Descriptive Summary |
|
| Creator: | Rue Family |
| Title: | Rue-Holmes-Meirs Family Papers |
| Dates: | 1695-1958, bulk 1745-1907 |
| Quantity: | 2 cubic feet (5 boxes) |
| Abstract: | Papers of several ancestral families of Mary Holmes [Rue] Wygant, including financial and legal papers (especially receipts, deeds and estate documents), correspondence, genealogical notes and compilations and other papers of the Holmes, Lawrence, Meirs and Rue families. Among the correspondents are Thomas Newbold, William A. Newell, Charles S. Olden and Joel Parker. Holmes family members represented include Joseph (d. 1777), his sons Joseph (1736-1809), Jonathan (1738-1777) and John (1744-1783), Jonathan's son Joseph (1772-1815), his son Joseph (1810-1897) and the latter's daughter, Mary (1844-1923), wife of James L. Rue. Included among this family's papers are several documents, 1776-1779, relating to the American Revolution in New Jersey and a diary, June 12, 1876-September 3, 1879, of Mary [Holmes] Rue. Lawrence family members represented include Robert (1692-1764), James (d. 1730) and the latter's son James (1718-1789). Included among this family's papers are several memoranda, 1759 and undated, of lawyer Robert Lawrence which pertain to cases before the New Jersey Supreme Court. Meirs family members represented include Apollo (1765-1855) and several of his descendents, among whom were William H. (b. 1858) and William's first cousin, once-removed, Martha Anne (1824-1920) wife of Joseph Holmes (1810-1897). Rue family members represented include David M., his brother Nathaniel S. (1812-1902), Nathaniel's son James L. (1841-1887), a New Jersey Assemblyman, and the latter's daughter Ann H. (b. 1869), wife of William H. Meirs and mother of Mary H. [Meirs] Wygant. Included among this family's papers are accounts, correspondence and other papers, 1862-1866, documenting David M. Rue's service as a deputy U.S. Internal Revenue Collector for Monmouth County, records, 1856-1866, of N.S. Rue & Co. (a mercantile business at Freehold, Monmouth County), records, 1863-1873 and 1887, of the Pemberton and Hightstown Railroad Company, as kept by its secretary (former New Jersey Governor George F. Fort) and president (Nathaniel S. Rue) and accounts, 1876-1896, of James L. Rue (and later William H. Davis) as treasurer of the Cream Ridge Presbyterian Church. Genealogical notes and compilations present in the collection pertain chiefly to the Bruere, Burtis, Cox, Doremus, Horsfull, Lawrence, Meirs, Middleton, Rogers, Rue, Satterthwait, Steward, Stout and Toan families. |
| Collection No.: | MC 715 |
| Language: | English |
| Repository: | Rutgers University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives |
Rue-Holmes-Meirs Family Papers, MC 715, Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries.
This section provides descriptions of the materials found within each series. Each series description is followed by a container list, which gives the titles of the "containers" (for example, folders, volumes, or cassettes) and their locations in the numbered boxes that comprise the collection. The availability of any digital items from a container is indicated with a hyperlink.
