Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, January 11, 1831

  • Posted on: 11 January 2016
  • By: admin
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, January 11, 1831
x

transcriber

Transcriber:spp:mep

student editor

Transcriber:spp:sss

Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive

Institution:University of Rochester

Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections

Date:1831-01-11

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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, January 11, 1831

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: mep 

revision: ekk 2015-09-09

<>
Page 1

Teusday evening
My Dear Henry, I have written in one letter to you to day
but the boys having gone to sleep so much earlier than usual
I could not let this evening pass unimproved. Clary
Birth: 1793-05-01 Death: 1862-09-05
has
gone to Compstons
x Birth: 1800  Death: 1851-06-04  Birth: 1790  Death: 1850-04-03 
to tea. We have all had invitations to
a party to at Dr Rudds
Birth: 1779-05-24 Death: 1848-04-15
tomorrow evening but expect
Debby Wood
x

 

and George
Birth: 1805-10-07 Death: 1844-02
's sister
Unknown
here to tea-shall not go
of course. Since I commenced writing Clary has come
home with oceans of news which I believe it is too late to
write to night. Gus
Birth: 1826-10-01 Death: 1876-09-11
was looking very sorry the other day
Clary asked him what he was thinking about he said he was
thinking about his Pa he was so sorry he had got to stay all
alone this winter. I have been employed to day in making him
a knapsack and Peter has been to J. Millers and ordered a
canteen. Augustus was so enamoured with Peters accoutrements
Dress, equipage, trappings; specifically the implements of a solider except arms and dress •

the other day that we have had no peace since, he was
very much afraid I would not have money enough to pay
for the canteen and when Peter told him it would cost but
one shilling he came running to me and said it did not
cost but one money he was very glad for he did not want to
take all of his Ma's money away from her-he never will
allow me to express any dissatisfaction with Fred
Birth: 1830-07-08 Death: 1915-04-25
always says
"Ma he is a poor little baby and dont know any better"____
will stand patiently and let Fred pick his hair or put his
fingers in his eyes for amusement. Wednesday evening. George
Wood Debby and the sister have just left here. Mr Watson
Birth: 1806 Death: 1845Certainty: Probable
and Pa
Birth: 1772-04-11 Death: 1851-11-13

still occupy the south room. From the "Free Press" of to day
"Married on _____ at Avon by the Rev _____ Dr Joseph T Pitney
Birth: 1786-11-18 Death: 1853-04-20
of
Auburn to Mrs Harriet Trask
Birth: 1797-12-04 Death: 1862-05-06
ar of the former place, widow of the
Page 2

late Dr Trask
Birth: 1786-04-10 Death: 1827-03-16
of Missisippy [ . ]
x

Supplied

Reason: 
This was some of the news Clary brought home last evening, she said
the Dr had returned and told Mr Horner
Birth: 1775
that he was married to
Mrs Trask but we rather doubted it supposing he had said this in
jest, to day the marriage appeared in due form. This is the
same lady that was here from the west some time this fall.
The girls are acquainted with her. -Cornelia
Birth: 1805 Death: 1839-01-04
knew nothing of the Dr's
intentions when she went to Aurora where she has been since New Years.
The Dr perhaps had not made up his mind when he left home, he took
letters of introduction to seven widows so says madam rumour.
Deb has talked so fast and so much that I can hardly remember
what she did say-told divers
One who dives • One who goes deeply into a study or business • A bird of certain genera, remarkable for their habit of diving, as Colymbus, or of the allied family Podicipince; the northern diver, Colymbus glacialis •
stories about Dr Pitneys mean-
ness among other things when he went down to purchace his
furniture he took a silver tea set which belonged to Mrs
Dill
Unknown
-his last wife, had hers and her first husbands
Unknown
name
engraven on them, and had them converted into two sets
of teaspoons which he presented to his two amiable
Worthy of love; deserving of affection; lovely; loveable • Pretending or showing love •
daughters
who had just enough of their fathers n nature to accept &
and value such a present instead of returning them to their
rightful owners-a hundred other things equally generous and
feeling-George Williams
Birth: 1793-10-23 Death: 1884-05-14
was married to one of the Miss Hoffmans
Unknown

Monday night-last evening Ambrose Cock
Birth: 1779-08-13 Death: 1850-02-02
lost a little
boy
Unknown
seven years old with the scarlet fever-Daniel
Birth: 1806-11-11 Death: 1850-10-28
's babe
Birth: 1829-12-17 Death: 1831-01-17

is dangerously ill with the same disease-Mrs Gunn
Unknown
who
has a babe
Unknown
a week old has the scarlet fever and is not expected
to recover-Mrs Smith
Birth: 1800 Death: 1877Certainty: Probable
's Caroline
Birth: 1822-02-11 Death: 1894-01-01Certainty: Probable
has the fever also, I believe
these are all the cases which come within the circle of our acquain-
tance-I am constantly in fear that Augustus and Freddie will
get it-Mrs G.B. Throop
Birth: 1806-02-11 Death: 1872-06-17
goes to Albany with her three children when
the young Enos
Unknown
is a month old. Mrs Powers
Birth: 1800 Death: 1885
says the reason she
Page 3

did not accompany "dear
Birth: 1789-07-11 Death: 1831-06-25
" to Washington was because his health was so
poor. Mrs Rudd
Birth: 1785
returns her thanks in the Gospel Messenger for
the cloak presented to her by the ladies-Mrs Coffin
Birth: 1801-04-08Certainty: Probable
of Ithica
has a young son-Dr Pitney left his wife at Geneva and came on
to prepare the house for her reception-Bronson
Birth: 1792 Death: 1857-06-20
is paying attention
to the eldest Miss Wallace
Unknown
-Merit to the second-The Miss
Wallace’s
xMiss
Wallace’s
x
Unknown

Unknown
say they came here to wear out their old clothes.
The y second daughter
Unknown
who has so many strange actions Ge[ o ]
x

Supplied

Reason: 
rge's
sister says was not supposed at Aurora to have common sense
I suspected as much before. This I believe is the substance of all
the gossip I have heard. I will not be answerable for its authen-
ticity. tomorrow Clary tomorrow Clary and Lazette
Birth: 1803-11-01 Death: 1875-10-03
go to Romulus
I shall be lonely enough. I have more than half got the hypo
about the scarlet fever Good night dearest. Thursday night.
This morning while we were eating breakfast Nancy
Birth: 1809-04-10 Death: 1879-08-19Certainty: Probable
brought a note
from Lazette saying that Worden
Birth: 1797-03-06 Death: 1856-02-16
would not let her go to Romulus-would
not get a sleigh or let Frances
Birth: 1826-12-12 Death: 1909-08-24
go if she went in any other way. She said
she had been up until one oclock every night this week making prepara-
tion to go which he knew and appeared to approve. No one knows what
made him change his mind on purpose to tyrranize I believe. Clary
would have gone with Edward
Unknown
but she depended upon his sending them I
considered it quite doubtful from the beginning. I have been up spending
the day with Lazette took Gus and Fred. Worden was just as good natured and
appeared as well satisfied with himself as if he has disappointed no one.
The room is not papered yet-they had been painting and Augustus and
Frances by way of amusement went into the room and eat white paint-
we were very much frightened when they told what they had been doing
sent down for Worden who came soon after with Dr Humphreys
Birth: 1785-05-17 Death: 1848-03-09
. We could
not ascertain what quantity they had eat. Augustus said Frances did not
dip her finger in but once but he did a great many times-she told the
same story-the Dr thought it advisable to give him a portion of oil-he
was very much frightened thought he was going to die. We came home soon
after. Augustus has just taken the oil like a good boy and gone to bed
I promised to tell his pa in my letter how nice he had been. I think he
was too much frightened ever to do the like again. Mrs Gunn died this
morning between seven and eight oclock. Your letter on paper 'colour de rose'
came this morning. You must not say any thing more about my coming
down this winter. I was reading one of your letters to Grandma
Birth: 1751 Death: 1835-10-03
the other day
when you said you regretted my not going. Well says Grandma I thought
Henry a man of more sense only see how much the Throops are laughed
about'. I could not convince her that it was not the circumstance of their
going but their conduct while there that excited ridicule. She cannot see into
the propriety of any thing that was not done by the members of the legislature
who went from Westchester and Ransellear, some 20 or 30 year ago. Peter said
he had been asked a great many times why I did not go appeared to be quite
astonished when I mentioned that you wished it. I had always considered that
so much a matter of course that I never thought of speaking of it. your Frances
Page 4

William H. Seward.
Albany.
Auburn NY Jan. 15
x

Stamp

Type: postmark

Hand Shiftx

William Seward

Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10
F.A. Seward
Jan. 15 1831