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Our Family Genealogy Pages

1825 Letter
from Lydia (Stanton) Spicer

[Transcription of an 1825 letter sent to Joanna (Stanton) Fish (in
Brooklyn, Ohio) from her sister, Lydia (Stanton) Spicer of North Stonington,
Connecticut.  We've tried to retain the original spelling, but there
was no punctuation, so that has been added to aid the modern reader.
Another convention of the time was to capitalize all words that
began a new line, but not necessarily words that began a new
sentence. The original images may be viewed in the DOCUMENTS
area.]

------------PAGE ONE ----------------

North Stonington
September 21, 1825

Dear sister
I once more set myself down with penn in hand to wright to one whom
I esteem allthough a long absent sister yet I think I can say allthough out of
sight yet you are knot out of my mind  I often meditate on those hours
we have spent together yet may I not say months but I had most allusion
to the time you lived at Groton insight of where I live but it is no consolation
to me to see that house I often gaze at it.  I told Eldredge the other day I thought
__ __________ ________ me it appears so to me it is a month to (?) day since I moved.
I live in a new house near Eldredge's fathers.  it is to the westward of theirs
on the hill where the wind will have a fare rake.  it is a one storee
double house, two square rooms, two bed rooms, two closets, entry porch. the
under floors are all laid and partition up.  we expect to have one half of it
plastered this fall.  it is large enough for our family.  I do not expect we shall
take in _____ family very soon.  although I expect to be some lonesome as I expect
Eldredge to go to the southard this fall.  it seems they are gone most all the while.
they are from home about 8 months out of 12.  that seems a great while.
I think some of having a girl to live with me.  the neighbors I believe are well
in general.  they are all well to Eldredge fathers.  they were married a year
ago last month.  I suppose you heard she has a great boy about 2 months old.  they
think there is none such as it appears he is going to be ____ her fathers in that
hawse where Thomas Parks lived when ___ _____ _______________ going to build
an addition to it.  Joanna it seems as if our lot ___ _______________ Groton.   Lodowick
has moved in this hawse although knot in this neighborhood _______ that it was.  it is about
6 miles from here.  it is about two months since I saw them. I have been looking for them.
Heri (here?). this same time they were all well then.  Hannah is ______ble better than
I once thought she ever would have been when she was so sick she has some turns of
distress in her side much like the turns she had then when she works to hard though not
so severe she has had a daughter she was born the 8th of January last.  she is a nice fat child and
I fear they will place their affections to much on her especially Lodowick he makes more of her
than boths his boys.  they call her Hannah Elizabeth.  the other children are well or was
when I saw them.  Albertus is pretty rugged but John is rather _________.  they moved down last spring.
it is about two miles from ___ Miners on Daniel Parkers farm.  I think Hannah would
be glad of the opportunity of wrighting if she could get it here.  she has got your last letter you sent
by Simeon Chester.  we received it with pleasure.  I hope you will rember (remember) it and not put it off longer
than next summer.  that Providence may permit your life and health and those of your
family untill we shall meet again, but if providence should other mays determine that
we should never meet again here or that I may be prepared to meet with you
in a world of happiness when parting will be felt no more. 


	(note:  Hannah is Hannah Stanton wife of Lodowick Stanton .  
	        Hannah is Joanna's other sister.)

------------PAGE TWO ----------------


I have manny a dark(?) hours to pass through.  I am some times allmost ready to go give
up my hope but have again at times.  theres something it seams I do not feel willing to
part with.  I am __ poor failable nature(?) I think sometimes if I had as great an
evidence(?) as I think you have of your adoption I should knot have so manny
fears as I have. perhaps they are all for the best I think they they are sometimes.
I don't never expect so great evidences as some. the nearer a person lives to the ____
I believe the brighter the way will appear. I have benn looking for something great
in times that are past but I think I feel willing now to be a small christian if
I have the evidence that I am one I will inform you of the affirmation in the ______
the year past there was about 30 added to the church.  I heard Elder Miner say he
thought there was as manny more that had obtained a hope that never had ______
anny church around in that neighbourhood and of them he had had conversation
with.  the work was very powerful.  for some time the meetings were sollom (solemn)
when there would be 100 on rising at uppon their bended knees a crying for mercy
and beggin the prayers of the christian but it is to be lamented that there is so much
coldness and declention (dissention?) amongst them.  it is to be feared they have left their first love.
They were mostly children from 7 years old to 14.  there was some aged people. one
man in particular was about 60.  the children appeared to verry faithful. the boys
____ ____ together once a week they preyed and sung for some time.  their meetings contin
nued.  I have heard from home once since I moved.  father and mother were well then.
uncle Joshua S was ___ then.  he has benn down some time.  he is as well as can be 
expected for him.  _____ some poor turns.  he is an old man.  Aunt Hannah ________


