Letter 1 Martha Robinson Crump Wright to daughter, Martha William Wright

Date: 18 Feb 1829 [unknown]
Location: Greensville County, Virginia
Surnames/tags: Wright Moody Greensville Feby 18th 1829

My Dear Child

I have been anxiously expecting to receive a letter from You for some time but have been dissapointed, You certainly do not write according to Your promise, or You direct Your letters wrong, I told You that You must direct Your letters to Pleasant Hill Northampton County N C, as I could get them much sooner than from Hicksford, You must certainly write me at least one a fortnight and direct Your letters as I have directed you, I have sent you some blank music as I could not procure the Preception in Petersburg and if You cannot do without one You must let me know and I will send to Richmond for one, Tell Roena that Your uncle Pat Says She must write to Him He has sent Her the Things She wanted and She must put Her things in Her Trunk and Send Her Aunt Alice's back, Tell Her that Her Mama is well, I want You my dear child to Strive and learn fast for You must recollect that although You are small You are growing in Years, be obedient to Mrs. Bobbitt and try to please Her in all things Try and make Yourself agreeable to all of Your School Mates and if They should offend You bear it as long and as well as You can, but if They should continue to do so without any provocation on Your part You must inform Mrs. Bobbitt, but I am in hopes You will have no disturbence with any of Them for I am well convinced that You will behave Yourself well and gain the effections of all of Your School Mates, Adieu my Dear Child write me often and once more let me beg of You to be attentive

Your affect Mother

Martha R. Wright

P.S. tell Roena that I could not get a Gig for Daniel to carry Her Trunk and Bonnett She Has got a very pretty Bonnett and if I do not bring it to Her before She can get it at Ester when You come down.

Addressed to: Miss Martha W Wright

Brunswick County

VA

VLR

This letter is written to Martha William Wright by her mother Martha Robinson (Crump) Wright. (Note, it is written before the author's second marriage to Rev. George Charlton six months later. )The home in Greensville County, Va. is very close to the NC line, thus she directs her daughter to write her at Pleasant Hill, NC.

Uncle Pat is John Hamilton Patterson, husband of Mrs. Wright's sister, (aunt Alice) Alice Wren (Crump) Patterson. I don't know who Roena (mentioned again in letter #5) is, possibly a niece, goddaughter, or other relative of John Hamilton Patterson. Mrs. Bobbitt is the proprietess of the school Martha is attending. Daniel is a servant or slave.

Acknowledgement

• Many thanks to cousin Virginia Leigh Refo whose research and transcriptions added to this profile. The originals were donated to the Library of Virginia in 2004 by Liz Edens Vermillion with the help of Virginia Refo Moody Family Papers, 1750-1881. Accession 40535, Personal Papers Collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.