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Collection Overview

Creator:
Murray, William Vans, 1760-1803
Collector:
Princeton University. Library. Special Collections
Title:
William Vans Murray Collection
Repository:
Manuscripts Division
Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/c534fn98j
Dates:
1786-1800
Size:
1 box and 0.4 linear feet
Storage Note:
  • ReCAP (scarcpxm): Box 1
Language:
English

Abstract

Consists of four commonplace books kept by William Vans Murray, an American diplomat and minister to the Netherlands, during the years 1786 to July of 1800.

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of four commonplace books kept by Murray, an American diplomat and minister to the Netherlands, during the years 1786 to July of 1800. The first volume (1786-1798) begins in London, England, and continues in Cambridge, Maryland (Murray's birthplace), and Philadelphia, and includes notes on public speaking, trade, politics, Shakespeare, etc., and also mentions his future wife, Charlotte [Hughes?]. The second volume (1787-1795) includes Murray's impressions of the "political face of the moment," notes and copies of articles he had published in local newspapers, notes on treaties, land taxes, treasury reports, and distinguished foreigners; copies of letters to Thomas Jefferson; and a lengthy discussion of the Indians in Maryland, including a vocabulary, with English translations, of Nanticoke words. The third and forth volumes (1799-1800) include copies of letters to Talleyrand, George Washington, and Col. T. Pickering, home remedies for bone-setting and frozen limbs, plus recipes for glue, dye, butter, and coffee. Murray also discusses his observations of Paris and Washington (D.C), impressions of Charles Bonaparte and Robespierre, and the XYZ Affair. In addition to the commonplace books, there are letters to Robert Gilmore, Elbridge Gerry, and Sylvanus Bourne, a poem, and a few manuscript fragments.

Collection Creator Biography:

Murray, William Vans, 1760-1803

William Vans Murray was a lawyer, politician, and diplomat. He served in the Maryland House of Delegates (1788-1790) and in the United States House of Representatives (1791-1797), and as U.S. Minister to the Netherlands (1797-1801).


Murray, William Vans, 1760-1803

William Vans Murray was a lawyer, politician, and diplomat. He served in the Maryland House of Delegates (1788-1790) and in the United States House of Representatives (1791-1797), and as U.S. Minister to the Netherlands (1797-1801).

Collection History

Acquisition:

Acquired in 1940 from unknown source. Remainder purchased from Alfred Terry in 1979 and from Heritage Book Shop in 1995 (AM1995-118, 12800, 79-187).

Appraisal

No appraisal information is available.

Processing Information

Folder Inventory added by Hilde Creager (2015) in 2012.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Credit this material:

William Vans Murray Collection; Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/c534fn98j
Location:
Firestone Library
One Washington Road
Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
(609) 258-3184
Storage Note:
  • ReCAP (scarcpxm): Box 1