Letter from Rachel Armstrong Seward to Frances Miller Seward, March 5, 1835
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Letter from Rachel Armstrong Seward to Frances Miller Seward, March 5, 1835
transcriberTranscriber:spp:keh
student editorTranscriber:spp:sss
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1835-03-05
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Letter from Rachel Armstrong Seward to Frances Miller Seward, March 5, 1835
action: sent
sender:
Rachel Seward
Person
Name: Rachel Seward
Birth: 1805-07-15
Death: 1848-05-14
Person
location:
Florida NY
Place
Name: City: Florida
County: Orange
State: NY
Country: US
Place
receiver:
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
transcription: keh
revision: ekk 2016-03-07
<>
Page 1
Thursday Evening March 5th
My Dear Sister I acknowledge the receipt of yours of the 15th of
the past month – and sorry to hear that your health is delicate the last
I heard of you was that your health was much better. I esteem you as one
of my best friends and have often thought when here alone how much pleasure
it would afford me to have you here a little while. I often think that
notwithsanding my afflictions I have many merits – our friends that forsake
us in adversity we cannot call genuine. I cannot complain of this my
friends have all treated me with kindness and feeling. I am
still at summerville entirely alone with my little childrin with the
exception of a boy to cut wood fodder the cows &c, I have spent a lonely
winter – have went out verry little. Our little Robert G
Name: Robert Seward
Birth: 1834-02
Death: 1836-05-11
is a verry
fat s ^w^ eet child, walked when 11en months old begins to talk – mary
Name: Mary Jayne
Birth: 1828
Death: 1905
says I must tell Ant Frances that she is peacing a bed quilt – has got
it more than half done Samuel
Name: Samuel Seward
Birth: 1830-04
Death: 1835-11-22
& Edwin
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1833
Death: 1892
grow verry fast – are well
at present our future prospects are verry dark I cannot say any ^thing^
encouraging about them the farm is rented out for 5 years I believe
I feel at present verry unsetled indeed and verry bad.
My husband
Name: Edwin Seward
Birth: 1799-07-02
Death: 1872-04-25
has been writing some time back for us to move to bargaintown
Name: City: Bargaintown
County: Atlantic
State: NJ
Country: US
his salary is 16 dollars a-month father
Name: Samuel Seward
Birth: 1768-12-05
Death: 1849-08-24
hasd concluded that it was best
for us to go my friends oppose it strongly but I shall do as father thinks
best about it – last evening I received a letter from Doct Canfield
Name: Mahlon Canfield
Birth: 1798-11-26
Death: 1865-01-05
and
he advised me not to consent to my husbands proposals to move there
he thinks that it will not do he does not state his reasons but
it will discourage me from going I wish I could have your
good advice about it and your husbands
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
also I am afraid to
let father know anything about Doct Canfields letter
Page 2
for fear he will think there is some under handed work
about it – but it is imposible to get along in this world of changes
without difficulties and trials I wish in all things to study my
duty and do the thing that is right – but I cannot feel safe to act
without asking directions from a higher power than man I hope
that sovreighn protector which has always watch-ed over me and
delivered me from every diffi-culty will at this time be with me
and enable me to do the thing that is right – my croses have been
many I know but I can bless the lord that he has not left me in sorrow
to pine nor to sink under my afflictions but on the contrary
has mani-fested his loving kindness to me in giving me that
inward peace of mind that under all these difficulties compar-
itively easy – it is on the precious promises of our blessed savior to those
that put their trust in him that I rely – lonely as I have spent this winter
yet I can look back on the past 6 months with more satisfaction than
any part of my past life. I have ever been ungrateful for the
common mercies of life but more so for the blessings of his holy spirit
I hope you enjoy in your sickness the comforts of this heaven born
religion which can sweeten the bitter cup of life afford you joy in
this vale of tears support you in the hour of death and land you at
last on the eternal shore our destined home where we shall know
no more sorrow – when I look forward to such glorious prospects
I almost forget that I am still groveling in dust – these are
themes on which I love to dwell but time will not permit.
I must give you a little of the news of the day our Cousin Eliza Jackson
Name: Eliza Jackson
Birth: 1797-01-27
Death: 1875Certainty: Probable
is Maried perhaps you have been informed of this before.
