[Letter from Elizabeth Upshur Teackle to her husband, Littleton Dennis Teackle, December 9, 1811]
Mentioned in this letter
- Home, Health, and Social Life
- Fashion - Cloth
Fashion - Shoes
Food
Food - Dairy
Food - Grains
Food - Meat
Health
Health - Death
Health - Disease and illness- Home economy
Marriage
Weather- People
- Bancker, Sarah Upshur Teackle, 1783-1843
- Done, Anne M.
- Laird, James, 1771-1816
- Louther
- Lyon, James, 1756-1811
- Lyon, Sarah Eyre, 1770-1813
- Quinby, Elizabeth Ann Upshur Teackle, 1801-1875
Teackle, Elizabeth Upshur, 1783-1837- Teackle, James Henry Dennis, 1796-1840
Teackle, Littleton Dennis, 1777-1848- Teackle, Rachel Birckhead, 1788-1828
Winder, Levin, 1757-1819- Wise, Anne Craig Wilson, 1784-1836
- Wise, William, 1785-1825
9th Dec. 1811 P.A.
My dear husband
3 days ago I return’d home from V-a, finding all well and things in a pretty good way, a plenty of wood, some few fat turkies and now a thousand weight of pork from Ross, all of which will I hope tend to make home comfortable to you when the fates choose to suffer your return. As to my health, and Elizath’s, we are improving in that particular; I am better than when you left me, but altho’ I look as well as I have done for two years past, yet my back is very often painful to me: This I hope it may please God, finally, to relieve me from.
Since your absence you may be assured I have endeavor’d to manage my family expenses to the best advantage, nevertheless I have been oblig’d from absolute want of money to run in debt, viz. to
Talbot for our people’s linen and a few other cheap articles, to the amount of about 30 doll,
To Sudler - somewhere to - 14
For 12 turkies a 3/9 - 6
For chickens & ducks - 4
Also I bought of Genl Winder 7 ½ bus. of wheat to sow our two lots and the garden at Mrs. Dignon’s, three bushels are left wh I intend to have ground into flour. I shall want 12 turkies more which, if it is convenient for you to send me the money to pay for, and delete the above bills, I shall feel easy and happy. I am determin’d to save every penny I can to the best of my knowledge, and endeavor to become a good and frugal wife; the readiest means of which is to pay as I go. I wou’d have omitted buying the articles above, but that they were really necessary and your not being at home, I cou’d not consult you about. The wheat I bot. I thought better than to let the ground lie idle, which may produce, Louther thinks, somewhere to near an hundred bus. of wheat, which will sell for something clever and be so much saved. I intend to sow
clover on it in the right season. I made 100 bushels of Irish potatoes at least, 3 bushels of which I sold at 5/7 ½ to Mr. Laird, who sent me a 10$ note requesting me to keep the ballance, which he wou’d settle with you. I have spoken to Shepherd to make the peoples' shoes, as they want them this cold weather.
I think the family expenses have been less this year than they have been for several years past. I have economized every article of provision to the best advantage. I have not bought an ounce of butter since you went to Balt. in June, having made all I have used; however, it will be necessary to get a firkin for the winter wh I must endeavor to make hold out, with what is made in the family, ‘till the winter is over. Be satisfied my dear Mr. Teackle that I feel the full force of your exigencies and shall try every effort to accustom myself to the frugality I think so consistent with your circumstances. If I err it will be through ignorance and incapacity. The habit
of profusion is hard to overcome and very often, in an unguarded moment we give way to the old evil, against our better judgement, however, constant exertions will do much.
I suppose you have heard of Dr. Lyon’s death —which has excited much interest and condolence amongst his friends and former patients; who think they have lost an invaluable physician. Mrs. L. is of course in great and accumulated distress from the state of the Doctor’s affairs and the natural feelings arising from the loss of a tender and beloved husband. Miss Wilson and Mr. Wise1 are to be married tomorrow and Anne Done, it is said before Christmas.
I do think that if you don’t return before 6 months more pass away, I shall begin to fret and fume in good earnest—when I look back, I wonder how I have gone on without you—But “God tempers the wind to the shorn Lamb.”
Sarah Bancker has received charm[in]g letters from her husband in London, which
has put her into good spirits—James is in P-a at school, and all are well at Kegotank. I have nothing more to say only how anxiously I long for you to be with me. Give my love to cousin Rachel, who I am told is already established in B. Also to all inquiring frds.
Your aff[ectiona]te wife