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Lardner family papers
Housed in seventeen boxes, this collection documents the Lardner family of Pennsylvania through correspondence with the Penn family concerning proprietary government; general correspondence; business, land, legal, and estate papers; financial books and records; and papers from several related famili...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Collection: | Lardner Family Papers |
| Collection Number: | 2171 |
| Format: | Manuscript |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects and Genres: | |
| Online Access: | Link to finding aid |
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| Item Description: |
Processing Information: A few items have been removed for conservation work, and they will be returned to the collection once repairs have been made. This finding aid will then be updated and reposted. |
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| Physical Description: |
6.41 Linear feet ; 17 boxes, 2 volumes, 2 flat files, 1 item |
| Access: |
The collection is open for research. |
| Summary: |
Housed in seventeen boxes, this collection documents the Lardner family of Pennsylvania through correspondence with the Penn family concerning proprietary government; general correspondence; business, land, legal, and estate papers; financial books and records; and papers from several related families, such as the Larges, Mifflins, and Wilmers. It spans roughly from the seventeenth century to the nineteenth century, with most of the material dating from the mid 1700s to the mid 1800s.
The Lynford Lardner series (Series 1) is comprised of correspondence with the Penn family concerning proprietary government business and personal matters, 1740-1771, as well as a Richard Peters letterbook, 1757-1758, with copies of letters to the Penns. The series also includes general correspondences, 1740-1773, business and land papers and estate papers, 1742-1860, notes on family genealogy, a copy of Lynford’s biography as recorded by his son John on 1 February 1805, and a diploma from the University of Pennsylvania awarding a degree in literary arts to Lynford Lardner, probably the grandson of Lynford (1715-1774).
The John Lardner series (Series 2) contains correspondence during the Revolution, 1776-1782, including letters to his mother living in Philadelphia during that time. A valuable source for the study of early Pennsylvania and national politics is the collection of 135 letters between John Lardner and Alexander Graydon (1778-1818) on a variety of topics, many political in nature. Alexander Graydon was a Revolutionary War veteran and backcountry office-holder; John Lardner was a Philadelphia merchant and heir to a substantial family fortune. Both men were Federalists with strong political views; both were unusually frank in expressing their political opinions. In 1792, Graydon expressed his feelings about the young nation: “I am not in Love with Democratical Government, nor its Effects.” Lardner was less troubled by the political changes that Graydon found deeply disturbing. Notes on George Washington [Box 7, Folder 6] is a lengthy, detailed recording by Joseph Reed, Adjutant General, of troop movements “relating to different parts of the Army under General Washington, from the 26 December 1776 when the Hessians were captured at Trenton to the 2nd of January 1777.” This account has been transcribed and is included as part of this series. This series also includes family estate papers, 1775-1860; business, land, and legal papers, 1770-1850; and an early United States census recording the number of slaves in each state from the years 1790-1820.
The Richard Penn Lardner series (Series 3) is a small collection of correspondence, business and land papers, and a farming account book, 1832-1837, all related to Lardner.
Other Lardner and related families (Series 4) is made up of miscellaneous Lardner family correspondence and accounts of various family members, including other children of John Lardner and Margaret Saltar; and related families including the Large, Mifflin, and Wilmer families. One item of interest in this series is a travel diary describing a Cape Town sea voyage [Box 14, Folder 15]. The Lardner Family was prominent in provincial and colonial affairs in Pennsylvania. Among the family members represented in this collection are Lynford Lardner (1715-1774), who worked as an advisor to the Penn family in Pennsylvania, his son John Lardner (1752-1825), who fought in the Revolutionary War with the First Troop, and John's son Richard Penn Lardner (1795-1882), who also served with the First Troop and was treasurer of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. This collection, which spans from the seventeenth century to the twentieth century, contains correspondence with the Penn family concerning proprietary government; general correspondence; business, land, legal, and estate papers; correspondence with Alexander Graydon; financial books and records; and papers from several related families, such as the Larges, Mifflins, and Wilmers. |