Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, March 28, 1831
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, March 28, 1831
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Distributor:Seward Family Papers Project
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1831-03-28
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, March 28, 1831
action: sent
sender:
Frances Seward
Person
Name: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24
Death: 1865-06-21
Person
location:
Auburn NY
Place
Name: City: Auburn
County: Cayuga
State: NY
Country: US
Place
receiver:
William Seward
Person
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
Person
location:
Albany NY
Place
Name: City: Albany
County:
State: NY
Country: US
Place
transcription: mhr
revision: dxt 2015-10-22
<>
Page 1
Monday night
My Dear Henry, After sealing and sending a letter to you this morning I have
employed the remainder of the day in taking care of my little Fred
Name: Frederick Seward
Birth: 1830-07-08
Death: 1915-04-25
. Sarah
Name: Sarah Lott
Birth:
Death:
having gone with Augustus
Name: Augustus Seward
Birth: 1826-10-01
Death: 1876-09-11
up to aunty’s
Name: Lazette Worden
Birth: 1803-11-01
Death: 1875-10-03
to see cousin Fan
Name: Frances Chesebro
Birth: 1826-12-12
Death: 1909-08-21
, with his new
suit of clothes and his pocket full of almonds,while we were at tea Mr Willard
Name: Loring Willard
Birth:
Death: 1845Certainty: Probable
came here and he and Pa
Name: Elijah Miller
Birth: 1772-04-11
Death: 1851-11-13
have been talking
loud and long about
the revival. I thought from what I could gather of the conversation that
there was not the utmost unanimity of opinion on the subject. Clary
Name: Clarinda McClallen
Birth: 1794
Death: 1862-09-05
&
I left them talking and started to go over to Serenes
Name: Serene Birdsall
Birth: 1802
Death:
where we were to meet
Lazette, crossing the walk we met Maria
Name: Maria Rudd
Birth: 1784
Death: Certainty: Possible
and Debby
Name: Deborah Wood Bronson
Birth: 1810
Death: 1888-03-16Certainty: Probable
going to our house
but they insisted upon our not returning and they went on to Dr Pitney’s
Name: Joseph Pitney
Birth: 1786-11-18
Death: 1853-04-20
Lazette and Emily
Name: Emily Souder
Birth: 1814
Death: 1886Certainty: Probable
joined us before
we arrived at our place of destination
found Serene sitting up very prim in the parlour with her mother
Name: Margaretta Fosgate
Birth:
Death: 1848-03-10
and
Blanchard
Name: Blanchard Fosgate
Birth: 1809
Death: 1887-09-11
expecting a
Dr Briggs
Name: Lansingh Briggs
Birth: 1807-12-05
Death: 1888-04-24
to call on them. Frank
Hamilton
Name: Frank Hamilton
Birth: 1813-09-10
Death: 1886-08-11
came
and then Dr Briggs whom the Fosgates considers very smart. I should
think quite an insipid young man. There were just enough part
of them being strangers to make this evening dull enough. Serene could
not talk about Finney
Name: Charles Finney
Birth: 1792-08-29
Death: 1875-08-16
because Frank was
there. I talked a little
while with Lazette about you and was glad when the bell rang for
nine to make a move to come home. Serene says you will insist upon
calling the Bartow’s
Name: Elizabeth Bartow
Birth: 1799
Death: 1845-05-30
Name: Daniel Bartow
Birth: 1793
Death: 1878-01-11
cousins of hers though they are no way
related. we
did not go quite over the tops of our boots in the mud. Blanch
came home with us, we left Lazette there, Worden
Name: Alvah Worden
Birth: 1797-03-06
Death: 1856-02-16
came
in just as we
left. When we came home found that Maria and Debby had called
on their return from Pitney’s, a prayer meeting at Dr Pitney’s tomorrow
afternoon. Teusday night. A cold unpleasant day. Clary has been to Church this evening.
