Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, December 12, 1837
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, December 12, 1837
transcriberTranscriber:spp:jds
student editorTranscriber:spp:sss
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1837-12-12
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, December 12, 1837
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:
Westfield NY
Place
Name: City: Westfield
County: Chautauqua County
State: NY
Country: US
Place
transcription: jds
revision: ekk 2015-06-09
<>
Page 1
Tuesday Dec 11th
The correct date is the 12th
My dear Henry, I received your Wednesday letter
yesterday morning. I shall not burn it as you re-
commend but will take good care of it. Our latin has
not progressed very well the last week. Augustus
Name: Augustus Seward
Birth: 1826-10-01
Death: 1876-09-11
head
has troubled him very much, it is better now from
the application of a remedy advised by Mrs Dean
She spent the afternoon with us Saturday. She is
suffering from the effects of the pressure- has no
engagement for the next six weeks- her daughter
Schenectady
Name: City: Schenectady
County: Schenectady County
State: NY
Country: US
has come and brought two children
Unknown
Unknown to stay
an indefinite time- her husband
South in pursuit of employment- within a fortnight
she has been confined with her third child
of all this family is added to Mrs Deans so that she
finds it difficult getting along. She wished me to
supply her with plain sewing or knitting. I had already
engaged all my work and had numerous applications
for more, but I gave her some mittens to knit for
the little boys. Yesterday Harriet
Name: Harriet Bogart
Birth:
Death: 1888-08-20
came- she
wanted
3$ in money to buy clothes for Willis
Name: Willis Bogart
Birth:
Death:
- of course offered
to work for pay when she became able. I let her have the
money. How much do you pay Nicholas
Name: Nicholas Bogart
Birth: 1801-12-24
Death: 1893
a month
he has already had 10$ beside $5-25 for oats, he
is almost as uncommunicative as William was he
seems to be honest and industrious so I will not quarrel
with his surly humour, though I wish he had a little
of Harriet's obliging disposition. Mr Rathbone
Name: George Rathbun
Birth: 1803
Death: 1870-01-05
sent
his sleigh here yesterday I did not like it well enough
to keep it- it is very small and rather shabby. I would
prefer a good lumber box. We have not snow sufficient
for sleighing yet. We rode to church Sunday and found
Page 2
the wheeling very good. Mr
of 17 was buried Sunday, she died of either the typhus
or Scarlet fever, she was their only child it is a severe
affliction. Mrs Tift lies low with the same complaint.
I went yesterday with Clara
Name: Clarinda McClallen
Birth: 1794
Death: 1862-09-05
to see Mr Smith
Name: Richard Smith
Birth: 1791
Death: 1838
(Richard)
who I heard was very ill. Mrs Smith
better but confined to the house I did not see him
he has for some weeks had the rheumatism in his feet
so that he has been unable to go out, with this he
has had slight intermitting fever. Mrs Smith feels
very anxious to know whether Henry
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
will be retained at
Westfield longer than the 1st of January, said that Henry
did seem to expect it, of course I could afford her
no information. I called at Mrs Millers
return, she was dreading the approach of the New Year
as Isaac
Name: Isaac Miller
Birth: 1791-04-30
Death: 1853-04-03
will then leave. After
tea I went in to
see Mrs Hills
Name: Sarah Hills
Birth: 1796
Death: 1863-04-22Certainty: Probable
– had an agreeable evening though it was
rather too cold for comfort, she has a coal storm
in her sitting room– not Notts
Name: Eliphalet Nott
Birth: 1773-06-25
Death: 1866-01-25
– It may be a good
patent but the fire burned none last night. We
talked about Miss Sedgewick
Name: Catharine Sedgwick
Birth: 1789-12-28
Death: 1867-07-31Certainty: Probable
and Harriet Martineau
Name: Harriet Martineau
Birth: 1802-06-12
Death: 1876-06-27
and
Stone
Name:
Birth:
Death:
and animal magnetism– and a little about
our neighbours but much less then I should any-
where else. Mr Hill
Name: Eleazer Hills
Birth: 1785-11-04
Death: 1856-09-25Certainty: Probable
's partner has died (at Seneca
Falls
Name: City: Seneca Falls
County: Seneca County
State: NY
Country: US
) and left a wife and family– which event called
forth a rather excessive expression of sympathy from
Mrs Hills. Mrs Dean was there - I came home before
nine and thereby lost the pleasure of meeting Eleazer.
Her little girl
that she will not allow a stranger to speak to her. Mrs B
Name: Blanchard Fosgate
Birth: 1809
Death: 1887-09-11
.
Fosgate
Name: Maria Fosgate
Birth: 1817
Death: 1891-07-28
came here one day last week and
brought her little girl
Name: Mary Ann Fosgate
Birth: 1836
Death:
with her– she
is very pretty & so meek and quiet that
without exhibiting any extraordinary degree of intelligence
Page 3
she cannot fail to attract the attention and win the affections
of all who see her. Perhaps she is more interesting to me
being of the same age our dear Nealy
Name: Cornelia Seward
Birth: 1836-08-25
Death: 1837-01-14
would have been.
