Help with reading a date in 19th century writing

Question

Hello,

I cannot read the date at the top of this letter:

https://www.wikitree.com/photo/jpg/Henshaw-544-6  

The third number in the year looks like an "h".  Thank you for your help.

Ellie Thompson

Comments

I'd call it as 1863.

---

I would say 1863, too, except the gentleman died in 1829.  Also the letter refers to the Mass. AntiSlavery Society, and millions in bondage.  There were millions in the 1860s, I don't know about the early 1800s.  Was there another, later Josiah who might have written the letter?

---

I might have thought 1853 (Lucy Stone wrote to Rev Samuel May  1851), but it shows no relation at all to any 5.

---

Was there another, later Josiah who might have written the letter?

commented 10 minutes ago by Herbert Tardy

Maybe?  The listing of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavey Society (MASS) shows Henshaw, Josiah, abolitionist, W. Brookfield, Massachusetts, Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, Vice-President, 1851-60-. (which argues that if he were VP from 1851 - 1860 (and ongoing?), that he was not dead in 1829).

---

The last digit is a 3, which matches a 3 in the body.  From other figures in the letter, it's not a 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, or 0.  It looks nothing like a 4 or a 9, so it must be a 6.  I don't understand how an 1863 letter relates to this profile?

---

Sorry, was replying as you were .. see link.

---

18/23 ?

---

Thanks, Melanie!  But that means he was a steady-handed 111 year old when he wrote the letter.

---

I don't understand how an 1863 letter relates to this profile?

commented 1 minute ago by Herbert Tardy

Nor do I.  Different Josiah; must be.

---

LOL .. we keep cross posting!  And that last one of yours gave me my first laugh in 36 hours.  Thank you.  :)

---

See also (highlight mine):

May, Samuel, Jr., Leicester, Massachusetts, abolitionist.  Executive Committee, 1849-1864, American Anti-Slavery Society.  Vice President, 1840-1848, Counsellor, 1849-1860, Corresponding Secretary, 1854-1860, Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society.

---

You're welcome, Melanie! 

One final off-topic point, Ellie:  Please spell out Massachusetts wherever it appears.  Our international cousins are not always familiar with American abbreviations.

And welcome to G2G!

---

See post above yours. :)

---

Certainly after 1833 when the Anti Slavery Subscription started. The Liberator didn't increase its subscription fee to $3.00 until 1862 though, so I think that settles it.

https://archive.org/stream/liberator1862322752garr/39999065094896_djvu.txt

---

Found an orphaned profile Josiah https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Henshaw-342 with lots of links that weren't working.  Added birth (1791) and death (1871) sources from family search and linked him to Josiah and Sarah Phipps as parents.  Could be this Josiah that the document refers to.

Answer 1

Oh, that's a tough one indeed.  I'm assuming you've made out 27 Jun 18 something and are trying to figure out __ 3  ?

Could be:

18/03

1853?

here is an idea, maybe the time?  27 Jun 1800 hours?

because the first letter really looks like an "h," and the second looks like a "z."

if you can isolate the possible dates for the letter on other factors that might help narrow it.

Comments

It doesn't really look like the h's elsewhere in the letter.  Also, it runs with the open-bottomed 8.  It's a very different style of writing, but it is decipherable.