1845 Letter From Isabella Seville to Her Daugher Isabella Williams

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]

The following letter was written by Isabella Gale and sent to her daughter, Isabella Seville, in Lousiville, Kentucky in 1845. The letter does not give any clue as to the exact date that it was written, it just provides the year. Isabella Gale wrote the letter while she was in St. Cloud Township, Pennsylvania. The contents of the letter indicate that Isabella Gale and her daughter corresponded with each other regularly, but this is the only surviving document from their communication. The letter provides a general update of the doings and goings of close friends and family, but nothing really of note can be found.

In the transcript provided below, each person mentioned in the letter that currently has a Wikitree profile has been footnoted, which the footnotes will provide a link to their corresponding profile. Names that are bolded indicate that they currently do not have a Wikitree profile (that I am aware of). The letter has been transcribed in its original form, meaning all of the spelling and grammar errors have been kept the same so as to retain the original meaning of the letter. [---?---] indicates a word that is difficult to transcribe, therefore, it has been left blank entirely.

Letter Transcript

Front of Letter.

St. Cloud, 1845

My Dear Isabella^[1],

I am sorry you did not receive my letter for I wrote as soon as I conveniently could after I got yours. It is a pity you did not succeed in your expectations at Nashville as it must have put you to inconvenience but I hope you will succeed better where you now live tho it would have been pleasanter to me had you come home again, but that I suppose was not to be.

First Page

We cannot always have all our wishes and I must say that I seldom get my wishes gratified but let you be where you will. I hope you may do well. You know what Mr. Smith said, “Bad beginnings make better endings you know”.

When we got your letter we thought we had better go over to see if Mrs. Williams^[2] had got one at the same time as we had not seen any of the family since you left except Isack^[3] who brought us word of your arrival in Nashville for he got his letter on Saturday and we did not get ours till Tuesday and it was the same with this last one and when he went he found them all well and Mrs. Bouseman^[4] was there and Mary^[5] said she has intended to be over to see me but that she had no horse that she could ride owing to the severity of the weather for between snow and frost we have got a complete winter, but Father^[6] told them that should net prevent them for he would fetch them over in the slay the next day, which he did acordingly and Mary^[5] and Mrs. B^[4] spent the day with us and Father^[6] was jus getting into the slay att night when William Nixon happened to be passing so he drove them over safe and fetched the slay back. I write particulors because I know you will like to here all such

In the letter I wrote to you I told you that Mr. Robinson the tanner who married Miss Gregg had again left hir and taken some 4 or 5 thousand dollars of hir property with him besides otherwise leaving heir in debt but I suppose you will have seen that in the papers, for I see itt in all.

2nd Page

Allso Mrs. Bargesser the widow is married to a young man of 33 years, a waggoner for a storekeeper of the name of Johnston.

Likewise poor olde Uncle James Richardson is dead. A happy release for himself. I hope so att least. Dr. Plummer has bought Mrs. Stewarts house and lott for 250 dollors itt is well solde but I am glad for we will not have a family in itt now.

I have Mrs. Wickhoms little girle she is handy acording to hir age she can milk pretty good. Victoria has calved. I wish you had hir for I have great complaints of hir jumping. Even now when you would think their was nothing to jump for.

As to how we gett along I mustt say as well as I can expect, since itt was all, as I may say new to us for had you given up going into the store a month or two before you left itt would not have been quite so strainge to us but we should get used to itt after a wile.

Maria (Maria Seville Simpson) said she was well when she wrote but William (Simpson) had been confined to his bed for six weekes and was att the time she wrote getting a little better, that Mr. Smith intended to stay att the Falles this winter as Mrs. Bury will not returne from England till next spring so she will have a time of itt with him their and poor William sick. She sais he is so fond of the childe (Robin’s note, this must be Thomas Simpson, born 1844) )that when he goes to see his Auntes he is quite lost without him, poor old bachelor.

Wat a pitty itt is that he dose not try to gett one of the Miss Simpsons.

Maria wrote in verry low spiritts tho she said they had plenty of work but William beeing sick itt could not be attended to as itt ought to bee. I hope hir next may have a more favourable account.

3rd Page

Mrs Bennett and her family were all well when Father^[6] was in town last week.

William and his family are well, no addition as of yett. Father^[6] sais they have plenty of [---?---]to attend to he has been out heere once since you left and brought the two children with him. You may guess watt a day he must have had poore fellow. You left the cape of your pladd dress upstairs. I wish in your next you would say how you would like to have itt sent and I will send itt.

Mary Williams^[5] desired me in particular to send hir love when I wrote and James and Father^[6] joine in love to you both, wishing you all the happiness this world can afforde. From your loving mother,

Isabella Seville^[7]

Mr. Williams^[8] -neither Father^[6] nor myself by any means blame you for step you have taken for we are fully perswaided that you did itt withe a view of dooing good and should itt proove otherways you will not be blameble as no one can foresee watt is for the best, hopeing itt may proove to your upmost wishes we remain your sinceere friends and well wishers John^[6] and Isabella Seville^[7]

Please write often as that is all the comfort I have att present

People

1. ↑ Isabella Seville: Isabella is the one that the letter is sent to. She is married to Robert Williams, so her married name is Isabella Williams.
2. ↑ Agnes Nancy Shawhan: She is Robert Williams' (Isabella's husband) mother.
3. ↑ Isaac Williams: He is the brother of Robert Williams.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Sarah Williams: She is the sister of Robert Williams, which makes her a sister-in-law to Isabella Williams.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} Mary Williams: She is the sister of Robert Williams, which makes her a sister-in-law to Isabella Williams.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6} John Seville: He is the husband of Isabella Gale (the one who wrote the letter) and father of Isabella Williams (the one the letter is written to).
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Isabella Gale: She is the one who wrote the letter, and she is the mother of Isabella Williams.
8. ↑ Robert Williams: He is the husband of Isabella Seville (the one who the letter is written to).