Brown Family Letters

The David Brown Jr. Family Letters

Letters donated and Transcribed by Sharon Jones

Letter Five

March 16, 1856

My dear child
After so long a time I have again taken the pen to write a few lines I cannot tell you that we are all well far from it Betsey (BROWN)s health is poor and I often think she will never enjoy health again yet she is able to be about and do some light work she is poor and pale and verry low spirited she is calculating to stay with L E (Lydia E BROWN-WILLIAMS) if she is able to help her some as her health is not very good through the spring and summer your Luther (ORMSBY) has enjoyed better health this season than for years I have little too say about myself only that I have to make great effort to keep my mind strait enough to attend to my work I often think I am like a bark on the ocean that is loosed from it’s mooring and is dashed day and night by the winds and waves destined ere long to become a wreck yes when a few more griefs I’ve tested I shall fall to rise no more I ask not to stay the old heart beats with such rapid stroke that I often say to myself moments of sin and months of woe ye cannot fly too fast
Joseph (BROWN) is at home now is well and wishes me me to write for him and ask if Mr SAXTON has sold his hay and if not whether you think there will be any chance for selling it also about his stove whether Mr SAXTON has taken it away from the house or not as he said he wishes Mr ORMSBY to find out and secure it for him if it not taken care of and he will satisfy him he has not had any chance to go after his things now dont know know of any one that is going that way he wishes you to write and let him know as soon as possible so that he can make some arrangement for himself as Philander (BROWN)s Affairs have not been as he expected David MORTON got home from Ill last Sabbath left (?) Wednesday they were all well Martha (HATHAWAY-BROWN) wants to come back verry bad is homesick O how I wish it could be so she writes to me that he is now a pedling corn planter and hohen it is warm weather he is going to look himself a home they do not stay where they are only till the spring opens and then as pilgrims and wanderers they will be putting themselves though the waned
David WOOD died last week and also Walter HYDE wife both buried in a day it is a very healthy generaly the friends are well Emeline (BROWN-MORTON)has got a hard cold stiff neck and so forth Susan (BROWN-MORTON) and William (MORTON) was here Sat we have had pray meetings every Sat afternoon this winter and this week we are to have a prayer Wed forenoon preachings afternoon and other meetings through the week religion is at a low ebb altho Elder DYE has been much engaged and tries faithfully to wake up the church he has Mcgawville (McGrawville, Cortland Co, NY) two weeks where there is a very great revival so that the three large churches have been filled to overflowing every day he has been to Westport (Essex Co, NY) where your old Summerhill minister preaches I cannot think his name there is a great revival there we had a letter from Maria COOPER she writes that your Uncle William has gone back to Springfield was so discontented there that your aunt C friends caused her remains to be taken up and carried Springfield poor man like his sister he is destined to sorrow
I intended to fill this sheet shall not for is bedtime and I wants to carry it to the office in the morning come and see us when you can from your mother
Eleanor (FERRY-)BROWN
Margaret (BROWN-)ORMSBY

To: Mrs Margaret Ferry Brown-Ormsby, of Howard, NY
From: Mrs Eleanor Ferry-Brown, of Groton, NY

Transcribers notes: The David Morton in this letter is the son of Adin and Emeline (Brown) Morton. Martha (Hathaway) Brown is the wife of Philander Brown. The Uncle William and Aunt C have not been identified at this time. They may be related to Eleanor (Ferry) Brown and William may be her brother but still need proof. Items in parenthesis added to letter for identification purposes.

Brown Letters Page 6

Transcribed by Sharon Jones
Thank you Sharon for sharing these letters and transcribing them for the Tompkins County NYGenWeb Site.

You are our visitor since March 25, 2000
Thanks for stopping by!

updated Thursday, 04-Jul-2019 14:12:23 PDT

Back to Brown Family Letters
Back to Scrapbook
Return to Tompkins County Home Page