Margaret Grattan Weaver collection
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Not requestable
Scope and Content
The Margaret Grattan Weaver Collection, 1707-1992, consists of one box and one oversize folder of materials pertaining to Weaver and her ancestors, specifically John E. Roller, Weaver's grandfather, as well as biographical and genealogical information of county residents and historic locations and Civil War Documents with notable signatures. The collections is arranged in three series: John E. Roller Papers, Biographical/Genealogical Information, and Civil War Documents.
Series 1: John E. Roller Papers, 1779-1910, consists of five folders of documents including letters, historical notes, writings, and speeches. A folder of Roller's addresses containes lecture material on Jefferson Davis, Huguenots, the Reformed Church, and the Civil War. Also included in this series are bonds for collection of taxes, road petitions and certifications, deeds, and an indictment for permitting an insane slave to go at large.
Series 2: Biographical/Genealogical Information, 1877-1992, contains various writings by Margaret Grattan Weaver, John E. Roller biographical information including invitations and his obituary, and miscellaneous Grattan family documents. A copy of the registration forms for the Thomas Harrison House to be put on the National Register of Historic Places is also included. John E. Roller bought the house in 1879 and Weaver was part owner of the property from 1951-1963 along with her two brothers. Alsoincludes a 1753 land patent and facsimile to Gabriel Jones, the first appointed lawyer for Augusta and Rockingham Counties, signed by Lieutenant Governor of Virginia Robert Dinwiddie for 644 acres on "the north side of Shannando" in Augusta County (now Rockingham County near Port Republic), indentures, and two unidentified photographs of female academy classes.
Series 3: Civil War Documents, 1857-1894, is comprised of letters, receipts for supplies, a monthly summary of funds, and personal notes concerning arms, transportation, and personnel. Twenty-nine pamphlets are included pertaining to the Battle of New Market, Southern & Confederate States almanacs, and addresses by General Jubal Early and Charles C. Jones, Jr. Pieces from the USS Merrimack and USS Cumberland and a letter from Mrs. Mary Anna Jackson, wife of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson are also present. A sheet of clipped signatures includes Robert E. Lee, Judah P. Benjamin, Albert Sidney Johnston, and others.
Dates
- Creation: 1707-1992
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1857-1910
Creator
- Weaver, Margaret Grattan, 1905-2001 (Person)
Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.
Use Restrictions
The copyright interests in the bulk of this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk. (library-special@jmu.edu).
Bio/Historical Note
John Edwin Roller (1844-1918), born near Mt. Crawford, was a prominent lawyer, lecturer, and antiquarian in the Shenandoah Valley. He served in the Confederate Army, and in 1872 became major-general of the 3rd Division of the Virginia Militia. A graduate of Virginia Military Institute and University of Virginia Law School, Roller was the first non-Pennsylvanian president of the Pennsylvania German Society (1909-1910). Roller also served four sessions in the Virginia State Senate and was the first president of the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society. He pursued interests in local and religious history, ammassing a considerable collection of books and papers. Most of these items were dispersed, however, during the course of the twentieth century.
The donor, Margaret Grattan Weaver (1905-2001), was a member of two of the most distinguished families in Rockingham County, the Rollers and the Grattans. She was known throughout the Shenandoah Valley for her involvement in civic, historic, and religious organizations including the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society, and the Margaret Grattan Weaver Foundation, which she founded in 1997. The foundation supports and promotes preservation and appreciation of the history and religious heritage of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. She was also dedicated to writing poetry and essays on suffering and death, some of which are included in this collection.
Extent
0.41 cubic feet (1 box and 1 folder)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Margaret Grattan Weaver Collection, 1707-1992 (bulk 1857-1910), consists of one box and one oversize folder of materials pertaining to Weaver and her ancestors, specifically John E. Roller, Weaver's grandfather. Also included are biographical and genealogical information of county residents and historic locations and Civil War Documents with notable signatures. The collection is arranged in three series: John E. Roller Papers, Biographical/Genealogical Information, and Civil War Documents.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in three series:
- John E. Roller papers, 1779-1910
- Biographical / genealogical information, 1707-1992
- Civil war documents, 1857-1894
Acquisition Information
The bulk of the collection, received in February 1992, is on deposit from the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society. A parchment land patent dated May 31, 1753 to Gabriel Jones, signed by Robert Dinwiddie, was donated to Carrier Library by Margaret Grattan Weaver of Harrisonburg in October 1986.
Bibliography
- Wayland, John W. A History of Rockingham County, Virginia. Dayton, Va.: Ruebush-Elkins Company, 1912.
Processing Information
The Civil War era signatures were removed from their backing, deacidified, remounted with wheat paste on acid-free backing, and encapsulated in March 1993. In order to streamline the process of applying collection numbers, Special Collections staff completed a large-scale renumbering campaign in the spring of 2017. This collection was previously cataloged as SC 2030.
Subject
- Jones, Gabriel, 1724-1806 (Person)
- Roller, John E. (John Edwin), 1844-1918 (Person)
- Virginia (Colony). Land Office (Organization)
Source
- Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society (Depositor, Organization)
- Weaver, Margaret Grattan, 1905-2001 (Donor, Person)
Genre / Form
Geographic
- Rockingham County (Va.) -- Description and travel
- Rockingham County (Va.) -- History -- Sources
- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- Description and travel -- Sources
- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History -- Sources
- Virginia -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775 -- Sources
Topical
- Title
- A Guide to the Margaret Grattan Weaver Collection, 1707-1992 (bulk 1857-1910)
- Status
- Completed
- Date
- 2010
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- 2013-11-21: Converted to schema conforming EAD by dtd2schema.vh.xsl.
- 2017: Collection renumbered.
- 2020-05-04: Minor revisions to finding aid.
- 2022-12-01: Oversize series was intellectually removed and items were arranged into other existing series.
Repository Details
Part of the James Madison University Libraries Special Collections Repository
820 Madison Drive
MSC 1706
Harrisonburg Virginia 22807
(540) 568-3612
library-special@jmu.edu