Name/Title
Letter to Aaron and Elizabeth Winsor Aldrich from Julia Winsor WeldEntry/Object ID
2018.FIC.0144Scope and Content
Letter to Aaron and Elizabeth Winsor Aldrich from Julia Winsor Weld
Letter is addressed to :
Mr. Aaron Aldrich
Cayauhoga [Cuyahoga] County
Ohio
left side: Greenville
R. J. Dec. 19
Below front: Medina County
Henry Winsor (small)
Dear Sister,
The letter discusses their father, August Winsor, being troubled by August's business. She said their father has agreed to send money to them, but they are unsure of how to get it to them safely. She talks of someone wanting to move to Ohio for two or three years and worries about taking care of their father. She thought Nancy would move in with him but Mr. Hunt of Seekonk has proposed to her. She has not met him, but describes him and is worth $50,000...has good character, sound principles and agreeable maners (sp.). She goes on to discuss other family matters.
25
Mr. Aaron Aldriech
Dover
Cayauhoga [Cuyahoga] County
Ohio
Greenville
R. I. Dec 11
Dear Sisters
I have at length an opportunity of wording a pen line to you
we are all most sick with cold expect Father and dear Mr. W has been
confined a week with a cold and a boil on the back of the neck. Father is quite
smart for a man of his age but Abrahams business troubles him very much
he likewise feels verry much for Joseph’s family and says I may tell Joseph
Mary that he has concluded that he will help you to what money he Calcula-
-tes for you the first chance that he has and if you know of any safe way of send-
-ing you it you may depend on having it. A writes that he has been very prosperous
in business for which I am glad we are getting along a little we are obliged to
work very hard to do it. Mr. W has been very anxious to go to Ohio for two or three
years and the onely objection I have is leaving Father in his old age it would
be a greate trial to me but it cannot be expected that Mr. W should feel the
same solcitude[solitude] for him that I do yet. I think it would be difficult for him
to get any one that would get along with him better than he does. I used to
think perhaps Nancy would be contented to live with him a few years but the
prospect is that she will go to live Mr. Daniel Hunt[?] of Seekonk in the spring
he has made proposal which are expected. I have not seen him therefore can
not give you much information he is 36 years old light complexion and rather son
all he is an only son and but two sisters his father is said to be worth 50,000
and when I commenced business gave him 01,000 and has he been steady
industrious and prudent it is presumed he is worth handsome property.
but Nancy seems to think his wealth consists not so much in wealth
as in a good character sound principles and agreeable manners. His family
are very respectable and though wealthy are not fond of splendid appearance
comfort and convenience being their object rather than show. Mrs. Tucker was
buried last tuesday her death was very sudene she rose from chair her to walk ac
cross the room and fell and expired instantly. her health has been very good and she
was very fleshy of ------------[hole] home and she had just got his supper. Old Mrs. Milles is
here and not ---- ----[hole] any ----[hole] indeed she is quite Sick and is in trouble for fear she will have
---[damage] go upon the town and I suppose she must though she has worked so hard and has so many
----[damage] that might assist her it seems very hard. Old Mr. Browns is improved so he goes out and he
Is better than ever it was expected to be. It is a great inquiry with us why Loucina has never written to
any of us and should like to know the reason we know her engagements must be very numery[?]
but a line from her would be very acceptable. As well as from any of the rest of the children
the letter that Aaron sent was very gratifying we should be very glad of another
Edw? Rhodes is married to his third wife a madam with 2 or 3 children. He lives at Simons factory in Johnston
and daniel lives with him and is in the store Mary is at her Grandfathers they were hear last
summer and are fine looking children and very pretty in their manners. I hope they
may acquire habits of industry and be preserved from their fathers failings. I wish I had more room
Front Page
but must say good night as my child crying and I am almost sick with a cold. I believe my
children has common sense but they care extremely difficult to manage and it requires all the sense
I have and I need more to do my duty by them. My love to all good night I. A. Weld.
