Contributed by Maine Historical Society
Description
Kiah B. Sewall, who was living in New York while trying to get his affairs in order, wrote to his wife, Lucretia Day Sewall, who lived in Portland with her parents, about their daughter Eunice Sewall.
The child was born in Portland in August 1837 and Kiah Sewall had yet to see her. He asked about her appearance and her disposition -- and expressed concern that she not wear caps. "They are very bad things for babies, injurious to their health, & to their hair."
He expressed hopes that she would be well educated and "take pleasure in knowledge, in science, in the arts, & not as a means of display, but for their truth, their own inherent attractions ..."
He wrote, "I can only account for the shameful manner in which most children are brought up, by believing that most parents are lacking in proper views on the subject..."
Sewall (1807-1865), a graduate of Bowdoin College, was involved in land speculation after graduation and lost money. He eventually became a lawyer, practicing mostly in Mobile, Alabama. Lucretia Day Sewall (1813-1897) was a native of Portland. The couple had 10 children.
Transcription
About This Item
- Title: Kiah Sewall letter about daughter, New York, 1838
- Creator: Kiah Bayley Sewall
- Creation Date: 1838-01-21
- Subject Date: 1838
-
Locations:
- Portland, Cumberland County, ME
- New York , NY
- Media: Ink on paper
- Dimensions: 25.7 cm x 20 cm
- Local Code: Coll. 105, Box 1/4
- Collection: Sewall family papers
- Object Type: Text
Cross Reference Searches
Standardized Subject Headings
- Children
- Sewall family
- Sewall, Kiah Bayley, 1807-1865--Correspondence
- Sewall, Lucretia Day--Correspondence
People
For more information about this item, contact:
Maine Historical Society485 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
(207) 774-1822 x230
Website
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