Abraham Rencher Papers, 1784-1883

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Summary

Creator:
Rencher, Abraham, 1798-1883.
Abstract:

Abraham Rencher was a lawyer, Governor of the New Mexico Territory, 1857-1861, U.S. minister to Portugal, and U.S. Representative from North Carolina.

The bulk of the collection consists of papers of Rencher while U. S. charge d'affaires in Lisbon, 1843-1847, including letters home, diplomatic correspondence, and accounts, and letters from his brother, Daniel G. Rencher of Alabama, 1838-1858, discussing family and plantation news. There are also letters to and from Rencher while he was governor of the New Mexico Territory, 1857-1861, correspondence and financial receipts relating to the mining industry in New Mexico, and scattered other political and family items.

Extent:
200 items (0.5 linear feet)
Language:
Materials in English
Library Catalog Link:
View UNC library catalog record for this item

Background

Biographical / historical:

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.

Scope and content:

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.

Acquisition 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).

Processing information:

Processed by: Tim Pyatt, March 1997

Encoded by: ByteManagers Inc., 2008

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.

Access and use

Restrictions to access:

No restrictions. Open for research.

Restrictions to use:

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

No usage restrictions.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], in the Abraham Rencher Papers #627, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Special Collections Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Location of this collection:
Louis Round Wilson Library
200 South Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27515
Contact:
(919) 962-3765
wilsonlibrary@unc.edu