TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction to the Burnam/Caperton/Russel Family Papers
Family Sketch
I. Correspondence Series
II. Financial Series
III. Genealogy Series
IV. Legal Series
V. Memorablila Miscellaneous Series
V1. Diary and Appointment
Calendars Subseries
VI. Newspaper Clippings Series
VII. Photographs Series
VIII. Personal Writing Series
IX. Publications Series
X. Rolled Documents Series
XI. John Hooe Russel Series
A. Correspondence Subseries
B. Financial Subseries
C. Legal Subseries
D. Memorabilia/Miscellanous Subseries
E. Oversized Subseries
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Mrs. Paul (Mary James "Jamie" Caperton) Burnam inherited the papers from her mother and father Col. James W. and Katherine Phelps Caperton. The majority of the papers cover the years 1880-1940 and were primarily assembled by Katherine Caperton and her daughter Jamie Caperton Burnam. The records reflect Mrs. Caperton's interest in family genealogy and history. Most of the materials in the collection concern family matters. However, some legal and financial records of Col. Caperton have survived and add to our knowledge of Madison County history through the perspective of one of its most able lawyers. The Burnam side of the family is not as complete as the Caperton side. Unfortunately, the papers of Col. Caperton's law partner, Curtis Field Burnam, one of the most prominent persons to have come from Madison County, have not survived except for a collection of some two hundred letters the Eastern Kentucky University Archives had microfilmed from the Western Historical Collection at the University of Missouri at Columbus. Burnam corresponded with his brother-in-law Anthony Rollins, the first president of the University of Missouri, between the 1840s and the 1870s. The letters offer the researcher glimpses into antebellum Madison County politics, the question of slavery, the tumultuous Civil War years, and Curtis Field Burnam's major involvement in post-war state and national Republican party activities, along with much information on personal family and financial matters. The letters, along with the Curtis Field Burnam scrap books, are excellent supplements to the Burnam/Caperton/Russel family papers. The photograph series in the Burnam/Caperton/Russel collection is particularly good in showing images of the various family members. Of not is a group of photographs taken October 7, 1907, at the dedication of the Daughters of the American Revolution marker at the original site of Fort Boonesborough. Unfortunately, few photographs of the family residences and property have survived. During the initial processing of the collection, the papers of Katherine Caperton's brother-in-law John Hooe Russel, a successful businessman, were found mixed in with the Burnam and Caperton family papers. It was decided to treat the Russel papers as a series within the existing collection.
The Archives would like to thank the members of the Burnam family, especially Caperton Burnam, who patiently assisted the Archives staff in identifying many items for deciding to donate their cherished family papers to Eastern Kentucky University for safe keeping and permanent preservation. A special appreciation must be extended to Sharon Brown McConnell and Adam Hall for their diligence and persistence in arranging and describing this complex and significant collection. |
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The Caperton family has its roots in the British Isles. The first Caperton's in the United States is believed to be John Caperton who came from Scotland via Ireland to the United States and settled in Virginia. He and his wife Polly (nee‚ Thompson) had several children among whom was Col. William Caperton. William Caperton married Eliza Estill of the Estill family. Her relatives were French Protestant Huguenots who fled France for Ireland and then journeyed to the new world. Col. Caperton became a man of prominence in Madison County and the state of Kentucky. He was a brilliant lawyer who won the respect and admiration of his colleagues. Among their offspring was Col. James W. Caperton, with whom these papers begin. Col. James William Caperton, like his father, rose to great prominence in the affairs of the county. He received his law degree from Transylvania University and joined his father's law practice. He was also quite adept at financial matters, amassing a large fortune. the Colonel did not marry until late in life, being nearly seventy before he united with Miss Katherine Cobb Phelps of Madison County. Miss. Phelp's family, too, lent itself to the service of the county and the state. Coming to America from England, the Phelps line runs deep into history. The first relative to settle in this country was a George Phelps of Gloucestershire, England who settled in New England. From his line came "many statesman, diplomatists, professors, and men of letters" (Miller). Eventually a John Phelps settled in Virginia and came to hold sizeable tracks of land. He sired Thomas Phelps, who moved to Boonesborough, Kentucky, in 1778. From his children eventually came another Thomas Phelps who married Sallie Cobb and gave birth to two daughters, Katherine Cobb Phelps and Minerva Phelps. Minerva Phelps, Mrs. Caperton's sister, married General John Hooe Russel of the West Virginia. This was the general's second, marriage, and he was some thirty years older than his wife. Mrs. Russel gave birth to one son, Albert Russel. Mrs. Russel later married an attorney from Jacksonville, Florida, Frank Jennings. His marriage also produced one child, a daughter named Catherine Jennings. General Russel was prominent citizen of West Virginia, who amassed a large fortune as a capitalist. He was not only a successful shipper and merchant, but also served as a trusted advisor to state government officials. Judging from the telegrams the family received upon his death, he was a most loved individual and there was much sorrow upon his passing. Col. Caperton died in 1909. Unlike her sister, however, Mrs. Caperton did not remarry. The Capertons had two daughters, Catherine, who died while still a small child, and Mary James, named for her father. Jamie, as she was known, married Paul Burnam and linked yet another prominent Madison County family. Mr. Burnam was the son of Anthony Rollins, whose great-great- grandfather, John Burnam, served in the Continental line in the Revolutionary Army. John Burnam had another son, Thompson Burnam, who moved from North Carolina to Kentucky with his wife Lucida Field Burnam,. After moving to Kentucky, he was elected to the General Assembly. His son, Maj. Curtis Field Burnam , also rose to prominence. The Major married the daughter of Dr. Anthony and Sarah Helen Rollins. Dr. Rollins was a well respected physician, who built the mansion on Lancaster Avenue known as "Irvington". Maj. Burnam, a Yale graduate, was a well respected lawyer who was appointed assistant secretary of treasury during President Grant's administration. Upon the death of Col. William Caperton, Burnam formed a partnership with Col. James W. Caperton. His son, Judge A. R. Burnam, became a prominent jurist and served as the collector of the internal revenue under President Harrison. Judge Burnam married Margaret Sommers and had a son, Paul Burnam. Paul Burnam became an officer of the Southern National Bank and eventually rose to the status of cashier. He and his wife, Jamie Caperton, had two sons, James Caperton Burnam, and Anthony Rollins Burnam III. Anthony Rollins Burnam III became an attorney and James Caperton Burnam became a banker and realtor. Both are prominent Madison County citizens. Caperton Burnam married Sophy Carr Mason, and they had daughters, Katherine Burnam, who is married to the prominent author and biographer Charles Bracelen Flood, and Sophy Randolph Burnam, who married Thomas Land. As is quite clear, the Caperton/Burnam family line has been and remains a family of influence in Madison County. They have contributed greatly to the history of the community. While much of the information of this sketch was taken from the Genealogy
Series, the transcribed manuscript of Volume II of
Adam Hall
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Many of the letters had been stored in the envelopes in which they came. Because of the age of many of these envelopes and stamps, it was decided that some researchers might be interested in the envelopes alone, so the envelopes were preserved and separated from the letters. They are included in this series in chronological order.
