About me

BONNIE HURD SMITH has been writing and speaking about Judith Sargent Murray (JSM) for twenty-five years. It was during her tenure as board president of the Sargent House Museum in Gloucester, Mass. (JSM's home) that JSM's letter books were discovered and published on microfilm. Since then, Bonnie has initiated a multi-year initiative to transcribe and publish (in print and online) all twenty volumes of JSM's letter books. BONNIE IS THE AUTHOR OF four books on JSM and her letter books, including "The Letters I Left Behind: Letter Book 10," "Letters of Loss and Love: Letter Book 3," "Mingling Souls Upon Paper," "From Gloucester to Philadelphia in 1790," and a biographical e-book titled "I am Jealous for the Honor of My Sex." Letter Book 11 is on its way! IN ADDITION Bonnie's articles, book chapters, contributions to historic sites, exhibitions, and on-topic books (like David McCullough's "John Adams") have earned her RECOGNITION FROM OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS as the definitive scholar on JSM. Bonnie's TALKS and Unitarian Universalist SERMONS on JSM have been called passionate, insightful, and inspiring.

Saturday, May 18, 2024

1776: Gloucesterians' refuge in Chebacco Parish, and British intentions

 

Jan 1776
Judith Sargent Stevens to Judith Saunders Sargent

 

Letter 28th    To my Mother    Little Village    January — 1776

My Dearest Mother

 

It was, you will not doubt, a very considerable disappointment to me, to find, upon my arrival here, both yourself, and my sister — absent — I am, however, pleased you could command health sufficient for the little excursion, which I hope will be attended with much pleasure.  My Father advises us, by all means, to take the house belonging to Mr G— — we have been to look at it, and if Mr W— will relinquish a promise, which he hath obtained of one of the apartments, we shall place our furniture there as we are under an absolute necessity of removing it — Mr G— engages to render his house tenantable and we rather conclude to deposit our goods there, indifferent as the place appears, as we indulge a hope that we shall not be under the necessity of yielding our present residence — 

 


An opinion has now become generally prevalent, that it is far from the design of the british to spread unnecessary devastation, that still regarding American Property as their own, they can have no inducement to lay our Sea Ports in Ashes — By tarrying in Town, I can be of more consequence to my Father, his business will often carry him thither and he has it in contemplation to shut up the mansion, from which you have flown, and to reside with us during those intervals which he is necessitated to be absent from this Village — 

 

Alas!  my Dear Mother what days of sorrow have arisen upon us — Gloomy is the morning of my Life, and I am ready to wish the warrant for my release, had already past the great seal of heaven —

 

Notes:
• "Little Village" refers to the Chebacco Parish of Ipswich, Mass. The Sargents, and other early Universalists (including John Murray) moved there temporarily for their safety while British war ships patrolled the coast of Gloucester.
• JSM's father, Winthrop Sargent, was a member of Gloucester's Committee of Safety in 1775. He remained a "Government agent in Gloucester throughout the war; in 1788 he was one of the delegates to the State Convention for ratifying the Federal Constitution.





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