	[note:  Not sure who Aunt Hannah could be.  There is a Hannah (Stanton) Loomis that would be her 
	aunt, but the end of the line where it seems to give her last name doesn't look like Loomis.  Looks 
	more like Fuller or Telham.]


Lummice is down _____ lives with her son when she is at home.  ______  Lummice he 


	[note: this might be LOOMIS she speaks of.  William Stanton, the letter writer's uncle, was married 
	 to a Loomis given name unknown]


married Pol____ ___________ Lucy ann the eldest girl. she was about 13 years old he
made out rather ____________ ____ _____ me from home last summer.  Hannah Tilotson
was well then she __________ children one of them is dead.  she had a pair of twins.  I think
it was one of them.  ________  Hixcox was well.  the last I heard from her
her fathers folks ___leters from her. she has had another girl.  she calls her Lousania(?) she
weighed a pound and a half when she was born I believe they did not dress her at first
she was so small but _____ groes smartly now.  they said a tea cup would cover its face. Samuel
Hiscox was off last spring.  they were all well at Amos Stantons when I moved.  Fanny lives there


	[note:  the Amos Stanton she speaks of MIGHT be the twin brother of Susannah (Stanton) Hiscox]


yet and Eunice to. she is married to Spicer Stanton.  they were married the 9 of last March.
Spicer talks of going in to the country this fall.  he talks of buying some land.  I don't know
the name of the place. I think it is on beyond Shemango(?).  I told Eunice when she got
started she better keep on and go where you live. she said she should like to. she thought she
worked out by the months this season to Stephen Smith. Mrs Smith is knot very well.
she had another child last summer.  Filis(?) lives there yet.  Hannah Bently lives near her
father where she goes back and forth every day. she was tolerable well and Sephrona ___
She has but one child.  Aunt Martha Stanton was well and her children that lives 
at home.  Eunice and Eliza works out.  Eliza was sick.  she had the liver complaint.  she was
Salavated when I moved their mother.  proceed much after ___ old ___ she groes worse. I
think Spicer, Eliza, Eunice has joined the church.  Marry Stillman was well.  she lives in a 


	[note:  Aunt Martha Stanton is Martha Davis married to Henry Stanton.
	Henry is Lydia's (the letter writer's) uncle (brother of her father 
	John).  Spicer, Eliza, and Eunice are three of their 10 children.
	Not sure WHO Fanny and Eunice are (apparently not the same Eunice as
	above), but one of them married Spicer.  The sentence is sort of ambiguous
	on exactly which of them became his wife.]


new house where the Davisen house used to stand.  Mrs Maxon was well.  Eunice was married 
to Mr. Stantons.  they made a wedding there.  she found some things.  Levi F. and his wife was


	[note:  last sentence could also read as "Levi found his wife was"]


down. she said i must give her respects to you when I wrote. I have heard from them
since they were all well. I saw them last June to the association 
it was to Elder Jonathan Miners M


