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Letters by Sarah Darlington

Sarah Painter Darlington (1825-1881)

Sarah Painter Darlington (she went by the name Sallie), daughter of Dr. William Darlington and Catharine Lacey, was born 7 September 1825. She never married, and died 19 February 1881. Her father was a well-known physician, botanist, and politician from Chester Co., Pennsylvania. He served in the U. S. House of Representatives from 1815-1817 and 1819-1823. He was also President of the Bank of Chester from 1830 until his death in 1863.

Sallie came to Tarboro, North Carolina, in response to an ad for an organist in Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch's church, and roomed with Elizabeth's family for two winters (as stated in the letter of 27 December 1870). From the first two letters, this must have been the winters of 1854-55 and 1855-56.

She moved to Faribault, Minnesota, for her health in 1863, and became the first principal of Saint Mary's Hall, a school for girls opened by Bishop Henry Whipple on 1 November 1866 with 33 pupils and 3 teachers. She held the position, except for one year, until her death in 1881. She was "thoroughly identified with the interests of the school, pure of heart, gentle by impulse, refined by nature, superior in intellect, upright in example, and diligent in all things."1

In the time she spent in Tarboro she and Elizabeth must have become very close friends. Elizabeth's sixth child Frederick, born in 1859, was given the middle name Darlington. There is no evidence that they ever met again in person, but their correspondence lasted many years.

These letters are generally in very good condition, and fairly easy to read.

  • 20 September 1854. She responds to an ad in the New York Daily Times for an organist for a church in the south; asks where the church is and the name of the pastor; and describes her qualifications and provides references. [Transcription]
  • 24 June 1855. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. She expresses her grief and sends consolations on the death of Elizabeth's son George Abbot Bowditch; says her health has improved; invites Elizabeth to come north, and bring Georgiana, to spend August with her; and says she plans to visit Philadelphia for a few days, then an uncle in New Jersey. [Transcription]
  • 1856. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. She mentions sister Kate making a dress; talks about an annual meeting at the "Institute," with over 200 teachers attending, and Professors from all over at their house; says her sister-in-law and god-daughter visited; and mentions and asks about some friends in Tarboro. [Transcription]
  • 1858. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. She asks about and sends love to Elizabeth's family and various friends in Tarboro, and says she had been dreading the winter after her fingers had been frosted the previous year, but hasn't had a problem. [Transcription]
  • 30 June 1860. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. She expresses her joy in getting a letter from Elizabeth after three years, and apologizes for not writing to her; congratulates her on her many children, and thanks her for giving her latest the middle name Darlington; says she's glad her husband will be "putting his farming views into practice," and says she and her father aren't very qualified to give advice on planning a house; comments about news Elizabeth told her about various people in Tarboro; updates Elizabeth on her family; and says she's in good health, and is working as a teacher, teaching older students (16-36) who are themselves either becoming teachers or already working as teachers. [Transcription]
  • 4 August 1860. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. She responds to Elizabeth's questions about the possibility of her daughter Georgiana attending Sallie's school in West Chester. [Transcription]
  • 29 August 1860. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. She responds to more of Elizabeth's questions about the possibility of her daughter Georgiana attending Sallie's school in West Chester, in particular about the costs and clothing she should have; approves of Elizabeth not sending Georgiana until the following spring, after the "break up there" (when they moved to Yancey Co.); talks a bit about the girl from Massachusetts (Miss Cutter) who stayed with her last winter; and asks about various friends in Tarboro. [Transcription]
  • 3 October 1860. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. She responds in detail to more of Elizabeth's questions about the clothing Georgiana should have if she were to attend Sallie's school; and says she intends leaving in a few days for a four week vacation in Philadelphia. [Transcription]
  • 10 December 1860. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. She sends a pattern for a Zouave jacket, and describes how it is worn; mentions Elizabeth's future home [in Yancey Co.], and wonders it it is wise to send Georgiana to West Chester, with "a great deal of society," then back to the "quiet, retired life of a plantation"; and says their school is flourishing. [Transcription]
  • 16 March 1861. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. She agrees with Elizabeth's decision not to send Georgiana north to school, due to their move and all the unrest in the country (the impending Civil War); talks about various friends in Tarboro; and mentions she was thinking of going to Europe in May, but probably wouldn't. [Transcription]
  • 15 May 1866. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. She responds to first letter from Elizabeth since the start of the Civil War; tells about her father's death, and her brother (William) and sister Kate's activities during the war; talks about her move to Faribault and her teaching at a school there; responds to Elizabeth's questions apparently about the education of one of her sons, probably John who was then age 10; and mentions the marriages of a couple family members. [Transcription]
  • 3 December 1866. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. She describes the opening of her school (St. Mary's Hall); talks about how she heard news about Elizabeth's family through her (Sallie's) sister Kate, who was Director of a hospital with some patients who were war prisoners from North Carolina; and reminisces about her time in Tarboro. [Transcription]
  • 2 June 1867. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. She says she intends to take the following school year off from teaching, mostly due to her health, going to St. Peter, Minnesota, then possibly east; mentions Elizabeth's possible return to Tarboro; and encloses her photograph. [Transcription]
  • 22 April 1868. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. She says she did not take a year off from teaching as she had planned, although she did spend some time in St. Peter, but that she would not return next year, apparently planning on going back home to West Chester, Pennsylvania; describes the bitterly cold weather, and snow; asks about various old friends in Tarboro; and asks how she would be received there, as a northerner, after the Civil War. [Transcription]
  • 1868. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. She talks about educating children, up to age 12, and after. [Transcription]
  • 12 December 1868. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. She talks about her niece, who is studying at her school to be a teacher, and asks Elizabeth if there might be a teaching position for her at Mrs. Owen's school in Tarboro. [Transcription]
  • 17 May 1869. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. She tells Elizabeth her brother wouldn't consent to her niece teaching after all; answers Elizabeth's question about how advanced academically a boy should be by age 13; and says she intends to go home to West Chester when school ends, then to her sister Kate in Erie Co., Pennsylvania, for the summer, then back to Minnesota where she had previously taught. [Transcription]
  • 3 February 1870. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. She talks about a letter she had received from Elizabeth's daughter Georgiana, inviting her to come to Milwaukee to visit, and asks about Col. Bell, a mutual friend of Sallie's and Georgiana's. [Transcription]
  • 27 December 1870. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. She tells Elizabeth that she spent the previous summer in Milwaukee, where she was called on by Elizabeth's sister Ellen and Col. Bell's wife; thanks Elizabeth for sending a picture of Georgiana; talks about her school, her duties there, and the rewards; describes her health and the climate; and mentions that her nephew Walter was with her for the winter. [Transcription]
  • 25 February 1880. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. She expresses her sympathy in Elizabeth's family's misfortune (the loss of their house and most possessions in a fire), and says she sent her two small packages with underwear. [Transcription]
  1. George C. Tanner, "Bishop Whipple and the Schools at Faribault," Collections of the Minnesota Historical Society, Vol. 10, Part 2 (St. Paul, Minnesota: Minnesota Historical Society, 1905), pp. 697-707.