Lancaster-Northumberland County Virginia USGenWeb Archives History - Letters .....Four Letters Of Margaret Meredith Palmer To Thomas Meredith ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Susan Clark nolichuckyroots@gmail.com March 26, 2010, 12:53 pm Clifton November 10th 1848 My dear Uncle I received the Balance of the money $8 and Mr Murphy’s receipt by the last Boat. I had just received a notice from him requesting the payment of the subscription due on the magazine shortly after sending the money to you and am very much obli- ged to you for attending to it for me. Mr Gres- ham goes to Baltimore this evening and he will hand you my letters. I wish your advice dear Uncle relative to my becoming Guardian for the Children, in the event of my doing so. I shall have to go to the C H and qualify as Guardian Give a Bond for $8000 with good security and take an oath. Must I do it and on a Protestant Bible? I am totally ignorant of such things and therefore request you to advise me. I thought at first I would ask Brother Thomas to be their Guardian, but there is no certainty of his remaining in Virginia long, and I should object to any one, not entering into my views regarding their attendance at Catholic schools, when they arrive at a proper age to be sent to school. Mr Gresham will explain all to you I suppose. If I am their Guardian I shall have to rent their part of the farm which is 2/3 and hire their servants, and they will be charged board as much as the Court [page two] will allow. Will you be kind to write by the re -turn Boat and tell me what you think is Best for me to do. Dear Uncle accept my sincere wishes for your good health and prosperity. I remain your affectionate Niece M M Palmer Clifton Nov 30th 1848 My dear Uncle I intended writing to you by the last Boat but thought I would still take more time to reflect on the important business which has of late much inter ested and absorbed my thoughts. I wrote you that I would become Guardian for my children because I thought from your letter that you rather recommend ed it to me than otherwise. But on the Friday follow ing the receipt of your kind letter Brother Thomas came down to see us and I gave him your letter to read and it was his opinion that you did not advise my acceptance of the Guardianship. He also mentioned the great responsibility and trouble that attended the management of the business and it made me very sorry that I had been so hasty in writing to you. He advised with Mr Kelly for me and he thought that it would be best for Mr Gresham to take it now and that he could resign it to me when the estate was settled up. Col Hall is a very good man at business and I had some idea of asking him to take the Guardianship. He or Mr Gresham I should prefer to any one in the County. The Administrator ought to be better ac quainted with the affairs of the estate than anyone else and I should suppose would be the proper per son to become Guardian for the Children. My dear [page two] Uncle please write by the next boat if Possible and tell me what is best for me to do. If you think I can manage the business and advise me thereto please send your bond as the Monday follow ing will be the Northumberland Court and the matter must be arranged on that day for the amount mentioned in your letter, brother James also told me that he would be security for $2000 and that I must get some one to join in the bond for the other $2000. But I dread it very much and would much rather some one else would take it who is capa- ble of managing it better than myself. When I wrote to you dear Uncle I had seen no one to advise with and consequently knew nothing scarcely of the mighty responsibility resting on a Guar- dian. Please write and let me know whether you approve of Mr Gresham or Col Hall. I know not what to do I have recommended it in my prayers and wish the will of God to be done. Most glad ly will I take any advice that your kindness will impart. Do dear Uncle pray for me and my dear children. Tell my dear Aunty that I have not time to write to her now Give her my dearest love as also the childrens. Your most sincerely grateful Niece M M Palmer Clifton March 9th 1849 My dear Uncle Having learned that the Mary Wash ington has come from Baltimore to Fredericksburg I write this evening on her return. I have not yet received my groceries though I have been informed the vessle has arrived. Brother Thomas will go to Baltimore next Boat I expect, by that time I shall perhaps have received the groceries and the Bill of them and shall send the mon ey by him. I am anxious to go to Baltimore this spring to make my Easter but if I go when Brother