Cousin Isreal Seward
Name: Israel Seward
Birth: 1798-05-09
Death: 1868-11
has a young Son
Name: Theodore Seward
Birth: 1835-01-25
Death: 1902-08-30
which is a matter of much
rejoicing – or our Sister Tempe
Name: Temperance Seward
Birth: 1812-09-30
Death: 1848-10-18
has a verry pretty babe
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1835-01-09
Death: 1926
she was here
and spent the day last week with her two little ones they have
no name yet I believe for thee little boy – father & Mother
Name: Mary Seward
Birth: 1769-11-27
Death: 1844-12-11
are
quite comfortable at present. Mother
Name: Rachel Armstrong
Birth: 1767-09-30
Death: 1841-03-30
& Sisters
Sisters
Name: Sally Brown
Birth: 1806
Death:
Name: Harriet Sawyer
Birth: 1801-07-12
Death: 1842-12-24
Name: Maria Armstrong
Birth: 1798-09-18
Death:
often ask about you
they were well when I heard from them last Brother Calvin
Could be John Calvin Armstrong or General Calvin Gardner Sawyer
has
been verry sick so low that his life was dispaired of for some
Page 3
days. Remember me affectionately to Aunt Clary
Name: Clarinda McClallen
Birth: 1794
Death: 1862-09-05
as I will call
her I do not know what new name she has assumed I should
like verry much to see you all I hope you will not forget
us this summer in your travels but visit florida if it is
conveinent Remember me to your husband & children
Name: Frederick Seward
Birth: 1830-07-08
Death: 1915-04-25
Name: Augustus Seward
Birth: 1826-10-01
Death: 1876-09-11
I must
bid you good night for this time write soon if your health
will permit I hope to hear that your health is better
I Remain Your Affectionate Sister
Locky Seward
Page 4
Mrs William H. Seward
Auburn
Cayuga - County
New York
Florida N.Y March 12th
Type: postmark
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
Locky Seward
13 March 1835-
Thursday Evening March 5th
My Dear Sister I acknowledge the receipt of yours of the 15th of
the past month – and sorry to hear that your health is delicate the last
I heard of you was that your health was much better. I esteem you as one
of my best friends and have often thought when here alone how much pleasure
it would afford me to have you here a little while. I often think that
notwithsanding my afflictions I have many merits – our friends that forsake
us in adversity we cannot call genuine. I cannot complain of this my
friends have all treated me with kindness and feeling. I am
still at summerville entirely alone with my little childrin with the
exception of a boy to cut wood fodder the cows &c, I have spent a lonely
winter – have went out verry little. Our little Robert G
Person
fat s ^w^ eet child, walked when 11en months old begins to talk – mary
Person
says I must tell Ant Frances that she is peacing a bed quilt – has got
it more than half done Samuel
Person
Person
at present our future prospects are verry dark I cannot say any ^thing^
encouraging about them the farm is rented out for 5 years I believe
I feel at present verry unsetled indeed and verry bad.
My husband
Person
Place
his salary is 16 dollars a-month father
Person
for us to go my friends oppose it strongly but I shall do as father thinks
best about it – last evening I received a letter from Doct Canfield
Person
he advised me not to consent to my husbands proposals to move there
he thinks that it will not do he does not state his reasons but
it will discourage me from going I wish I could have your
good advice about it and your husbands
Person
let father know anything about Doct Canfields letter
for fear he will think there is some under handed work
about it – but it is imposible to get along in this world of changes
without difficulties and trials I wish in all things to study my
duty and do the thing that is right – but I cannot feel safe to act
without asking directions from a higher power than man I hope
that sovreighn protector which has always watch-ed over me and
delivered me from every diffi-culty will at this time be with me
and enable me to do the thing that is right – my croses have been
many I know but I can bless the lord that he has not left me in sorrow
to pine nor to sink under my afflictions but on the contrary
has mani-fested his loving kindness to me in giving me that
inward peace of mind that under all these difficulties compar-
itively easy – it is on the precious promises of our blessed savior to those
that put their trust in him that I rely – lonely as I have spent this winter
yet I can look back on the past 6 months with more satisfaction than
any part of my past life. I have ever been ungrateful for the
common mercies of life but more so for the blessings of his holy spirit
I hope you enjoy in your sickness the comforts of this heaven born
religion which can sweeten the bitter cup of life afford you joy in
this vale of tears support you in the hour of death and land you at
last on the eternal shore our destined home where we shall know
no more sorrow – when I look forward to such glorious prospects
I almost forget that I am still groveling in dust – these are
themes on which I love to dwell but time will not permit.
I must give you a little of the news of the day our Cousin Eliza Jackson
Person
Cousin Isreal Seward
Person
Person
rejoicing – or our Sister Tempe
Person
Person
and spent the day last week with her two little ones they have
no name yet I believe for thee little boy – father & Mother
Person
quite comfortable at present. Mother
Person
People
People
they were well when I heard from them last Brother Calvin
Unknown
Editorial Note
been verry sick so low that his life was dispaired of for some
days. Remember me affectionately to Aunt Clary
Person
her I do not know what new name she has assumed I should
like verry much to see you all I hope you will not forget
us this summer in your travels but visit florida if it is
conveinent Remember me to your husband & children
People
bid you good night for this time write soon if your health
will permit I hope to hear that your health is better
I Remain Your Affectionate Sister
Locky Seward
Mrs William H. Seward
Auburn
Cayuga - County
New York
Florida N.Y March 12th
Stamp
Person
13 March 1835-
date:
Thursday, March 5, 1835
receiver:
sender:
year:
place_node: