Ernest William Bowditch to "Heirs of Joseph H. Bowditch," 15 September 1900
[From Ernest William Bowditch in Boston, Massachusetts, to "the Heirs of Joseph H. Bowditch" in Micaville, North Carolina. He says he saw a note about the death of Joseph H. Bowditch, and asks for information on the family, and whether or not they have any items handed down in the family.
Ernest W. Bowditch was a third cousin to Georgiana Bowditch.
The letter was typewritten, and without an envelope. In the upper left is the printed letterhead
Ernest W. Bowditch
60 Devonshire St., Boston
717 Hickox Bldg., Cleveland
Along the left side of the paper, printed in red, is "Address all business communications to Ernest W. Bowditch."]
Boston, Mass., 15 September, 1900.
To the Heirs of Joseph H. Bowditch,
Micaville,
Yancy County,
North Carolina
I notice, in the Transcript of August 27th, a memorandum of the death of Joseph H. Bowditch1 in his eighty-third year, a native of Salem and a cousin of Dr. N. Bowditch,2 which I suppose refers to my grandfather, Dr. Nathaniel Bowditch who died in 1838.
I am somewhat interested in family matters and should be glad to know just what branch of the family you belong to, going back perhaps as far as Ebenezer or Joseph Bowditch and later, I will get you to give me more particulars so that I can put them on a family chart.
I should also be glad to know whether you have any old family Bibles, furniture, silver or letters. If so, how far back they date? There are several of them that I have not been able to locate and I should be glad to know where they are, perhaps with a view to acquiring them.
Yours very truly,
Ernest W. Bowditch3
- Joseph Henry Bowditch (1818-1900), Ernest's 2nd cousin once removed, Georgiana's father
- Nathaniel Bowditch (1773-1838), Ernest's grandfather, Georgiana's 1st cousin twice removed. He was a famous mathematician, and author of The American Practical Navigator, still in use today. See Nathaniel Bowditch.
- Ernest William Bowditch (1850-1918), Georgiana's 3rd cousin