LibGuides: Lowell Mill Girl Letters: Williamson Wilson, Hannah

April 13, 1836

Courtesy: American Textile History Museum
Transcribed: University of Massachusetts Lowell, Center for Lowell History

       Lowell [Sunday] April 3, 1836

Respected Friend¹ it is with pleasure I now employ a few moments in writing to inform you of my health which is very good at present and I hope this will find you in the enjoyment of the same they are a having a general turning out here now the girls in the narrow Weave Room went out at once on account of their lowering their wages they took off two shillings² on a beam but Lawrence³ raised them again and sent for
them to come back and they did Saturday the Spinners all stoped their work at once and run up around Putman⁴ he grumped and says be oh the Devil how shall I get out of this go to work and I will make the report tomorrow unless they raise the wages they are all going out at 12 o'clo for good the [work?] is very bad and they are raising the Board to nine shillings and Jobhands cannot not much more than bear their
Board so i think you are better off where you are for there is more girls than you can shake a stick at the Lawrence corporation⁵ say they can spare an hundred girls and not miss them they are running over Holly Thompson has gone to doing house work at Doct Hubbard's⁶ she could not get in the factory nowhere in Lowell I saw Wilson⁷ Sunday he sends his respects to you and wants you should come back and court up David his Cousin he is a real pretty fellow you must come in the Fall when they get settled down again Mr. Webb⁸ & Wegewood⁹ has left Elkins¹⁰ has taken Weges place & Lumis¹¹ Webbs they get along pretty well there has been quite a ~~rel~~ a revival here

  ^{1Mary S. Fraser}
^{2Shillings: 1 shilling = about 16 cents, or 6 shillings = $1}
^{3Lawrence: Lawrence Mills or Samuel Lawrence, Agent}
^{Belvidere Mills}
^{4Adam Putnam, manufacturer b: 16 July 1799 Stow, MA; house}
^{Hurd St.; son of Asa Putnam and his 2nd wife Catherine Evelith;}
^{married Dec 1823 Nancy Puffer}
^{5Lawrence Mills}
^{6Charles Hubbard, physician, house Church St., business Central St.}
^{7Clifron Wilson b: 11 Apr 1811, Pelham, NH d: 19 July 1887;}
^{son of Eliab Wilson b: Pelham, NH and Damaris Fox b: [Dracut?]}
^{MA; married Hannah I. Williamson b: 6 July 1836, Pomfret, VT}
^{8Edward A. Webb, overseer Middlesex Mills, house Lawrence St.}
^{9Joshua Wedgewood, overseer Middlesex Mills, house near corner}
^{Hurd and Warren Sts}
^{10James Elkins, overseer Middlesex Mills, boards Miss Eliza}
^{Manning Lawrence St.}
^{11Warner S. Loomis, overseer Middlesex Mills, house corner}
^{George and Warren Sts}

among the Methodist¹² Louis Dufer has become pious and Serene Buchnam & Clarissa Blake¹³ quite a change at Mrs. Coburns¹⁴ and I hope their will continue to be there and every- where else give my respects to all who may enquire for me

Hannah Parkhurst¹⁵ wants to come up their to work¹⁶ she wants you should ask Mr. Bingham what he will give her and she will come I shall expect you to write as soon as you get this write all about the folks about your Moses and how much he will give her per week it is almost night I cannot write very mor write as soon as you get this without fail besure and ask Mr. Bingham so goodby Hannah I. Williamson¹⁷

[on cover]
Miss Mary S. Fraser¹⁸
Stockbridge, VT¹⁹

^{12First Methodist Episcopal Church Chapel Hill - Revs Ira M.}
^{Bidwell and Charles Noble}
^{13Dufer, Buchnam, and Blake: operatives Middlesex Mills}
^{14Mrs. Clarissa Coburn, boardinghouse keeper, Warren St.}
^{15Hannah Parkhurst, operative Middlesex Mills, bds at Mrs.}
^{Clarissa Coburn, Warren St.}
^{16Woolen Mill built in Gaysville section of Stockbridge, VT}
^{17Hannah Irenine Williamson b: 21 Apr 1816 Pomfret,}
^{Windsor, VT d: 14 July 1901 Pelham, NH; daughter of Caleb}
^{Bates Williamson d: 1822 and Hannah Tupper d: 1832;}
^{orphaned at 16; married Clifron Wilson b: 11 Apr 1811,}
^{Pelham, NH d: 19 July 1887}
^{18Mary S. Fraser b: 29 Nov 1814 Pomfret, VT d: 20 Mar 1885;}
^{married Mar 1841 Issacher Adams}
^{19Stockbridge, VT Population 1,419 [1840]}