Letters from Nauvoo
My Great-grandfather James H. Douglas with his
wife, Irintha Pratt Douglas. "Rintha" was the
daughter of Orson Pratt and Marion Ross Pratt.
Below is James Douglas' explanatory note that was attached to six letters written by his grandmother, Ellen Briggs Douglas (later Ellen Douglas Parker) to her parents in England.
Ogden, Utah
February 2, 1939
“The following letters written by grandmother Ellen Douglas Parker to her Mother in England—written from Nauvoo and Saint Louis between the years of 1842 and 1852, came into my possession with the documents left by my Father Richard Douglas.
The letters to me are priceless and I am taking this means of preserving them in bookform and I hope my posterity and future family generations may read them with the same interest and pleasure that I have read them.”
Sincerely,
JAMES H. DOUGLAS
Letter No. 1.
Nauvoo,
June 2, 1842.
Dear Father and Mother:-
I now take up my pen for the third time to address you, hoping these lines will find you in good health, as it leaves us all at present. I sent one letter from New Orleans with an Englishman, which I expect you will get soon. He was not setting off for England until the beginning of May. I also sent another with one of our Brethren who was coming to England to warn them for another time to prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ, which we believe is drawing nigh, and I expect that you will get this the first. I sent the other about a month since and I am going to send this by Amos Fielding. He has come over from England with some of the Saints and he is returning to Liverpool, so I send this letter by him so that you will have less to pay.
Dear Father and Mother, I am at a loss what I can say to you. I feel so thankful for what the Lord has done for me and my family, for truly all things has worked together for our good. You will see in our former letters how all things did work, for which I feel to praise my Heavenly Father, and I will now say some things about our situation.
We rented a house at 5 shillings a month and we have fire wood on at that, and a good garden above an half an acre. It lies on the side of a hill close before our door. Our house is not such a fine one, but there are many that are much worse, and I prayed that we might have one to ourselves for there is 3 or 4 families in one room, and many have to pitch their tents in the woods, or anywhere where they can, for it is impossible for all to get houses when they come in for they are coming in daily. Scores of houses have been built since we have come here and they still continue building, and it is 8 weeks this night since we came in.
We have got our garden plowed and planted and all our seeds have come up and looks very well. We have planted corn, potatoes, beans, peas, onions, pumpkins, melons, cucumbers and a many other things too numerous to mention, and we have all so got a pig. A man come one day and wanted one of our boys to go and clear him off a piece of ground before he plowed it, and he would give him a pig, so he went about one day and got it. In any land it would have cost 15 or 16 shillings at least. It was Ralph that got it.
We also have got a flock of chickens. We have 13 and I have bought 11 besides, so you have account of all our property, and I think we are far better here than in old England.
We wish all our fathers and mothers and brothers and sisters and all our friends were here, for there is plenty of work and plenty of meat and we can afford to play a day or two anytime when we please and not get into debt. Butter is 5 pece a pound. Sugar is the same. We have not had much fresh meat, but we have had plenty of good bacon and ham. I wish the people in England could get as much as we can. As to prices of other goods, I need not mention because you have heard before. I sent you word in my last letter what we all were doing, but I will mention it again.
George and Ralph is working at the Nauvoo house and Richard has been working at a farmhouse close by, and Isabella at the same place. Richard is now going to work for another man and I expect he will receive for wanges 5 dollars a month besides his board, but we have not exactly agreed till he sees how both sides likes. George is waling when he is at the Nauvoo House, but they are now waiting for some good work, so he is ditching till they want him again. They love their work at the Nauvoo House very well.
I forgot to tell you what Richard was going to work at, but he is going to plough and break up prarie. It has been his work ever since he came here.
James Smithes and his family are all in good health. Ann got another child on the 31st day of May. I have been over to see her and she is going very well. I also mention Hahan Thornber and her family. Henry is in good health at present. Jane has been sick, but she is mending very nicely. Hanah has been a little sick, but she is beginning to mend. Eleen and her husband are well. Old John and Ellen Parker are both in good health and spirits and are expecting their daughter Mary every day. Give their kind love to all enquiring friends. Jo Spencer, Jo Gleson and Alis Cotam and Ann and Jo Rushton and Wm. and Betty Moss are all in good health and spirits. Wm. Moss is building him a house not far from where we live.
There is now in this city a female Charity Society, of which I am a member. We are in number 8 or 9 hundred. Jo Smith’s wife is the head of our socity and we meet on a Thursday at 1 o’clock, where we receive instructions both temporary and spiritually. I must say something about the Prophet the Lord has raised up in these last days. I feel to rejoice that I have been permitted to hear his voice for I know that this is the work of the Lord and all the powers of earth or hell can not gainsay it. The time is not far hence when all will know that this is the work of the Lord and not of man. The time is near at hand when all the proud and they that do wickedly shall be as stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them, saith the Lord of Hosts. I pray that the Lord may remove all darkness from your minds so that you may see clearly the way which you should go, that at last you may enter in through the gate into the City.
Give our kind love to all enquiring friends and to all our brothers and sisters. Tell Jo Thornber that Henry will write soon and we will send some particular word in his letter.
I could like you to send me a letter the first opportunity and let me know how you are going on and how my sister May is and all her family.
Tell all the Saints that come here to bring all these necessary things with them, such as pots and pans and tubs and all your necessary things. Tell John Thornber to bring plenty of print and check, light print and a little patren, and fustan or anything he pleases.
We remain
Your affectionate son and
Daughter
George and Ellen Douglas.
Direct: Nauvoo, Hancock County, Ill., North America
February 2, 1939
“The following letters written by grandmother Ellen Douglas Parker to her Mother in England—written from Nauvoo and Saint Louis between the years of 1842 and 1852, came into my possession with the documents left by my Father Richard Douglas.
The letters to me are priceless and I am taking this means of preserving them in bookform and I hope my posterity and future family generations may read them with the same interest and pleasure that I have read them.”
Sincerely,
JAMES H. DOUGLAS
Letter No. 1.
Nauvoo,
June 2, 1842.
Dear Father and Mother:-
I now take up my pen for the third time to address you, hoping these lines will find you in good health, as it leaves us all at present. I sent one letter from New Orleans with an Englishman, which I expect you will get soon. He was not setting off for England until the beginning of May. I also sent another with one of our Brethren who was coming to England to warn them for another time to prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ, which we believe is drawing nigh, and I expect that you will get this the first. I sent the other about a month since and I am going to send this by Amos Fielding. He has come over from England with some of the Saints and he is returning to Liverpool, so I send this letter by him so that you will have less to pay.
Dear Father and Mother, I am at a loss what I can say to you. I feel so thankful for what the Lord has done for me and my family, for truly all things has worked together for our good. You will see in our former letters how all things did work, for which I feel to praise my Heavenly Father, and I will now say some things about our situation.
We rented a house at 5 shillings a month and we have fire wood on at that, and a good garden above an half an acre. It lies on the side of a hill close before our door. Our house is not such a fine one, but there are many that are much worse, and I prayed that we might have one to ourselves for there is 3 or 4 families in one room, and many have to pitch their tents in the woods, or anywhere where they can, for it is impossible for all to get houses when they come in for they are coming in daily. Scores of houses have been built since we have come here and they still continue building, and it is 8 weeks this night since we came in.
We have got our garden plowed and planted and all our seeds have come up and looks very well. We have planted corn, potatoes, beans, peas, onions, pumpkins, melons, cucumbers and a many other things too numerous to mention, and we have all so got a pig. A man come one day and wanted one of our boys to go and clear him off a piece of ground before he plowed it, and he would give him a pig, so he went about one day and got it. In any land it would have cost 15 or 16 shillings at least. It was Ralph that got it.
We also have got a flock of chickens. We have 13 and I have bought 11 besides, so you have account of all our property, and I think we are far better here than in old England.
We wish all our fathers and mothers and brothers and sisters and all our friends were here, for there is plenty of work and plenty of meat and we can afford to play a day or two anytime when we please and not get into debt. Butter is 5 pece a pound. Sugar is the same. We have not had much fresh meat, but we have had plenty of good bacon and ham. I wish the people in England could get as much as we can. As to prices of other goods, I need not mention because you have heard before. I sent you word in my last letter what we all were doing, but I will mention it again.
George and Ralph is working at the Nauvoo house and Richard has been working at a farmhouse close by, and Isabella at the same place. Richard is now going to work for another man and I expect he will receive for wanges 5 dollars a month besides his board, but we have not exactly agreed till he sees how both sides likes. George is waling when he is at the Nauvoo House, but they are now waiting for some good work, so he is ditching till they want him again. They love their work at the Nauvoo House very well.
I forgot to tell you what Richard was going to work at, but he is going to plough and break up prarie. It has been his work ever since he came here.
James Smithes and his family are all in good health. Ann got another child on the 31st day of May. I have been over to see her and she is going very well. I also mention Hahan Thornber and her family. Henry is in good health at present. Jane has been sick, but she is mending very nicely. Hanah has been a little sick, but she is beginning to mend. Eleen and her husband are well. Old John and Ellen Parker are both in good health and spirits and are expecting their daughter Mary every day. Give their kind love to all enquiring friends. Jo Spencer, Jo Gleson and Alis Cotam and Ann and Jo Rushton and Wm. and Betty Moss are all in good health and spirits. Wm. Moss is building him a house not far from where we live.
There is now in this city a female Charity Society, of which I am a member. We are in number 8 or 9 hundred. Jo Smith’s wife is the head of our socity and we meet on a Thursday at 1 o’clock, where we receive instructions both temporary and spiritually. I must say something about the Prophet the Lord has raised up in these last days. I feel to rejoice that I have been permitted to hear his voice for I know that this is the work of the Lord and all the powers of earth or hell can not gainsay it. The time is not far hence when all will know that this is the work of the Lord and not of man. The time is near at hand when all the proud and they that do wickedly shall be as stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them, saith the Lord of Hosts. I pray that the Lord may remove all darkness from your minds so that you may see clearly the way which you should go, that at last you may enter in through the gate into the City.
Give our kind love to all enquiring friends and to all our brothers and sisters. Tell Jo Thornber that Henry will write soon and we will send some particular word in his letter.
I could like you to send me a letter the first opportunity and let me know how you are going on and how my sister May is and all her family.
Tell all the Saints that come here to bring all these necessary things with them, such as pots and pans and tubs and all your necessary things. Tell John Thornber to bring plenty of print and check, light print and a little patren, and fustan or anything he pleases.
We remain
Your affectionate son and
Daughter
George and Ellen Douglas.
Direct: Nauvoo, Hancock County, Ill., North America
posted by HPT at 1:44 PM
3 Comments:
This is really great, Dad. Thanks for sharing! I'm looking forward to the other letters.
One of the parts that I especially enjoy is when she tells of the female charity society and then shares her testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith.
Amazing.
I liked the reference to "Jo Smith's wife." Very cool.
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