Charles William Thruston Papers, 1777-1872
Held by The Filson Historical Society
Creator: Thruston, Charles William, 1796-1865
Title: Charles William Thruston Papers, 1777-1872
Rights: For information regarding literary and copyright interest for these papers, contact the Collections Department.
Size of Collection: 1.66 cu. ft and 31 vols.
Location Number: Mss. A T530
Biographical Note
Charles William Thruston (1796-1865) was the son of Capt. Charles Mynn (also spelled Mynne or Minn) Thruston (1765-1800). Charles Mynn Thruston was raised on the family estate Mt. Zion, in present Clarke County, Virginia. He fought in the Revolution, aged 11, as an aide to his father, the “Fighting Parson” Rev. and Col. Charles Mynn Thruston (1738-1812). In 1788, he came to Kentucky with his brothers John and Buckner and settled in Jefferson County, Kentucky in 1789. In the 1790s, he was a partner in the mercantile firm McDonald and Thruston of Louisville. He married Frances Eleanor Clark (1773-1825) in 1796, and they had two children: Charles William and Ann Clark. By 1800, the family had relocated to a plantation about thirty miles upstream of Louisville, near Westport, Kentucky. In 1800, Thruston was killed by his enslaved man Luke, who feared punishment for misdemeanors. Following the death of her husband, Frances Clark remarried Judge Dennis Fitzhugh. William Clark was the administrator of his late brother-in-law’s estate.
Charles William Thruston was a businessman, merchant, and manufacturer. He married Mary Eliza Churchill (1804-1842), daughter of Col. Samuel Churchill, with whom he had four children. Their daughter, Fanny Thruston, was known as a great beauty and married lawyer Andrew J. Ballard.
Sources:
Holmberg, James J., ed. Dear Brother: Letters of William Clark to Jonathan Clark.
Jennings, Kathleen. Louisville’s First Families: a series of genealogical sketches.
Scope and Content Note
Papers include wills and estate records for Samuel C. Thruston, Charles Mynn Thruston, and Charles W. Thruston; accounts, 1808-1855, regarding school tuition, domestic purchases, medical needs, purchase of hemp and ropewalk bills, newspapers, periodicals, silversmiths, and springs and watering places; land and legal matters; and farm records.
In addition, Louisville’s early mercantile history is documented through a series of account books, dating from the 1790s-mid 1800s, from stores McDonald and Thruston, Fitzhugh and Rose, Fitzhugh and Gwathmey, Fitzhugh and Thruston, and Ford & Hawes. Early settlers of Louisville frequented these stores, with purchases by people including the Croghans of Locust Grove and William Clark listed in the registers.
Folder List
Box 1
Folder 1: Deed of Edward Thruston to William Nicholson, 1754 Sept. 16.
G. Johnston, Headquarters, 1777 Mar. 15, to Hon. Maj. Gen. Stephen Chatham.
Deed, 1787 Oct. 12, of Charles M. Thruston to John Thruston, Buckner Thruston, and Charles Thruston.
Charles Thruston, 1794 Dec. 18, to Capt. Charles Thruston
Charles Mynn Thruston’s will, 1812 Mar. 15.
Folder 2: Charles M. Thruston papers, 1788-1816
Folder 3: Correspondence from Buckner Thruston to Charles Thruston and Dennis Fitzhugh, 1788-1819.
Folder 4: Letter from John Thruston to Worden Pope, 1800 June 4, about old and new plans of Louisville, etc.
Folder 5: Charles William Thruston papers, 1816-1824
Folder 6: Will of Charles W. Thruston, 1853
Folder 7: Correspondence, 1842-1869
Box 2
Folder 8: Ann Thruston Farrar papers, 1820-1847
Folder 9: Charles W. Thruston medical accounts, 1821-1838
Folder 10: School tuition bills, etc. 1808-1855
Folder 11: Bills and business papers, 1828-1836
Folder 12: Bills, accounts, domestic and sundry, 1830-1834
Folder 13: Accounts, domestic and sundry, 1835-1839
Box 3
Folder 14: Receipts for subscriptions, papers and periodicals, 1828-1865, including bills for postage
Folder 15: Springs, watering places, etc., bills, etc., 1838-1854
Folder 16: Bills from blacksmiths, etc., 1831-1848
Folder 17: Bills, business papers, etc., 1831-1865
Folder 18: Suits, 1824-1846
Folder 19: Suits, 1849-1858
Folder 20: Taxes, fines, etc., 1828-1847
Folder 21: Tax receipts, etc., 1848-1864
Box 4
Folder 22: Ropewalk property, deeds, etc., 1831-1851
Letter from U. S. Trust Co. enclosing plat of property on Pearl St. of lot owned by R. C. Ballard Thruston, 1932 Aug. 8.
Folder 23: Correspondence of M. Langhorne and Son, Maysville, Ky., to C. W. Thruston regarding purchase of hemp, drafts, bills of lading, etc., 1829-1836
Folder 24: Bills, etc. for hemp, freight on hemp, etc., 1827-1836
Folder 25: Ropewalk of C. W. Thruston and Alfred Thruston, bills, etc., 1828-1832
Folder 26: Ropewalk of C. W. Thruston and Alfred Thruston, bills, 1833-1836
Folder 27: Cordage accounts, 1827-1829
Folder 28: Cordage accounts, 1830-1836
Box 5
Folder 29: Five papers regarding lands inherited under deed of Charles Mynn Thruston, 1787, to his three sons
Folder 30: Thruston lands in Boone County, Ky. to 1840
Folder 31: Thruston lands in Boone County, Ky., 1840-1849
Folder 32: Thruston lands in Boone County, Ky., 1850-1857
Folder 33: Thruston lands in Jefferson County, Ky. (now Daviess and Ohio counties), 1781-1850
Folder 34: Thruston lands in Greenup County, Ky., 1780-1819
Folder 35: Thruston lands in Greenup County, Ky., 1820-1838
Folder 36: Thruston lands in Henry County, Ky., 1783-1824
Folder 37: Thruston lands in Henry County, Ky., 1825-1838
Folder 38: Deeds to C. W. Thruston, 1818-1850
Mortgage, 1859
Notes, etc., 1854
Folder 39: Leases, 1853-1865
Wrapped Volumes
McDonald and Thruston
Volume 40: Day book, 1794-1795 and Ledger, 1794-1795 (in one vol.; labeled vol. 1 & vol. 2)
Volume 41 (folder): Memorandum Book, 1794-1795 (originally vol. 1)
Volume 42 (folder): Ledger, 1795 (originally vol. 2)
Volume 43 (folder): Account book, 1794-1795 (originally vol. 3)
Volume 44 (folder): Day Book, 1795-1797 (originally vol. 4)
Volume 45 (wrapped package): Day Book, 2 December 1794-9 April 1795 (originally vol. 5)
Fitzhugh and Rose
Volume 46: Fitzhugh and Rose Ledger, 1805-1807 (originally vol. 1)
Volume 47: Fitzhugh and Rose Ledger, 1806-1807 (originally vol. 2)
Volume 48: Fitzhugh and Rose Ledger, 1807-1810 (originally vol. 3)
Volume 49: Fitzhugh and Rose Ledger, 1809-1814 (originally vol. 4)
Volume 50: Fitzhugh and Rose Journal, 1806-1808 (originally vol. 5)
Volume 51: Fitzhugh and Rose Journal, 1808-1813 (originally vol. 6)
Volume 52: Fitzhugh and Rose Day Book, 1812-1813 (originally vol. 7)
Fitzhugh and Gwathmey
Volume 53: Fitzhugh and Gwathmey Ledger A, 1813-1817 (originally vol. 1)
Volume 54: Fitzhugh and Gwathmey Journal 1813-1817 (originally vol. 2)
Fitzhugh and Thruston
Volume 55: Fitzhugh and Thruston Day Book, 1815 (originally vol. 1)
Volume 56: Fitzhugh (Dennis) and Thruston (Charles W.) Ledger, 1818-1820 (originally vol. 2)
Volume 57: Fitzhugh and Thruston Ledger, 1821-1822 (originally vol. 3)
Ford & Hawes
Volume 58: Ford, William, later Ford & Hawes, Cash Book, 1835-1844
Volume 59: Ford & Hawes Journal, Vicksburg and Louisville, 1841-1844
Thruston
Volume 60: Thruston, Charles W. and Alfred, list of Steamboat Debts, 1829-1832
Volume 61: Thruston, Charles and Alfred, Journal, 1832-1833
Volume 62: Thruston, Charles and Alfred, Ledger, 1832-1833
Volume 63: Thruston, Charles W., Day Book, 1832-1846 (originally vol. 1)
Volume 64: Thruston, Charles W., Day Books, 1843-1860 (accounts in handling his own estate and those of George Croghan and General Thomas Jessup), (originally vol. 2)
Volume 65: Thruston, Charles W., Ledger, 1849, (originally vol. 3)
Volume 66: Thruston, Samuel Churchill Ledger, 1852-1853
Volume 67: Thruston, Charles W., Account Book (carried on by his son-in-law, Andrew J. Ballard), 1860-1863
Volume 68: Ballard, Andrew Jackson, Ledger (in handling estate of his father-in-law, Charles W. Thruston), 1863-1868
Volume 69: Ballard, Andrew Jackson, Account Book (in handling estate of Charles W. Thruston), 1866-1872, (originally vol. 3)
Volume 70: George Gwathmey fossil listing (Latin names and eras) [no label, no date; given by RCBT, July 1896]
*Original numbering scheme (in parentheses), likely by Rogers Clark Ballard Thruston, reflect numbers written on the outside of volumes.
Subject Headings
Aneurysms.
Armstrong, Thomas H.
Ballard, Andrew Jackson, 1815-1885.
Business education – Kentucky – Louisville.
Business enterprises – Kentucky – Louisville.
Chamberlain, Henry Vassal.
Clark, George Rogers, 1752-1818.
Clark, John, 1725-1799.
Clark, William, 1770-1838.
Conrad, Daniel, fl. 1802.
Crittenden, John Jordan, 1787-1863.
Croghan family.
Dancing.
Darwin, Erasmus, 1731-1802.
Deeds.
Diseases – Causes and theories of causation.
Draper, Lyman C.
Education – Kentucky.
Estill Springs.
Farnsworth, M. C.
Farrar, Ann Clark (Thruston)
Fitzhugh & Gwathmey (Louisville, Ky.)
Fitzhugh and Rose (Louisville, Ky.)
Fitzhugh and Thruston (Louisville, Ky.)
Flagg, Edmund.
Ford & Hawes (Louisville, Ky.)
Forest Hill Academy.
Franklin Seminary.
Gimbert, H.
Goddard, F. E.
Hemp.
Jenner, Edward, 1749-1823.
Kentucky – Politics and government – To 1792.
Langhorne, M. and Sons (firm)
Leases.
Libraries – Kentucky – Louisville.
Louisville Commercial College.
Louisville Gymnasium.
Louisville Insurance Company.
Louisville Private School
McDonald and Thruston (Louisville, Ky.)
McDonald, James.
Medicine – England – London – 19th century.
Medicine, Preventive – 19th century.
Mercantile Library Association of Louisville, Ky.
Merchants – Kentucky – Louisville.
Nivens, Alex C.
O’Fallon, Caroline.
O’Fallon, Catherine.
Paroquet Springs.
Peters, H.
Peters, J.
Peters, W. C.
Physicians – Kentucky – Louisville.
Postage.
Prather Grove Seminary (Louisville, Ky.)
Rogers, Joseph, d. 1780.
Rope.
Rush, Benjamin, 1745-1813.
Schools – Kentucky.
Schools – Kentucky – Louisville.
Shawnee Indians – Wars, 1775-1783.
Silversmithing – Kentucky – Louisville.
Slaveholders – Virginia.
Slavery – Kentucky.
Slavery in the U.S. – Kentucky.
Slaves – Virginia.
Smallpox – England – London – 19th century.
Smith, J. A.
Spanish Conspiracy.
Springs – Kentucky.
St. Mary’s College (Marion Co., Ky.)
Stewart, James.
Summer resorts.
Taylor, Edmund.
Taylor, Richard.
Thruston, Alfred, fl. 1802.
Thruston, Buckner, 1764-1845.
Thruston, Charles Mynn, 1738-1812.
Thruston, Charles Mynn, 1765-1800.
Thruston, Charles William, 1796-1865 – Estate.
Thruston, Edward, 1680-1762.
Thruston, Frances.
Thruston, John.
Thruston, Samuel Churchill.
Wesley, an enslaved man.
