Tinsley, Edwards, and Rich family papers

Content Description

This collection contains albums, photographs, negatives, documents, clippings, obituaries, genealogical charts, plans, assorted ephemera, and typed family histories documenting multiple generations of the Tinsley-Rich-Edwards family, an African American family with deep roots in Virginia. The collection contains two family histories written by William George III (Jr.) Rich : "Tinsley-Edwards Legacy" and "The Rich-Tinsley Legacy." The Tinsley-Edwards Legacy contains forty-one photographs in various formats, roughly from the 1890s to the 1950s, additional documents including a photocopy of an 1819 Notice of Sale of six enslaved men of which one man was freed and saved his sale notice, clippings, genealogical charts, a manuscript plan map of the Tinsley “Homestead” and its plot in Amherst, a genealogical essay on family history, including personal recollections. The Rich-Tinsley Legacy contains fifty-one photographs in various formats, mainly from the 1910s to the 1950s, additional documents, clippings, letters, printed obituaries, memorials, and assorted ephemera, genealogical charts, and a typed genealogical essay on family history, including personal recollections including that William Rich II was born deaf and was sent for schooling at the Kendall School in Washington DC. In addition to the family histories, there are two albums. Bessie Tinsley Rich’s album, which contains 117 mounted and approximately 50 loose photographs, all dating from about 1870-1950, and with ink text annotations written directly on pages. The photographs are in a variety of formats, including carte-de-visites, cabinet card photographs of various sizes, photo postcards, professional photographs on mounts, and snapshots, as well as handwritten and printed obituaries, newspaper clippings, assorted ephemera, and multiple documents. Celestine Rich’s album contains 173 mounted photographs, approximately 35 loose, mostly from the 1930s. In addition to these items are additional photographs, negatives, cards, military separation papers, and ephemera.

Acquisition Type

Purchase

Provenance

Purchased from Primary Sources, 18 July 2025.

Language of Description

English

Script of Description

Latin

Restrictions Apply

Yes

Access Restrictions

One folder in Box ViU2025-0077_001 contains personally identifiable information and is restricted.

Use Restrictions

This collection contains some in-copyright material. Visit our Permissions and Publishing page for more information about use of Special Collections materials. The library can provide copyright information upon request, but users are responsible for making their own determination about lawful use of collections materials.