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Eva Turner Clark Genealogical Papers

 Collection
Identifier: MS-0414

  • Staff Only

This collection houses genealogical materials collected by Eva Clark and a paper (in folder 8) regarding her candidacy for membership in the Order of the First Families of Virginia, where she traced her lineage through the Turner, Johnson, Chisholm, Gibbons, and Eppes families. Among these papers are typed transcripts of wills, family Bibles, and government records from many states. There are also many letters from family members and various officials that Clark involved in her search. Her cousin, Malcolm V. Balmer, and Maurice C. Pruitt are frequent correspondents.

The first two folders house records for the Chisholm family, alternately spelled Chisum, Chisom, Chessum, and Chism. The third folder begins with Arthur Jordan in 1654 and gathers information about his branch of the family. The fourth and fifth folders contain primarily letters, but genealogical lists are also present. Folder four houses an intriguing letter in Maurice Pruitt's handwriting gleefully announcing that Maurice is dead and signed John Wade Pruitt. Folder six covers the Gillentine (Gyrlington) family and includes information about the Galloway and Eppes families. Folder seven includes the September 15, 1943 edition of Genealogy & History, which has been removed to oversized storage. Folder eight has two unidentified photographs in addition to several papers about people not related to the above families.

Dates

  • 1919 June-1947 January

Conditions Governing Access

Collections are stored offsite and must be requested in advance. See www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.

Conditions Governing Use

The UT Libraries claims only physical ownership of most material in the collections. Persons wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants on www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.

Extent

0.5 Linear Feet (1 half box, 2 oversize folders)

Abstract

This collection houses genealogical materials collected by Eva Clark and a paper (in folder 8) regarding her candidacy for membership in the Order of the First Families of Virginia, where she traced her lineage through the Turner, Johnson, Chisholm, Gibbons, and Eppes families. Among these papers are typed transcripts of wills, family Bibles, and government records from many states. There are also many letters from family members and various officials that Clark involved in her search. Her cousin, Malcolm V. Balmer, and Maurice C. Pruitt are frequent correspondents.

Biographical/Historical Note

Eva Lee Turner was born on October 10, 1871 to John Benjamin and Frances Elizabeth (Gill) Turner in Colusa, California. She married Edward Hardy Clark (1864-1945) on January 30, 1895. In addition to her genealogical research and publishing, she became very interested in Shakespeare and published several books and many articles and essays about his works. Some of her genealogical works include Francis Epes, his ancestors and descendents (1942), Jacob Clark of Abbeville, South Carolina (1926), and Genealogy of George Frederick Whitmire. Among her works regarding Shakespeare are The Satirical Comedy Love's Labour's Lost (1933) and The Man Who Was Shakespeare (1937). Eva Clark died in 1947.

Maurice Collins Pruitt was born in 1910 to Jonathan and Mary (Wade) Pruitt in Alabama. He was an anesthesiologist in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and wrote a rough draft entitled Bugger Saga, which was posthumously published by Jill Garrett and Polly Warren. He died on August 13, 1976.

Malcolm V. Balmer was born on May 24, 1895 and died in May of 1988. He lived in Yuba City, Arizona while he was corresponding with Eva Clark.

Arrangement

This collection consists of eight folders in a single half box and two oversize folders.

Acquisition Note

Virginia Kelley and Edward H. Clark donated these papers to Special Collections in the 1960s and 1970s.

Repository Details

Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository

Contact:
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Knoxville TN 37996 USA
865-974-4480