| RUE-HOLMES-MEIRS FAMILY PAPERS | |||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | James Lawrence (d. 1730?): letter received, 1725; estate inventory, 1730 [with hole through document] | |||||||||
| 2 | Robert Lawrence (b. 1692): bond, 1733; 6 memoranda, 1759 and undated, re. cases before N.J. Supreme Court | ||||||||||
| 3 | James Lawrence (1718-1789): bonds, 1747 and 1755; memorandum re. surveys, undated; receipt, 1771 | ||||||||||
| 4 | Lawrence family: list, 1755?, of expenses re. a writ; memorandum, undated, re. money (collections?) paid James Lawrence by Allen & Turner acting as his agent; letter, 1759, from Robert Lawrence {"Your Uncle") to "Cousin John" | ||||||||||
| 5 | Joseph Holmes (d. 1777): letters received, 1749-1772, in part re. finances, but one from a son, in Baltimore, traveling to Virginia; financial documents, 1745-1772; summary of executor's account, 1783 [some of the letters and documents involve a James Lawrence] | ||||||||||
| 6 | Joseph Holmes {1736-1809): letters received, 1790-1808, from various correspondents, including letters, 1799-1800, from nephew-in-law Clayton Earl at Philadelphia regarding land near there and a letter, 1808, from (N.J. Congressman) Thomas Newbold; drafts of two letters, 1808; deed fragment, 177-, signed by "Joseph Holmes, Jr.," as grantor; rental contracts, 1791-1793; receipts; etc. [papers marked "Joseph Holmes, Sr.," and "Joseph Holmes, Esq.," are filed here, as are "Joseph Holmes" papers after 1777 and before 1809; deed fragment marked "Joseph Holmes, Jr." is the exception] | ||||||||||
| 7 | John Holmes (1744-1783) estate: memorandum, undated, of appraised value of his personal estate | ||||||||||
| 8 | Jonathan Holmes .(1738-1777): papers,1775-(1776)1789, re. estate of father-in-law John Throckmorton, including :receipts,·· [partial?] inventory, vendue list, estate account, etc.; accompanied by memorandum, 1803, of Sarah Throckmorton re. intended disposition of her personal estate | ||||||||||
| 9 | Jonathan Holmes (1738-1777) estate: will, 1776; executors' account, 1789, with related and partial accounts, 1779 and 1783-1784; lease, 1783 | ||||||||||
| 10 | Lydia [Throckmorton] Holmes (d. 1783) estate: will, 1783; inventory, 1783; executor's accounts, 1784? and 1788, with account summaries, 1874 and undated | ||||||||||
| 11 | Holmes estate papers: miscellaneous, 1759-1808 [to be interfiled; some pertain to several estates] | ||||||||||
| 12 | Joseph Holmes (1772-1815): letter, 1806, received from brother-in-law John Clayton; deeds, 1805 and 1811; receipt, 1812 [papers marked "Joseph Holmes, Jr.," are filed here, as are documents of "Joseph Holmes" dated after 1809; see note under Joseph Holmes (1736-1809)] | ||||||||||
| 13 | Joseph Holmes (1772-1815) estate: will, 1813 [later copy]; inventory, 1815; estate account, 1832; legal document, 1820, re. real estate [later copy]; receipts, 1815 and 1819; financial document, 1818-1822 [possibly unrelated] | ||||||||||
| 14 | Mary [Bruere] Holmes (1774-1833): letters received, 1790-1801, chiefly from sister-in-law Sarah Earl or her husband, Clayton Earl, of Philadelphia; invitation, 1800; bills and receipts, 1817-1818 | ||||||||||
| 15 | Mary [Bruere] Holmes (1774-1833) estate: inventory, 1833 | ||||||||||
| 16 | James Holmes (1796-1823) estate: orphan's court order, 1827 | ||||||||||
| 17 | Joseph Holmes (1810-1897): receipts, 1850s-1870s, Trenton and Philadelphia [one item, 1865, includes orange revenue stamp] | ||||||||||
