It was customary in the 18th century for a young man to ask the parents or guardian of the girl he wished to marry for permission to continue his courtship. Samuel Field (1743-1800) of Deerfield, Massachusetts, was the uncle and guardian (“since her kind and dutifull behaviour towards me and my Family, has much endeared her to me, so that she seems more like a Child than a Niece”) of Hannah Taylor (born 1722). The letter responds to the request by Elihu Hoyt (1771-1833) to marry Hannah. Field admits that he does not pretend to control her, but he feels the match would be a good one and he extends to Mr. Hoyt his best wishes for success in courting her.
Field, Samuel. Letter to Colonel Elihu Hoyt. February 15, 1794. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l99-167/. Accessed on November 21, 2024.
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