Letter from Justin Hitchcock to Mr. and Mrs. Hoyt

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From the collections of PVMA • Digital image © Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Assoc. • Image use information


About this item

This is a 20th century copy of the original 18th century letter.  Twenty-six-year-old Justin Hitchcock (1752-1822) of Deerfield, Massachusetts, wrote, following the custom of the time, to ask the parents of twenty-two-year-old Mercy Hoyt (1756-1834) of the same town, for their permission for him to continue seeing her. Hitchcock explained that he was seeking “a partner in this life” and, although not planning to marry during [Revolutionary] war time (“whilst our public affairs are in so unhappy a situation”) or until he was financially more secure, he asked for their blessing for the future. The couple was married nineteen months later on November 25, 1779.

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Details

Item typeLetter
AuthorHitchcock, Justin
Date1778-04-03
PlaceDeerfield, Massachusetts
TopicFamily, Children, Marriage, Courtship
EraRevolutionary America, 1763–1783
MaterialPaper
Process/FormatHandwriting
Dimension detailsProcess Material: manuscript, paper, ink Height: 12.00 in Width: 7.50 in
Catalog #L99.018
View this item in our curatorial database →
Hitchcock, Justin. Letter from Justin Hitchcock to Mr. and Mrs. Hoyt. April 3, 1778. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l99-018/. Accessed on October 10, 2024.

Please note: Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.