Willis, Phebe Post. Letter to Isaac Post.

Title

Willis, Phebe Post. Letter to Isaac Post.

Creator

Willis, Phebe Post

Contributor

Post, Isaac, 1798-1872

Date

1839-08-25

Description

Handwritten letter from Phebe Post Willis to Isaac Post, August 25, 1839.

Is Part Of

Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Rights

The organization that has made the Item available believes that the Item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. The Item may not be in the Public Domain under the laws of other countries. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/

Identifier

526

Location

Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Transcription

(Page 1)

                                      Jericho 8^th Mo 25^th 1839

                   As Sarah has concluded to leave on 2^nd day I thought
          I would write a line to my dear brother and sister while
they are so sparing of their letters that if I were to judge by that I
might suppose it would scarcely be acceptable. when I write to Edmund
I often introduce subjects that I do not expect will interest him much
or rather which appear not ^to^ by his making no replies to or remarksing on
but I do not write solely with a view of amusing myself but with a wish
to interchange sentiments by reciprocal and mutual correspondence. Sister
Lydia desired me when I wrote to give a great deal of love to you and Edmund
adding she had got so old she did not write in these days or now
and I know not how soon I shall consider myself to have arived [sic] to that
state   I think perhaps she will feel less so after they get more settled --
Matilda has been much engaged lately in asisting [sic] her sister Sarah
for wedding which is now got throu [sic] with they were married last
fourth day and went to Jacob’s home at Bay Side on 5^th day Samu-
-el and I attended the marriage (Willet Hicks was there and preached)
which was consumated [sic] at the meeting house in the old way
many of the large gathering no doubt came for the express purpose
of witnessing a Quaker marriage Timothy Titus I thought spoke
well as also did John Plummer Cousin [Tim?] Chapman was there
and came home with us the next day at the close of our Mee-
ting information was given that Phebe Townsend was deceased
funeral to take place on 6^th day meet at the meeting house at
12 and at her home at 11 OClock you had likely heard of her illness
she has been sick all summer. Accompanied by Cousin Anna &
Sister Mary W. Henry and I went to Westbury meeting but not to
the house of the deseased [sic] spent the afternoon pleasantly at Isaac
Hicks’ – Some time since I walked down to see Mothe[r?] and found
I and P Haviland there after some conversation on other subjects
Mother Said Phebe dont the [sic] remember we heard Hannah P.
Whitson was satisfied with Priscilla Cadwalader on visiting
her yes said I remember having heard so well said she James says
it was not so she was not satisfied and dont thee know we heard
of her telling how her husband abused her yes said I well said she
James says it is thought not to be true but that she was un-
der the opperation [sic] of some stimulous [sic] when she made such state-
ments I then appealed to Phebe and Lydia who wer [sic] presen [sic] to know
whether Aunt Phebe thought she made such mistakes when she

(Page 2)

was with her no said they Aunt Phebe had a very good opinion of her
James then said I dont expect he could he could be call’d a kind husband &c
&c but I do not know that I do right to tell you any thing of this for
I should not [know] want them to know that I had written any
thing about it for but for Mother they would not have said any thing
to me on the subje[ct?] John and Mary were not at home
          We understand George Trueman staid [sic] behind the other com-
pany on a visit to T.M. Clintock did he stop at Rochester do you
take the Liberator when I read interesting documents in it it seems
pleasant to to suppose you enjoy the same and that Edmund also
enjoys the same. but I believe Rachel Hicks has got almost beyond
reading any thing not written by friends tho [sic] she still takes the
Liberator through the medium of brother Joseph’s subscription
On the subject of Slavery she appears to have taken a different
position since her visit last Year, and I really do not know
where or on what ground she does stand ^on that subject^ but she has become ex-
ceedingly opposed to friends uniting with others. Lucretia writes
that Lindly [Coats?] was at their house on his way to Albany (to
attend the late Convention) and said Aunt Lydia and C.C.
Burleigh dined at his house a few days before and [illegible] [Charels?]
altogether he thought he was about the best Man he knew one
who’s [sic] talents would ensure such success at the bar to give all up
and be satisfied to wait on a humble Quaker preacher in her little one
horse dearborn. In a letter from Edward Hopper he says Edward &
Maria with their little Anna are well except the latters has been
a little poorly and then adds “thou may imagine that it was delight-
ful to us all to see them they are in a great hurry to get their house
adjusted for Maria knows not at what hour the Son of Man (or
daughter as it may be) cometh” he further says Mothers health
has been better this Summer than last; tho [sic] by no means good.
Mother Willis has been quite poorly some days passt [sic] but ^is^ now
better she still prefers keeping house but is often from home
at Westbury ^or^ at Wheatly tho [sic] she does not feel so much like
being at Townsends as before they moved with the old people
Amy has a hard time having been without help some time &
I believe they find it difficult to keep help. It is concluded for
Lydia Post and Esther Rushmore to go to Weston boarding [schoo]
school in tenth month. Robert Post has had a fit about
a week since takin [sic] in the night you will likely recollect
hearing of his having one once before I suppose simelar [sic] he is
now said to be well but such turns seem rather alarming

