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Isabella J. "Bell" McCauley Letters

 Collection
Identifier: Ms-2023-083

Scope and Content

This collection contains two letters written by Isabella J. "Bell" McCauley to her father John McCauley while she attended Wytheville Female College. One letter is a request for new stockings and handkerchiefs, and the other discusses whether Bell will be able to return home to Roanoke the following day.

Dates

  • 1860

Creator

Language of Materials

The material in this collection is in English.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Biographical Note

Isabella J. "Bell" McCauley is probably Isabella (also Isabelle or Bell) Jamison McCauley, who was born to John McCauley and Susan Dingledine in June 1840, in Botetourt County, Virginia. She attended Wytheville Female College and later married attorney James P. Houtz on December 24, 1868 in Roanoke. McCauley died on October 27, 1922, and is buried in East Hill Cemetery in Salem.

Her father John McCauley (1795-1864) played a prominent role in the formation of Roanoke County and served as a Democrat in the Virginia General Assembly (1833-1853), both in the House of Delegates and the Senate (1842-1849). He had four children with his first wife and eight children, including Isabella, with his second wife, Susan Dingledine McCauley.

External sources:

U.S. Census Records for 1850-1880

Death certificate for Isabelle Jamison Houtz in the Virginia, U.S., Death Records, 1912-2014 database, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/762160:9278, accessed August 18, 2023.

"Isabelle McCauley Houtz" entry, Findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/154037798/isabelle-houtz, accessed August 18, 2023.

Isabelle J. McCauley in the Virginia, U.S., Marriage Registers, 1853-1935 database, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/90316982:62154, accessed August 18, 2023.

"John McCauley", A History of the Virginia House of Delegates, Virginia General Assembly, https://history.house.virginia.gov/members/5549, accessed August 18, 2023.

Extent

0.1 Cubic Feet (1 folder)

Abstract

This collection contains two 1860 letters written by Isabella J. "Bell" McCauley (1840-1922) to her father John McCauley (1795-1864) while she attended Wytheville Female College.

Source of Acquisition

The Isabella J. "Bell" McCauley Letters was purchased by Special Collections and University Archives in January 2017.

Related Archival Materials

See the John McCauley Letters, Ms2009-075, also at Virginia Tech Special Collections and University Archives.

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the Isabella J. "Bell" McCauley Letters by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Isabella J. "Bell" McCauley Letters was completed in August 2023.

Title
Isabella J. "Bell" McCauley Letters, 1860
Status
Completed
Author
Sterling Bryant, Student Assistant
Date
2023 (CC0 1.0)
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech Repository

Contact:
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308