An Accumulation of Evidence: Family Records. By Katherine Phelps Caperton

.

By Sharon Dark-brown McConnell, Adam Hall, Neil Kasiak

Collection Overview

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Mrs. Paul (Mary James "Jamie" Caperton) Burnam inherited the papers from her mother and male parent 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 reverberate 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 non as complete equally the Caperton side. Unfortunately, the papers of Col. Caperton's police partner, Curtis Field Burnam, one of the virtually prominent persons to have come from Madison County, accept 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 Academy of Missouri at Columbus. Burnam corresponded with his blood brother-in-law Anthony Rollins, the first president of the University of Missouri, between the 1840s and the 1870s. The letters offering the researcher glimpses into antebellum Madison Canton politics, the question of slavery, the tumultuous Civil War years, and Curtis Field Burnam's major interest 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 fantabulous supplements to the Caperton/Burnam Family papers.

The photograph series in the Caperton/Burnam Family Papers is specially adept in showing images of the various family members. Of annotation is a group of photographs taken Oct seven, 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 unit residences and property have survived.

During the initial processing of the collection, the papers of Katherine Caperton'south blood brother-in-police force John Hooe Russel, a successful businessman, were institute mixed in with the Burnam and Caperton family papers. The Russel papers were removed to preserve the materials as a singled-out collection in and of itself. See John Hooe Russel Papers.

For researchers interested in knowing more than well-nigh nineteenth and early twentieth century Madison Canton history, the Burnam/Caperton/ Russel family papers should exist used in conjunction with the papers of other prominent Madison County families (Clay, Hanger, Lilly, Wallace and Shackleford) housed in the Special Collections and Archives Department of the John Grant Crabbe Library.

Collection Historical Notation

The Burnams, Capertons, and their ancestors had connected to have a profound touch on the history of Madison County and Kentucky. These prominent families had members who fought in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Ceremonious War.

The Caperton family has its roots in the British Isles. The kickoff Caperton's in the United States is believed to exist John Caperton who came from Scotland via Ireland to the United States and settled in Virginia. He and his married woman 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. Amongst 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 police degree from Transylvania University and joined his father's police practice. He was also quite adept at financial matters, amassing a large fortune. The Colonel did not ally until late in life, being nigh 70 earlier he united with Miss Katherine Cobb Phelps of Madison Canton.

Miss. Phelp'southward family, too, lent itself to the service of the canton 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). Somewhen a John Phelps settled in Virginia and came to hold sizable tracks of state. He sired Thomas Phelps, who moved to Boonesborough, Kentucky, in 1778. From his children somewhen came another Thomas Phelps who married Sallie Cobb and gave nativity to 2 daughters, Katherine Cobb Phelps and Minerva Cobb Phelps.

Minerva Phelps, Mrs. Caperton'south sis, married Full general John Hooe Russel of the West Virginia. This was the general'southward second, wedlock, with his first wife being Nettie Phelps, a cousin to Minerva. Russel was some thirty years older than his wife. Mrs. Russel gave birth to i son, Albert Russel. Mrs. Russel later married an attorney from Jacksonville, Florida, Frank Jennings. Their matrimony as well produced one child, a daughter named Catherine Jennings.

Full general Russel was prominent citizen of West Virginia, who amassed a large fortune every bit a backer. He was not just a successful shipper and merchant, but also served every bit a trusted adviser to state government officials. Judging from the telegrams the family received upon his death, he was a nigh loved private and there was much sorrow upon his passing.

Col. Caperton died on 19 Apr 1909. Unlike her sis, nonetheless, 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 cracking-great- gramps, 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 girl of Dr. Anthony and Sarah Helen Rollins. Dr. Rollins was a well respected physician, who built the mansion on Lancaster Artery known equally "Irvinton". 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, Estimate A. R. Burnam, became a prominent jurist and served every bit the collector of the internal revenue nether President Harrison.

Estimate 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 Bricklayer, and they had daughters, Katherine Burnam, who was married to the prominent tardily author and biographer Charles Bracelen Inundation, 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 take contributed greatly to the history of the community.

The genealogy series houses a myriad of records which Mrs. James Caperton and her sister Mrs. Jennings collected on their family history. This brief sketch is only a cursory introduction to aid the researcher in the understanding the depth and complexity of this prominent Kentucky family.

Subject/Index Terms

Administrative Information

Repository: Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives

Accruals: Additional materials were donated by the family and accreted to the collection in 2014.

Acquisition Source: Burnam, Caperton & Rollins

Acquisition Method: souvenir

Finding Aid Revision History: Reprocessed in 2014-2015 by Neil Kasiak.

