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 processed with support from the Randleigh Foundation Trust.
Size | 4.5 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 2200 items) |
Abstract | Willis Grandy Briggs (1875-1954) was a Raleigh, N.C., lawyer and postmaster, and served as Republican Party chair for Wake County, N.C. The collection consists of political and personal correspondence of Briggs and materials relating to his ancestors and other relatives. Briggs' correspondence concerns his student days at Wake Forest College; Raleigh newspaper work, 1895-1905; Republican Party activities through five decades; his interest in the history of Raleigh and the history of North Carolina Baptists; his genealogical studies of the Briggs, Grandy, Ferebee, Utley, Hunter, Alston, Hargrove, and Norwood families; and his miscellaneous biographical studies. Papers before 1893 are of the Briggs, Grandy, and Ferebee families in Camden, Currituck, Granville, and Wake counties, N.C., and include papers of Willis Sawyer Grandy (1822-1899), Dr. Enoch D. Ferebee (d. 1876), and the Civil War papers of Tazewell L. Hargrove (1830-1899), lieutenant colonel, 44th North Carolina Regiment, and others, including an autograph book from Johnson Island prison. Twenty volumes include the record book of the judge advocate of the Camden County militia, 1803-1835; the personal diary, 1866-1868, of Thomas Henry Briggs (1847-1928) of Raleigh; Knights of Pythias local records, 1871-1875; and minutes of the Wake County Cattle Club, 1886-1890, which was organized to sponsor livestock exhibitions. |
Creator | Briggs, Willis G. (Willis Grandy), 1875-1954. |
Curatorial Unit | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection. |
Language | English |
Processed by: Suzanne Ruffing, March 1996
Encoded by: Bari Helms, April 2005
This collection was processed with support from the Randleigh Foundation Trust.
Back to TopThe 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.
Willis Grandy Briggs (1875-1954) was born in Raleigh, N.C., the son of Thomas Henry and Sarah Grandy Briggs. He was educated at the Raleigh Male Academy, run by Charles C. Holden, and at Wake Forest College, from which he graduated cum laud in 1896. After graduating, Briggs became the city editor of the Raleigh Evening Times.
Briggs, a Republican, was appointed postmaster in Raleigh by President Theodore Roosevelt, and he continued to serve in this capacity until 1914, when he returned to Wake Forest to study law. Admitted to the bar in 1915, Briggs was promptly chosen city court prosecutor, in which capacity he served until 1921. He was the assistant U.S. attorney of the Eastern District from 1921 until 1930, when he resigned to resume his private practice. In 1928 he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention.
Briggs was deeply interested in the history of North Carolina, especially that of Raleigh and Wake County. Briggs devoted much of his time to research and writing, and some of his published works include a history of the First Baptist Church in Raleigh and a biography of Henry Potter (1766-1857).
Briggs married Beulah Sanderlin on 16 February 1910, and they became the parents of two daughters, Sarah Wooten and Eliza Sanderlin. Briggs died on 24 February 1954 in Raleigh.
Back to TopThe collection consists of political and personal correspondence of Willis G. Briggs and materials relating to his ancestors and other relatives. Briggs' correspondence concerns his student days at Wake Forest College; Raleigh newspaper work, 1895-1905; Republican Party activities through five decades; his interest in the history of Raleigh, N.C., and the history of North Carolina Baptists; his genealogical studies of the Briggs, Grandy, Ferebee, Utley, Hunter, Alston, Hargrove, and Norwood families; and his miscellaneous biographical studies. Papers before 1893 are of the Briggs, Grandy, and Ferebee families in Camden County, N.C., Currituck County, N.C., Granville County, N.C., and Wake County, N.C., and include papers of Willis Sawyer Grandy (1822-1899), Dr. Enoch D. Ferebee (d. 1876), and the Civil War papers of Tazewell L. Hargrove (1830-1899), lieutenant colonel, 44th North Carolina Regiment, and others, including an autograph book from Johnson Island prison. Twenty volumes include the record book of the judge advocate of the Camden County militia, 1803-1835; the personal diary, 1866-1868, of Thomas Henry Briggs (1847-1928) of Raleigh; Knights of Pythias local records, 1871-1875; and minutes of the Raleigh Cattle Club, 1886-1890, which was organized to sponsor livestock exhibitions.
Back to TopArrangement: chronological and topical.
Correspondence and other papers pertaining to the ancestors of Willis Grandy Briggs, principally of the Grandy and Ferebee families and their relatives in Camden, Currituck, and Granville counties, N.C.
Folder 1 |
1764-1823 |
Folder 2 |
1833-1849 |
Folder 3 |
1850-1860 |
Folder 4 |
1861-1862 |
Folder 5 |
1863-1870 |
Folder 6 |
1871-July 1873 |
Folder 7-8
Folder 7Folder 8 |
August-December 1873 |
Folder 9-14
Folder 9Folder 10Folder 11Folder 12Folder 13Folder 14 |
1874 |
Folder 15-16
Folder 15Folder 16 |
1875 |
Folder 17-21
Folder 17Folder 18Folder 19Folder 20Folder 21 |
1876 |
Folder 22-23
Folder 22Folder 23 |
1877 |
Folder 24-26
Folder 24Folder 25Folder 26 |
1878 |
Folder 27 |
1879 |
Folder 28-29
Folder 28Folder 29 |
1880 |
Folder 30-33
Folder 30Folder 31Folder 32Folder 33 |
1881 |
Folder 34-37
Folder 34Folder 35Folder 36Folder 37 |
1882 |
Folder 38 |
1883 |
Folder 39 |
1884-1885 |
Folder 40 |
1886-1889 |
Folder 41 |
1890 |
Folder 42 |
1891-1892 |
Folder 43 |
Patrick Conway Murder; Potter Genealogy; Robert H. Labberton |
Folder 44 |
Briggs, Hunter, Alston |
Folder 45 |
Grandy, Ferebee, Hargrove |
Folder 46 |
Norwood Data |
Folder 47 |
Utley Data |
Arrangement: chronological.
Chiefly of political and personal papers of Willis Grandy Briggs, reflecting his interest in the history of Raleigh and its early residents; genealogy of the Briggs, Grandy, Ferebee, Utley, Hunter, Alston, Hargrove, and Norwood families; the Baptist Church; and miscellaneous biographical studies.
Folder 48 |
1893-1894 |
Folder 49 |
1895-1899 |
Folder 50 |
1900-1905 |
Folder 51-52
Folder 51Folder 52 |
1906 |
Folder 53-54
Folder 53Folder 54 |
August-November 1907 |
Folder 55 |
1908 |
Folder 56-58
Folder 56Folder 57Folder 58 |
1909 |
Folder 59 |
1910 |
Folder 60 |
1911-1913 |
Folder 61 |
1914 |
Folder 62 |
1915-1919 |
Folder 63 |
1920 |
Folder 64 |
1921-1925 |
Folder 65 |
1928-1931 |
Folder 66 |
1932-1933 |
Folder 67 |
1934 |
Folder 68-69
Folder 68Folder 69 |
1935 |
Folder 70-71
Folder 70Folder 71 |
1936 |
Folder 72 |
1937-March 1938 |
Folder 73-74
Folder 73Folder 74 |
April-December 1938 |
Folder 75 |
1939 |
Folder 76 |
1940 |
Folder 77 |
1941-1942 |
Folder 78 |
1943-1946 |
Folder 79 |
1947-1949 |
Folder 80 |
1950-1954 |
Folder 81-82
Folder 81Folder 82 |
Undated |
Folder 83 |
Miscellaneous |
Folder 84 |
Political Papers |
Arrangement: chronological.
Series includes summonses, bills, writs, depositions, bonds, and other items relating to matters before the Wake County Court Of Pleas and Quarter Sessions and Wake County Superior Court.
Folder 85 |
1807-1808 |
Folder 86 |
1810-1813 |
Folder 87 |
1818-1820 |
Folder 88 |
1827 |
Folder 89 |
1828 |
Folder 90 |
1830-1839 |
Folder 91 |
1847-1848 |
Folder 92 |
Undated |
Arrangement: chronological.
These volumes include diaries, minutes and organizational club records, and miscellaneous albums and accounts.
Folder 93 |
V-3077/1: Camden County Militia minute book, 1803-1835, 70 pagesMinute book of Camden County, N.C., Militia showing personnel, oaths of office, orders and actions of court martials, dockets, judgments, and fines. |
Folder 94 |
V-3077/2: E. M. Bell poems and sentimental messages, circa 1843, 50 pagesAlbum of E. M. (Bethe) Bell of Camden County, N.C., containing selected poems and sentimental messages written by her friends |
Folder 95 |
V-3077/3: Slave accounts, 1846-1856, 21 pagesNotebook containing accounts and memoranda, lists of slaves for hire, and notes outstanding. |
Folder 96 |
V-3077/4: T. L. Hargrove notebook, 1850-1851, 46 pagesNotebook of T. L. Hargrove, Rockford, N.C., containing notes on law lectures or law readings. |
Folder 97 |
V-3077/5: F. B. Grandy notebook, 1854-1857, 100 pagesNotebook of F. B. Grandy with accounts, horse breeding records, and farm activities. |
Folder 98 |
V-3077/6: Confederate officers autograph book, 1863-1886, 62 pagesAutograph book containing autographs of Confederate officers, apparently prisoners of war at Johnson Island, most of whom were captured at Gettysburg and some at Port Hudson. |
Folder 99 |
V-3077/7: Thomas Henry Briggs diary, 1866, 120 pages |
Folder 100 |
V-3077/8: Thomas Henry Briggs diary, 1867, 120 pages |
Folder 101 |
V-3077/9: Thomas Henry Briggs diary, 1868, 120 pages |
Folder 102 |
V-3077/10: Knights of Pythias record book, 1871-1875, 237 pagesKnights of Pythias record with minutes and organizational notes. |
Folder 103 |
V-3077/11: T. H. Briggs ledger, 1876-1878, 276 pagesBuilding ledger of T. H. Briggs showing amounts of building materials and labor charges. |
Folder 104 |
V-3077/12: 1878-1880Building ledger of T. H. Briggs, 264 p. |
Folder 105 |
V-3077/13: Wake County Cattle Club records, 1886-1890, 416 pagesWake County Cattle Club records with constitution, by-laws, minutes, and financial records of club that sponsored animal exhibits in Raleigh. |
Folder 106 |
V-3077/14: Willis G. Briggs commonplace book, 1895, 80 pages |
Folder 107 |
V-3077/15: Wake County Republican Party records, 1908, 1912, 90 pagesWake County Republican Party organizational records with list of precinct chairmen, table with volume of voting by precinct, and individual precinct organizational lists. |
Folder 108 |
V-3077/16: Wake County Republican Party records, 1912, 1914, 80 pagesNotebook containing Wake County Republican Party organization records. |
Folder 109 |
V-3077/17: "North Carolina Precinct Canvas Book,", 1918, 12 pagesBook with voters' names, addresses and occupations. |
Folder 110 |
V-3077/18: Notebook, 1936Notebook containing names of registered Republican and independent voters in Wake County precincts and other records. |
Folder 111 |
V-3077/19: Wake County Board of Elections records, 1943-1944Records of Wake County Board of Elections with minutes, copies of public notices, official returns, lists of registrars and judges, and expenses. |
Folder 112 |
V-3077/20: Diary of Willis G. Briggs, 1945 |