Kaaterskill Books

Marriage, Money, & Minutes in Richmond, Virginia Society

Irvine, Roberta Nolting.

[Archive Concerning Richmond and Big Stone Gap Virginia Society, Early 20th century].

Richmond & Big Stone Gap [VA]: 1907-1962. Approx. 247 pp.+ cards & telegrams. Various Sizes. Cloth & paper backed boards. Smaller notebook with spine perished and boards off, otherwise very good. Item #43868

Roberta Nolting Irvine (1879-1973) was the daughter of Emil Otto Nolting (1824–1893) a prominent member of Richmond Society, president of the National Bank of Virginia, owner of Tobacco merchants E.O. Nolting & Co., President of the Tobacco Exchange and the Chamber of Commerce, and a director of the Virginia Fire & Marine Insurance Co., Virginia Steamboat Co.; and Belgian Consul, Richmond, VA (1852–93); he was knighted by the King of Belgium (1884) receiving the Order of Leopold. In June 1907 she married Robert Tate Irvine (1862-1929) of Big Stone Gap, VA, one of the outstanding lawyers of Southwestern Virginia, handling a large practice representing railroad and mining corporations, land and industrial companies, and was President of the Intermont Coal & Iron Corporation and the First National Bank of Big Stone Gap. He served on the Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia and would eventually become its rector in 1918. This archive contains three sets of documents: her wedding (1907); finances (1915-1916); and her minutes for the Womans' Auxiliary of Christ Church (1909) with her diary (1961-1962). Each of her 381 wedding presents in listed in detail with occasional comments, as well as a list of the invitees, which appears to have topped six hundred. There is a calling card from Marquesa Virginia San Germano and cables from Bremen, Paris, and one from C.P. Perrin including the best wishes of Pierrepont (R. Stuyvesant Pierrepont). Her financial holdings are extensive and she appears to have made numerous loans. Her diary details her day to day activities and concerns about her children. The archive consists of (1) 1 lined notebook with a list of gifts, 30 pp; list of telegrams, 1 pp; list of invitees, 23 pp; 17 telegrams, 5 calling cards, 1 newspaper clipping, bifolium partial list of gifts with comments; (2) Notebook: "Mrs. R. N. Irvine: Memoranda regarding stocks, bonds, and notes by her... dates April 1, 1915" 61 pp; pinned sheets with further financial date through July 1, 1915, 7 pp; pinned sheets, 3 copies of her share of the estate of her mother, from the firm Frederick E. Nolting and Carl H Nolting, Sept. 27, 1915; pinned sheets, financial statements from Frederick E. Nolting & Co. with clipped coupons from the Bank of VA, 4 pp; personal phone listings and notes, double column, 4 pp; (3) 1 lined notebook in two parts, Womans Auxiliary of Christ Church, Big Stone Gap, VA, Jan -May 1909, 12 pp.; followed by Diary, June 1961-Dec. 1962, 104 pp.

Price: $600.00