Other Note: Photographs were initially numbered with the accession number; notwithstanding, a determination was made to change to collection number. The database was changed, but the numbers written on the images were non changed.

---

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Serial 1: Amberley],
[Series ii: Birth],
[Series 3: Colonial Dames of America],
[Series iv: Correspondence],
[Serial 5: Daughters of the American Revolution],
[Series half-dozen: Documents],
[Series 7: Drawings],
[Series 8: Eulogies],
[Series nine: Fabrics, Flags and Ribbons],
[Series x: Fort Boonesborough],
[Series xi: Funerals],
[Serial 12: Financials],
[Serial 13: Genealogy],
[Serial 14: Greeting Cards],
[Series fifteen: Journals],
[Series 16: Country Documents],
[Series 17: Legal],
[Serial 18: Newspaper Clippings],
[Series 19: Newsletters],
[Series 20: Oil Investments],
[Series 21: Organizations],
[Serial 22: Personal Notes],
[Series 23: Personal Writings],
[Series 24: Photos],
[Serial 25: Publications],
[Series 26: Speeches],
[Series 27: Weddings],
[Series 28: World War I],
[Series 29: World State of war Two],
[Series 30: Miscellaneous Legal/Oversized],
[Series 31: Family Show],
[Series 32: Oversized],
[Series 33: Books],
[All]

Series 32: Oversized

Box 47

Barcode: 31234013798200

Folder 1: An Accumulation of Testify, Original Inside Encompass Lithograph

Contents include a lithograph print of the Phelps Estate in England. As per the handwritten notation on inside encompass of An Accumulation of Evidence Vol. I, " the photograph

Folder two: Postcard Scrapbook, England Trip

Contents include a black coverless postcard album that  is in poor status.  Based on the identifying markers and postcard subject matter, the album traces a 1914 European trip that Mrs. Caperton took with her daughter, Jamie Caperton.

Binder three: Postcard Scrapbook (c. Mrs. Thomas Phelps, Mrs. Katherine Caperton, or Mary James Caperton)

Contents include a black postcard anthology that contains a mix of domestic and international destinations.  Postcards are primarily of U.S. destinations, nonetheless, a few elite Europeans and international destinations are found throughout.  Most of the postcards with identifying markers are from 1914, and addressed to Mary James Caperton.  Nonetheless, the anthology'south creator is difficult to confidently determine.

Folder 4: Postcard Scrapbook, 1910 Trip Abroad

Contents include a leather-bound postcard album from a trip that Mrs. Caperton, Mrs. Thomas Phelps (Sallie Winifred Phelps), and Jamie Caperton took to Europe in 1910, shortly after the deaths of both Col. Caperton and Thomas Phelps.

Box 49

Barcode: 31234013798226

Folder 1: G. Franco and Co. Advertisement

Contents include a onion skin advertisement for Thousand. Franco and Co., a Venetian, Florentine and Roman specialty visitor.

Folder 2: The Youth's Companion, 20 October 1910

Contains a xx Oct 1910 edition of The Youth's Companion, a Perry Mason and Co. publication from Boston, MA.

Binder iii: The Youth'southward Companion, 7 Dec 1899

Contains a 7 Dec 1899 edition of The Youth's Companion, a Perry Stonemason and Co. publication from Boston, MA.

Folder 4: Broadsides, Posters and Miscellaneous Oversized

Contents include numerous local Madison Canton, and a few National, broadsides that detail a variety of topics, from Commissioner Sales Flyers to Starting time Christian Church announcements.

Folder v: D.A.R. Certificates and Bartholomew Clifton Diploma

Contains D.A.R. applications for Mrs. Zenaida Embry Arbuckle, descendant of Capt. Peter Evans, and Mary James Caperton Burnam, descendant of Helm Archibald Woods, and Katherine Phelps Caperton'due south State Vice Regent certificate.  The folder also contains Mary James Caperton's Bartholomew-Clifton Diploma.

Folder vi: Oversized Original Photos, An Accumulation of Family Records

Contents include a rendering (portrait) of Mrs. Caperton, signed by Benjamin, 1910, and a even so photograph of Albert Lacy Russel reading a book in an unidentified parlor.

Folder 7: Potato Patch and Bristol School Photos

Contains two mated photographs of the 1917 Suffrage White potato Patch, Madison County, Richmond, KY, and a June 1912 form photo from The Bristol Schoolhouse, Washington D.C.  The latter contains a numbered names list on the dorsum that match handwritten markers on the photo; identifying a immature Mary James Caperton and friends.

Folder 8: Oversized American Flag

Contains an oversized American Flag that accompanies the servicemen flag that can be establish in previous box in collection.

