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Creator
Maverick family
Call number
MssCol 6284
Physical description
2.75 linear feet (7 boxes)
Preferred Citation

Maverick family papers, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library.

Repository
Manuscripts and Archives Division
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.

The Maverick Family Papers are comprised of correspondence of the Maverick Family of Texas, descendants of Samuel Augustus Maverick, and several related families. Letters received by Mary Vance Maverick constitute the majority of the correspondence. Mrs. Maverick, a writer, was the wife of George Madison Maverick and mother of the peace activist and world government proponent Lola Maverick Lloyd. Also included are genealogical materials, and a small number of photographs.

Biographical/historical information

The Maverick family traces its descent from Samuel Augustus Maverick, 1803-1870, the first of the Texas Mavericks, who moved to the territory in the 1830s and settled in San Antonio. Samuel was a rancher and land speculator, and a signatory of Texas' 1836 Declaration of Independence from Mexico. He served as mayor of San Antonio from 1839-1840, and as a member of the State House of Representatives from 1851-1853.

The Mavericks established themselves as a prominent and influential family in the newly-formed state of Texas. They left their mark in various ways: Maverick County was established and named for Samuel Augustus in 1856; he is also anecdotally credited with lending the family name to the American lexicon though his failure to brand his cattle, stray examples of which became known as "mavericks." The family also produced numerous notable and progressive individuals, including: Lola Maverick Lloyd, pacifist, world government activist, and member of the Ford Peace Ship expedition of 1915; Lewis Adams Maverick, professor of Economics at Stanford University, and also a member of the Ford Peace Expedition; Fontaine Maury Maverick (known as Maury Maverick, Sr.), U.S. Representative from Texas; Jessie Lloyd O'Connor, labor activist and journalist; and William Bross Lloyd, Jr., journalist, world government proponent, and conscientious objector who served in a Civilian Public Service camp during World War II.

Letters written to Mary Vance Maverick constitute the bulk of the collection. Mrs. Maverick was the wife of Samuel Augustus' son George Madison Maverick, and mother of Lola and Lewis Maverick. She was born Mary Elizabeth Vance in 1855, and married in 1872. She and her husband had six children: Mary Rowena, Lola, George Vance, Lucy Madison, Augusta Lewis and Lewis Adams. Mary Vance Maverick passed away in 1930.

Scope and arrangement

The Maverick Family Papers consist of correspondence, genealogical records, writings, and several photographs. These materials stem from approximately thirty members of the family, and from members of the related families of Kelley, Green, and Lloyd, among others.

The bulk of the correspondence consists of letters received by Mrs. Mary Vance Maverick from friends and family members, which focus primarily on personal and family concerns. Several letters contain discussions of her daughter Lola's activities, including her divorce from Chicago millionaire William Bross Lloyd, and her involvement with the Ford Peace Ship of 1915.

The letters received are followed by a small number of letters sent by Mrs. Maverick. Additional letters written by her can be found in the Lola Maverick Lloyd Papers (http://digilib.nypl.org/dynaweb/ead/human/msslloyd/).

The remainder of the correspondence consists of letters received by Maverick family members, arranged by individual recipient. These letters, which were often passed among relations, also focus predominantly upon family and personal affairs, with occasional discussions of estate finances. Other themes include pacifism, conscientious objection, woman suffrage, and socialism.

The genealogical materials within the collection consist of family trees of Samuel A. Maverick and Abigail Pollard Baldwin; typescript excerpts from letters of Samuel A. Maverick; typescript excerpts from the diaries of ancestors Margaret Lynn Lewis and Mary Ann Adams; and memorabilia such as wedding and graduation announcements, and a memorial service booklet for Mary Ann Adams. Also included with these materials are a brief biography of Mary Vance Maverick, and Vance family data.

The photographs consist of one folder of images of family seals and crests, a photo of an unidentified couple believed to be Mary Vance Maverick and George Madison Maverick, and one panoramic photograph of the 1985 Maverick Family Reunion in San Antonio, Texas.

The Maverick family papers are arranged in four series:

Administrative information

Custodial history

The Maverick Family Papers were initially donated to the New York Public Library and processed as parts of Series O of the Schwimmer-Lloyd Collection. In 2006 they were reprocessed and now constitute a separate collection, while remaining administratively within the Schwimmer-Lloyd Collection.

Source of acquisition

Donated by Lola Maverick Lloyd and other Maverick family members as part of the Schwimmer-Lloyd Collection, 1940-1990.

Processing information

Compiled by Laura Ruttum; machine readable finding aid created by FAKER.

Related Material

Schwimmer- Lloyd Collection. Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library. Lola Maverick Lloyd Papers. Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library. Maverick Family Papers, 1660-1938, . Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin.

Using the collection

Location

Manuscripts and Archives Division
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street, New York, NY 10018-2788
Brooke Russell Astor Reading Room, Third Floor, Room 328

Alternative form available

Box 6; available on microfilm; New York Public Library; *ZL-468