Clara Hammond McGuigan Letters
The following eleven letters remained in the possession of Dr. Clara Hammond McGuigan (1863-1964) until her death, when they passed into the possession of Muriel Whipple Haddon (1904-2003), who kept them until her death. The first eight were written in 1860 by Clara Hammond McGuigan’s parents, Josiah and Margaret (Whipple) Hammond, and chronicle the courtship leading to their Thanksgiving Day wedding (Nov. 29, 1860). The ninth is Noah Whipple’s written consent for his daughter to marry. The last two letters, from 1889-91, concern Clara Hammond McGuigan’s own wedding, to Dr. John McGuigan, July 21, 1891.
Some background may prove helpful in reading the
letters. According to The Antecedents and Descendants of Noah
Whipple, Josiah Hammond (1821-1895) was “the largest strawberry raiser in
Connecticut in his day” (98). He
was born in Ashford, Connecticut, and in 1860 was living in nearby Hampton. 
His first wife, Ruth Maria Hammond, died March 4, 1860, and is buried
in South Cemetery, Ashford, where her grave marker records her age at death as
32, and refers to an infant that is buried with her (Hale Collection). Josiah’s brother, Nelson Hammond
(1826-1905), was married to Rebecca Whipple (1837-1887), older sister of
Margaret Whipple (1842-1914), and it appears to have been Rebecca who encouraged
the recently-widowed Josiah to begin corresponding with Margaret. According to The Antecedents and Descendants of Noah
Whipple, Nelson “lived on a farm, which he worked summers, and taught in
country schools winters for many years… Rebecca was an expert weaver of rag
carpets on the old fashioned hand loom” (97). We are also told that Rebecca was
“killed by lightening,” July 31, 1887.
Josiah and Margaret were married on Thanksgiving Day 1860, at that time a
state holiday celebrated on the last Thursday of November. Clara Maria Hammond (their only child to
live to adulthood; a boy, Freddie Josiah, lived from Dec. 1, 1872, to May 15,
1873) was born in Hampton, August 21, 1863. In her book The Antecedents and Descendants of Noah
Whipple, she writes: “Josiah Hammond moved to Ledyard, Conn., in Nov.
1866, in that part called Quakertown where the relatives known as Rogerene
Quakers lived. There I was raised”
(178). Of herself she writes:
“Clara Maria Hammond is the author of this book, the first woman to graduate
from Philadelphia Women’s Medical School, and for 27 years the Superintendent of
Mystic Oral School” (178). In 1887,
she says, “I took the examination for resident physician in the City Hospital of
Philadelphia and served 15 months there.
During this time, I correctly diagnosed an early case of small pox and
was given credit for preventing a possible epidemic. It was there that I met my colleague Dr.
John Ignatius McGuigan whom I married on July 21, 1891” (179).
[Thanks for help in
transcribing these letters to Ross H., Laura P., and Sarah
R.]
1860 / 06 / 17 — Josiah Hammond writing to Margaret Whipple
Hampton June 17th 1860
Dear Friend,
I was up to Nelson’s two days ago and through the kindness of your sister had the pleasure of reading a note from you in answer to one that she wrote by my request to you and as you seem to have no objections to forming an acquaintance I will write a few lines to you hoping that it will lead to a happy termination in the end. I have lost my companion she that was my comforter and consoler I did not know the value of such a friend untill [sic] I was deprived of her. As you may suppose it is very lonesome to live entirely alone as I have for the last three months and the inconvenience of doing the work in the house and outdoors compels me to look for a partner. I have seen you a few times but our acquaintance is very limited as yet but I think that so kind sister as Rebecca thinks you are must make a good wife for I have much confidence in her judgment she has been as kind to me as a sister could be since Maria died she takes care of my clothes and everything that I ask her to do. I am up there every four days I wish they lived nearer here but I have a good horse and wagon now and I can ride up there most anytime. I don’t know as I can offer any great inducements to anyone but such as they are I freely offer. In the first place you would think of the person but I will not undertake to describe myself very minutely for I fear it would not look well on paper but I think that I am homely enough to behave tolerablely well. In regard to property I consider myself neither rich nor poor. I have as much land as I can take care of and comfortable house to live in situated in a very pleasant neighborhood but no wife. You wrote that you thought of coming up soon I hope that you will come and stay a few weeks as we could get better acquainted by talking than by writing. If you should not come up here I shall call down and see you if you give me the privilege I suppose that Rebecca keeps you posted on all the news so I shall not try to think up many to day. I hope you will write to me soon after receiving this you need not be afraid that I shall let any one see them. If after an acquaintance with me you make up your mind that you cannot be happy with me then you can have your letters returned to you again and we will be friends if we cannot be companions. If you cannot get time to write but a few lines I shall be happy to receive them.