Box 50

Barcode: 31234013798184

Binder 1: Anthology, Magazine Cutouts, 1 May 1911

Contains a green memorabilia album that Mary James Caperton created in May 1911 out of magazine cutouts.  Subject matter includes European Monuments and Architecture, Classical Roman and Greek artwork and sculptures and other related materials.

Binder 2: Greeting Card Scrapbook, Ms. Emma Watts

Contains a Christmas greeting card scrapbook that Ms. Emma Watts created. Based on a small-scale handwritten annotation in Mary James Burnam script the scrapbook was presented to Kathy Burnam, daughter of Mary James Caperton Burnam, and an undetermined date.

Folder 3: Service Flag

Contains the active servicemen flag that hung in Blair Park during World State of war I.  Contents include a handwritten annotation detailing Paul Burnam'due south service in the Field Artillery Corps, Officers Training School, Campsite Zachary Taylor, Louisville, KY.

Folder four: Miscellaneous Copies

Contents include photo copied pages from Thomas Phelps'south diary.

Folder five: Photograph of Unidentified Group

Unidentified group photo; White Sulphur Springs Resort.

Binder 6: Unidentified Bride in Wedding ceremony Dress

Contents include a photograph of a bride in hymeneals dress.  Potentially either Minerva Phelps or Katherine Phelps, withal, hard to determine with existing photograph collection comparing.

Folder OS 1: Newspapers, 1907 - 1945

Contains all the full-sized newspaper clippings, bug and pages that were processed. They include diverse issues from The Cincinnati'south Enquirer, Daily Annals, The Lexington Herald, Madison County Post, The Richmond Climax, and the Sunday Herald Post/Leader, as well as a few smaller magazine inserts from the Northward.Y. Times and other indistinguishable news outlets.

Barcode: 31234013798234

Folder OS 2: Maps

Contents include three total-sized maps. The first, entitled Melt'due south Tours in the British Isles, contains a handwritten road in crayon that, presumably, traces one of Mrs. Caperton's tours of the English countryside. The second, entitled Map of the Master Events in the Life of George Washington was created by the Standard Oil Co. of Pennsylvania for the Bicentennial Commemoration of Washington Birthday. The final particular, entitled Programme Awe-inspiring, Paris and Versailles, contains a tourist map of the monuments of both Paris and Versailles.

Barcode: 31234013798242

Binder Os 3: Broadsides, 1893

An advertising poster for the Robert Mitchell Furniture Visitor in Cincinnati, OH and a affiche advertising the sale of vii tracts of land for the estates of Alexander Tribble and Nancy Broaddus. (2 items)

Barcode: 31234013798242

Folder Bone four: Blueish Prints

Contents include three blueprint drafts for the bronze Fort Boonesborough Memorial Span historical marker, and a family tree for the Caperton lines that is handwritten onto standard blueprint newspaper. The bridge marker materials particular the proposed casting for the marking, complete with a rendition of the fort, inscribed celebrated information about the sight and its settlers, and, details on the fort's relevant historical significance. The blueprints were commissioned past the Boonesborough D.A.R. Chapter and created by the Cincinnati MFG Company, c. 1931. (Map Drawer # 01/04)

Barcode: 31234013922669

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Amberley],
[Serial 2: Nascence],
[Serial 3: Colonial Dames of America],
[Series 4: Correspondence],
[Serial 5: Daughters of the American Revolution],
[Series vi: Documents],
[Series 7: Drawings],
[Series viii: Eulogies],
[Series 9: Fabrics, Flags and Ribbons],
[Series 10: Fort Boonesborough],
[Series 11: Funerals],
[Serial 12: Financials],
[Series 13: Genealogy],
[Serial xiv: Greeting Cards],
[Series 15: Journals],
[Serial 16: Land Documents],
[Serial 17: Legal],
[Series 18: Newspaper Clippings],
[Series 19: Newsletters],
[Serial 20: Oil Investments],
[Series 21: Organizations],
[Series 22: Personal Notes],
[Series 23: Personal Writings],
[Series 24: Photos],
[Serial 25: Publications],
[Serial 26: Speeches],
[Series 27: Weddings],
[Serial 28: World State of war I],
[Serial 29: Earth War Ii],
[Serial 30: Miscellaneous Legal/Oversized],
[Series 31: Family Evidence],
[Series 32: Oversized],
[Series 33: Books],
[All]

perkinsthrainater.blogspot.com

Source: http://ekufindingaids.libraryhost.com/index.php?p=collections/findingaid&id=76&q=&rootcontentid=86397

Share this post