Cummings
Name: Charles Cummins
Birth: 1776-07-15
Death: 1863-01-09
preached which I presume he will continue to do as through Passion Week. is
it not
shameful, -very few people there. Dr Rudd
Name: John Rudd
Birth: 1779-05-24
Death: 1848-04-15
ill. Hugh
Name: Hugh McClallen
Birth: 1791
Death: 1860-11-16
did not come
for Clary, as she
was afraid he would. Clary went up to George Woods
Name: George Wood
Birth: 1799
Death: 1870
this afternoon did not hear any
thing new, for a remarkable occurrence. This morning I invited Edward
Page 2
Nathan Osborne
Name: Nathan Osborne
Birth: 1791
Death:
to see me if he could
find him he has not been yet. I have concluded not
to have any thing done with the trees until you come home. I have come to this wise
resolution because I chanced to read an article in the paper to day respecting pruning
of course like Grandma
Name: Paulina Miller
Birth: 1751
Death: 1835-10-03
think it must be all true because it was in the
paper.
The amount of the thing is there appears to be a great diversity of opinion about
pruning trees and I thought this as probably correct as any other. The
article in question says that this month is altogether too early to prune
trees, that they should not be pruned until the leaves are out and the
sap circulates freely when the wound heals more quickly, which appears
to be an object as promoting the healthiness of the tree. So that thing is
disposed of. Nathan will know whether there is any thing else that requires
immediate attention as he has always had the care of the garden since
the comm
encement of its being. My eyes are too weak to allow me to
write much I have taxed them rather too much for a few evenings.
I have just completed the 1st volume of Moore’s
Name: Thomas Moore
Birth: 1779-05-28
Death: 1852-02-25
Byron
Name: George Byron
Birth: 1788-01-22
Death: 1824-04-19
-Edward endeavoured to day to
get the 2nd but was unsuccessful. Wednesday night. This
morning Pa went to Montezuma
Name: City: Montezuma
County: Cayuga
State: NY
Country: US
and before dinner Harvey Miller
Name: Harvey Miller
Birth: 1802
Death: 1847-12-18
from f
Ulysses
Name: City: Ulysses
County: Tompkins County
State: NY
Country: US
came to see him on business about the Hoyts
in ruining him and Milton
about the garden a long time, he went over to see what it was necessary
to do at present. when he went over where the potatoes were planted to
see the trees he discovered that a large hole had been dug and 15 fine
large currant bushes, some barberrys &gooseberry bushes some lilac’s and
one large grape vine and [ had ]
Reason: been put in and partially covered. they
were all alive except the grape vine which was quite dead. Nathan says
they must from appearance have been put there last fall and he suspects
Hudson
Reason: who at that
time had a garden of his own. he says he can tell
the precise spot they were taken from as he set them out with his own hands
and wishes me to go over to the garden which I intend doing tomorrow
it has rained all this afternoon. I shall have them all replaced, but
I cannot imagine who is the author of this mischief. can you throw any
Page 3
light on this subject. I know that Hudson is intolerably lazy and careless but
I never dreamed of his being dishonest, which I think this would be. Clary has
gone to Church again this evening. Pa has returned and I left him and Harvey discuss-
ing the Hoyts. I feel vexed about our shrubbery and fearful we may discover more
depredations. Grandma who you know has the most happy faculty at consolation
says this is but the beginning of trouble. Peter
Name: Peter Hopkins
Birth: 1811-01
Death: 1888-02Certainty: Probable
who talks most of his time
about
Antimasonick meetings wishes me to tell you that he has bet five dollars with
Eldridge
Name: Benjamin Eldridge
Birth: 1798-07-30
Death: 1876-03-27Certainty: Probable
that Garrow
Name: Nathaniel Garrow
Birth: 1780-04-25
Death: 1841-03-03
will not be elected
supervisor. It may have some inter-
est for you I am sure it has none for me. Peter is any thing to any body. I
wonder he continues of one mind long enough to bet at all. Three days ago
he said Hudson was the most honourable Englishman he ever knew. I did not
let him know that I was at all dissatisfied with Hudson’s work. to night he
appears quite firm in the belief that Hudson had purloined the shrubs.