| 18-25 | Meirs family, including Apollo Meirs: estate account, 1856, etc.; Charles Meirs: deeds, 1840 and 1865; William Meirs: will, 1840; George Meirs: estate tax receipts, 1881 and 1884, etc.; Hannah M. [Satterthwait] Meirs [later Mrs. Robert C. Rue]: guardianship papers, 1870, for Caroline and William H. Meirs, invitation, 1893, to meet son and daughter-in-law Mr. & Mrs. William H. Meirs, etc.; David Meirs: power-of-attorney, 1827; Rebecca Hendrickson [Conover] Meirs: affidavit, 1871, incorporating early Meirs family record, etc.; miscellany: will, 1921, of Mary Steward Meirs, etc. | ||||||||||
| 26-27 | David M. Rue: certificate of appointment, 1862, as deputy U.S. Internal Revenue collector for Monmouth County; schedule, ca. 1863, of claims for uncollected excise taxes due 1863-1864; accounts, 1862-1866, with Stephen B. Smith, Collector for the Second District of New Jersey, re. excise licenses and revenue stamps; letters received, 1865-1866, from the (Trenton) office of the Collector for the Second District of New Jersey | ||||||||||
| 28 | Nathaniel S. Rue (1812-1902): letters received, 1842-1902, including several written from Jerseyville, IL, and a letter, 1897, from former N.J. governor William A. Newell; invitations, undated | ||||||||||
| 29 | Nathaniel S. Rue (1812-1902): financial and legal documents, 1854-1894, including an insurance policy, 1854, proxy certificates, 1894, re. the Mercer County Mutual Fire Insurance Company, an engraved bond of the Pennsylvania, Slatington and New England Railroad Company, 1882, etc. | ||||||||||
| 30 | Nathaniel S. Rue (1812-1902): deeds, 1844(1852)-(1855)1873, and articles of agreement, 1849 and 1880, re. real estate | ||||||||||
| 31 | N.S. Rue & Co. [N.S. Rue and James s. Lawrence]: records, 1856-(1862)1866, of a mercantile business [formerly D.M. & R.C. Rue] at Freehold, N.J., consisting chiefly of receipts, but also including a deed, 1856, and settlement documents, 1860 and 1865, with the estate of James s. Lawrence (1797-1860) | ||||||||||
| 32 | Nathaniel S. Rue (1812-1902): papers, 1881-1886, re. estate of sister Mary [Rue] Boyd | ||||||||||
| 33 | Nathaniel S. Rue (1812-1902): papers, 1854-1868, re. estate of mother-in-law Elizabeth [Lawrence] Cox ( 1785-1861) | ||||||||||
| 34 | Nathaniel S. Rue (1812-1902): papers, 1835-(1841)1849, re. estate of Charles J. Potts (Green -. County, IL, [documents dated after 1841 might pertain to Green County land owned by Rue, but not part of Potts' estate] | ||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 2 | Records, 1863-1873 and 1887, of the Pemberton and Hightstown Railroad, of which Nathaniel S. Rue was president. These company records are almost all documents which were kept by the line's secretary, former New Jersey Governor George F. Fort, including: letters received and articles of agreement with property owners, as well as drafts or copies of notices, copies of letters sent, memoranda, stockholders' minutes, statements and reports, and articles of agreement with the Camden and Amboy Railroad and Transportation Company. Incorporated in 1864, the Pemberton and Hightstown Railroad subsequently negotiated an agreement, later ratified by the state legislature, under which the Camden and Amboy Railroad and Transportation Company would both oversee construction of the railroad and lease the line upon its completion. Sales of stock and bonds financed the railroad, which opened in February 1867 and was fully completed by 1869. The total cost of the line was $538,691.85. In 1888 it was purchased by the Pennsylvania Railroad. | ||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 3 | 1 | James L. Rue (1841-1887): invitations, 1878 and undated, including one, with ticket,. to the inauguration of N.J. Governor George B. McClellan; letters received, 1866-1878, including letters, 1866 and 1876, from N.J. Governor Joel Parker [one concerning attendance at inauguration of N.J. Governor Marcus L. Ward] and letter, 1877, from John S. Stockton | |||||||||
| 2 | James L. Rue {1841-1887): miscellaneous papers, 1857-1885, chiefly legal and financial, including two items, 1864, re. furnishing a substitute for military service, three deeds, 1874-1885, for land purchased from his father, a bond, 1882, of the Pennsylvania and New England R.R. Co., New Jersey Division, etc. | ||||||||||
| 3 | James L. Rue {1841-1887): receipts, 1868-1882, chiefly from Strawbridge and Clothier, Philadelphia | ||||||||||
| 4 | Cream Ridge Presbyterian Church: treasurer's account book, 1876-1896, kept by James L. Rue (to 1887) and William H. Davis, with accompanying receipts and vouchers, 1876-1879; subscription list, 1856, for erection of church building | ||||||||||
| 5 | James L. Rue {1841-1887): papers, 1878-1885, re. estate of uncle Benjamin Y[ard] Cox | ||||||||||
| 6 | James L. Rue (1841-1887): letters, 1867 and 1875, sent to his sister Elizabeth [Mrs. George Wildes] | ||||||||||
| 7 | Mary [Holmes] Rue (1844-1923): diary, June 12, 1876-September 3, 1879, containing brief, daily entries relating chiefly to comings and goings of family members | ||||||||||
| 8 | Mary [Holmes] Rue (1844-1923): letters received, 1860-1921 and undated, including letters, 1860-1861, written by her mother, letters, 1877 and undated, from her husband and, beginning in 1896, letters relating to genealogy of the Bruere, Cox, Holmes and Gibertson families; invitation, 1895 | ||||||||||
| 9 | Mary [Holmes] Rue (1844-1923): stock certificate, 1892, from cream Ridge Dairy Association; invitation, 1893, to wedding of·daughter Anne Holmes Rue; receipts, 1892, 1904 and 1907, chiefly for furniture (including a Steinway piano); assignment of mortgage, 1901; certificate of membership, 1912, in Burlington, Monmouth and Ocean County Pursuing and Detecting Society; etc. | ||||||||||
| 10 | Funeral invitations, 1885-1909, for Rue and related families | ||||||||||
| 11 | William H. Miers (b. 1858): letters received, 1874-1876, 1880-1881 and undated, from relatives and friends (chiefly in New Jersey) while living in Massachusetts, including letters received from his mother Hannah M. Meirs, sister Caroline R. Meirs, cousin "Lizzie" [Cox?], Nathaniel s. Rue, et. al. [In letter of January 1881, his mother comments on his decision to return to a farm in New Jersey] | ||||||||||
| 12 | William H. Meirs (b. 1858): invitations, undated; letters received, 1903-1934, concerning genealogy of the Lawrence, Meirs and Steward families | ||||||||||
| 13 | William H. Meirs (b. 1858): engraved invitation to wedding of daughter Mary Holmes Meirs; receipts, 1883, for expenses re. court action, 1890, for diamond ring, and 1903, for remodeled fur coat; estate inventory, undated | ||||||||||
| 14 | Ann [Rue] Meirs: school report cards, 1875 and 1886-1887; invitation, undated; letter [1890s?] re. the Society of Cincinnati and the Daughters of the Cincinnati | ||||||||||
| 15 | Mary [Meirs] Wygant: deed, 1956, for cemetery plot; receipt, 1958, for family papers | ||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 4 | 1-23 | Genealogical notes and compilations, transcribed documents and Bible and family records pertaining to the following families: Bruere, Burtis, Coward, Cox, Curtis, Doremus, Hendricks, Holmes, Horsfull, Imlay, Lawrence, Meirs, Middleton, Mills, Potts, Rogers, Rue, Satterthwait, Steward, Stout, Tilton, Toan, Throckmorton, Woodward, and miscellaneous | |||||||||
| 24 | Correspondence of a miscellaneous nature [senders and/or recipients not known to be family members or not identified] consisting of letters received, 1831-1947 and undated, including an invitation, 1864, to accompany the N.J. Governor [Joel Parker] "at the opening of the Central Fair in Philadelphia" (addressed to Lt. Col. James N. Rue) and a letter, 1831, sent by future N.J. governor Charles s. Olden from New Orleans [where he lived 1826-1832] to a "Respected Friend" in which he notes information written to him about several people's hopes to make money from the Delaware and Raritan Canal | ||||||||||
