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Riley-Jones family papers

 Collection
Identifier: D.476

Biographical / Historical note

William (Will) Martin Jones was born in 1841 and established his law firm in Rochester, New York. In 1865, he married Gertrude Nichols (born 1846) from Niagara Falls and they had three children. Born in September of 1873, the couple’s oldest, known by her friends and family as Minnie, was a college graduate, worked as a teacher, and was affiliated with the University of Rochester. In 1875, Gertie gave birth to the couple’s first son, William Martin Jones Jr., known as Willie. Will and Gertie’s third child, Abram Nichols Jones, was born ca. 1876 and named after Gertie’s brother. Willie and Abram, both earned law degrees continued the family business at their father’s law firm until after Will’s death in 1906.

Around the turn of the century, Willie marries Isabel R. Jones, a Scottish immigrant, and they have four children, Gertrude, Frances, Martin, and Alexander. Later in life, Willie becomes the sheriff of Rochester, and thus hands over the family business to his brother Abram who passed the bar in August 1911.

George S. Riley was born ca. 1825, and according to the 1850 US Census, he worked in real estate. Though there is no indication that George ever married, he had an extensive extended family. His brother, Ashbel W. Riley or A.W. Riley, married a woman named Charlotte and they had at least two children, A.W. Riley Jr, and Anna Riley. In the late 1850s, Anna marries Cyrus Bently, and they have three children. The oldest, Daisy Bently, was born around 1860, her brother Cyrus Bently Jr. was born shortly after in 1861.

Scope and Contents

The Riley-Jones Family Papers includes correspondence dating from the late 1800s through the early 1900s. The earliest letters were exchanged between Will Jones and his wife Gertie, as well as their descendants. Correspondence from the 1860s details the interactions of Gertie and her friends and family during her courtship with Will. After the couple’s marriage, Will traveled for his law firm and exchanged a large number of letters with his wife, especially during the early 1870s. These letters are usually written in Gertie’s purple ink and contain romantic overtures and discussions of family matters. In addition to the personal letters between Will and his wife, the collection also contains a small number of letters related to Will’s business. The letters from the beginning of the 1900s detail the lives of Gertie and Will’s children. Willie originally worked as a lawyer for the family firm and, much like his father, traveled extensively. In 1913, Willie spent a few months in El Paso, Texas and writes in detail about the war for Mexican Independence, as well as a local bull fighting match that took place.

Creator

Dates

  • Creation: 1854-1938

Language of Materials

English

Extent

7.0 box(es)

Access

The Riley-Jones Family Papers is open for research use. Researchers are advised to contact Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation prior to visiting. Upon arrival, researchers will also be asked to fill out a registration form and provide photo identification.

Use

Reproductions are made upon request but can be subject to restrictions. Permission to publish materials from the collection must currently be requested. Please note that some materials may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the researcher's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections. For more information contact rarebks@library.rochester.edu

Preferred Citation

[Item title, item date], Riley-Jones Family Papers, D.476, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Title
Riley-Jones family papers
Author
Finding aid prepared by RBSCP staff
Date
undated
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Library Details

Part of the Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation Library

Contact:
Rochester NY 14627-0055 USA