Francis Donnell Winston Papers, 1787, 1828-1943 (bulk 1890-1939).

Collection Number: 02810

Collection Title: Francis Donnell Winston Papers, 1787, 1828-1943 (bulk 1890-1939).

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.

This collection was rehoused and a summary created with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities; this finding aid was created with support from NC ECHO.

Expand/collapse Collection Overview

Size	2.5 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 1,800 items)
Abstract	Francis Donnell Winston (1857-1941) held several positions in North Carolina: he was a lawyer in Windsor, N.C.; clerk of the North Carolina superior court, 1881-1882; member of the North Carolina General Assembly, 1889-1900; a state senator from 1887 to 1889, and served again in the legislature in the late 1920s; a judge of the superior court, 1901-1902 and 1916; lieutenant governor, 1905-1909; United States district attorney, 1913-1916; a trustee of the University of North Carolina and president of the North Carolina Bar Association; and an active Mason and member of the Episcopal Church. Also represented in the papers are Winston's brothers George Tayloe Winston (1852-1932), Patrick Henry Winston (1847-1904), and Robert W. Winston, along with his sister Alice Spruill. The collection contains correspondence, speeches, and photographs of Francis Donnell Winson. The earliest papers are Winston and Kenney family letters, along with business papers, including a few related to the sale of slaves and merchandise in Bertie County, N.C., 1828-1830; as well as commissions, orders, and other material of Dr. S. B. Kenney, Winston's father-in-law, 1863-1882. The bulk of the papers date from the 1890s through the 1930s and consist of Francis Donnell Winston's correspondence relating to his law practice and experiences as a judge, Democratic Party politics and his own campaigns, Masonic and Episcopal Church activities, University of North Carolina alumni activities, Windsor and Bertie County community affairs and history, genealogical inquiries in connection with the Winston and other Bertie County families, speaking engagements, and miscellaneous writings. Other papers reflect Winston's interest in New Deal projects for North Carolina such as the Civilian Conservation Corps camps, Coastal Improvement Organization, the Governor's Farm Debt Adjustment Commission, the educaton of African American children in Bertie County, and his participation on committees for historical, culural, and patriotic celebrations. Also included are scattered letters relating to personal and family matters. Additionally, there are a number of mostly undated speeches given by Francis Donnell Winston, many of which were delivered while he was lieutenant governor of North Carolina. His speeches were given at Masonic groups, civic clubs, church groups, alumni groups at the University of North Carolina, as well as some radio speeches.
Creator	Winston, Francis Donnell, 1857-1941.
Curatorial Unit	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.
Language	English

Expand/collapse Information For Users

Restrictions to Access: No restrictions. Open for research.

Restrictions to Use: No usage restrictions.

Copyright Notice: Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Preferred Citation: [Identification of item], in the Francis Donnell Winston Papers, #2810, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Alternate Form of Material: Microfilm available.

Acquisitions Information: Gift of Mrs. Francis Donnell Winston of Windsor, N.C., 1943.

Additional Descriptive Resources: A copy of the original finding aid for this collection is filed in folder 1a.

Sensitive Materials Statement: Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.

Expand/collapse Processing Information

Processed by: SHC Staff

Encoded by: Noah Huffman, December 2007

Updated by: Adam Fielding, Kate Stratton, and Jodi Berkowitz, February 2011

Updated by: Laura Hart, December 2021

This collection was rehoused and a summary created with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

This finding aid was created with support from NC ECHO.

Expand/collapse Subject Headings

The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.

Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.

Expand/collapse Related Collections

George Tayloe Winston Papers (#787).

Expand/collapse Biographical Information

Francis Donnell Winston (1857-1941) attended Cornell University, 1873-1874, and took an A.B. from the University of North Carolina in 1879. He held several positions in North Carolina: he was a lawyer in Windsor, N.C.; clerk of the North Carolina superior court, 1881-1882; member of the North Carolina General Assembly, 1889-1900; a state senator from 1887 to 1889, and served again in the legislature in the late 1920s; a judge of the superior court, 1901-1902 and 1916; lieutenant governor, 1905-1909; United States district attorney, 1913-1916; a trustee of the University of North Carolina and president of the North Carolina Bar Association; and an active Mason and member of the Episcopal Church.

Winston married Rosa Kenney, daughter of Dr. S. B. Kenney of Maine, who came south with the United States Navy during the Civil War and remained in Hampton Roads, Va., as a government employee after the war, later settling in Windsor, N.C. Also represented in the papers are Winston's brothers, George Tayloe Winston (1852-1932), sometime president of the University of Texas, the University of North Carolina, and North Carolina State University; Patrick Henry Winston (1847-1904), who became a prominent lawyer in the state of Washington; and Robert W. Winston (1860-1944), judge, lawyer, and in his later years a writer. Winston's sister, Alice, married Frank Spruill and lived in Rocky Mount, N.C.

Expand/collapse Scope and Content

The collection contains correspondence, speeches, and photographs of Francis Donnell Winson (1857-1941). The earliest papers are Winston and Kenney family letters, along with business papers, including a few related to the sale of slaves and merchandise in Bertie County, N.C., 1828-1830; as well as commissions, orders, and other material of Dr. S. B. Kenney, Winston's father-in-law, 1863-1882. The bulk of the papers date from the 1890s through the 1930s and consist of Francis Donnell Winston's correspondence relating to his law practice and experiences as a judge, Democratic Party politics and his own campaigns, Masonic and Episcopal Church activities, University of North Carolina alumni activities, Windsor and Bertie County community affairs and history, genealogical inquiries in connection with the Winston and other Bertie County families, speaking engagements, and miscellaneous writings. Other papers reflect Winston's interest in New Deal projects for North Carolina such as the Civilian Conservation Corps camps, Coastal Improvement Organization, the Governor's Farm Debt Adjustment Commission, the educaton of African American children in Bertie County, and his participation on committees for historical, culural, and patriotic celebrations. Also included are scattered letters relating to personal and family matters. Additionally, there are a number of mostly undated speeches given by Francis Donnell Winston, many of which were delivered while he was lieutenant governor of North Carolina. His speeches were given at Masonic groups, civic clubs, church groups, alumni groups at the University of North Carolina, as well as some radio speeches.

Contents list

Expand/collapse Series Quick Links

1. Correspondence, 1787, 1828-1943 and undated.
2. Speeches, 1917 and undated.
3. Photographs, circa 1845-1930.
4. Microfilm copy of the collection.

Expand/collapse Series 1. Correspondence, 1787, 1828-1943 and undated.

Arrangement: chronological.

The earliest papers are Winston and Kenney family letters, along with business papers, including a few related to the sale of slaves and merchandise in Bertie County, N.C., 1828-1830; as well as commissions, orders, and other material of Dr. S. B. Kenney, Winston's father-in-law, 1863-1882. The bulk of the papers date from the 1890s through the 1930s and consist of Francis Donnell Winston's correspondence relating to his law practice and experiences as a judge, Democratic Party politics and his own campaigns, Masonic and Episcopal Church activities, University of North Carolina alumni activities, Windsor and Bertie County community affairs and history, genealogical inquiries in connection with the Winston and other Bertie County families, speaking engagements, and miscellaneous writings. Other papers reflect Winston's intrest in New Deal projects such as the Civilian Conservation Corps camps, Coastal Improvement Organization, the Governor's Farm Debt Adjustment Commission, the educaton of African American children in Bertie County, and his participation on committees for historical, culural, and patriotic celebrations. Also included are scattered letters relating to personal and family matters.

Folder 1a	Original finding aid
Folder 1	1787, 1828-1863 Item from 1787 is a typed transcription of a circular from Union Lodge, Fayetteville, N.C., for a convention to elect a new grand master for North Carolina.
Folder 2	Correspondence, 1864-1869
Folder 3	Correspondence, 1874-1886
Folder 4	Correspondence, 1887-1898
Folder 5-7 Folder 5 Folder 6 Folder 7	Correspondence, 1899
Folder 8-10 Folder 8 Folder 9 Folder 10	Correspondence, 1900
Folder 11	Correspondence, 1901
Folder 12-13 Folder 12 Folder 13	Correspondence, 1902
Folder 14	Correspondence, 1903-1908
Folder 15	Correspondence, 1909-1913
Folder 16	Correspondence, 1914-1915
Folder 17	Correspondence, 1916
Folder 18	Correspondence, 1917
Folder 19	Undated letters, circa 1917-1918
Folder 20	Correspondence, 1918-1924
Folder 21	Correspondence, 1925-1926
Folder 22	Correspondence, 1927-1928
Folder 23	Correspondence, 1929
Folder 24-25 Folder 24 Folder 25	Correspondence, 1930
Folder 26-27 Folder 26 Folder 27	Correspondence, 1931
Folder 28-29 Folder 28 Folder 29	Correspondence, 1932
Folder 30-33 Folder 30 Folder 31 Folder 32 Folder 33	Correspondence, 1933
Folder 34	Correspondence, 1934
Folder 35	Correspondence, 1935
Folder 36	Correspondence, 1936-1937
Folder 37	Correspondence, 1938
Folder 38	Correspondence, 1939
Folder 39-42 Folder 39 Folder 40 Folder 41 Folder 42	Correspondence, 1940-1943
Folder 43	Letters from Stephen E. W. Kenny, undated
Folder 44	Letters from Alice Spruill and George Tayloe Winston, undated
Folder 45	Winston and Kenney family letters, undated
Folder 46	Undated correspondence
Folder 47	Biographies and histories
Folder 48	Poems, genealogies, speeches, and other material
Folder 49	Recollections
Folder 50	Letter fragments

Expand/collapse Series 2. Speeches, 1917 and undated.

Copies of mostly undated speeches given by Francis Donnell Winston, many of which were delivered while he was lieutenant governor of North Carolina, are present in this series. Winston's speeches were given at Masonic groups, civic clubs, church groups, alumni groups at the University of North Carolina, as well as some radio speeches. Also included is a tribute to Robert W. Winston by R. C. Lawrence.

Folder 51	Tribute to Robert W. Winston by R. C. Lawrence
Folder 52	Paper on the history of the Episcopal Church
Folder 53	Speech: Given to the church
Folder 54	Report on the church conferences
Folder 55	Speech: "Eastern Legend"
Folder 56	Speech: Given at Old Dominion University
Folder 57	Speech: Given to state of North Carolina
Folder 58-59 Folder 58 Folder 59	Unidentified speeches
Folder 60	Speech: Given at an Old Soldier's dinner, 14 June 1917
Folder 61	Speech: Roanoke Island, N.C.
Folder 62	Speech: Given to a Masonic group
Folder 63	Speech: Given to a lodge
Folder 64	Radio address for the mayor of Windsor
Folder 65	Unidentifed speech
Folder 66	Speech: Given at Wake Forest College
Folder 67-68 Folder 67 Folder 68	Speech: Given at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Folder 69	Unidentifed speech
Folder 70	Speech: "The Story of St. John's College and Oxford Orphanage"
Folder 71	Speech: Given to African American group
Folder 72-73 Folder 72 Folder 73	Unidentified speeches
Folder 74	Letter concerning African American suffrage
Folder 75	Unidentified speech
Folder 76	Report given at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Folder 77	Unidentifed speech
Folder 78	Speech: North Carolina Masonry history
Folder 79	Speech: Given in Charlotte, N.C.
Folder 80	Eulogy given for Dr. Noble by Reverend Proctor
Folder 81	Speech: Given at Masonic ceremony
Folder 82	Speech: Given to Grand Lodge of North Carolina
Folder 83	Speech: Given to the Lion's Club at Statesville, N.C.
Folder 84-86 Folder 84 Folder 85 Folder 86	Unidentified speeches
Folder 87	Paper: "From the Proceedings of the Committee of Safety for Pitt County"
Folder 88	Speech: Given to the Charity Lodge
Folder 89-93 Folder 89 Folder 90 Folder 91 Folder 92 Folder 93	Unidentified speeches
Folder 94	Volume 1: Autograph book of Rosa Kenney

Expand/collapse Series 3. Photographs, circa 1845-1930.

37 items.

This series consists of pictures of Francis Donnell Winston along with some unidentifed individuals. Numerous formats are represented including cabinet cards, carte-de-visites, salt prints, mounted albumen prints, photographs, and tintypes.

Folder 95	Volume 2: Picture album of Hanover, Me.
Image P-2810/1-27 P-2810/1 P-2810/2 P-2810/3 P-2810/4 P-2810/5 P-2810/6 P-2810/7 P-2810/8 P-2810/9 P-2810/10 P-2810/11 P-2810/12 P-2810/13 P-2810/14 P-2810/15 P-2810/16 P-2810/17 P-2810/18 P-2810/19 P-2810/20 P-2810/21 P-2810/22 P-2810/23 P-2810/24 P-2810/25 P-2810/26 P-2810/27	Loose images, circa 1845-1930 P-2810/1 Cabinet card: Francis Donnell Winston at age 17, 1874 P-2810/2 Cabinet card: Francis Donnell Winston at age 22, 1879 P-2810/3 Carte-de-visite: Francis Donnell Winston at about age 22-25, circa 1879-1882 P-2810/4 Photograph: Francis Donnell Winston at about age 50-55, circa 1907-1912 P-2810/5 Photograph: Francis Donnell Winston with unidentifed little boy, circa 1907-1917 P-2810/6-7 Photographs: Francis Donnell Winston at his desk, circa 1910-1920 P-2810/7a Photograph: Francis Donnell Winston at the bench, circa 1910-1920 P-2810/8 Reproduction of engraving: Francis Donnell Winston, three-quarters profile, circa 1915-1925 P-2810/9 Photograph: Two boys on bicycles on either side of older man, circa 1920-1930 Older man is possibly Francis Donnell Winston. P-2810/10 Carte-de-visite: Unidentifed young woman, circa 1870-1890 P-2810/11 Reproduction of drawing: Unidentifed older man, circa 1910-1930 P-2810/12 Photograph: Unidentifed older man beside monument to Virginia Dare, circa 1915-1935 P-2810/13 Salt print: Unidentified young man, circa 1845-1860 P-2810/14 Salt print: Unidentifed bearded man, circa 1845-1860 P-2810/15 Cabinet card: Unidentifed young man in athletic clothes, circa 1886 P-2810/16 Cabinet card: Unidentifed man with mustache, circa 18-- Image is photograph of a painting. P-2810/17 Postcard: Family group, circa 1905-1915 Young couple, older woman, and little boy. P-2810/18 Photograph: Four men in hats and coats outside "Seaboard" office, circia 1910-1920 Man second from left is probably Francis Donnell Winston. P-2810/19 Cabinet card: Eleven young men posing in suits outdoors, circa 1875-1885 Man seated, second from right, may be Francis Donnell Winston. P-2810/20 Cabinet card: Group portrait, circa 1880-1890 Three young men, an older couple, and a young woman. P-2810/21 Photograph: Gathering of well-dressed men on platform above street in in unidentifed town, circa 1910-1925 P-2810/22 Mounted albumen print: Unpaved street in Windsor, N.C., circa 1875-1890 P-2810/23-24 Photograph: Tree-shaded entrance to large house, Windsor, N.C., circa 1910-1920 Handwritten caption reads: "Poor picture of our home 'Windsor Castle'..." P-2810/25 Mounted albumen print: "Windsor Castle," Windsor, N.C., circa 1865-1875 P-2810/26 Boudoir card: Horse and buggy in front of "Winsor Castle," Windsor, N.C., circa 1870-1880 P-2810/27 Photograph: Four people on porch of "Windsor Castle," Windsor, N.C., circa 1905-1915 Man on left wearing hat is probably Francis Donnell Winston.
Special Format Image SF-P-2810/1-7 SF-P-2810/1 SF-P-2810/2 SF-P-2810/3 SF-P-2810/4 SF-P-2810/5 SF-P-2810/6 SF-P-2810/7	Special format images, circa 1864-1910 SF-P-2810/1 Tintype: Francis Donnell Winston at about age six or seven, circa 1864-1865 SF-P-2810/2 Tintype: Unidentifed little boy at about age 10, circa 1867 Boy is probably Francis Donnell Winston. SF-P-2810/3 Tintype: Francis Donnell Winston at about age 35-40, circa 1892-1897 Subject's cheeks have been hand-tinted pink. Inscription at bottom of image reads: "Your aff' son, Frank D. Winston - Fish Hatcher." SF-P-2810/4 Tintype: Two men posing formally, circa 1897-1900 Man on left is probably Francis Donnell Winston. SF-P-2810/5 Tintype: Middle-aged couple, circa 1900-1910 Probably Francis Donnell Winston and Rosa Kenney Winston. SF-P-2810/6 Tintype: Two young men in suits posing against stone wall, circa 1870-1890 SF-P-2810/7 Tintype: Three children in summer straw hats, circa 1875-1895
Extra Oversize Image XOP-P-2810/1	Photograph: Group portrait at Social Service Welfare Conference, Charlotte, N.C., 1924
Extra Oversize Image XOP-P-2810/2	Photograph: Group portrait of members of the House of Representatives of North Carolina, 1929

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Collection Number: 02810 Collection Title: Francis Donnell Winston Papers, 1787, 1828-1943 (bulk 1890-1939).

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Expand/collapse Information For Users

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Expand/collapse Biographical Information

Expand/collapse Scope and Content

Contents list

Expand/collapse Series Quick Links

Expand/collapse Series 1. Correspondence, 1787, 1828-1943 and undated.

Folder 5

Folder 6

Folder 7

Folder 8

Folder 9

Folder 10

Folder 12

Folder 13

Folder 24

Folder 25

Folder 26

Folder 27

Folder 28

Folder 29

Folder 30

Folder 31

Folder 32

Folder 33

Folder 39

Folder 40

Folder 41

Folder 42

Expand/collapse Series 2. Speeches, 1917 and undated.

Folder 58

Folder 59

Folder 67

Folder 68

Folder 72

Folder 73

Folder 84

Folder 85

Folder 86

Folder 89

Folder 90

Folder 91

Folder 92

Folder 93

Expand/collapse Series 3. Photographs, circa 1845-1930.

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Collection Number: 02810

Collection Title: Francis Donnell Winston Papers, 1787, 1828-1943 (bulk 1890-1939).