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

1844 ?-12-11

Description

Handwritten letter from Phebe Post Willis to Isaac Post, December 11, 1844?

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

623

Location

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

Transcription

(Page 1)

[Text normal]
My dear Brother
We yester ^day^ attended the funeral of cousin Amy
Titus who has for many months been very poorly and many
times thought to be near her end a large meeting at the
house, for the first time we heard cousin Anna W. not a
very energetic speaker but what she said was good, as she
took her seat Joshua Kimber rose said not a great deal but
spoke well next to him cam John Wood in a still ^of orthodoxy^ that
could not be mistaken, for Huldo Haag said she thought
he was sound on the atonement, she seemed quite disgust
ed with ^him for^ speaking in the way he did when so many of us were pres
ent he was on his feet three times and loud and long he
spoke, after him ^Aunt^ Phebe Rushmore, and last of all cousin Thomas
Rachel Hicks and all our folks [all] silent, After Meeting
we went to brother Joseph’s and O how I missed mother
even more than I expected it seemed so desolate there
as I have hardly even been there before when she was not,
it seems as ^if^ there must yet be the place of attraction and
there the rallying point, Mother’s will which was written
soon after our dear sister’s death was unsealed opened
and read, Stephen Rushmore and Edmund being present
it is likely mother has told thee how she had disposed of
her property and that it will not be new to thee when I
tell thee she has given $500 to Stephen and Edmund Rush-
more and the residue ^of her estate^ to PP Willis, brother Joseph says she has
placed some money in his hands to be divided between him
self and thee, it was Mother’s desire that her will should
not be proved what dost thou say to it or what is thy judge
ment in the case Henry says the legacies will be paid[t]
without proving the will, Far very far pleasanter would
it have been to me if father had have given his property
in such way as that mother could in justice have di-
vided her property equally between her children how much
more satisfactory it would have been from begining [sic] to end
and I think now in justice that brother Joseph ought
to give all the [illegible] money Mother has left in his hands to

(Page 1)

[Text sideways in top margin]
All well at
Brother Johns
mother and
Sister
Mary went
with is
to the
funeral
they stoped [sic] [t]
at Aunt
Phebe
Powells
2^nd day
morning
fine and bright
killing logs at
brother Johns
weathe [sic] cold
it is now
two weeks
since we
went though
with that
job it is
very pleasant
to have got
through with
it I suppose
you have some thing
of the kind
to go throu’
with at
your coun-
try seat
Catherines
eyes are so weak
that she
cannot
read at
all and
she now
sits with
a screne [sic] be
fore her to
not the light
of but the fire
he think if she foes to NYork change of air
bright [sic] be a benefit

[Text upside-down]
how is Mary since
she got home

(Page 2)

thee and I hope he will have the magnanimity to do it
Mother has appointed Brother Joseph and Samuel Willis her
executors, Brother Joseph thinks it will not be necessary to
prove the will, Stephen Rushmore said he was entirely
satisfied with what they have that it was quite as much
as he expected. Poor cousin Mary Titus is in a tried
state of mind having heard her son Stephen is very ill
and his recovery doubted that the Drs have desided [sic] he has an
absess [sic] in his side which renders his case very critical
they wait anxiously to hear again it is now expected Elizabeth
Willets with her children will move over to her grandmothers
in the course of a few weeks. – I think Edmund must
have forgotten to tell us whether William and Mary had
got home or any thing relating to their visit in pennsylva
-nia I conclude they had been at home some time and
that he did not think but that we had heard of their
return, – – Joseph does not much like going to school but
I hope he will get along very well his health is very good
has not had even a cold since he has been here nor been
the least homesick but he does look with some [with some]
interest towards that new farm particularly since he has
heard you were about moving on it; he said to me this
afternoon Aunt Phebe I think it is the best thing to keep
trying to improve, I do not think it is possible for a
boy to feel himself more at home than he does here every
way we have to speak and talk very plain to him some
times but he does not appear to love us any the less
on the contrary I have thought it appears to increas [sic]
his attachment, I hope the time past [has] ^here^ may afford a
pleasant reflection in after life [she] ^should^ he live to grow up
we took him with us yesterday in [order] to make a visit
to his Aunt Elizabeth Mott he got in and went home
with his Uncles James he profess’d not to want to go but
we thought as there was no school it would be a good
time and we did not know when another opportunity would
occur, we came home before dark and his Uncle Henry had
him to drive I thought he seemed pleased with his visit

