Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, October 17, 1827

  • Posted on: 10 July 2017
  • By: admin
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, October 17, 1827
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transcriber

Transcriber:spp:obm

student editor

Transcriber:spp:sss

Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive

Institution:University of Rochester

Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections

Date:1827-10-17

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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, October 17, 1827

action: sent

sender: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24  Death: 1865-06-21

location: Auburn, NY

receiver: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16  Death: 1872-10-10

location: Albany, NY

transcription: obm 

revision: obm 2016-11-18

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Page 1

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Editorial Note

We believe this is 1827, not 1828, as the couple mentioned on page 3 Mr. Nichols and Margaret get married on Nov 1, 1827 in Hector, NY. Frances writes this on Sunday evening, posting on Wednesday, which was October 17 the date of the Postmark on page 4. We believe Henry wrote the wrong year on page 4 in his notice of receipt. Also, Gus is referred to as "little Gus"
Auburn Sunday evening
My Dear Henry
I wish you were here this rainy night I
am so lonely — little Gus
Birth: 1826-10-01 Death: 1876-09-11
has gone to sleep — Aunt Clary
Birth: 1793-05-01 Death: 1862-09-05

is writing — Henrietta
Birth: 1813-11-19 Death: 1852-02-05Certainty: Probable
reading — and Grandma
Birth: 1750
meditating
I went to Church this afternoon and heard a good sermon
from Dr Rudd
Birth: 1779-05-24 Death: 1848-04-15
— Many enquiries are made about you
Sometimes I say you have gone to Syracuse sometimes
beyond there I heard George
Birth: 1808-08-26 Death: 1888-12-07
telling Worden
Birth: 1797-03-06 Death: 1856-02-16
last night
that you had gone petty fogging — Aunt Clary says
you have gone for a drove of sheep — I have heard so
much said on the subject that it is almost impossible
for me to refrain from laughter when the question
is asked — We all went over last night to console with
Mr Fosgates family
x Birth: 1805  Death: 1884-01-19  Birth:   Death: 1848-03-10  Birth:   Death: 1830-01-16  Birth: 1817  Death: 1891-07-28 
on the departure of Blanchard
Birth: 1809 Death: 1887-09-11
for the
south they are all very unhappy about him he was so ill
when he left them — how happy I should have been had it
been in my power to have supplied them with funds
that one of them might have accompanied him they
appeared so much to desire it — Poor Serene looked quite
woe begone I never saw her evince
To show in a clear manner; to prove beyond any reasonable doubt • to conquer •
so much tenderness on
any occasion before — I believe after all she has a better
Page 2

heart than most of the people in the world though perhaps
not quite as much delicacy of feeling as we would wish
We did not see Mrs Fosgate she was sick—
According to my calculating you are in Albany to-
night perhaps writing to me at all events I will believe
or because then I will hear from you on Tuesday
which is quite as long as I would like to remain ig-
norant of your movements — I should not know what to
do with myself you are absent so much were it not for
little Gus one cannot be very lonely when he is about
he has so many diverting little tricks — The day after you
left Margaret
Birth: 1798 Death: 1885-11-24
came here to tea — I am afraid Margaret is
not going to marry all for love — She does not appear
to me to be quite happy I could not help thinking the
case would have been different had she married Foot
Unknown

I rather think she liked him better than she ever will
any one else — It is but an indifferent home that a poor
clergyman can provide for his wife at the best could that
be an inducement in any case I should suppose it would
fail here — I suppose it is partly this and partly the advise
of her good friends Mr Lansing
Birth: 1785-03-03 Death: 1857-03-19Certainty: Probable
— Aunt Clary tells me
I would do so were I in her situation but I am sure
I should not for I do think no home at all would
be preferable to a home with a man I did not love of all
others and even then I would be miserable were he not just such
Page 3

a man as my own Henry —it is fortunate that there are
few people in the world that think and feel on this subject
as I do were it otherwise it would occasion much misery
I am afraid I have judged Margaret harshly — I think she has
too much principle to marry one man and love another I
do not mean that exactly but I think she has loved Foot
better than she ever will ever love Nichols
Birth: 1798-06-08 Death: 1883-02-15
though I know she
has persuaded
To influence by argument, advice, or intreaty • To convince by arguments, or reasons offered •
herself (at least) into a belief that she
does not love him now I hope she will never think differently
She is to be married in three weeks to go immediately
to Hector — I would like to see Nichols very much though
I do not think I would like him — George had a letter
from home today nothing new I believe — Aunt Clar[ y ]
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Reason: hole

writing to your Ma
Birth: 1769-11-27 Death: 1844-12-11
which I intend to do soon
George comes now and then to see Henrietta but does no[ t ]
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[ ap ]
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pear
quite as much in love as he was with Miss Striker
Unknown

Henrietta has had a number of calls from the young gentlemen
She went Friday night to a party to Mr Hulberts
Birth: 1802-12-28 Death: 1865-11-19Certainty: Probable
Aunt
Clary did not attend the party was given for a Miss Rochester
Unknown

who is there on a visit as none but the young or rather
the recently married ladies such as Mary Betts
Unknown
& c were
honoured, I was not invited I suppose we now class with
the old married folks — Good night write to me when I
may say you have gone to Albany your own Frances
Wednesday – My dear Henry I wrote this letter on Tuesday
it did not occur to me until I wrote the superscription that
I should by sending it disclose the secret I have therefore kept


[right Margin] it until now I received your let[ ter of Satu ]
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Reason: hole
rday morning saying you was
going to Orange County I hope you are once more safe in Albany
nothing new has transpired here I went [ to ]
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Reason: hole
a party at Mr Hoskins
Birth: 1799-10-16 Death: 1897-04-17Certainty: Probable
last
evening a got my brother in law for a beau home this is something new
it still continues to rain here though not so incessantly as before you
left home — Little Gus has almost forggotten he has a pa at least so
says Grandma who still continues to think the child very much
neglected he is very mad at me just now because I will not allow
him the perusal
To read with attention • To observe; to examine with careful survey •
of this letter How are all the folks at Florida
I wish you would purchase for me a novel called “Granby”
Author: T. H. Lister Publisher: J. & J. Harper Place of Publication:New York City Date: 1826
if you
can find it I saw an extract with which I was much pleased
may I certainly expect you on Saturday — your own Frances —
Page 4

William Henry Seward Esqr
Albany
Hand Shiftx

William Seward

Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10
Frances A Seward
1828
Auburn NY
OCT 17
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Stamp

Type: postmark