Abbott and Straw Family Papers, 1795-1867, bulk 1809-1867

Title:

Abbott and Straw Family Papers, 1795-1867, bulk 1809-1867

Creator:

Straw, Charlotte Abbott, 1790-1865

Accession / Call Number:

2015.058

Object ID:

2015.058

Date:

1795-1867

Bulk Dates:

1809-1867

Physical Description:

1 box ; 0.21 linear feet

Level of Description:

Collection

Abstract:

The Abbott and Straw Family Papers consist of correspondence within the family. Most were written to Charlotte Abbott Straw (1790-1865) by her siblings. The earlier letters (to about 1830) comment especially on religion, commitment, illnesses, and deaths of children and friends. The later ones relate visits to each other, memories of the past, and activities of children and relatives. Religion is a constant subtheme in this correspondence.

Scope and Content:

Charlotte Abbott Straw's siblings (Abigail, Elias, Betsey, and James) wrote her with news, especially about illnesses and deaths of family and friends in Northfield, NH, where she grew up and they still lived. The single most common thread among the letters is religion and the need to believe as the Congregational and Methodist Churches of which they were members. Abigail (1783-1864) was even more interested in religion than her siblings; her letters (1809-1830) contain long expositions about how revivals are progressing, visits of itinerant missionaries, who in town has been saved and who not, her feelings when she cannot believe as she thinks she should. There are condolences to Charlotte in the aftermath of the deaths of her children with many reassurances about their places in Heaven. James (1799-1870) studied medicine at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH, and became a physician who practiced in various localities before settling in Sanbornton, NH. Some of his letters are nostalgic and describe memories of childhood. He, too, was religious and his letters contain spiritual as well as medical advice. His grief at the death of his 21-year-old son and namesake in 1865 was somewhat lessened because the young man died peacefully, reconciled to his death and his God. There are also a few letters from Charlotte's oldest son, Milton Straw (1809-1882), who married and moved to Boston, MA. He sometimes relates the state of his spiritual life, but also affectionately tells her what good parents Charlotte and William were, reports on his children, inquires about what will happen to family land holdings in New Hampshire, and other mundane matters. The War of 1812 goes unnoticed in these letters, while the Civil War is only noted in passing. Of particular interest among these letters is an 1841 account of an unidentified writer describing a stagecoach trip from Massachusetts to Pembroke, NH. Also on the coach was a runaway slave girl who was traveling north to Canada and riding on the roof of the coach, the least expensive seat. There is also an 1861 nostalgic letter from James to his sister Charlotte after he visited the farm on which they grew up, now owned by a nephew. He recalls their childhood including the furnishings of the kitchen, what trees were in the orchard, how the barn was organized, and what their mother cooked.

Arrangement:

The Abbott and Straw Family Papers are in chronological order.

Subjects:

Condolence notes , Correspondence , Death , Farm life , Farmers , Fugitive slaves , Material culture , Medicine--Practice , Methodist Church , Physicians , Religion , Religious thought

Locations:

Boston, MA
Hopkinton, NH
Northfield, NH

People:

Abbott, James A. , 1799-1870 , Straw, Charlotte Abbott, 1790-1865 , Straw, Milton A., 1809 , Straw, William, 1787-1856

Organizations:

General Council of the Congregational and Christian Churches of the United States

Credit Line:

New Hampshire Historical Society purchase.

Location Code:

TL/1E

Restrictions:

Available for research.

Preferred Citation:

Item title, Abbott and Straw Family Papers, 2015.058. New Hampshire Historical Society, Concord, NH. Date accessed.

Finding Aid Link:

RS60848_Abbott_and_Straw_Family_Papers_2015.058.pdf