Thomas goes I shall not be able to stay so long and must give up the pleasure of his company and protection. Please be so kind as to tell me when would be the best time for me to come and make my Easter. I am now getting out my corn to ship but do not know what to do secondly, it is slow. William will write this af ternoon to Mc Conkey and Co to get some information respecting the state of the market I thought that was the wisest plan, and shall not ship until I hear from him. Cousin William Pullin has lost his wife and Cousin Joseph Shearman has been very ill with Pleurisy but is better. There have been a great many deaths this winter. The measles are very preva lent and are all around us, they are in the school at Kilmarnock. Dear Uncle will you be kind enough to get me a few garden seed, viz 1 quart of Early Peas 1 paper of Early York Cabbage seed and 1 of Drumhead cabbage [page two] and 2 of Cucumber early green cluster. Please send by Arthur and I will pay him for his trouble. Please Write my dear Uncle and Enclose the Bill. I want a bushel of Mercer [sp?] potatoes for seed, but perhaps it will be better to send by a vessle. We have had a great deal of rainy weather and there is prospect of snow. Give my dearest love to Aunty also Willie and the chil dren send theirs. Molly is 5 years old to day. I hope to have the pleasure of hearing from you and dear Aunty next Boat. Pray for me kind Uncle and for him to whom you were so kind while living during this holy season of fasting and prayer. Your most sincere and affect niece M M Palmer Clifton March 16th 1849 My dear Uncle I received your letter per M Washington also the garden seeds bill inclosed for which accept my grateful thanks. Yesterday I received your letter from Capt George together with the Groceries I sent for and feel very grateful dear Uncle for your kindness in purchasing for me the groceries and advancing the money I write now by Capt Miller who has on board of his vessle 800 bushels of corn for me to be delivered to McConkey & Co. I have kept some hoping it may im- prove in price and have desired them to hand over the money to you (the nett proceeds of the corn.) I was exceedingly sorry to hear dear Aunty had such a bad cold and am truly glad she is getting over it. I hope she will take good care of herself. I shall be very glad to attend a retreat if it is the will of Almighty God and shall be glad if dear Aunty will write if she hears it time enough. Brother Thomas will not go until next Friday. Dear Uncle you will pay yourself for the Gro- ceries and seed and be kind enough to get me a few necessary articles 5 gallons molasses (Demijohn sent) 3 tubs 1 of them a large mashing tub 1 hair sifter, 1 good corn broom 1 hair broom long handle 1 bushel Mercer potatoes (bag sent) 2 gallons Gas tar (Jug sent) $1.00 worth of Cranberries 1 lb of hops (white) [page two] You will also pay for the articles mentioned out of the corn money. Dear Uncle I give you a great deal of trouble I fear but I assure you I am deeply sen sible of your kindness and shall ever be grateful for the lively interest you take in my welfare and that of my two dear children. Johnny has been quite sick for two days but I hope the little fellow will miss his chills now. I am quite unwell with a dreadful cold. Willie and Molly are well. Dear Uncle you will please give brother Thomas the balance of the money to bring down with him and I shall immediately pay Mr Kelly as much of it as I can possibly spare He took in my bond from Mr Gresham for $500. Dear Uncle I hope you will have patience with me for I fear I shall not be able to pay you anything this year. Give my very best love to dear Aunty and Willie an the children also join in love to you both. Dear Uncle I remain your affectionate Niece Margaret M Palmer Additional Comments: Transcription of four letters from Margaret Meredith Palmer (1822/3-1889) living at Clifton, near Kilmarnock, Virginia to her uncle, Thomas Meredith, a merchant in Baltimore. The letters are part of the Thomas Meredith Papers (MS1795, Box 2, Folder 3) owned by the Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore, Maryland and are posted here with its permission. Spelling and formatting were retained from the original letters. The letters were written in 1848 & 1849 after the death of her husband, James Palmer. They deal with her concerns regarding the guardianship of her children, allude to the complications of being Catholic in Virginia and estate business. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/lancaster/history/letters/fourlett342gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/vafiles/ File size: 9.7 Kb