Thursday night Dear Henry, I have just received your letter of sunday saying you
are ill. I to be with ^you^ & know that you are more sick than you ackno[ wledge ]
Reason: hole
yourself to be. most impossible for me to wait three days to have my
fears dispelled . I am sick myself heart and head, with the hypo
headache. there has been a thunder shower. I went over this morning
garden. Hudson has made sad work. he has only left me one row of currant bushes
standing and these the very poorest we had in the garden. he has dug up
every thing of the shrub kind currants, barberries and lilac’s on the south side
and set out (for what I cannot imagine) grape vines in the place of them
in the middle and on the east side he has dug up currants and gooseberries
some places he has filled the places with gooseberry slips, the black and white
currants are all gone. I do not know what do to do. Nathan says many of those
which are thrown aside will not answer to put back again as they
are dead by exposure some that be buried remain alive. I think he must have intend
ed these for his own use, nearby one whole strawberry bed is robbed of its roots.
I shall go over again when it gets a little warmer I took cold to day standing so
long in the damp ground. Did you give him any directions to make these alterations?
He did not prune the grape vines as he should have done in the fall and Nathan says
it cannot be done now without injuring them. I am afraid you will be tired of all
these complaints. Tomorrow is Good Friday and I hope to feel well enough to go to
Church. Mrs Rudd
Name: Phebe Rudd
Birth: 1785
Death:
and Frank Cummings
Name: Francis Cummins
Birth: 1752
Death: 1832-02-22
called here this afternoon.
I did not
see them. Grandma could not treat him as cordially as she used to do in
days of yore. I suppose the call was entirely for her. I do hope he will
not preach tomorrow. It was strange n indeed that Marcia
Name: Marcia Seward
Birth: 1794-07-23
Death: 1839-10-28
could leave
her
children
Name: Clarence Seward
Birth: 1828-10-07
Death: 1897-07-24
Name: Augustus Seward
Birth: 1820-05-18
Death: 1889-05-08
to go among strangers I think rather unnatural, but Marcia
is
strange about many things. she says I do not love my husband as well as she
does I know that he is satisfied with my love and that he loves me too well to ask
such a sacrafise of my maternal feelings. There is not a particle of sympathy
between Marcia & myself we do not think or feel alike about any thing, notwithstanding
I think she is not destitute of gooness goodness of heart which is more than Frank Tuthill
Will allow. I dont believe one word of Fuller’s prediction, and
know I shall always be your own Frances.
Page 4
William H. Seward
Albany.
AUBURN N.Y. APR 2
Type: postmark
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
Frances A. Seward
1 April 1831
Monday night
My Dear Henry, After sealing and sending a letter to you this morning I have
employed the remainder of the day in taking care of my little Fred
Person
Person
having gone with Augustus
Person
Person
Person
suit of clothes and his pocket full of almonds,while we were at tea Mr Willard
Person
Person
the revival. I thought from what I could gather of the conversation that
there was not the utmost unanimity of opinion on the subject. Clary
Person
I left them talking and started to go over to Serenes
Person
Lazette, crossing the walk we met Maria
Person
Person
but they insisted upon our not returning and they went on to Dr Pitney’s
Person
Lazette and Emily
Person
found Serene sitting up very prim in the parlour with her mother
Person
Blanchard
Person
Person
Person
and then Dr Briggs whom the Fosgates considers very smart. I should
think quite an insipid young man. There were just enough part
of them being strangers to make this evening dull enough. Serene could
not talk about Finney
Person
while with Lazette about you and was glad when the bell rang for
nine to make a move to come home. Serene says you will insist upon
calling the Bartow’s
People
did not go quite over the tops of our boots in the mud. Blanch
came home with us, we left Lazette there, Worden
Person
left. When we came home found that Maria and Debby had called
on their return from Pitney’s, a prayer meeting at Dr Pitney’s tomorrow
afternoon. Teusday night. A cold unpleasant day. Clary has been to Church this evening.
Cummings
Person
shameful, -very few people there. Dr Rudd
Person
Person
was afraid he would. Clary went up to George Woods
Person
thing new, for a remarkable occurrence. This morning I invited Edward
Unknown
to sendNathan Osborne
Person
to have any thing done with the trees until you come home. I have come to this wise
resolution because I chanced to read an article in the paper to day respecting pruning
of course like Grandma
Person
The amount of the thing is there appears to be a great diversity of opinion about
pruning trees and I thought this as probably correct as any other. The
article in question says that this month is altogether too early to prune
trees, that they should not be pruned until the leaves are out and the
sap circulates freely when the wound heals more quickly, which appears
to be an object as promoting the healthiness of the tree. So that thing is
disposed of. Nathan will know whether there is any thing else that requires
immediate attention as he has always had the care of the garden since
the comm
encement of its being. My eyes are too weak to allow me to
write much I have taxed them rather too much for a few evenings.