(Page 3)

Edward Hopper writes – “John Scobb a man who was sent by the
good people of England to the West Indies as an agent to investigate
the practical working of immediate emancipation is now in our
City – Hearing of the intention to hold an Antislavery convention
in Albany he came from the W Indies to attend it – He has been
here a day or two and will in a week or two take passage for
England. Yesterday afternoon he met about 100 friends, or more
at Cherry Street Meeting and gave us [a] most cheering in-
teltellegence [sic] respecting the results of emancipation – And last
evening, Clarkson Hall was crowed [sic], he being there and en-
tertaining the company most delightfully – these occasio^ns^
were free from the usual formalities of common lecturers, as
as he desired every one of the company to put questions to him
relative to the subject to which to which he made most co-
pious and interesting replies” he has since sent us a paper
containing some account of that at Clarkson Hall which I
purpose sending for your perusaul [sic] having the title of
“the world” – – Next week or a week from tomorrow which will
be the first 2^nd day in 9^th Mo the Meeting for Suffering [obliterated]
meet at 11 OClock our Antislavery meeting at 3 in Samu[el]
Brown’s School room and the Indian committee at 7 in
the evening the latter I have no doubt will be very inter
esting but what there will be to make the Antislavery
meeting interesting I do not now see Lucretia writes
their friends society have prepared an address for us &
that she hopes the corrispondance [sic] will be kept up but
the aspect of affairs relating to that subject is so differen [sic] in
Philadelphia from NYork in the latter the number is so
very small and they very inefficient compared with that
of the former where there ^are^ so many young people who have
taken a such deep hold of the subject and besides their Yearly
meetings committee have set out in earnest, the Address of
the committee prepared by Dr Parrish is very good tho [sic] E [Hopp?]
says the force and beauty are diminished by the alterations
of the committee he says “many members however seem fear-
ful and causious [sic] and a few (excuse my plain speech [sic]) seem
to ‘possed [sic] of the Devil’ and are disposed to do every thing in
their power to impede the progress of the cause but such will

(Page 4)

have to give way to the truth as the majority are determin
ed to go ahead – and none more so than Dr Parrish him-
self we have reason to think that the whole compass of our
Yearly Meeting is awakening to the subject and that ere
long we may hope for fruits” We have a copy of the report
above alluded to which I have thought of sending for your
perusal but thinking George Trueman may have [straid?]
some amongst You I will keep it for the present
NB much love to all         with sincere affection I subscribe
[bring?] the children with you                                  PP Will

[[Text in center of page, running upward]

Isaac Post
          Rochester
          Monroe County
                   NY

I regret having ^had^ so little of Sarah s company but she seems
fixed on leaving us tomorrow morning she leaves I believe with
a prospect of soon seeing you. and I am expecting so soon
to see you that it seems scarcely worth while for me to
write Catharin [sic] hopes Edmund will not come untill [sic] she
gets home our school is very small and the Teacher now
boards here has been to meeting to day and came home en-
tirely satisfied with having had a silent Meeting altho [sic] at first
it seemed so strange to her she appeard [sic] to think there was none
to show us any good but her views appear to have undergone a change

Collection

D.93 Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Citation

Willis, Phebe Post, “Willis, Phebe Post. Letter to Isaac Post.,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed January 30, 2025, https://rbscpexhibits.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/2825.

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