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 William Lowndes Papers, #2778, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Alternate Form of Material

Microfilm copy available.

Acquisitions Information

Gift 1944

Additional Descriptive Resources

A more complete finding aid for this collection is available at the Southern Historical Collection.

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.

Processed by: SHC Staff

Encoded by: Noah Huffman, December 2007

Updated by: Kathryn Michaelis, February 2010

Updated by: Laura Hart, May 2021

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.

• Adams, John Quincy, 1767-1848.
• Alston, Joseph, 1778-1816.
• Calhoun, John C. (John Caldwell), 1782-1850.
• Charleston (S.C.)--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
• Charleston (S.C.)--Social life and customs.
• Cheves, Langdon, 1776-1857.
• Crawford, William Harris, 1772-1834.
• Diaries.
• Drayton, William, 1776-1846.
• England--Commerce--United States--History--18th century.
• England--Description and travel--Early works to 1800.
• Families--South Carolina--Social life and customs.
• Fish, Hamilton, 1808-1893.
• Forsyth, John, 1780-1841.
• Hamilton, James, 1786-1857.
• Hayne, Robert Young, 1791-1839.
• Huger, Daniel Elliott, 1779-1854.
• Legare, Hugh Swinton, 1797-1843.
• Legislators--United States--History--19th century.
• London (England)--Social life and customs.
• Lowndes family.
• Lowndes, Charles, fl. 1754-1755.
• Lowndes, Elizabeth Pinckney.
• Lowndes, Rawlins, 1721-1800.
• Lowndes, Thomas Pinckney, 1839-1899.
• Lowndes, William, 1782-1822.
• Monroe, James, 1758-1831.
• Pinckney, Thomas, 1750-1828.
• Plantations--South Carolina.
• Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877)--South Carolina.
• Simkins, Eldred James, 1838-1903.
• South Carolina--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
• United States--Commerce--England--History--18th century.
• United States--Commerce--West Indies--History--18th century.
• United States--Politics and government--1801-1815.
• United States--Politics and government--1815-1861.
• United States. Congress--History--19th century.
• Washington (D.C.)--Social life and customs.
• West Indies--Commerce--United States--History--18th century.
• Wirt, William, 1772-1834.

William Lowndes was a lawyer, planter, and United States representative from South Carolina.

The collection is chiefly William Lowndes's correspondence while in Congress, 1811-1821, including letters written from Washington, D.C., to his wife, Elizabeth (Pinckney) Lowndes, discussing his personal and social life; and letters he received from notable politicians, including John Quincy Adams, Joseph Alston, John C. Calhoun, Langdon Cheves, William H. Crawford, William Drayton, Hamilton Fish, John Forsyth, James Hamilton, Robert Y. Hayne, Daniel H. Huger, Hugh S. Legare, James Monroe, Thomas Pinckney, Eldred Simkins, and William Wirt. Among other items are letters, 1758-1799, between William Lowndes's father, Rawlins (1721-1800), of Charleston, S.C., and English and West Indian merchants; a fragment of a diary of Charles Lowndes, 1754-1755, chiefly concerning social life in London; detailed reminiscences of William's grandson, Thomas Pinckney Lowndes (1839-1899), concerning antebellum life, the Civil War, and Reconstruction in Charleston; copies of speeches by William Lowndes; and his notebooks on law and congressional matters.

• Extra-oversize paper folder (XOPF-2778/1)
• Microfilm (M-2778/1-2)
• Transcription volumes (TV-2778/1-4)