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OLD LOT 1830-50s RECEIPTS WM MARTIN BEDFORD COUNTY VA, A
Daguerreotypist who died in Civil War 14th VIRGINIA Infantry Regt
Interesting lot of old receipts & misc. papers mostly from William B. Martin (born 1802 and killed in 1863 in the Civil War) & his son William Ellis Martin. On 24 April 1861, William E. Martin enlisted at FANCY GROVE, Bedford County VA as a Private in Company B (Bedford Rifle Grays) of the 14th Virginia Infantry Regiment. When he enlisted his age was 28 years (born c1833). On 29 August 1861 (just 4 months after enlisting) William Ellis DIED OF DISEASE in Williamsburg Hospital. When he enlisted in the Confederate army his OCCUPATION was listed as “DAGUERREOTYPIST.” Occupation as a daguerreian photographer would have been quite rare for this area of Virginia and it is actually unusual to find any record of daguerreian photographers enlisting in the Confederate army. Perhaps William worked as a daguerreian operator in one of several galleries in the nearby city of Lynchburg, Virginia or perhaps even worked in the smaller town of Liberty (now Bedford, VA).
Unfortunately NONE OF THE RECEIPTS & PAPERS IN THIS LOT MAKE ANY MENTION OF DAGUERREIAN PHOTOGRAPHY, chemicals, cameras or anything else related to the early history of photography. Nevertheless, it is still of interest to have some intact papers from the family estate of an identified daguerreotypist in Virginia before the Civil War. The wide range & variety of receipts do illuminate many other aspects of life in antebellum Bedford County, VA.
This lot of old papers consists generally of the following:
--7 old receipts (measure from 6 x 9” to 2 x 7 ˝” strip) 1854-1860, made out specifically to William E. or “Ellis” Martin for various things (all are illustrated in scan below).
--19 additional receipts (all sizes) made out to “William Martin,” mostly dated in the 1850s which could have referred to William E. Ellis or to his father William B. Ellis (who appears to have been known mainly as William Ellis). Grouped in the scan below.
--17 receipts (all sizes). Sixteen to “William Martin,” mostly dated in the 1830-40s, and one made out to “William B. Martin” dated 1861. Fifteen are grouped in the scan below. Two are shown separately in the scan—an 1852 receipt for CONVERTING A SHOTGUN FROM FLINTLOCK TO PERCUSSION and repairing the lock—and finally, an 1835 itemized store bill made out to “William Martin (Josephine)” Josephine may have been the name of a family slave to whom the items were released (as no family member bore that name).
--25+ other receipts mostly post Civil War (most before 1880). All of these receipts are made out to other (surviving) members of the Martin family, including: Joseph T. & Elender Martin. These receipts are all sizes with at least 25 in pretty good condition. (shown as a group in scan below). One small 3 x 3.5” part-printed, part-manuscript receipt for UNDERTAKER SERVICES from O.S. Updike, LONE GUM, VA (also located in Bedford County).
These papers were purchased at a Bedford County family estate auction held during July 2005.
From information on the internet, William B. Martin was born in 1802 and was killed in 1863 in the Civil War. He married Ellender Ellis, who was born c1807-09 and died in 1885. 1850 VA Census, Vol 3, page 443, entry 530, lists family of William Martin as Ellener 42, William E. 16, Emily Ann 14, Julia T. 12, Sophia 11, Hopia 9, Joseph T. 6, Missouri 4, Benjamin and Tellicha. Record of William Ellis’ occupation as a DAGUERREOTYPIST and his brief Civil War enlistment & death are published in 14TH VIRGINIA INFANTRY Crews, Edward R. and Timothy A. Parrish, H.E. Howard Inc., Lynchburg, VA, 1995.
Price= $95.00
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