Inventory
Box 1
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October - December 1921 |
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1859 - 1909 |
1910-1919 |
1920-1925 |
1926-1929 |
1930-1939 |
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Also, in this collection are the cancelled checks from the families' financial dealings. Unfortuantly, these records are not as compelete as the receipts. The series also contains many pass books, account books, checkbooks,
fee books and notebooks from the family. The account books, fee books,
and notebooks are primarly Col. Caperton's and cover the accounts of the
Richmond Bank under his mangement. |
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1911-1919 |
Cancelled Checks |
1861-1915 |
Cancelled Checks |
1916-1919 |
Cancelled Checks |
1920-1928
no date |
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July 27, 1882 - February 8, 1888
December 2, 1893 - July 30, 1896 July 30, 1896 - September 14, 1901 October 14, 1899 - December 2, 1902 January 22, 1873 - Dec. 12, 1873 October 21, 1880 - June 8, 1881 December 9, 1892 - March 23, 1893 April 3, 1893 - November 30, 1893 December 29, 1901 - July 21 1907 July 21, 1907 - June 20, 1908 May 15, 1909 - June 24, 1909 September 18, 1909 - Nov. 9, 1909 May 19, 1917 - June 7, 1917 June 7, 1917 - July 10, 1917 June 12, 1918 - June 12, 1918 June 15, 1918 - July 9, 1918 July 10, 1918 July 10, 1918 - July 20, 1918 July 20, 1918 - August 20, 1918 August 10, 1918 - August 22, 1918 August 27, 1918 - Sep. 13, 1918 September 13, 1918 - Sep. 28, 1918 October 1, 1918 - October 11, 1918 October 11, 1918 - October 22, 1918 Ocotber 28, 1918 - Nov. 8, 1918 November 8, 1918 - Dec. 3, 1918 December 12, 1918 - January 7, 1919 January 7, 1919 - January 9, 1919 January 9, 1919 - January 22, 1919 June 13, 1919 - June 28, 1919 |
Checkbooks, Nancy Broaddus Estate |
June 23, 1893 - March 1, 1894
March 5, 1894 - July 24, 1895 March 13, 1895 - March 25, 1895 March 11, 1895 - April 9, 1895 September 21, 1895 - Dec. 12, 1895 September 21, 1895 - Sep. 11, 1898 September 21, 1895 - May 5, 1898 May 11, 1898 - May 27, 1898 May 24, 1898 - July 1, 1898 1890-1893 1894-1902 1905-1926 1890-1910 June 14, 1910 - June 16, 1910 1910-1915 1916-1918 |
Pass Book, James Caperton |
1882
1883 1885 1890 1894 1908 1909 1909 1902 1859-1879 1871-1880 1899-1904 1907-1926 1845-1880 |
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1917-1934
1905-1929 1917-1919 1906-1925 1925 1917-1929 1919-1928 1923-1930 not dated not dated not dated 1908-1919 1906-1930 not dated |
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not dated
1897-1923 1904-1923 1897-1929 1930 1933 1933 1897-1923 1906-1938 1938 1922 not dated |
Inventory
Box 30
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1884
1893-1894 1895 1896-1898 1889-1893 1894-1896 1895 1895 |
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1904
1904 1872 December 22, 1917 1906-1908 not dated September 19, 1919 November 4, 1918 October 29, 1908 January 2, 1909 April 9, 1912 1905 1916 1908 |
Inventory
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Blank brown book, used for notes, recipes, etc. |
Box 35
A.R. Burnam, |
1888
1914 1908 1905
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Inventory
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Inventory
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Boonesborough Dedication
Burnam Family
Caperton Family
Clay Family
Davis Family
Ensley Family
Houses
Johnson Family
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Minerva Phelps Russel Jennings' Funeral
Miscellaneous
Nature Scenes
Phelps
Pickett
Root
Russel
Todd
Yager
Unidentified Photos - 7 folders |
Inventory
An Accumulation of Evidence |
Inventory
Box 42
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Inventory
1. Corespondence -- 2 photos of CRAWLEY Monument & letter Aug. 19, 1909, from Douglas |
Box 45
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Inventory
Box 46
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ENVELOPES
Box 50
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Inventory
Box 51
Cancelled Checks
1872 - 1899 |
1872 -1873 |
1872 |
Inventory
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Inventory
Box 53
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1. Eyeglass case |
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