------------PAGE THREE ----------------


It is appointed to be at  Elder Burrows  next year.  You must come down then 
if you can. You wrote you thought of staying a year when you come .  
And if that was longer than Father and Mother wanted to keep you 
they must wright back and would alter your calculations.  Father said I must 
give his respects to you and tell you you need knot be afraid of being burdensome to 
stay so long. he should be glad  to have you stay as long as you would be conted (content?).  he said 
you must come as soon as you you could make it conveinent.  Rebecca Main is 
quite unwell.  she has turns of the cramp in the stomach .  they think sometimes she is dying . 
I heard from her about 6 weeks ago . I beleive she does not have them so often. Aunt Lacretia 
was tolerable well for her.  Henry Stanton came home last winter.  he brought his wife 
with him.  He married her in virginia.  They came on here in December. he staied 3 weeks 
then got a passage and went to the southward and left his wife to his mothers.  
her name is Elener Finney.  she appeared to be a very dower woman although 
rather ignorant as to reading and rather different in her talk .  perhaps not more so 
than the people where she lived .  she was an orphan ____ girl.  she lived with one of her 
Aunts. she had a child but it was born the 1 day of March .  it died the 7 of the same 
Month.  it was a boy . she called it Henry. it was a nice child .  it was taken very sever(?) 
and mortified Elener was thought then to be getting along as well 
as a Common women in her circumstance but she was then very poor as I suppose I thought. 
So then she continued to go poor and the 13 of the same month she died. she had the Dr 
two or 3 times but he could not save her life.  she had the child but fell ______  took a sudden cold as  
It was supposed by someones conduct of the family.  I used to _________ in her sickness she appeared 
to be as patient as I ever saw anyone.  it was a sollom  sircums________(tance?) indeed from the 1 day 
of March to the 13 there was one birth, two deaths and a marriage ___________   I thought that 
Made it came more sollom.  They wrote to henry . I heard  he said _________  the letter hard. 
it is my fate they were looking for him home in a few weeks _____________  she died she said 
she wished Henry would come . She  was a  fear (?) ________ all our friends 
And acquaintance I never had anny boddys death strike ______ my life one thing 
I suppose made it seame harder was I never said  any ___________ her about dying.  
we were in hopes she would get well but a life and health is th_________  be to warn our friends 
we may look back when they are dead and gone and think ________ I could have one hour 
or a few moments oppertunity with them but when the g_______ messenger death is sent 
we must go whether prepared or not but still I have some hope that she is better off than 
to be in this troublesome world.  by the feelings I have had and the evidence others have 
gained. O Joanna if I could see you I could tell you more about all though I have wrighten 
so much.  Henry seams to be unfortinate.  he has lost all his property. he was robbed. he 
was keeping store.  they came a number and broke in and took to the amount of 100 
dollars in monney and goods and ________ of the rest he spent in the law but did knot 
get any thing of them.  he has been at home since his wife died about 6 weeks after . 
I expect her took it verry hard at first.  he told  father  he  did but he condemed death was what 
we muyst all pass through.  he had a verry ill turn himslef on his passage home. he 
said he did not expect to live. father asked him if he felt it could have been well with him 
if he had died . he said he did but then he got some better and he has gone again up from the weather.  
I expect he will spend his days so well I must cease _________ and all that have mentioned and 
hopping that those afflicai___ may be short lived to him.  I have a great deal  but come 
short of  answering my  _________ knot _____ gift to ending.  
I am at present favoured with health and those of my family are thought to be  thankful.  
I hope you fare the same . You must not wonder at my ___________ I have held 
William and he is well and groes some.  He is knot so fleshy _________ he has gained 
since he walks alone. he was about 13 months old . I weened him about 14 m. he is now over 17 
months . he talks some.  I should be glad to see all of yours.  you must bring 
them with you. you must wright every opportunity. give my respects to Ebenezer



------------PAGE FOUR ----------------


Mother Spicer sends her respects to you. Eldredge sends his respects to you both.  you must 
not think haard that Father don't wright no oftener.  he has a good deal to see to and it is considerable 
of a job for him to wright all though I expect he could rather oftener if he thought. so tell Ebenezer 
I should be glad to have him come if he can be contented to stay long enough and knot be a hurring 
back to work.  I suppose them great trees would be before his eyes.  I wished we had some of them 
here. O Joanna I sometimes all most wish I was there with you. I think if I could have Father and mother 
Lodowick and hannah I should be willing to go but Eldridge dont seem to have much mind to go.  he can't 
leave the water.  by this time you are ready to say well I had to leave my friends but dont think that would 
keep me if I had as much to begin with as you had when I got there.  I must close with adding of love to 
you both. when this you see remember me.   Lydia Spicer, Groton September. 

Joanna Fish, Ebenezer Fish give my respects to your children E A, LE, M M, 
Give my respects to Moses Fish  has met with a loss . I felt for him . 
he has a number of small children who needs the care of a mother.  
I hope they will all be provided for.  give my love to Daniel and his wife.  
You will see Evalina & she will tell you about the 3 transactions here.  
I hate to have her go.


  
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