The little boys were so pleased that they spent the whole
afternoon playing with her and when she went home were
so unwilling to part with her that I promised to borrow
her, some fine day, for this amusement. The coffin
of our precious one has been removed to the side of
Grandma
Name: Paulina Miller
Birth: 1751
Death: 1835-10-03
's- the stone is hewn and all is
going on according
to your direction. I believe Pa
Name: Elijah Miller
Birth: 1772-04-11
Death: 1851-11-13
was there at the time the
grave was opened but I have heard nothing except from
Peter
Name: Peter Crosby
Birth:
Death:
. I have no letter from Lazette
Name: Lazette Worden
Birth: 1803-11-01
Death: 1875-10-03
this week. Yesterday
I received the Presidents
Name: Martin Van Buren
Birth: 1782-12-05
Death: 1862-07-24
Message and a prospectus
of
the Congressional Globe under Samuel Birdsall
Name: Samuel Birdsall
Birth: 1791-05-14
Death: 1872-02-08
's
frank. I hope I appreciate the compliment, but my
weak eyes will not allow me to read the message
more than I have done already- and I have no intention
at present of subscribing for the Globe. I was very
much entertained with your criticism of Davis
You invite me to read it just as it were possible for me
to do so but I must reserve that gratification until
you come home dearest and read it for me. Pa brought
the book home two or three weeks ago but like others it
remains a sealed book to me- the little boys usually
read a few pages each, every evening but of course their
reading is confined to books suited to their comprehen-
sion, not those which I should select to read myself.
Augustus and I have been so unfortunate as to select
the same day to write you a letter so you will receive
them at one time. Please to remember me to Marcia
Name: Marcia Seward
Birth: 1794-07-23
Death: 1839-10-28
and family- your own Frances-
Page 4
William H. Seward
Westfield
Chautauque County
Dec 13Auburn, NY
Type: postmark
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
Frances A Seward
December 11, 1837
Tuesday Dec 11th
Editorial Note
My dear Henry, I received your Wednesday letter
yesterday morning. I shall not burn it as you re-
commend but will take good care of it. Our latin has
not progressed very well the last week. Augustus
Person
has troubled him very much, it is better now from
the application of a remedy advised by Mrs Dean
Unknown
. She spent the afternoon with us Saturday. She is
suffering from the effects of the pressure- has no
engagement for the next six weeks- her daughter
Unknown
fromSchenectady
Place
People
Unknown
Unknown
an indefinite time- her husband
Unknown
having gone to
the South in pursuit of employment- within a fortnight
she has been confined with her third child
Unknown
. The
supportof all this family is added to Mrs Deans so that she
finds it difficult getting along. She wished me to
supply her with plain sewing or knitting. I had already
engaged all my work and had numerous applications
for more, but I gave her some mittens to knit for
the little boys. Yesterday Harriet
Person
3$ in money to buy clothes for Willis
Person
to work for pay when she became able. I let her have the
money. How much do you pay Nicholas
Person
he has already had 10$ beside $5-25 for oats, he
is almost as uncommunicative as William was he
seems to be honest and industrious so I will not quarrel
with his surly humour, though I wish he had a little
of Harriet's obliging disposition. Mr Rathbone
Person
his sleigh here yesterday I did not like it well enough
to keep it- it is very small and rather shabby. I would
prefer a good lumber box. We have not snow sufficient
for sleighing yet. We rode to church Sunday and found
the wheeling very good. Mr
Unknown
&
Mrs TiftsUnknown
only daughterUnknown
a girlof 17 was buried Sunday, she died of either the typhus
or Scarlet fever, she was their only child it is a severe
affliction. Mrs Tift lies low with the same complaint.
I went yesterday with Clara
Person
Person
who I heard was very ill. Mrs Smith
Unknown
said he wasbetter but confined to the house I did not see him
he has for some weeks had the rheumatism in his feet
so that he has been unable to go out, with this he
has had slight intermitting fever. Mrs Smith feels
very anxious to know whether Henry
Person
Westfield longer than the 1st of January, said that Henry
did seem to expect it, of course I could afford her
no information. I called at Mrs Millers
Unknown
on my return, she was dreading the approach of the New Year
as Isaac
Person
see Mrs Hills
Person
rather too cold for comfort, she has a coal storm
in her sitting room– not Notts
Person
patent but the fire burned none last night. We
talked about Miss Sedgewick
Person
Person
Stone
Person
our neighbours but much less then I should any-
where else. Mr Hill
Person
Place
forth a rather excessive expression of sympathy from
Mrs Hills. Mrs Dean was there - I came home before
nine and thereby lost the pleasure of meeting Eleazer.
Her little girl
Unknown
looked pretty but is so
exceedingly timidthat she will not allow a stranger to speak to her. Mrs B
Person
Fosgate
Person
Person
without exhibiting any extraordinary degree of intelligence
she cannot fail to attract the attention and win the affections
of all who see her. Perhaps she is more interesting to me
being of the same age our dear Nealy
Person
The little boys were so pleased that they spent the whole
afternoon playing with her and when she went home were
so unwilling to part with her that I promised to borrow
her, some fine day, for this amusement. The coffin
of our precious one has been removed to the side of
Grandma
Person
to your direction. I believe Pa
Person
grave was opened but I have heard nothing except from
Peter
Person
Person
I received the Presidents
Person
the Congressional Globe under Samuel Birdsall
Person
frank. I hope I appreciate the compliment, but my
weak eyes will not allow me to read the message
more than I have done already- and I have no intention
at present of subscribing for the Globe. I was very
much entertained with your criticism of Davis
Unknown
life of
Burn.You invite me to read it just as it were possible for me
to do so but I must reserve that gratification until
you come home dearest and read it for me. Pa brought
the book home two or three weeks ago but like others it
remains a sealed book to me- the little boys usually
read a few pages each, every evening but of course their
reading is confined to books suited to their comprehen-
sion, not those which I should select to read myself.
Augustus and I have been so unfortunate as to select
the same day to write you a letter so you will receive
them at one time. Please to remember me to Marcia
Person
and family- your own Frances-
William H. Seward
Westfield
Chautauque County
Dec 13Auburn, NY
Stamp
Person
December 11, 1837
date:
Tuesday, December 12, 1837
receiver:
sender:
year: