish, Louisiana. The Martins' were enslavers and their plantation was primarily geared towards the production of sugar, although other crops, such as corn and cotton, were also grown. By 1860 the Martins owned 91 enslaved people on the plantation. The Martins had four children that survived into adulthood: Robert Campbell, born in 1839; Whit (William Whitmell), born in 1840; James Bryan; and Thomas Pugh, born in 1846. Mary Martin was deeply connected to her family and friends, and she made several extended visits to friends and family during the period in which the letters were composed despite her ever-increasing ill health. After a long battle with numerous physical ailments, Mary Martin passed away at Albemarle on February 22, 1858.
- Acquisition information:
- Gift of Lois Burks, 1998.
- Processing information:
-
The collection was processed by Marisa E. Diehl in October 2000. In 2020, Brooke M. Black created a finding aid.
- Arrangement:
-
Arranged chronologically.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
- Subjects:
- Alcoholism -- Louisiana
Domestic relations -- Louisiana -- History -- 19th century
Fugitive slaves -- Louisiana
Plantation owners -- Louisiana -- Archives
Slavery -- Louisiana -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
Slaves -- Louisiana -- History -- Sources
Sugar growing -- Louisiana
Women -- Louisiana -- Correspondence
Letters (correspondence) -- Louisiana -- 19th century
Personal papers -- Louisiana -- 19th century - Names:
- Martin, Robert Campbell, 1813-1881
Robertson, Maria H. - Places:
- Assumption Parish (La.)
Louisiana -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.
- Terms of access:
-
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item]. Mary Martin correspondence, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
- Location of this collection:
-
1151 Oxford RoadSan Marino, CA 91108, US
- Contact:
- (626) 405-2191