Valentine Peers papers
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Valentine Peers papers
- Date
- 1789-1911 (inclusive)
- Bulk, 1789-1826 (bulk)
- Creator
- Peers, Valentine, 1756-1830
- Extent
- 0.23 Cubic feet
- Subjects
- Businessmen--Correspondence.
- Cotton manufacture--Kentucky.
- Salt mines and mining--Kentucky--Lower Blue Licks.
- Silhouettes.
- Toll roads--Kentucky.
- Wills.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged chronologically.
- Preferred Citation
- 73M20 : [identification of item], Valentine Peers papers, 1789-1911, bulk 1789-1826, University of Kentucky Special Collections.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Valentine Peers was born in Sisburn, Ireland, on May 26, 1756. He immigrated to Virginia briefly in 1773 but quickly moved back to Ireland. After returning to Virginia in 1775, Peers joined the Revolutionary Army and served as a brigade major under General George Weedon. He fought in the Battle of the Brandywine in 1777. Following the war, Peers settled in Loudon County, Virginia. He married Eleanor Grayson Orr, the daughter of John Dalrymple and Susannah Grayson Orr, in 1891 and moved to Maysville, Kentucky, in 1893. They had eight children: Mary Eleanor, John D., Edward, Valentine J., Benjamin O., Henry P., Jane M., and Susan E. While living in Kentucky, Peers operated a saltworks; opened cotton mills in Maysville and Paris, Kentucky; and worked as a landlord. He died on June 6, 1830.
- Westbeld, Kirk J. "The Valentine Peers Collection: Guide and Inventory." University Libraries, Rare Books and Manuscripts. The Ohio State University, 2001. Web. 22 Aug. 2011.
- Scope and Content
- The Valentine Peers papers contain correspondence, genealogical information, a land warrant, silhouettes, and photographs that document the family's business and personal affairs. The papers consist primarily of letters to Eleanor Grayson Peers from her husband Valentine Peers, her sister Betsy Orr Powell, and her children. The letters from Valentine Peers to his wife concern business matters, including the day-to-day affairs of his saltworks. The papers include silhouettes of Valentine and Eleanor; John Dalrymple Orr and Susannah Grayson Orr, Eleanor's father and mother; Colonel William Grayson, Eleanor's uncle; Alexander Dalrymple Orr; and Mary Ball Orr. Other materials include genealogical notes on the Orr, Grayson, Powell, and Peers families; the will of Susannah Orr; Valentine Peers' land warrant; and photographs of Peers' descendant Valentine Peers Collins and his wife Harriet Gates Collins.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections.
Special Collections Research Center - Closed
The Breckinridge Research Room will be closed starting May 11, 2026, and anticipates re-opening Fall semester 2026 in an alternate location for the duration of the King Library renovation.
Reproduction requests will still be available during the closure.
Contact SCRC with questions.
Table of Contents
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
Special Collections Research Center - Closed
The Breckinridge Research Room will be closed starting May 11, 2026, and anticipates re-opening Fall semester 2026 in an alternate location for the duration of the King Library renovation.
Reproduction requests will still be available during the closure.
Contact SCRC with questions.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
