Two blog posts in one day? Sure, why not…
Spending some leisure time looking over my copies of Southern Literary Messenger this afternoon, I ran across a couple advertisements; and noting the names of people associated with the ads, I looked those names up on the Web. Some of the stuff I found was rather interesting. Anyway, ever since I started collecting original SLMs, I’ve found it a shame that the wraps (covers) were lost on many of these. Sure, the content of each issue is great, but… the wraps hold a lot of valuable content as well.
So, today’s ad is from October 1856, and is for Mary Pegram’s School, in Richmond, Virginia.
Pegram name sound familiar? If you’re familiar with the Civil War, it should. Mary was a sister to Brig. Gen. John Pegram and Col. William “Willie” Ransom Johnson Pegram.
I was going to write a bit more about her, but it seems I’d be covering ground already well covered. Instead, I can redirect readers to biographical sketches of Mary Pegram at the following links… here (Find-a-Grave)… which is the same profile found here; and here (Hidden History of Richmond). Walter Griggs, Jr. appears to have authored both bio sketches. Other than that, enjoy reading over the ad… and what it reveals as “appropriate” education for young ladies (at least those with “means” to obtain that education).
Cenantua's Blog 
Jeffry Burden
August 2, 2015
Thanks for this glimpse of the past. “Linden Square” included an especially fine row of antebellum homes that (mostly) still exist on Franklin Street in downtown Richmond. The structures were saved from destruction in the 1950s by the redoubtable Mary Wingfield Scott and her sister-in-law, Elizabeth Scott Bocock.
Robert Moore
August 4, 2015
Thanks, Jeffry. I’ve got a few more ads from Richmond business coming to the blog that you might find of interest.