LETTER FROM WASHINGTON IRVING TO CHARLOTTE IRVING GRINNELL

Object/Artifact

Historic Hudson Valley

Name/Title

Entry/Object ID

W 3426 a-b

Description

a. Letter from Washington Irving to his niece, Charlotte Irving Grinnell on the back page of a part of letter on glossy stationery paper written by an unknown person (Catherine or Sarah Irving?) to an unknown person (Charlotte Irving Grinnell?) ; no date or address although "Decr 5th 1847 is written in a different hand in the bottom left hand corner, Text as follows: "My dear Charlie, / When are you coming home? We / begin to fear that William is playing us a / trick and means to keep you all to himself. / You have been away so long that I really / forget how you look. I was describing you / the other day to a lady as tall and rather / thin with light hair and a roman nose, / but Kate declared I am all wrong and / that if any thing you are a little (illegible word - stoutish?) / Perhaps you have altered since you have / been living in the west but come home / my dear Charlie (sic) on time for your christmas (sic) dinner at the cottage. / With kind remembrances to William / Your affectionate uncle / Washington Irving; reverse contains part of another letter which reads "New York tomorrow, they have the Knickerbocker dinner tomorrow and / they want him to come down for it, he says he will go down / but does not intend to go to the dinner. his anckles (sic) have been / much better of late, and he is very busy writing for two months / I hope he will accomplish what he wants to this winter, he / said he though he would if he kept his health, he is going to stay at Julia's. Eliza says they are nearly settled, and / it looks very pretty and every thing is so complete about it, / they occupy the room downstairs now as their (illegible word - parlors?) are / not in order yet. We asked Catharine Livingston today in church / to come down and spend the evening with us tomorrow and / stay all night, for she has no one with her now and she could / not come in the evening alone, he intends to send for the / Livingstons tomorrow morning and Julia and Sanders are coming / we shall send for Julia immediately after breakfast so she / will spend the day and perhaps stay all night. I only hope / it will be clear, but it looks quite cloudy now. he (sic) asked / Eliza Forbill (?) if you wanted a dress made when you came down / if she would make it immediately she said she would, for I do / not think you will be able to get Mrs Hickson unless you / engage her before hand, and Eliza Forbill (?) has made our drapes [dresses?] / very nicely if you conclude to have it made here you must / bring all the things up but you must do it just as you think / as we did not engage her positively to make it (?) / best and what you like yourself. You asked about going / to see Nancy. I do not think it worth while if you are / only in town a day or two. You can go when you go down to / stay longer, but you must not fail to go to see Aunt Paris," b. Small, stationery envelope, unsealed, with "Washington Irivngs' (sic) / Letters" written in ink on the front; reverse has "C.A. WRIGHT & CO / SANTA ROSA, CAL" embossed on the left side just under the flap opening.

Made/Created

Date made

Dec 15, 1847

Dimensions

Dimension Description

Overall

Height

3-3/8 in

Width

5-1/4 in

Dimension Notes

Display Dimensions: 3 3/8 x 5 1/4 in. (8.6 x 13.3 cm)

Material

Paper, ink

Condition

Notes

Remarks: W 3426 a Deep fold marks down and across the page; small holes at center fold marks; right side of page shows uneven edge where it was torn from other part of the letter; surface dirt. W 3426 b Some crease marks on the front; edges worn and frayed; tears at top of flap of envelope on both top sides; creases on back flap; foxing and extensive surface dirt.

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Charlotte Van Wart Irving Grinnell (1824-1911), Washington Irving (1783-1859)

Notes

Recipient

General Notes

Note Type

Curatorial Remarks

Note

Letter given to HHV by donor who obtained it from his godmother, May Irving (Grinnell) Edwards [Donor correspondence, 9/15-16/2008]. The correspondence contains some errors. May Irving (Grinnell) Edwards (1892-?) was the daughter of William Irving Grinnell (1855-?) and Lucy Alice MacNabb (?-?) William Irving Grinnell was the son of William Russell Grinnell (1819-1888) and Charlotte Van Wart (Irving) Grinnell (1824-1911), who married in 1847. Charlotte Irving was one of nieces of Washington Irving (1783-1859.)

Note Type

Department

Note

Library