Dr. Thomas C. Kennard ledger

Collection

Identifier: MS-0107

Staff Only

Scope and Content Note

This collection contains an account ledger for Dr. Thomas C. Kennard’s medical practice. It lists accounts for various individuals in Kent County including some free African Americans. Personal letter and documents were interspersed in the ledger and have been removed to a folder. These include accounts, receipts, letters including one from his son, Peregrine Wroth, Ezekiel Chambers, and Harmony School. There are also legal documents including a lease to Swan Creek Farm.

Dates

Creation: circa 1830-1860s

Access restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Publication rights

Copyright has not been assigned to Washington College. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Archives and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Washington College as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.

Biographical Information

Dr. Thomas C. Kennard (1802-1879) was born in Harford County, Maryland to Isaac Kennard. There is not much biographical information on Isaac Kennard, but he had nearly 1,000 acres of farmland as well as owning a number of slaves, Thomas inherited all this. Little is known of his education, but he had a long career as a medical Doctor in Kent County, and was one of its prominent citizens active in local affairs and the Board of Visitors & Governors of Washington College. In 1827 he married Jane Elizabeth Hanson (1809-1883) and had eleven children. Three of the sons attended Washington College, John Hanson and James Alfred with the preparatory department and Henry Constantine graduated the College in 1861. John Hanson went on to a judgeship in New Orleans and Thomas C., Jr. was a doctor in Saint Louis. Thomas died in 1879 in Kent County. Along with several properties including Elmwood the Kennard also owned Davis House, Still Pond, Kennedyville, some family are buried on the property. There is a gravestone there for Thomas Kennard with the dates 1809-1883 this might have been for Mrs. Thomas Kennard.