Restrictions to Access

No restrictions. Open for research.

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 Abraham Rencher Papers #627, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Acquisitions Information

Received from Mrs. Julien Wood of Edenton, N.C., before 1940, with additions from her in 1948 and 1951; an addition from Mrs. H.M. Sparger of Mount Airy, N.C., in 1961; an addition from Thomas Wood of Raleigh, N.C., in July 1982 (acc. 82103); and an addition from David Rencher of Riverton, Utah in January 1997 (acc. 97009).

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.

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.

• Alabama--Social life and customs.
• Diplomatic and consular service, American--Portugal--History--19th century.
• Mines and mineral resources--New Mexico--History--19th century.
• New Mexico--Politics and government--1848-1950.
• Plantation life--Alabama.
• Portugal--Foreign relations--United States.
• Portugal--Politics and government--1834-1853.
• Rencher family.
• Rencher, Abraham, 1798-1883.
• Rencher, Daniel G., fl. 1838-1858.
• United States--Foreign relations--Portugal.

Abraham Rencher, graduate of the University of North Carolina, practiced law in Pittsboro, N.C., served as a Democrat in the House of Representatives, 1829-1839 and 1841-1843; U.S. charge d'affaires in Portugal, 1843-1847; Governor of New Mexico, 1857-1861; and then retired to Chatham County, N.C. The collection includes letters written by Rencher and his wife, Louisa Mary Jones, while they were in Portugal. About 17 letters were written by Rencher's brother, Daniel G. Rencher who had moved to Alabama in 1833. These letters cover roughly 1838-1858 and describe family events, health, slaves, and business affairs.

Correspondence and financial receipts from the period of 1844-1869 include materials pertaining to Rencher's work with the American delegation in Lisbon, Washington, and Santa Fe. These documents are filed in folders 5, 7 and 8.

Folder 9 contains an album of Miss Louisa Mary Jones, daughter of Edward Jones of "Rock Rest" of Chatham County, N.C., and future wife of Rencher. It includes entries from Carolina Lee Hentz of Chapel Hill, 1827 and copies of poems. Folder 10 contains photocopies of pages from Rencher's family Bible, which remains in the possession of his descendants.

• OP-627/1-3