Finding Aids of the John Vann Papers, 1718 - 1911, PC.122
Abstract
The John Vann Papers consist primarily of the papers of father and son, John Vann
(1768-1850) and John Arline Vann (1822-1902), Hertford County, N.C., planters, public
officials, and state legislators.
The majority of the papers relate to the affairs and estates of others for whom the
two Vanns acted in a fiduciary capacity as executor, administrator, trustee, or guardian.
A significant number of the remainder of the papers related to the activities of the
two Vanns (principally the son) as public officials of Hertford County. These semi-public
materials include wills, inventories of estates, accounts of administrators and guardians,
tax records, election records, tar and fish inspection records, deeds, and bills of
sale. The private family papers include papers on the Cool Spring Baptist meeting
house, Chowan Baptist Female College, accounts, bills, receipts, deeds, promissory
notes, sawmill accounts, fishery accounts, material relating to and naming slaves,
and a small amount of correspondence ranging in date from 1788 to 1900. Some of the
papers relate to the affairs of John Vann's father-in-law, Jesse R. Cross.
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- John Vann Papers
- Call Number
- PC.122
- Creator
- Vann family
- Date
- 1718 - 1911
- Extent
- 5.00 Archive Boxes, 4.00 folders, 2.00 oversize volumes
- Language
- English
- Repository
- State Archives of North Carolina
Restrictions on Access & Use
Access Restrictions
Available for research.
Use Restrictions
Copyright is retained by the authors of these materials, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law (Title 17 US Code). Individual researchers are responsible for using these materials in conformance with copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], PC.122, John Vann Papers, State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh, NC, USA.
Arrangement Note
Because the varied nature of the papers do not lend themselves to arrangement by series in the ordinary way, it has been deemed simplest to categorize them into files and to arrange the files alphabetically. For the sake of convenience the files of estates have been removed from their place in the alphabetical arrangement of general files and boxed separately.
This collection is organized into files under the categories of ; ; ; With the exception of the latter, within these other series, the files are arranged alphabetically in separate folders.
Biographical Note
John Vann (1768-1850), Hertford County planter, moved from Gates to Hertford County at the beginning of the nineteenth century, and remained active in public affairs until his death in 1850, serving as chairman of the court for the last twenty years of his life. He represented Hertford County in the House of Commons in 1823, 1824, and 1825, and in the State Senate in 1833 and again in 1835. By his marriage to Nancy Cross, Vann had five sons, among them John A., who was as politically active as his father.
John Arline Vann (1822-1902) commenced his public life as a constable in 1840. He served as clerk of the Superior Court in 1851, 1852, and 1853, and was elected sheriff of the county in 1856, serving in that office until 1860. Sometime afterward, he was again clerk of the Superior Court, and though he had to vacate the office in October, 1865, when all offices in the state were declared vacant, he was reappointed and continued to serve as clerk and master in equity until 1868 when the superior courts were reformed and the equity side abolished.. Vann represented the county in the House of Commons in 1864 and 1865, and though he stood as a Democratic party candidate for election to the 1875 Constitutional Convention he was defeated. During the years from 1871 to 1877 Vann was treasurer of the county, serving simultaneously as one of the county commissioners and a justice of the peace during the years from 1874 to 1876. By his marriage to Martha Ann Newsome in 1849, John Arline Vann had eight children, none of whom figure in these papers.
Contents of the Collection
1. General Files
2. Estates
3. Wills
4. Account Books
Arrangement:
Arrangement changed from one large oversized box to three boxes based on size: Slim Fibredex Box 5, and Oversized Medium Box No. 1 & No.2.
Subject Headings
Acquisitions Information
Gift of Louise Vann Boone, Winton, N.C., June 18, 1934; May 30, 1944; May 20, 1974; Aug. 14, 1987; and Feb. 14, 1990.