Mills Family Bible
This Bible, published by Langdon Coffin of Boston, Massachusetts in 1831, belonged to the Mills family of Virginia and Tennessee. It contains family records for Robert and Mary Barbara (Sharp) Mills' children and the children of three unidentified women (possibly enslaved by Robert S. Mills) named Sary, Mary, and Dolley. Also included is a letter from Robert Mills to his son, Robert S. Mills, giving his children's birthdates and describing Abraham Mills' multiple attempts at bigamy.
Dates
- 1769 December 1-1869 August 25
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
0.25 Linear Feet (1 small flat box)
Abstract
This Bible, published by Langdon Coffin of Boston, Massachusetts in 1831, belonged to the Mills family of Virginia and Tennessee. It contains family records for Robert and Mary Barbara (Sharp) Mills' children and the children of three unidentified women (possibly enslaved by Robert S. Mills) named Sary, Mary, and Dolley. Also included is a letter from Robert Mills to his son, Robert S. Mills, giving his children's birthdates and describing Abraham Mills' multiple attempts at bigamy.
Biographical/Historical Note
The Mills family begins with Robert Mills, who married Mary Barbara Sharp on September 5, 1793. The couple had at least ten children: Joseph W. (1795-), Susan R. (Mills) Lunsford (1797-1855), Robert Sharp (1800-1856), Edmond J. (1802-), John Garland (1804-1859), Abraham N. (1806-), Anna Jane (1808-1891), Mary H. (Mills) Marsh (1810-), Barbara Sharp (1813-1854), and Nancy Frances Ann (Mills) Moore (1815-1863).
Robert S. Mills married Susan R. Goodrum on December 7, 1826 in Sumner County, Tennessee. The couple later adopted Mary Olivia Rawls, who married William Patton Hoskins. Mills enslaved a number of people, three of whom (Sary, Dolley, and Mary) seem to be mentioned in the Bible. Sary had eight children: Willize (1834-), Albert (1838-), Manuel (1840-), John Harry (1842-), Josephene (1844-), Mandy (1846-), Margret (1847-), and Bell Josephen (1854-). Dolley had five children: Clarisa Jane (1843-), Henry Clay (1844-1895), Robert (1847-), Washington (1852-), and Eliza. Mary had three children: Manurvey (1840-), Almira (1844-), and Marah (1846-). These women may, however, be related to the family in some other unknown manner.
Arrangement
This collection consists of a single box.
Acquisition Note
Betsey Beeler Creekmore donated this Bible to Special Collections in December of 1975.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository