Parham Plantation of Antigua Collection
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of 94 letters from the 18th and 19th century and are related to Parham Plantation in Antigua. Most of the letters are on bifold sheets in varying sizes and some have multiple letters per sheet. Some of the letters include transactions on Parham Plantation forms. The letters were all written in Antigua and sent to England.
Dates
- Creation: 1763 - 1854
Conditions Governing Access
The physical materials in this collection may be viewed only in the reading room of the Vanderbilt Special Collections and University Archives. Materials should be requested two to three days in advance to facilitate easier access. Contact specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu to schedule an appointment.
Biographical / Historical
The Parham Plantation of Antigua Collection consists of letters sent from the Parham Plantation in Antigua to members of the Tudway family, who were the absentee proprietors of the sugar plantation. The letters were discovered when the Tudway Manor in Wells, England was sold in the 1960s. Coming from Antigua by ship, most letters were initially sent in duplicate or triplicate, with some letters noted by the sender as being a copied letter, and with some sheets including multiple letters. The letters were largely written by the overseers and attorneys who managed the plantation. The letters include significant details related to the enslaved people forced to work there and provide a detailed portrait of planter society in the Caribbean from the end of the Seven Years’ War through the American and Haitian Revolutions, and the Slavery Abolition Act and its immediate aftermath. The plantation was comprised of roughly 800 acres and was divided into three estates: the Lodge, Old Work, and New Work.
Full Extent
0.209 Linear Feet (1 legal-sized half Hollinger)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Parham Plantation of Antigua Collection contains letters sent from the sugar plantation to members of the Tudway family in Somerset, England between the years 1763 and 1854. Most of the letter authors include managers and attorneys for the plantation, like Samuel Eliot, Main Swete Walrond, Thomas D. Foote, and George Weatherill Ottley, while the remaining letters were written by clerks and Antiguans linked to the Tudway estate.
Arrangement
The letters in this collection are arranged chronologically by date. The year on one letter was indecipherable, so it is arranged at the end of the collection.
- Title
- Finding Aid for the Parham Plantation of Antigua Collection
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Heath Overton
- Date
- 2026, July
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives Repository
Special Collections Library
1101 19th Ave. S.
Nashville TN 37212 United States
specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu
About this Site
This site contains collection guides, or finding aids, to the archival collections held by Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives, the History of Medicine Collection, and the Scarritt Bennett Center. Finding aids describe the context, arrangement, and structure of archival materials, allowing users to identify and request materials relevant to their research.
Requesting Materials
Each finding aid contains a link to request materials from the collections. Collections can also be requested by emailing the repository directly through the library website. Each repository has its own location, hours, and contact information. Please consult the repository with questions about using the materials. Collections are non-circulating and must be used in the repository’s reading room. In many cases, the collections are stored off-site and require advance notice for retrieval.