Lilly (John W.) Family Papers, 1835-1936
Description
Consisting of correspondence, legal documents, financial documents, maps, essays, printed material, and an artifact, the John W. Lilly Family Papers document members of the Lilly, Sutherland, and Craighead families. The bulk of the papers are related to John W. Lilly (1818-1883), a merchant who lived or worked in Matagorda, Wharton, and Wilson counties during his residence in Texas. In particular, the bills and receipts and promissory notes record Lilly's business activities, while land records document a number of transactions, often involving Lilly and his wife's family. Some records of Lilly's estate are part of the papers, including his will. Much of the correspondence is related to the family of Lilly's wife, Eliza Temperance Craighead (1843-1877), including her parents, James P. N. Craighead (1812-1854) and Sarah Agnes Sutherland Craighead (1822-1870); her maternal grandfather, John Sutherland, Jr. (1792-1867); and Sutherland's third wife, Ann Margaret Dickson (1809-1862). The letters primarily contain family news and current events in Texas and Tennessee. Letters to John W. Lilly are both family and business related.