(Page 3)

and asked him if he was not glad he went no he said he
wished he had staied [sic] at home. we wanted him to go to Meeting
today but he was so unwilling and we had him go yesterday
against his will we allowed him to stay; this afternoon
Isaac went to take Han Wrightour [matanmaker?] to Robert
Seamans and I went to cousin T Willis’s while they were
gone Joseph then wanted to go very much but I told
him as Samuel was from home and his Uncle Henry
was a lone I wanted him to stay to assist him he
insisted on it that Uncle Henry did not want him
he made me smile when he said we were so con
trary that when he did not want to ^go^ we made him
go and when he wanted to [stay and when he would]
to go we would not let him, he is talking of writing
to you himself and I am in hopes he will soon do so
accounts from Anna Willis are more favourable but they
have no prospect of having her come home at present
she appears to be entirely satisfied with being there thinks
it best, We had a visit from Charles Post and wife with
her sister and his sister Maria Amelia seems like
an unassuming nice girl. Catharin [sic] has not been able
to go to meeting since Edmund was here or scarcely to
ride out at all but she feels as if she wanted go to
New York and try what a little change or air may do and
to see Mary Miller who has been so benefited by magnatism [sic] that
her powers of walking are restored, she must seem almost like a
new creture [sic] after being unable to walk for years. I expect her
character is familiar to you by our allusions to her when at
Dr Brewsters with Catharine. – Jordan Underhill and Hannah
Willets were married last week and altho’ both members they
went to New York and were married by the Mayor what a pitty [sic]
when there seemed no excuse for there [sic] thus proceeding and
must now be araigned [sic] before the meeting according to decipline [sic]
Phebe Ketcham about three perhaps near four weeks since by im
prudently lifted a heavy table and hurt her back so that
she has not been able to do much since or not to be about
house I believe she has done some sitting work and thinks
now she is getting better I suppos [sic] she heard from Thommas

[Text sideways in left margin]
now and then

(Page 4)

In a letter from James Mott Philadelphia he says Lucretia and her
daughters are basely employed preparing Elizabeth for Marriage with
Thomas Cavender which is expected to take place some time in
1845 and that he will guarentee [sic] us an invitation [us an invitation]
to the wedding if we will go. he further says there [sic] Quarterly Meeting
has appointed a committee to attend ^or visit^ all the meetings belonging [to it?]
Lucretia and himself are on the committee but that Lucretia does
not incline to do much out of the City that he expected to go the next 5^th
day with George Trueman ^to Radnor^ he adds the concern was principly on ac-
count of deficiencies in the attendance of meetings which has been
a complaint as long as he can remember and he presumes much longer
and will be the case untill [sic] meetings are made more interesting
by allowing free scope to free spirits. He writes Eliza Garnell’s youngest
son was lately married in Church by his brother Thomas that their children
witness’d the cerremony [sic] and that they were all at the entertainment in
the evening, You no boubt [sic] have seen in the Liberator that NBarney
has gone to Madaira [sic] in persuit [sic] of health, we want to hear from
you particularly since your change of residence all we have heard
in relation to ^it^ is that Edmund wrote that a load of goods had been that
day sent out there and that he supposed the next time he visitd [sic]
Uncle Isaac’s it would be on the farm or words to that effect
when I mentioned it to Mother Kirby she said she had hoped
you [had hoped you] would not move there I told ^her^ perhaps you might
have found it necessary to go there in order to take care of things there even
if you sold the place soon and moved back [soon] I feel as
if I should like to see you out there very much I seem to
remember about the spot but not distinctly cannot recollect
in relation to the size of the house or general appearance I
have no doubt but on some accounts Sister Amy will like it better
and on others not so well how thou will manage about being
there and at the store I do not know I suppose Sarah & Mary
have assisted sister Amy in the much she has had to do in moving

[Text sideways in right margin]
and getting things adjusted we all join
in love unfaigned [sic] to you all as if namd [sic]
do try to watch for an opportunity &
to leave and visit us I do want to see
you very much – your very affection-
ate sister               PP Willis

[Text upside down, bottom of page]
Remember it is long since thou and sister Amy have written us

[Text sideways, center of page]
Single                            18¾
         Isaac Post
                  Rochester
                     Monroe Co
                           New York

[Text sideways, center of page]
Hemp^d NY
         Dec 11^th

Tags

Family

Collection

D.93 Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Citation

Willis, Phebe Post, “Willis, Phebe Post. Letter to Isaac Post.,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed November 22, 2024, https://rbscpexhibits.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/2915.

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