A ledger book containing Lucy Ludwell Paradise’s dated notes and signature. This ledger was perhaps also used in some capacity by James Lee, whose name appears on the front outside cover of the book, and then his daughter Virginia Lee Slater, whose signatures (both Virginia H. Lee and Virginia Lee Slater) appear on several pages on pasted in clippings, not on the original pages. The clippings and other materials integrated into the book or saved between its pages may come from throughout the nineteenth century, but most seem most likely to date from the second half of the century.

Since almost all of the pages of the original ledger book are covered with glued-in clippings, most original written text, if any, is not visible. However, on at least two pages are portions of accounting entries made by Lucy Ludwell Paradise. Those fragments appear at the top of the original pages and are oriented so they match the orientation of Lucy’s statement and signature on the inside front cover. When the book was turned into a place to paste clippings, the book was turned over so that the front became the back and most underlying text was upside down. The earliest entry of internal text seems to be Lucy’s record of paying rent to Col. Henry [Shipworth] while she still lived in London. The entry begins a list of her payments to Shipworth for the years 1801 and 1802. Each of these entries indicates that her rental agreement expired on December 14, 1805. The rest of the list is covered by pasted-in articles. On another page are entries in a list of payments that are dated 1805 and 1806. This list was perhaps also written by Lucy Ludwell Paradise.

On two separate pages appear the signatures “Virginia H. Lee” and “Virginia Lee Slater,” suggesting that Virginia Slater was using the ledger book before and after her marriage. A signature of her father, James Lee (“Jas. Lee”), also appears on one of these pages. All of the signatures by Virginia and James appear to have been written elsewhere and then cut out and pasted in the book.

Also pasted into the ledger book is a resolution of “students Wm & Mary College” specifying how they planned to honor their recently deceased classmate, Philip Ludwell Lee, James Lee’s son and Virginia Lee Slater’s brother. The undated document was signed by the students elected President and Secretary for this purpose and given to Philip’s father. Subsequently, someone pasted it into this ledger book.