Contents and Arrangement Collection View
Scope and Contents

The collection consists of selected correspondence and documents of and about William Alexander (also known as Lord Stirling). Most of the correspondence dates from the American Revolutionary War. Apart from an autograph note about a visit to Colonel Peabody, there is only one other original letter by Alexander. In this letter, addressed to Brigadier General Smallwood and dated January 26, 1779, Stirling discusses military tactics. Other letters, all concerning military affairs, are from Alexander Hamilton, General John Peter Muhlenburg, Caleb North, William Woodford, and Col. Hay. In addition, there is correspondence between John Mehelm, sole executor of Alexander's estate, and Benjamin Robinson, a trustee of Alexander's estate, regarding a balance of $1500 from the proceeds of Alexander's estate.

Documents include one dated Nov. 1, 1779, about the conditions of a sale ("Vendue") of property belonging to Alexander in Bridgewater Township, Somerset County, N.J. Another one, dated Nov. 27, 1779, and signed by Elias Boudinot and addressed to Richard Stevens and John Mehelm, concerns land belonging to Alexander in Baskinridge, N.J.

Collection Creator Biography:

Alexander, William, 1726-1783

William Alexander, who claimed the disputed ns2:title of Earl of Stirling, was an American major-general during the American Revolutionary War. He married Sarah Livingston, sister of the New Jersey governor William Livingston. During the French and Indian War, he joined the British Army Commissariat, where he became aide-de-camp to Governor William Shirley. He traveled to London in 1756 to testify on behalf of Shirley, who was facing charges of dereliction of duty. While there he claimed the vacant ns2:title of Earl of Stirling in the Peerage of Scotland, as senior male descendant of the first earl's grandfather, and was permitted to vote in an election of the Scottish representative peers. The British House of Lords refused to recognize his claim without proof of descent, but he continued to style himself Earl of Stirling all his life. He returned to America in 1761, using the ns2:title Lord Stirling, and was appointed Surveyor-General of the Province of New Jersey and was a member of the Provincial Council. When the American Revolutionary War began, Stirling was made a colonel in the New Jersey militia. He outfitted the militia at his own expense and was always willing to spend his own money in support of the cause. He distinguished himself early by leading a group of volunteers in the capture of an armed British transport. He built his grand estate in Basking Ridge, N.J., where George Washington occasionally stayed during the War.

Acquisition:

Note to Peabody was a gift of William Nelson in 1905 .

Documents and letters related to William's estate were a gift of Lars de Lagerberg, Friend of the Library, on May 16, 1950 .

Correspondence during the Revolutionary War was a gift of Mrs. Archibald Crossley (Mr. Crossley was a member of the Princeton Class of 1917) in December 30, 1964 . Various AM.

Custodial History

The collection was formed as a result of a Departmental practice of combining into one collection material of various accessions relating to a particular person, family, or subject.

Appraisal

No appraisal information is available.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Dina Britain on May 7, 2009. Finding aid written by Elizabeth Mulvey on June 9, 2009. Folder Inventory added by Hilde Creager (2015) in 2012.

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 Alexander Collection; Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/pc289j145
Location:
Firestone Library
One Washington Road
Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
(609) 258-3184
Storage Note:
  • ReCAP (scarcpxm): Box 1