2018.FIC.0144 Second Page
Smithfield Nov. 23rd 1834
Dear friends,
Yours of the first instant came to hand this morning. We were glad
to hear of the good degree of health that you enjoy and hope that and other
blessings may still be continued to you and excite your hearts to gratitude
and love to him who alone can grant every blessing. It is so long since I have
written and I have so much to say that I hardly know where to begin. But as
you know that sister stone generally come nearest my heart I shall give you some
account of her severe affliction for nearly a year past. When I wrote to you last I was
keeping school in situate and I believe I told you that I should calculate to spend my
time with Father in future but Julia was so situated that fall that I staid with her
untill Dec when I began to live with Father. Sarah Stone went away from home
to school and sister expected to do her own work. But she moved from the house
in which she lived into the next and did not send for Sarah or me of course she
worked very hard and took a violent cold, and in the mean time a fellon[boil/blister] came on the fore
finger of her right hand. It was extremely painful from the first and immediately became
very much swollen and inflamed she had it open the third day and it discharged greenish
matter. The pain was the most severe that you could imagine and continued so for three
weeks during which time she had it opened in different places 13 times. The probe reached
almost all over her hand and we could syringe from the end of the fore finger to the
wrist. It smelled nearly to the shoulder and was purple to the elbow. It was so highly
inflamed that the doctor applied the cold lotion which was so powerful that it
drove the inflammation from the hand to the eye and all the excruciating pain of
the fellon was transferred to the eye. The cold lotion was now applied to the eye
with immerse power which drove the pain back to the hand but it would not stay
there it went from one to the other alternatively for many weeks and rendered it
necessary to keep the room entirely dark as the least way of light seemed a stream
of fire, her whole arm and shoulder was entirely useless and it was with much
difficulty she would bear it moved so as to dressed or undressed. No one thought
but what she would lose her hand, but she has the use of it much better than it was
possible to expect. The fore finger is bent just in the right shape to knit but she has
a great deal of pain in her arm and shoulder and her general health is very poor
And the sight of eye entirely gone. Yet we are thankful that her life is spared[?]
and for the degree of health she enjoys. Mrs. Clover enjoys good health ----- ----[hole]
---[damage] been able to attend to any business she is hearty and reads but cannot ------[hole]
Mr. Stones business need be pretty good to keep out of debt. But I believe he does
I came from their to day hoping to stay with Father. In the spring I thought
of coming but her health was so poor I thought I would not and a school was
opened in the house for young ladies so Sarah and I thought we would try
to do the work and go to school which we did for six months we had a variety
of studys and were so buried through them that it seemed more like a
dream to think of it than any thing else. The instructions was taken
the latter part of the last term and the care of the school derolved[?] on me. I have had
the care of the work principally and on the sabbath have attended two salb. schools
one in the morning and one at noon. You will see perhaps that I have no need to off-
-er any apology for neglect of writing. Father’s health is good but he feels the infirmities of age
and cannot endure exposure as he once could. Julia health is as good as could be expected she
works extremely hard and is like evry one else troubled to get help indeed it is almost impossible
to get any. Mear[?] and Martha enjoy good health and we expect Martha will go to housekeep-
-ing soon. Stephen and Ira have bought Alpher Hawkins[?] house and 30 acres of
land for 2300 dolls, the business is not quite closed but without doubt they will
have it. It will be a very pleasant situation and I think Ma would show more
of a Christian sprint to express some thankfulness for such a situation for her daugh-
-ter than to seem as she does about her leaving home. Sister Winsor’ family are well
and I should think that your gentle hint to them if they would accept it would be
much to their advantage. But they are adding to their property very fast and it is supposed
by some that he is worth 10 thousand dolls. Brother Andrew has joined the conger-
-tionest church in Sictuate and owns a pew in the house and the family all attend
meeting quite constantly. It is expected that Augustus will marry James Pettis[?]
oldest daughter she is a very gay young widow she is handsome and has some prop-
-erty. I hope she will make him a prudent wife but she is very showy. It is said that
Henry and Daniel are courting and Daniel’s mother thought she would
advise him that he was too young. But he said, why mother you know we
cannot get the hang of them in a great while meaning the girls. As to Abraham’s fam-
-ily they are in usual health I believe, but an attachment for 2000 dolls was lied[?] on his
farm a few days since and it is said he very much in debt we have not heard
what way he intends to do, and father feels very much troubled about him but does
not like to interfere at all as he has refused to become responsible for him but
he has managed his business very imprudently and how he will get along I don’t
know. Father knows he cannot assist him in justice to the rest. With respect to Joseph’s
-----------[hole] I wish they had the whole or a part of what there is for them here. I do then
-----------[hole] them more good now than ever or if they should afterwards feel the
want of it perhaps it would not be in fathers day and he would the satisfaction
of knowing that they were comfortable through his means. I feel very anxious
for you all and as to myself I find this life to be one of toil and trouble I desire not
to complain that my lot is hard for labor and sorrow is the lot of man. Oh for
a meek and quiet spirit to bear with Christian fortitude the ills of life. I do anticipate
some happiness in trying to add to fathers happiness and I if I could live with him in
peace it would be a pleasure even if I had to work for bread and wine. May the
Lord give me wisdom for bearance and strength to conduct in such a manner as shall be to his glory
and may our father last days be his best days and may he descend to the grave in a good old age in peace. H.W.Collection
Aldrich Family CollectionRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Aldrich, AaronPerson or Organization
Aldrich, Elizabeth WinsorPerson or Organization
Hunt, Daniel J.Person or Organization
Weld, Julia WinsorPerson or Organization
Winsor, AugustusPerson or Organization
Winsor, Nancy Waterman
