Annie Law Collection (Gift of Mrs. Stewart McCroskey).

Annie (Elizabeth Ann) Law (1840-1889) was the daughter of John and Anna Haswell Law. She was born in Rockcliffe, Cumberland, England. Her parents emigrated to the United States in 1850 with three small children, of which Annie was the oldest. The family settled in Blount County in East Tennessee, where her father died in 1852. Her mother was a fine musician and made a living teaching music. She also taught her children music and literature. Annie studied under Dr. Isaac Anderson and others and also became a teacher, as did her sister Fannie. All three women continued teaching at various places through the years of the Civil War. Annie's mother and sister were staying with William Gibbs McAdoo in near Milledgeville, Ga. Annie was accused of passing messages for the Confederates and held in prison for three months on her return to East Tennessee. Annie developed a very serious interest in the study of shells and became recognized as an authority in conchology. She moved to California and lived out the rest of her life there. Her shell collection was donated to Stanford University by her sister. The collection contains bound volumes of sheet music, 3 photograph albums, Civil War letters, a pocket diary 1859-1862, “Thinks-I-to-Myself” (Philadelphia, 1869) (book) and also a letter written by R. M. McCroskey April 12. 1863 (Gift of Mrs. Joan McCroskey Sahlin)