| 25 | Deeds, surveys and other real estate documents, 1745-(copy), 1746 (copy), 1827-1930 (with gaps) and undated, many of which probably relate to properties later owned by Nathaniel S. Rue, Jr. | ||||||||||
| 26 | Diary fragment, November 13-December 18, 1814, of a school-aged Quaker, probably male | ||||||||||
| 27 | Documents re. coward family: bond, 1784, of Joseph Holmes to Tobias Hendrickson, executor of John Coward; account, 1784, of money paid Hendrickson by Holmes re. Coward estate; receipt, 1784, for payment of Coward's bond held by Thomas Bartone; quit claim, 1783, from Mary Coward and her son | ||||||||||
| 28 | Documents re. James family: deed, 1754 [actually oversized, but in pieces]; quit claim deeds, 1801 and 1803 | ||||||||||
| 29 | Document re. Daniel Luker: will, 1774 | ||||||||||
| 30 | Documents re. Jonathan Thomas and his estate (James Lawrence, executor): surveys, 1751 and 1755; conditions for vendue, 1761 | ||||||||||
| 31 | Documents re. Joseph Wildes [brother-in law of George Steward, b. 1770]: bond, 1803, with Martha Steward; letters of administration, 1810, as co-executor of Martha steward (with copy of the latter's 1804 will) | ||||||||||
| 32 | Document re. Robert Webb: survey, undated [but 18th Century] | ||||||||||
| 33 | Estate documents: vendue list [of Benjamin Y. Cox?], undated; inventory, 1812, of "household goods" [of Joseph Holmes, d. 1815?]; consent order, 1753?, resulting from N.J. Supreme Court case of Joseph Holmes, administrator of Elizabeth Holmes v. the executors of Richard Stevens; appraisal(?), undated [likely 18th Century; for a Holmes estate?] | ||||||||||
| 34 | Fragments of miscellaneous documents [most unidentified]: 1/4 (or less) of a letter written by Lt. W.F. Potter while serving with the 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry (attached to the Army of the Potomac) during the Civil War; small piece of an early deed involving Richard James; etc. | ||||||||||
| 35 | Miscellaneous: poetry; etc. | ||||||||||
| 36 | Newspaper clippings: news items pertaining to members of the Rue and Cox families | ||||||||||
| 37 | Out-of-state documents: purposely unsigned letter, probably late 1775, sent (from Philadelphia) by a minister of the Church of England with Loyalist sentiments to someone who had gone (or returned?) to Great Britain--it is docketed "A coppy of Mr. P Dells letter to the Clergy in England;" document with text as follows: "June--1799. Mr. Mayo proposes as an evidence of the high respect entertain'd by the Executive of Virginia for the virtues, talents, and patriotism of the late Patrick Henry Esquire, deceas'd, that they wear a black crape round the hat and arm for one month--J.M. For the consideration of the board--John Mayo;" deed, 1822, relating to the sale of a piece of property by the town of Wiscasset | ||||||||||
| 38 | Photographs: stereograph view, ca. 1880, published by the New Jersey Stereoscopic View Co. ("Manufactory and Office, Red Bank, N.J.") depicting a mare and nursing colt(?); mounted albumin print depicting two seated couples with tennis rackets and balls in front of a (tennis) net; small snapshot, ca. 1915-1920, depicting a man standing near an automobile (which is not entirely in view) | ||||||||||
