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A collection of letters and memorabilia of John William Burgess, his wife, Ruth Payne Jewett Burgess, his son Elisha Payne Jewett Burgess, his daughter-in-law, Annette Curnen Burgess, his grand-daughter, Ruth Payne Jewett Burgess, and the Burgess, Jewett, Payne, and Curnen families. The personal correspondence numbering 17 items, covers the period 1908 to 1927 mainly between John and Elisha Burgess. There are two letters of a social nature from Eleanor Roosevelt and Nicholas Murray Butler and one lengthy post card from George Bernard Shaw to Annette Curnen Burgess. Also, memorabilia including portraits, photographs, books, diplomas, and medals.

Manuscripts by Payne, including plays, poems, journals, essays, account books, correspondence, letter books (to and from) including a large group of letters from Washington Irving. Also, pictorial material, scrapbooks, biographies, portraits, passports, and other documents; and materials on the Cherokee incident, 1835-1838, and Payne's arrest in Georgia. Other material include letters of various members of the Payne family and of related families. Of greatest interest is a group of fine letters and manuscripts of Eloise Richards Payne (1787-1819), a sister of the playwright. These present a sensitive and revealing portrait of the social, cultural, and political life of the time. Among the manuscripts and documents are many items of genealogical interest on the Paine, Shippen, Lynch, Luquer, and Lea families. Two boxes of the papers of Col. Thatcher Taylor Payne Luquer contain correspondence on various aspects of John Howard Payne's career, and on "An Unconscious Autobiography" the letters and diaries of William Osborn Payne (1783-1804), a brother of the playwright, edited by Col. Luquer.