Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, April 17, 1828
xml:
Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, April 17, 1828
transcriberTranscriber:spp:crb
student editorTranscriber:spp:kac
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1828-04-17
In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "psn" point to
person elements in the project's persons.xml authority file.
In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "pla" point to
place elements in the project's places.xml authority file.
In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "psn" point to
person elements in the project's staff.xml authority file.
In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "psn" point to
person elements in the project's bibl.xml authority file.
verical-align: super; font-size: 12px;
text-decoration: underline;
text-decoration: line-through;
color: red;
Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to William Henry Seward, April 17, 1828
action: sent
sender:
Benjamin Seward
Person
Name: Benjamin Seward
Birth: 1793-08-23
Death: 1841-02-24
Person
location:
New York NY
Place
Name: City: New York
County:
State: NY
Country: US
Place
receiver:
William Seward
Person
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
Person
location:
Auburn NY
Place
Name: City: Auburn
County: Cayuga
State: NY
Country: US
Place
transcription: crb
revision: crb 2016-02-03
<>
Page 1
New York 17 Apl. 1828
Dear Brother
Your letter and bundle per
Capt Fitch
since - The Capt tells me he shall re-
main in town some ten or twelve days
during which time if it be possible
the frock for the "vrouw" shall be pro-
cured - it is however doubtful. I have
for some time past, had on my list that
Pollydore
Name: Edwin Seward
Birth: 1799-07-02
Death: 1872-04-25
wants a boyag & 1/2 barrel shad-
– Father
Name: Samuel Seward
Birth: 1768-12-05
Death: 1849-08-24
wants two men for laying stone
fence and my madam must have a girl-
beside sundry & divers little housekeeping
articles which must be bought cheap
at auction - so that I see not the gap
in my affairs when I can get out to
procure the silk. Marcia
Name: Marcia Seward
Birth: 1794-07-23
Death: 1839-10-28
is still
more confined to "business" -- Just as she
commenced cleaning house her girl took
cold in an ulcerated tooth & was forced
to leave her and that she is dependent on
such help as she can procure from day
to day in this "critical juncture" -
Page 2
your man Fanning
told you, is a tough fellow. I have
just commenced afresh with him & am
determined to haunt him from gally
pot to gally pot, through all the av-
enues of his anti intemperate abode
till he pays me. He says he will
positively pay me before Fitch leaves
town. "That's as thereafter may be"
Give my very warmest regards to sister
Francis
Name: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24
Death: 1865-06-21
and tell her I am a little mor-
tified that she should suspect it to be
a trouble to me to procure any little
article in which she would dare to
trust my taste - she must entertain
no such thoughts – they are all wrong -
Tell her moreover that Marcia is deligh-
ted with the idea of having her for
a neighbor. Already she begins to
count upon the solid comfort they are
to have together – and tell her of all
things to be careful of the boy Augustus
Name: Augustus Seward
Birth: 1826-10-01
Death: 1876-09-11
that she keep him safe & sound like
Gilpin's wine, until I can have an
Page 3
opportunity of seeing him -
I think, if you have really made
up your mind to remove to the city (doubtless
it is so) - you had better obtain from the
ton a license for your good lady to per-
amble Broad Way, without delay. You
must know that the "Navarinos" that
are at present in vogue are larger by
9/11ths than the Bolivers - and more
delicate by far. Hence no more than
between 9 & 10 ladies can be accommodated
in front of one block at a time.
and there being but few blocks
each way from White Street
that are considered "fashionable" few can
gain admittance at a time, while others
must wait their turn - and unless Fran-
cis send down & get a box ticket she
will be forced to wait her turn in an-
other summer or doff the Navarino, neith[ er ]
Reason: hole
of which would please her City friends.
Has George
Name: George Grier
Birth: 1802-09-27
Death: 1878-12-20
returned yet? -
My hands are so sore with cording bedstands
& my brain so bewildered with the con-
fusion of housecleaning that I cant write
or think- B.
Page 4
Col Wm H Seward
Auburn
New York
NEW YORK APRIL 17
Type: postmark

April 17
1828
New York 17 Apl. 1828
Dear Brother
Your letter and bundle per
Capt Fitch
Unknown
was handed me three dayssince - The Capt tells me he shall re-
main in town some ten or twelve days
during which time if it be possible
the frock for the "vrouw" shall be pro-
cured - it is however doubtful. I have
for some time past, had on my list that
Pollydore
Person
– Father
Person
fence and my madam must have a girl-
beside sundry & divers little housekeeping
articles which must be bought cheap
at auction - so that I see not the gap
in my affairs when I can get out to
procure the silk. Marcia
Person
more confined to "business" -- Just as she
commenced cleaning house her girl took
cold in an ulcerated tooth & was forced
to leave her and that she is dependent on
such help as she can procure from day
to day in this "critical juncture" -
your man Fanning
Unknown
I believe I have beforetold you, is a tough fellow. I have
just commenced afresh with him & am
determined to haunt him from gally
pot to gally pot, through all the av-
enues of his anti intemperate abode
till he pays me. He says he will
positively pay me before Fitch leaves
town. "That's as thereafter may be"
Give my very warmest regards to sister
Francis
Person
tified that she should suspect it to be
a trouble to me to procure any little
article in which she would dare to
trust my taste - she must entertain
no such thoughts – they are all wrong -
Tell her moreover that Marcia is deligh-
ted with the idea of having her for
a neighbor. Already she begins to
count upon the solid comfort they are
to have together – and tell her of all
things to be careful of the boy Augustus
Person
that she keep him safe & sound like
Gilpin's wine, until I can have an
opportunity of seeing him -
I think, if you have really made
up your mind to remove to the city (doubtless
it is so) - you had better obtain from the
ton a license for your good lady to per-
amble Broad Way, without delay. You
must know that the "Navarinos" that
are at present in vogue are larger by
9/11ths than the Bolivers - and more
delicate by far. Hence no more than
between 9 & 10 ladies can be accommodated
in front of one block at a time.
and there being but few blocks
each way from White Street
that are considered "fashionable" few can
gain admittance at a time, while others
must wait their turn - and unless Fran-
cis send down & get a box ticket she
will be forced to wait her turn in an-
other summer or doff the Navarino, neith[ er ]
Supplied
of which would please her City friends.
Has George
Person
My hands are so sore with cording bedstands
& my brain so bewildered with the con-
fusion of housecleaning that I cant write
or think- B.
Col Wm H Seward
Auburn
New York
NEW YORK APRIL 17
Stamp
Unknown
B. J. SewardApril 17
1828
date:
Thursday, April 17, 1828
receiver:
sender:
year: