Abbot/Bowditch Family Letters

Letters by James Gould

James Gould, son of Josiah Gould and Abigail Williams, was born 30 March 1795, and baptized 5 April 1795 in Beverly, Massachusetts. He married Elizabeth Leach, daughter of Nathan Leach and Thankful Smith, on 3 December 1817 in Beverly, and died 15 January 1874 in Boston. His wife Elizabeth was a cousin to George Abbot.

It should be noted that the Leach genealogy by F. Phelps Leach says that Elizabeth (Leach) Gould died in January 1874 in Baltimore, which is clearly wrong. The 3 April 1859 letter from her husband James to Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch proves she died on 10 March 1859.

James was a silversmith and jeweler in Baltimore, Maryland. Elizabeth Abbot spent the winters of 1838-39 and 1840-41 (and perhaps 1839-40) living with the Goulds while attending school in Baltimore.

These letters were written between 1839 and 1872. The first few letters are to George Abbot, and after his death, to his widow Nancy and son George William Abbot. After 1850, all the letters are to George and Nancy's daughter Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. Although a few of the early letters were signed James and Eliza Gould, except for a short postscript in one letter all were written by James.

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

• 19 April 1839. To George Abbot on the ship Lamarang at Liverpool, England. A short postscript was written by his wife Eliza. He talks about how much they enjoyed having George's daughter Elizabeth stay with them the past winter, and how they saw her as far as New York on her trip home; hints at some sort of romantic relationship for Elizabeth over the winter; talks about Elizabeth's activities with them; and describes seeing a mosaic in New York that he would like to buy. [Transcription]
• 9 November 1841. To George Abbot in Beverly, Massachusetts. He talks about sending George two barrels of potatoes, and thanks him for sending halibut; thanks him for taking care of "the old mansion"; mentions George (William) being in Boston; and expresses disappointment that they were unable to invite Georgiana to spend the winter, apparently because they were thinking of moving. [Transcription]
• 26 December 1841. To George Abbot. He mentions a potential visit to Beverly the coming August, and the possibility of taking Georgiana back to Baltimore with them; describes their Christmas; mentions George (William) and how well he's been doing; and talks a little about their "old mansion" in Beverly. [Transcription]
• 6 July 1842. To George Abbot in Beverly, Massachusetts. He says he is disappointed in not seeing him when he (George) was in Baltimore; says they can't afford to visit Beverly; and reminisces about a western trip (as far as Louisville) 22 years earlier. [Transcription]
• May 1843. To George Abbot. He sends a deed for his wife's interest in a wharf, which George is apparently selling for them. [Transcription]
• 22 January 1848. To Nancy (Stickney) Abbot in Beverly, Massachusetts. He and his wife Eliza acknowledge the receipt of a letter from Charles Lamson notifying them of the death of Nancy's husband George Abbot, and offer their sympathy. [Transcription]
• 26 May 1848. To George William Abbot in Beverly, Massachusetts. He and his wife Eliza acknowledge the receipt of $50, their share of the rent from the Leech House in Beverly, and expresses their sympathy in the Abbot family's recent losses. [Transcription]
• 12 January 1850. To Nancy (Stickney) Abbot in Beverly, Massachusetts. He and his wife Eliza acknowledge the receipt of the account of income and expenses for the Leech house, and their share thereof; say they look forward to seeing Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch when she visits in March; and talk about selling their part of the Leech house, and ask if Nancy would like to buy it. [Transcription]
• 3 April 1859. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. He expresses his feelings on the death of his wife Eliza, describes the circumstances of her death, and thanks Elizabeth for her expressions of sympathy; and says that "Sister Kate" has been very sick. [Transcription]
• 3 November 1863. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. He says they haven't heard from her since the war started, and tells her news about her family. [Transcription]
• 14 February 1866. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. He thanks her for her letter of 6 January, the first he's received in six years (since the war started), although she had written often; tells her news of his family and mutual friends; and says he had been "quite a recluse" until last summer, when he started traveling more to see family and friends. [Transcription]
• 6 May 1866. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. He laments how Martha and Ellen haven't written him; says Elizabeth's husband should not be discouraged over an apparent loss of property, and that things will get better now that the war is over; and says he's been a recluse for six years but is now getting out more, after his trip north to see relatives. [Transcription]
• 29 May 1866. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. He laments again how Martha and Ellen don't write him, asks how Elizabeth's son Nathaniel is doing, and whether his time as a soldier helped or hurt, and says it helped his nephew Warren. [Transcription]
• 22 July 1866. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. He talks about the release of Elizabeth's son Nathaniel from prison camp during the war, and quotes a letter he received from Dorothea Dix about the matter, and again laments the lack of letters from Martha and Ellen, says he loves them and is "unconscious of why I have lost theirs." [Transcription]
• 9 December 1866. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. He reminisces about past visits with Elizabeth, and says he's glad that she may be moving back to Tarboro. [Transcription]
• 8 April 1867. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. He reminisces about past times with Elizabeth; sympathizes over Elizabeth's son Fred being sick, and asks her sympathy for him being childless; and mentions some family members and friends. [Transcription]
• 9 June 1867. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. He says he expects to see her husband Joseph any day, on his way north to buy goods; wishes he would bring their daughter Georgiana with him, to stay with him for a few days, but worries his age and now-quiet life has little to offer as an inducement; notes that he includes his photograph; says he has letters relating to Nathaniel's release from prison camp that he will give to her husband Joseph; and mentions some family members and friends. [Transcription]
• 21 July 1867. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. He talks about the Peabody Fund, apparently responding to a request from Mr. and Mrs. Owens passed to him through Elizabeth; says he was pleased to get a letter from Georgiana; sends Elizabeth 4 dozen issues of Harpers Monthly; says he heard that Martha and Ellen were in Beverly for the summer, and again laments that they never return his letters, and wonders what has estranged them from him; and talks about his niece Julia Weld and her husband visiting him, and that they are both in poor health. [Transcription]
• 12 December 1867. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. He announces that he has retired, is selling his house, and is planning on living with his sister Lydia's family starting in April, after spending Christmas in Boston and New Years with his nephew James Weld in New York, and says he had been to Beverly where he saw Martha and Ellen, and to Boston, then took a trip west, to Chicago, Omaha, and back via Cincinnati. [Transcription]
• 22 November 1868. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. He mentions that he had traveled west, had visited Elizabeth's sister Martha's family in Milwaukee, and had seen her brother John there also; notes that he had been at Ellen's wedding, and that a letter from Martha tells him Ellen was back from her honeymoon; talks about Hannah Lytle and Mary Talbott; and describes how he passes his time. [Transcription]
• 15 July 1869. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. He says he has visited Georgiana in Lynn, and will soon introduce her to his sister Lydia and family; describes traveling to New Orleans from Boston by steamer, then returning overland through Savannah, Charleston, Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York; says he was in Baltimore last month to attend his sister Catherine's funeral; and says he would like to go to Europe, but doesn't want to go alone. [Transcription]
• 24 November 1870. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. He sympathizes with Elizabeth for being "full of trouble," for their loss of property, and in the death of her sister Martha; says they're anxious about Ellen's health; and wonders if going west might offer better opportunities for Elizabeth's family than North Carolina. [Transcription]
• 27 March 1871. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. He sympathizes with her over the death of her sister Martha; reminisces about the times they had together in Baltimore; sympathizes about their "reverse of fortune and loss of property," and tries to encourage her; notes that Nat has gone west, and suggests her family should consider it also; and says he traveled to Baltimore, Washington, and New York in February with his niece Eliza Weld and "some young Ladies that I invited." [Transcription]
• 28 February 1872. To Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. He reminisces about letters she often sent him from Beverly; sympathizes about their loss of property, and tries to encourage her; says his health isn't as good as it was, and that he's been to Boston less often than usual; and talks about his niece Mrs. Bradly, and getting a letter from Ellen. [Transcription]

 

Copyright Charles Towne. Usage of this work is licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0
Compiler: Charles Towne

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