[Letter from Elizabeth Upshur Teackle to her sister, Ann Upshur Eyre, July 23, 1811]

Mentioned in this letter

Education, Religion, Literacy, and Culture: Education
Home, Health, and Social Life: Fashion - Handkerchiefs; Food; Food - Fruit; Gardening - Vegetables; Health - Fractures; Jewelry - Earrings; Weather
People: Eyre, Ann Matilda Upshur, 1780-1829; Eyre, John, 1768-1855; Eyre, Margaret Taylor, 1739-1812; Eyre, William Lyttleton, 1806-1852; Harris, Nancy; Harwood, Dolly; Jackson, George Wilson, 1780-1823; Montgomery, Elizabeth Dennis Teackle, 1788-1823; Quinby, Elizabeth Ann Upshur Teackle, 1801-1875; Teackle, Elizabeth Upshur, 1783-1836; Teackle, Esther “Hetty” Maria Fisher, 1795-1840; Teackle, John Justice, 1791-1824; Teackle, John, 1753-1817; Upshur, Anne Billings Steele, 1791-1835; Upshur, Arthur, 1789-1830
Places: United States - Virginia; United States - Virginia - Accomack County; United States - Virginia - Northampton County; United States - Virginia - Northampton County - Eastville

About this letter

Description: Letter from Elizabeth Upshur Teackle to her sister, Ann Upshur Eyre. She discusses family news, including William Eyre's injury, Arthur Upshur's land purchase, and her daughter, Elizabeth Ann Upshur Teackle's schooling progress. She expresses that she misses Ann and asks her to write back to her.
Creator: Teackle, Elizabeth Uphsur
Creation Date: July 23, 1811
Subjects: Teackle, Elizabeth Upshur, 1783-1837; Eyre, Ann Upshur, 1780-1829
Item Type: letter
Identifier: MSS 2338, 2338-a, 2338-b Box 1
Publication Information: Papers of the Quinby, Teackle, and Upshur families, 1759-1968, Accession #2338, Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va.
Institution: ASSSC
Collection: VOESH
Place Names: United States - Maryland - Somerset County - Princess Anne; United States - Virginia - Northampton County

Jump to page:

Page 1 of 4

Page 1

Last week I wrote you by my sister Teackle, Esther “Hetty” Maria Fisher, 1795-1840|Hetty]] who was to forward the letter and a bundle containing your earrings paste sets and also a worked handkerchief which I hope you will accept from your sister, it occupied me a fortnight, and after all, I was so unfortunate as to tear it, but have darned the fracture so it will never be observed when on the neck.

Mrs Harris has made you 5 ½ lbs. of sugar into currant jelly, which is all I cou’d glean from my currant bushes on account of the drought which destroyed everything with us. I wait a suitable opportunity to send it.

I was griev’d of hearing of poor dear little William’s misfortune, which came to my ears through Mr. Walton. Write me how he is. I hope no serious and latent ill effect may be experienced from the fracture as he is young, and no doubt, in skillful hands. I have been not a little hurt

Page 2

at your silence which denies me the only substitute I can have, deprived of your society. Exert yourself to write if no more than 6 lines to let me know how you all are, by every mail; which goes directly now. Mr. Teackle petition'd for an alteration in its course, I believe, as much to facilitate an intercourse with our V-a friends in N- and A- as for any other motive.

Mr. Walton inform’d Major Jackson that Arthur had purchased a place and intends building next year. I am truly anxious for him. He is, I hear, to live in Peachburg next year. Give my love to him and my valuable little Anne – God bless the sweet girl!

I felt for my good Mama on account of William. No doubt the anxiety you all have felt for him was great.

As long as I keep myself perfectly quiet I feel better than I have done for some time; but the least exercise destroys

Page 3

me. On the whole, however, I thank my good God, I am a stronger than when you left me. It grieves me to the heart to be deprived of the power of visiting my friends as I used to do, and above all, my delightful jaunts to you, must be suspended for a time. This goes to my heart with a twang. Eliza Teackle and John (now a grown up man) have gone down home, but I cou’d not accompany Hetty when she went down to see them.

Elizabeth is improving herself fast under the tuition of Mr. McCastain and is far, tolerably, advanced in her grammar, her reading and writing also progress very well and she grows wonderfully fast, soon be a woman. This delights me of all things. I already begin to be proud of her and entertain serious thoughts of giving place to my daughter in the beau monde. Nothing else wou’d reconcile me to becoming an old woman.

Tell cousin John his snuff box is my only solace now in the seclusion and absolute solitude I suffer. it is constantly