| 39-40 | Unsorted: endorsement (only) for a warrant or survey returned to John Ashton; invitation, undated, to a spelling bee; later copy of "Map of the New Road from William Thomson(?) to Emleystwon February 17th 1819;" decree, ca. 1849, re. Mary Olden estate; personal bond, 1858; insurance policy, 1859; engraved invitation, undated, to commencement exercises at the Young Ladies Seminary, Freehold; application, undated, of Mary / [Meirs] Wygant to join the DAR, with related genealogy; miscellaneous memoranda; etc | ||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 5 | 1 | Deed, 1708, involving James Lawrence | |||||||||
| [laminated] | |||||||||||
| 1 | Deed, 1709, involving Robert Burnett and James Lawrence | ||||||||||
| [laminated] | |||||||||||
| 1 | Deed, 1709, involving James Lawrence | ||||||||||
| [in two parts: the left half has been laminated; the right half is in pieces, inexpertly repaired] | |||||||||||
| 1 | Manuscript map depicting "Sundry lots of Land on and near Crosswicks Creek" | ||||||||||
| [copy (late 19th Century?) from original map made in 1723; laminated] | |||||||||||
| 1 | Manuscript map depicting lands near Crosswicks Creek of James Lawrence and others | ||||||||||
| [copy (late 19th Century?) from original of uncertain, but early, date; laminated] | |||||||||||
| 1 | Deed, 1746, involving Jacob Lawrence | ||||||||||
| [hole in center; edge stain; minor text loss] | |||||||||||
| 1 | Survey, 1756 | ||||||||||
| [by John Lawrence?; glued to board; repairs with pressure-sensitive tape] | |||||||||||
| 1 | Unexecuted deed, 1759, involving James Lawrence and including miscellaneous Lawrence family memoranda on the reverse | ||||||||||
| [split along folds] | |||||||||||
| 2 | Subscription statement, May 27, 1776, to a set of "Instructions from our Constituents" by the persons elected to represent Monmouth County in the New Jersey Provincial Congress t6·meet the "Second Monday of June next" at Burlington | ||||||||||
| [laminated] | |||||||||||
| 2 | Account [of clothing for soldiers) "Bought (October 28, 1776) of the Inhabitants on Upper Freehold" by Peter Covenhoven, who was reimbursed later (January 28, 1777) by Joseph Holmes | ||||||||||
| [laminated] | |||||||||||
| 2 | Committee document, New Jersey Assembly, Sept. 27, 1779, re. "ways & means for Appreciating the Continental Currency," which committee was chaired by Silas Condict; the same sheet contains Condict's agreement, Sept. 30, 1779, to a report of a committee "for the hearing the allegations of the petitioners against the Commissioners for taking charge of the fortified Estates in the County of Monmouth" | ||||||||||
| [laminated] | |||||||||||
| 2 | Letters of administration, 1783, for Deborah and Joseph Holmes as administrators of John Holmes (1744-1783) | ||||||||||
| [signed by William Livingston] | |||||||||||
| 3 | Deed, 1750, involving Jonathan Thomas | ||||||||||
| [very poor condition] | |||||||||||
| 3 | Deed, 1753, between Robert Webb and Jonathan Thomas | ||||||||||
| [severely damaged] | |||||||||||
| 3 | Deed, 1759, between Robert Webb and Jonathan Thomas | ||||||||||
| [minor loss along one fold] | |||||||||||
| 4 | Deed, 1774, involving James Coward | ||||||||||
| [poor condition] | |||||||||||
| 4 | Mortgage, 1771, involving John Coward | ||||||||||
| [split at folds; some loss from holes] | |||||||||||
| 5 | Deed, 1695, for 60 acres of meadow and 60 acres of upland "at Barregat" | ||||||||||
| [stained, some holes] | |||||||||||
| 5 | Deed, 1798, involving John and Joseph James | ||||||||||
| 5 | Deed, 1802, between John Lawrence and William Coxe, Upper Freehold | ||||||||||
| 5 | Deed, 1819, re. Enoch, his wife Catherine, and Isaiah Middleton | ||||||||||
| [significant discoloration: purple mildew stain?] | |||||||||||
| 5 | Photographic reproduction of map, 1810, depicting "the several tracts of land belonging to the Ferrago forge situate in the Township of Dover in the County of Monmouth" | ||||||||||
| [now in (Lacey Township?) Ocean County] | |||||||||||