PC.34

Collections of Papers

Personal Papers

John Devereux

between 1712 and 1892

John Deverux Papers, 1712-1892

State Archives of North Carolina

Approx. 5000 items, 14 archival boxes.

Abstract from Finding Aid:

This collection contains papers relating to the Pollock and Devereux families, among the largest landowners and slaveholders in North Carolina during the antebellum period. This small lot of documents includes some papers of the Pollock family prior to as well as after the connection formed with the Devereux family by the 1790 marriage of Frances Pollock (1771-1849) and John Devereux, Sr. (1761-1844).
The family papers are made up principally of patents for land, deeds, in Halifax and Bertie counties and the Hawfield land in Orange (now Alamance) County. Papers relating to slaves owned by the family are located in folders concerning the estates of George Pollock, 1839-1840, and John Devereux, 1844. Of particular interest is the last will and testament ...of Frances (Pollock) Devereux (1771-1849) leaving several charitable bequests to the Presbyterian Church in the United States, its schools and foreign missions, to the Presbyterian Church, Raleigh, N.C., to The Seaman's Friend Society, Norfolk, Va., and a continuing annual fund to help pay a teacher giving religious instruction to slaves on Roanoke River plantations. While the record of Mrs. Devereux's estate indicates the value of her slaves, the file includes no list of them; and only a few of her slaves were named in the will. Also of interest are the group of papers relating to the Griffin Free School New Bern, N.C., 1834-1867. These are primarily fiscal records dating from the time when Thomas Pollock Devereux (1793-1869) and his son were trustees. Additionally, a large portion of the collection consists of military papers and accounts relating to John Devereux's (1819-1893) service during most of the Civil War as the state's chief quartermaster, with the rank of major.
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