I have just completed the 1st volume of Moore’s
Person
Person
morning Pa went to Montezuma
Place
Person
Ulysses
Place
Unknown
who you know succeededin ruining him and Milton
Unknown
. Nathan came about now and we talkedabout the garden a long time, he went over to see what it was necessary
to do at present. when he went over where the potatoes were planted to
see the trees he discovered that a large hole had been dug and 15 fine
large currant bushes, some barberrys &gooseberry bushes some lilac’s and
one large grape vine and [ had ]
Supplied
were all alive except the grape vine which was quite dead. Nathan says
they must from appearance have been put there last fall and he suspects
Hudson
Unknown
[
,
]
Supplied
the precise spot they were taken from as he set them out with his own hands
and wishes me to go over to the garden which I intend doing tomorrow
it has rained all this afternoon. I shall have them all replaced, but
I cannot imagine who is the author of this mischief. can you throw any
light on this subject. I know that Hudson is intolerably lazy and careless but
I never dreamed of his being dishonest, which I think this would be. Clary has
gone to Church again this evening. Pa has returned and I left him and Harvey discuss-
ing the Hoyts. I feel vexed about our shrubbery and fearful we may discover more
depredations. Grandma who you know has the most happy faculty at consolation
says this is but the beginning of trouble. Peter
Person
Antimasonick meetings wishes me to tell you that he has bet five dollars with
Eldridge
Person
Person
est for you I am sure it has none for me. Peter is any thing to any body. I
wonder he continues of one mind long enough to bet at all. Three days ago
he said Hudson was the most honourable Englishman he ever knew. I did not
let him know that I was at all dissatisfied with Hudson’s work. to night he
appears quite firm in the belief that Hudson had purloined the shrubs.
Thursday night Dear Henry, I have just received your letter of sunday saying you
are ill. I to be with ^you^ & know that you are more sick than you ackno[ wledge ]
Supplied
yourself to be. most impossible for me to wait three days to have my
fears dispelled . I am sick myself heart and head, with the hypo
headache. there has been a thunder shower. I went over this morning
garden. Hudson has made sad work. he has only left me one row of currant bushes
standing and these the very poorest we had in the garden. he has dug up
every thing of the shrub kind currants, barberries and lilac’s on the south side
and set out (for what I cannot imagine) grape vines in the place of them
in the middle and on the east side he has dug up currants and gooseberries
some places he has filled the places with gooseberry slips, the black and white
currants are all gone. I do not know what do to do. Nathan says many of those
which are thrown aside will not answer to put back again as they
are dead by exposure some that be buried remain alive. I think he must have intend
ed these for his own use, nearby one whole strawberry bed is robbed of its roots.
I shall go over again when it gets a little warmer I took cold to day standing so
long in the damp ground. Did you give him any directions to make these alterations?
He did not prune the grape vines as he should have done in the fall and Nathan says
it cannot be done now without injuring them. I am afraid you will be tired of all
these complaints. Tomorrow is Good Friday and I hope to feel well enough to go to
Church. Mrs Rudd
Person
Person
see them. Grandma could not treat him as cordially as she used to do in
days of yore. I suppose the call was entirely for her. I do hope he will
not preach tomorrow. It was strange n indeed that Marcia
Person
children
People
strange about many things. she says I do not love my husband as well as she
does I know that he is satisfied with my love and that he loves me too well to ask
such a sacrafise of my maternal feelings. There is not a particle of sympathy
between Marcia & myself we do not think or feel alike about any thing, notwithstanding
I think she is not destitute of gooness goodness of heart which is more than Frank Tuthill
Unknown
Will allow. I dont believe one word of Fuller’s prediction, and
know I shall always be your own Frances.
William H. Seward
Albany.
AUBURN N.Y. APR 2
Stamp
Person
1 April 1831
date:
Monday, March 28, 1831
receiver:
sender:
year: