Passionate Abolitionist and
Witness to the American Civil War
Passionate Abolitionist and
Witness to the American Civil War
William Slater is still grieving the death of his wife and has made arrangements for his two sisters to look after the young Charles Lincoln Slater
William Slater is still grieving the death of his wife and has made arrangements for his two sisters to look after the young Charles Lincoln Slater
4 Hurworth Terrace,
Darlington,
March 4th 1873
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My dear Little Boy,
You don’t know how much I was pleased with your little letter so you see I am writing you one back again on some paper that was in your poor dear Mother’s writing case and the envelope was one of hers as well and this is the first time I have used any of this nice paper, and I am sure if your dear mother knew, she would be pleased that the first time it was used was for a little letter for her dear little child. I showed you letter to several people and to Mr. Sewell and he said, Well! well! It is very good I can read it all. So next time you write, you must try and do it as well as you can.
Tell Lizzie I was very pleased with her nice little letter and give her a kiss for me for it and tell her to give you a kiss for me for yours.
Now I hope you are both very good children and don’t make a noise now your Auntie has got such a bad headache. I suppose you go to sdchool every day when it does not rain you must try and learn as fast as as fast as you can and then I shall buy you a nice little book for you to read with pictures in it
now I must say goodbye for a while
with best love. I am your affection father
William Slater
I give you six postage stamps for writing a letter to me and ask your aunty to buy them of (off) you and give you six pences for them.
This letter is very poignant when you realize the unhappiness that precedes this time.
William Slater is now back in England after his visit to Thomas Jackson and other relatives in Pennsylvania. He has moved to Darlington (further north than his old family roots in the English Midlands) and from other sources, we believe he was in some way involved in selling coal.
He had married but his wife, Anne, died giving birth to her first and only child, Charles Lincoln Slater. Given the care taking resources available to the family, Charles was passed over to be brought by the two unmarried (maiden) aunts Sarah and Mary. Sarah and Mary have a much younger sister , Elizabeth, but she is seen here as about the age of Charles Lincoln, “children together” is how they are described.
This envelope appears to be associated with this letter to the infant Charles Lincoln Slater who was temporarily separated from his father and was being looked after by his aunts.