Notes
Martha “Kitty” Catharina Henry (1781–1801) wrote this letter to her father, Patrick Henry, from her home in Fleets Bay, Virginia, on December 17, 1798.
Martha Catharina was the third child of Patrick and Dorothea Dandridge Henry (1757–1831). Born at Leatherwood plantation in Henry County, Martha was a talented poet. Following her father’s move to Red Hill, Martha married Edward Hugh Henry (ca. 1777–1815) at Red Hill on July 17, 1798. The couple would have one daughter, Dorothea Dandridge Henry (1800–1813), shortly before Martha died in Fleets Bay, Virginia, on May 22, 1801.
Martha had recently moved out of the Henry household following her marriage to Edward Henry and relocated to the eastern shore. Her father, undoubtedly melancholy after this move, sent Martha a letter to her new home. This letter is in reply, and Martha expresses happiness over receiving her father’s correspondence and wishes him good health. Martha also mentions possibly traveling to Red Hill after Christmas.
“I am much pleased to hear of Mr. Winstons bargain with Mrs Ward …” likely refers to land recently purchased by Martha’s sister, Dorothea Spotswood Henry (1778–1854), and her husband, George Dabney Winston (ca. 1774–1831). It’s possible the couple bought a home near Red Hill around this time, although no documentation has been found to substantiate this.
Martha’s husband, Edward Henry, referred to as “the old Gentleman,” seemed to have been suffering from “something like an appoplexy [sic].” In the 18th century, “apoplexy” was the term used to describe a sudden catastrophic event characterized by a loss of consciousness, movement, and sensation. Many conditions that would have been described under the term apoplexy are incorporated into what is now referred to as a hemorrhagic stroke. Martha’s description of Edward’s “Violent attack of in-flammation in the Brain” further points toward stroke-like symptoms.
“Sister Roane” and “Sister Aylett” are two of Martha’s half-sisters, both the daughters of Patrick Henry and his first wife, Sarah Shelton (ca. 1738–1775). The former, Anne Henry Roane (1767–1799), lived near Martha in Essex County. The latter, Elizabeth Henry Aylett (1769–1842), also lived nearby in King William County.
This letter descended through the Henry family, with its earliest documented ownership after Patrick Henry being to Frances Garland Royall Knipp (1899–1994), his fourth-great-granddaughter. From her, the letter was given to her daughter, Cynthia Dandridge Knipp (1926–1999), who then gave it to her son, the lender, Paul Xavier English III (1951–).
Paul X. English placed this letter and a land agreement (2024.12.2) on loan to the Patrick Henry Memorial Foundation on August 22, 2024.