BENJAMIN R. PEAVEY LETTER
to
Elizabeth R. Peavey Tupper

(Benjamin is the brother of Rev. John Langdon Peavey who was the father of Elizabeth)

Farmington N.H. Strafford Co. February 9, 1857.

My Dear Niece,

I have just received your lovely letter and must say it gives me much pleasure to hear from you and yours once more, & rejoice that you are all still living and enjoy a tolerable degree of health. It becomes my painful duty to inform you that your Uncle Paul deceased the 23rd of last month. He would have been 72 years old the first day of next month � his disease was a heart difficulty, had been unwell some months, but was confined to the house about 10 days � died suddenly. Your Aunt Martha & family are well as usual. Your uncle Edward Died last Summer I think in July = his family were in good health. The last news we had from them = Abigail comes next. They are in good health at present. She has lost a Daughter since you were here. The other Daughter is married and doing well = I suppose you have heard of the Death of Anthony some years since, his family are all married or have been and prospering. They you see the 4 oldest Brothers namely, Paul, Edward H., Anthony & John L. are gone the way of all the Earth. Three brothers of us and two sisters are all that remain. I now come to Abel�s family consisting of himself wife & 3 daughters 2 of whom are married, his son died some years since. Samuel H�s family are in good health. I suppose you have heard of the Death of our Aged Mother some years since.

I had like to have forgotten Paul�s children. John & Emily are at the old place and well, George Rimston and Eliza are living at Wolfborough keeping a Public House yet � Eliza�s health is quite feeble and has been for several months. She is improving but could not come to the funeral of her Honored Father. Her Daughter is married health poor. I now come down to Benjamin the Younger, and were I to give you a history of my changes and ups and downs since you were here, perhaps you would almost marvel. Suffice it to say I quit trade, worked a while on my farm, then went into a store on hire at the village 18 months, by that time our Rail Road was put in operation (say 8 years ago). I then put on a team from village to Depot � drove that over 6 years built me a nice new house have lived in it some 3 or 4 fours. (it is on the old farm). Two years ago last fall, some of our neighbors, Townsmen and some in other towns started what is termed a Protective Union Store in the village and I was selected as Clerk. Here I have been and I believe a faithful servant on my 3rd year since last Christmas day. I board in the village 6 days, sleep at home nights and board at home Sundays = two years ago last November I had a short but distressing sickness of Iresifalis. No one probably expected me to recover, but I was raised up for which I need to be very thankful. My health has not been so good since as formerly, but here I am a little old broken down man. I am now nearly 53 years old, my health as good as I can reasonably expect. My eyesight has failed and I am fast following those that have gone before me = this much for Esteemed self for the present.

With the exception of a severe cold, your Aunt Lyia�s health is about as usual = John L. is now some 24 or more years old is still at home and single and for aught I know is likely to be. He has recently built him a large two story shop which may be (with a little expense) converted into a dwelling house � an Shoe Manufactory, Store & Co. His health at present is poor but we hope not alarmingly so. He has always been very steady as to his habits and stands respectable in our community = Jane Ann was married one year ago last 4th of July to one Benjamin F. Pinkham. An only child living near our Depot about 1 � miles from my house, her health has always been delicate, is as good now as common and they appear to be getting along first rate. I shall forward you a paper containing news of the decease of your Uncle Paul in which is a few lines of Poor Poetry by Jane Ann her first and only production. She has I think a little poetical talent if she could & would improve it. Pretty soon after you were here a R Road was contemplated (called the Cochecho R. Road) running from Dover through Rochester, Farmington New Durham & Alton to the Lake. Our Village lies so low in the valley, that they could not come through it, accordingly passed through land of your Esteemed Friend, Judge Whitehouse � mile West of the Village, where our Depot is situated. By the way the Judge�s oldest son got married, settled near the Depot was the first Station Agent some 2 or 3 years and died rather suddenly. He was one of the most promising young men in town. The other Son & Daughter are both married. There is quite a number of buildings and several families living near and about the Depot. I now come to give you a little history of our village.

Not far from the time you were here some one or two persons commenced manufacturing shoes (Brogus) for Southern market with shoe business, buildings commenced and for 8 years past our village has grown very much. It has altered nearly all since you were here � I don�t recollect how many dwellings there were at that time (but very few) there is at this time about one hundred dwelling Houses, 12 large Shoe Manufactorys or Shops, 1 Church (and one in progress of erection), Public House, 1 Bank, 5 or 6 Stores = 3 Miliner�s Shops � 1 Law Office = 1 Library � 1 Fire engine, House & Company = 3 Physicians and about Eight hundred inhabitants in and about the village. Speaking of Shoes, there was made in this place the last year according to the Statistics that I have just read from the Manufactorers 8598 Cases, the most of them were 60 pair cases, a few more 30 pair cases, and according to their own figures (which by the way is underrated) amounts to 503,860 Pairs.

In addition to the above there is a large number of small Shoe Shops where the Shoes are put together, (the 12 large shops above are where the cutting & c is done) besides numerous other buildings with an addition of several new ones in our immediate neighborhood called Peavey Mill. I must close, give my & our best respects to the Doctor [referring to Elizabeth�s husband Asa Wilbur Tupper], Wish he would write & come with you and visit us. Tell your Mother that I still respect her as a friend and Sister and wish she would write me altho I have been so neglectful. I hope she will not pattern after me. My respects to all, kiss the dear little ones for me John L. in particular the name is all, to me. Excuse me Dear Elizabeth for being so neglectful of you for I am really ashamed of it and that ought to be apology enough perhaps. Excuse my imperfect scratching and write to me often. If I should be removed hence, some one will answer you. Jane Ann writes a line. Do write to her. She will answer you as well as she can (a Good Girl). I commenced the 9th it is now the 19th should have finished sooner but could not obtain Statistics as my other business has been pressing. Would write more Paper fails.

From your unworthy old Uncle B. R. Peavey

Note: Ben R. Peavey used some unusual punctuation marks such as equal signs or squiggles between sentences, and he rarely used capital letters. For ease of reading, I have capitalized the first word in each sentence.

Letters are in the possession of Martha Sayles,
(a direct descendant of Elizabeth Rosilla Peavey Tupper).
Originally transcribed by Mary Lou Veal.