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May 14th, 1882 letter from

Hannah (Peas) Gellerson of

San Francisco, San Francisco County, California to

James Low III

of Newburg, Pike County, Illinois.

The letter is from Hannah (Peas) Gellerson [Jellerson] to James⁸ Low III of Newburg, Pike County, Illinois. Hannah was James’ step-aunt ( by marriage): she was the widow of Josiah Gellerson, brother of James’ step-father, Bingham Jellerson. Hannah’s family used many spellings of their name: Gellerson, Gellison, Gellson, Jellerson, or Jellison. James⁸' step-father, Bingham Jellerson, and his descendants settled on the ‘Jellerson’ spelling of the name. Bingham’s birth certificate gives his last name as “Gellson;” his marriage certificate as “Gellison;” and during his adult lifetime, it was always “Jellerson.” Bingham’s brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews used some of the various alternate spellings - often changing the spelling multiple times during their lifetimes.

The letter was found in a trunk of James⁸ Low III and transcribed as written by his great-great grandson, Bingham James Forrest¹² Lowe. Punctuation and spelling errors have not been corrected.

10th generation: Frank, Forrest, Lenna, Arthur, Edward, Paul, Leland, Charles Doss, Pearl, Henry, James, George

Bingham James⁹ Low(e)   Aug 27, 1853 - Feb 10, 1923           (w: Mary D. Culver)                        of Newburg, Pike County, Illinois

James⁸ Low III                  Apr 27-1816 - Sep 2, 1889               (w: Margaret Huston Montgomery) of Clinton & Brighton, Maine / Newburg, Illinois

James⁷ Low Jr                   1796 - Mar 20, 1824                        (w: Mary Wyman)                           of Clinton, Maine (fought in War of 1812)

James⁶ Low Sr                   Jul 17, 1770 - bef 1830                    (w: Elizabeth "Betsy" Chase)           of Boxford, Massachusetts / Clinton, Maine

Nathan⁵ Low                     Oct 1, 1742 - Jul 24, 1804                (w: Lucy Lord)                                 of Ipswich & Boxford, Massachusetts

Caleb⁴ Low                        1707 - Jul 17, 1777                          (w: Abigail Varney)                         of Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts

David³ Low                       Aug 14, 1667 - Jun 2, 1746              (w: Mary Lamb)                               of Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts

Thomas² Low                    May 8, 1631 - Apr 12, 1712             (w: Martha Boreman)        of Groton & Boxford, Suffolk, England / Ipswich, MA

Thomas¹ Low                    1605 - Sep 8, 1677                           (w: Margaret Todd)           of Groton & Boxford, Suffolk, England / Ipswich, MA

Giles⁰ Low          unknown (Wife: Syseley Wall, marr 3/5/1601/02)     of Brancepeth, Durham, England; Groton & Boxford, Suffolk, England

San Francisco

May 14^th, 1882

Dear Friends.

I wil try to ansere your welcom letter I recived a few days ago wich it found me well I hop when this reches you it wil find you and our wife well and all of our friends well Well I am not stopen with Angie and hur husban I am stopen with strangers in this cella I hav Halles lillel girl with me I am felen vara bad and thinkin is thare ena way for me to come I hope and pra to get awa from her I am tryen to live but I think I wil be happy if I live to meet you and your wife I fel as tho I shel find friends once more I wil sel off what few things I heve left I hev not got much for Angie and hur husban hev taken tha most I hev and turned me out to take care of my self after I hev dun what I hev for them It is wors then murder that tha hev used me i wont right ena mor about it When I se you for heven sake sten by me for I feel as tho I need friends who will not forsake me If I ever needed friends it is now I never once thout of comen to what I am but times hev changed and evry thing hes changed with me When I stop and think of being left and ben treted by my one that owt to sten by me why it is wors then deth My God hant this a hard place to place me I cant let you kno by righten When I meet you you shel here it tha truth I want you to send me what you think I wil need to com with you Cen se how much it wil cost to com I wil try to com as cheep as I cen I don’t know it wil cost some whare from sixta to sixta five dolars for a ticket to com ena grant don’t fail to help me I wil com if you wil Thar is no one to look for me nor help me don’t you and your wife let this be none [known] to ena one but your one [own] selves about oure afair Try to help me for I need your help and your sympatha May God bless you both for ever I sing and pray my best regards to you both you and your wife love to brother B. and Mother and tell Phebe and famila and all friends let me no soon

Your Hannah Gellerson

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© 1999 by Bingham James Forrest Lowe [g.g.grandson of James Low(e)]

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November 17^th, 2010 marks the 374th anniversary of the Low(e) Family in America.