Rebecca Guild,1825

John Guild Jnr to Rebecca Guild, Dedham, Mass, 1825

Eunice Shanahan

This letter is addressed to Miss Rebecca Guild Dedham Mass from New York dated October 9th 1825 It has no postal markings, because it was carried privately, but the watermark on the paper is J & L but no date.

New York Oct 9th 1825
Dear and Absent Sister
It was the twentieth of last month or thereabout when the Penny Post came into our State and gave me a letter which was from you and I will assure you it gave me much joy, although it caused the tears to flow very fast down my cheeks when I read it, but the advice you gave me Rebecca was good, very good and I hope I shall be able to follow it. Likewise you have my sincerest thanks for so doing, I shall attend Meeting today, where many transactions take place that remind me of home, that dear native home, the meeting that I used to attend, the good Preaching that I used for to hear, the associates that I used for to see, and when I look around me Rebecca, and behold all strange faces, no father, no mother no brother or sisters you must think it causes sober moments in me to think what has led me away from these priviliges.

Note: The next sentence shows why there were no postmarks on the letter.

I am truly sensible of my past conduct but I shall endeavour to do better for the future, I expect to send this by a young man whose name is Walker, who Rebecca says he has not been home for eight years. Do you think I can content myself so long a time as that – no, dear Sister I think if my life is spared I shall have the good fortune of seeing you before that time. He is a native of Hillborough (N.H.) I have wrote a letter likewise to send by him to Uncle Fuller stating my misfortunes to him and telling him that I will come and work with him at whatever wages he may think I shall earn, until I have paid the debt.

This young man has obviously behaved badly, but is truly repentant, and thinking of ways that he can make reparation. The illustration of the letter shows that it was written with a quill pen.
He continues:

I have delayed writing him before for I knew I had used him very unhandsome, and therefore was ashamed to do it. I think, Rebecca as winter is approaching and it will be rather unpleasant driving Stage, I think I shall look out for a birth that I shall not be so much exposed to the weather, if easy to found, if not I shall remain where I be but at present direct my letters No.32 Bowery. Tell Danford that I long to see him and the cousin Benjamin to write as soon as possible. Tell Father that if he can contrive any way so as to let me have nine hundred dollars to pay up all that I owe, that I think in six years I shall be able to pay it to the family again. If tell him that if he should have any property to give to his children that I would consider that I had had my part and would be willing to live with only what I could earn myself and if it should be more than what they would have I will endeavour if life and health permits to repay them.
Love to all
J Guild Jnr.

We bought this letter in May 2001 at a local Stamp Club Day, from a local dealer. Because it was obviously going to have some interest to a family, we put a query on Google search engine on Wednesday 9th may and found a site for the Guild name, so sent an e-mail explaining about the letter, and asking whether the Guild family would be interested.

This is the information given to us in 2001. in response to our query as to whether this lady was part of their family tree.

Quote

Definitely!
If it is the one I believe it to be, she was Rebecca Eaton Guild, b. 1 Oct. 1801 Dedham, Mass., married 22 Dec. 1829 to Rev. Leonard Luce, had 3 children. Since she married a minister, I doubt that they were Quakers. The family traditionally were members of the Congregational Church in Dedham, but by this time, could have moved to others.
Her father was John Guild who married Rebecca Eaton, and they had 5 children, 1 died young, 1 died age 20, 1 did not marry, plus the John that wrote this letter.
Her grandfather was a Revolutionary Soldier, and this was written about him
....."He married third, Dec. 11, 1777, Sarah May, of Stoughton, a widow, with three daughters; he is said to have brought her home, with the daughters and household goods, in an ox-cart, after the primitive style. She died June 6 1812."
"He was known as Esquire Aaron, and more commonly as Major Aaron; was an ensign in Capt. Fales' Company, and Col. Nichols' regiment of foot, and was afterward promoted to captain of the same company. When a messenger came galloping through the town announcing that war had begun, he was plowing with his son Aaron in the field, in front of the house. Leaving the plow in the furrow and the oxen standing, he hastened to the house, took his favorite "king's arm," and departed immediately for the scene of action, arriving on the ground in season to aid in firing upon the British troops, who were hastily returning to Boston. During the war he held various offices; he was a member of the committee of safety in 1774, and a muster master in 1775. In 1779 was a member of committee to make provision for the families of non commissioned officers and soldiers, and in 1780 and 1781 served on a committee of correspondence and safety. He resided at South Dedham, and died there Feb. 3, 1818."
I have no information on John Jr., just his birth date, so this letter would be of much historical interest to the family.
The ancestor of this line, John Guild, b. 1609 in England, was one of the earliest Proprietors of Dedham in 1640.

He then added :
By copy of this e-mail, I am notifying Marg Lambert of your find. She is the co-ordinator of Guild Genealogy currently collecting records with the objective of publishing a book on the family in the future.
Would it be possible to have you send us a scan of the letter?
John C. Gile Victoria, BC Canada
Author of the Guile-Gile-Guiles Genealogy (pub. 1997)

After having received this immediate response from John Gile, we exchanged several e-mails, and we sent scans and a photocopy of the letter to him. He advised that they were expecting to complete their study in about 5 years, but we have heard no more. So with his knowledge, we decided to put the letter on our website with all the other old letters, and perhaps someone else will be just as pleased to hear about it.

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