back to the Low(e) main page

September 26, 1843 letter from

James Low III

of Newburg, Pike County, Illinois, written from

Wesley, Somerset County, Maine to

Thomas Huston

of Newburg, Pike County, Illinois.

After James’ arrival in Pike County, Illinois in 1836, he began making plans to return to Maine to help relocate his family and friends from Brighton, Fairfield and Wesley, Maine to Pike County, Illinois. His return trip to Maine came shortly after his marriage to Margaret (Huston) Montgomery on July 1, 1843.

There are a number of interesting pieces of information imparted in the two letters that James wrote on September 23^rd and September 26^th and a few references that deserve clarification.

James⁸'s mother and his stepfather, Bingham Jellerson, were no longer living in Brighton, Somerset County, Maine in 1843. They were living in Wesley, Washington County, Maine, as were his sister, Phebe⁸, and her husband, Rufus Jones, with whom James⁸ mentions catching a bear, in the September 26^th letter.

James⁸ left Pittsfield quite soon after his July wedding to Margaret. By September 1st, he was already in Maine. He wrote to Margaret’s father, Thomas, on September 23^rd, 1843 from Wesley, Washington County, Maine and to Margaret 3 days later. She received her letter, exactly one month later, on October 23^rd.

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

Dear Margrat a few lines to you and I shall have to bring my letter to a close. My health has not ben so good for two years as it is at this time and thanks be to my heavly farther for his mercies to me and I hope that these few lines will find you injoying the same blessings. I often think of you and our little ones. I hav met with a nomber of disapointments so that I cant come home this fall but I shall come as soon as posible There is a number of families that want to come to Illinois and they want I should wait till somer and go with them. I think I shall stay and get my friends started and I shall come my self by water as I can come much quicker than teams will by land. I am to work with Farther now we are farming and making shingles. I expect to drive a horse team this winter as that agrees with my heath the best. My brother in law and I hav cant a large bare [have caught a large bear] in a log trap and I shall bring the skin home with me. The time will soon pas but will seme very long to me before I can see you but you must do the best that you can Let farther hav the cloth that you hav maid for me. Cloth the children up well as you can and make your self comfatble as you can. I want you to rite how you are getting along. Take pertickler notice and direct your letter to Wesley Washington county Maine Rite as soon as you get this. I always think of you all wile in my secret retirements and ask God to preserve our lives that we may injoy each others company in this life again and I remain your affectionate companion until death. James Low to M. Low

[added as a post-script] David Brown is owing John U. Grimshaw and Ketchum and I do not want you to say enything about that I owe him for they would garnishee on to my propity but if he wont wait you mint bluf him of by telling him if he sues that Grimshaw and Ketchum will have on for there pay and he had better wait patience and have it him self when I come home.

Margrat = Margaret (Huston) (Montgomery) Low. James’ wife and the daughter of Thomas Huston.

1^st Farther = Father: Bingham Jellerson, James⁸' step-father, married to James’ mother: Mary (Wyman) (Low) Jellerson

2^nd Farther = Father: Thomas Huston, father of James’ wife, Margaret, and his deceased 1^st wife, Elizabeth.

Our little ones: James is referring to his own daughter, Mary Ellen, and to Margaret’s children: Elizabeth and David Montgomery.

David Brown: Pike County, Illinois resident and farmer

John U. Grimshaw: Unk nown. There was a farmer, Thomas C. Grimshaw and an attorney, William A. Grimshaw in Pike County. John U. may be their relative.

Ketchum: unk nown.

  back to the Low(e) main page

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

        (copy address and remove the spaces to send an email)

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