Yours Respectively [sic],
Josiah Hammond
1860 / 06 / 27 — Margaret Whipple writing to Josiah
Hammond
Ledyard June 27th 1860
Mr. Hammond,
Sir—I received a letter from you yesterday and have now seated myself to answer it. You may be sure it was on subject that I am little posted on, therefore I am at a loss to know what to write I feel to mourn with you for the loss of your wife, and I think you must feel very desolate there alone; and I think the loss of a kind companion must be the greatest loss that any one can meet with. I should think it must be very inconvenient, as you wrote, to do your work alone, as you have to do both indores [sic] and out. As for myself I feel very contented at present, but I don’t, of course, expect to remain as I am always. I feel that our acquaintance is very limited as yet, and I should think the easiest way to get acquainted would be to see each other and get acquainted by conversation. As far as beauty is concerned I don’t think I have much to boast of myself; and I don’t think it makes any difference about that anyway: for you know “beauty fades like flowers.” I think so little about any ones looks myself that I don’t think I should know you if I should see you. I intent [sic] to come up to Nelson’s this summer if nothing happens. I can’t tell certain when I shall come yet, but I think I shall come next month. If you wish to write to me again (or think my letter worthy of an answer) you can do so, and I will write again. Should not wonder if after an intimate acquaintance with me, you would look upon me more as a mere child than anything else; for I should think there was considerable differences in our ages. I should judge by your looks when I saw you that you was [sic] between thirty-five and forty years; I was seventeen years old last September; but I don’t suppose age makes much difference with anyone, for life is uncertain to everyone, young folks as well as old. There has [sic] been several deaths about here this spring they were all children. I believe I have written everything that is necessary this time. Please to keep my letter a secret from Nelson, for he will plague me about them if you don’t. If you write again tell me how they are getting along. I will draw to a close now; you have my best wishes,
Margaret Whipple
[To] Mr. Josiah Hammond
P.S. Since I finished my letter I have made up my mind that I can’t come up to Nelson’s at present if you wish to see me I should be happy to see you down here please write if your are coming and when you shall be here write time enough so that I can get your letter before you get here if you please.
1860 / 07 / 05 — Josiah Hammond writing to Margaret Whipple
Hampton July 5th 1860
Dear Friend
I received your letter three days ago and I now proceed to answer it. I feel very grateful to you for your kind sympathy in regard to the loss that I have met with such kind words are consoling. You speak of my age I should have written it before but I supposed you had heard how old I was but I will write it now if you will have courage to read it. I was thirty-nine years old the twenty first day of last April as to your being a mere child I think we could get along with that very well for I am very fond of such little girls as you are and I think I have a very good faculty to amuse them who can help loving the dear little rosy posys [sic]. I guess you will think that I am too provoking and would like to box my ears soundly. Well you may when I go down there. I know there is considerable difference in our ages but I hope that you will try to overlook that for I think that I can appreciate all the tenderness of your young heart. You know that Maria was as merry as the warbling birds and you don’t know how much I miss those pleasant smiles and her warm and affectionate caresses. Some of her flowers that lived through the winter are now in bloom but there is no one to make bouquets of them. I flatter myself that after we get acquainted with each other that I shall have the pleasure of bringing you to my home. I am sure it would cast sunshine all around where now it seems so gloomy. I will try to go down there and see you on Saturday the twenty first day of this month and will stay over Sunday with you if agreeable to you so we can talk over matters much better than by writing I am helping Nelson cut his hay in the meadow this week. Rebecca would go down with me if she could leave home. They are all well. Rebecca is raising lots of poultry she has four little turkeys just hacht [sic] and chickens in any quantity so that she cannot very well leave home. If you wish to come up to Nelsons you can come up with me if you choose. You can do as you think best about writing before I go down. Please excuse my bad writing.
Yours affectionately,
Josiah Hammond
[To] Margaret
1860 / 08 / 09[?] — Margaret Whipple writing to Josiah
Hammond
Ledyard August the 9th[?] 1860
Esteemed Friend:
I received a letter from you three days ago, and have now seated myself to answer it. I got home from my sisters, where you left me, this week Monday; I had a very good visit. I am well and in good spirits spirits. I was glad to hear that you got home safe and sound: I was rather fraid [sic] you would get wet before you got home. I am shure [sic] I didn’t think I sent much “provisions.” You must have had rather poor appetite after you got home if you could not eat it all for your supper; I believe I could have eat [sic] as much as that myself. I am very glad if you had a good visit. I am shure [sic] I enjoyed it I always do enjoy myself when I have company. I thank you very much for the kind wishes you expressed towards me; I feel that I am not worthy of many kind wishes, or even thoughts from any one. I hope you too will be blessed, and the lady that you claim for your bride whoever she is will be an agreeable companion. John’s girls have got home, and they were quite disappointed because they did not see you. No one has seen your letters but myself and I have not told my folks that I have had any letters from you since you was down. I believe I will close now for the folks are all to bed but myself and I am nearly asleep. I guess your patients [sic] will be wearied with this unless it is pretty good.
You have my best wishes:
Your Friend
Margaret
[To] Mr. Josiah Hammond
P.S. You needn’t write any more at present for I am going to R.I. and I am fraid [sic] my folks will get the letter and open it. I do hope Rebecca will come down before long. I cant hardly wait patiently I want to see her so bad.
1860 / 10 / 17 — Margaret Whipple writing to Josiah Hammond
Ledyard October 17th 1860
My Dear Friend
I have now seated myself to write to you according to promise. We started for home Tuesday morning and reached here about 10 o’clock that night safe and sound. I found the folks all well I was rather tired out when I got home but I have got rested considerably the folks has all gone to bed but Mother when I got home I told her that we were engaged she did not say much any way she seems to think she shall feel very lonesome if I go up there to live but she says she considers you to be a likely man and she shall give her consent if I think I shall be more happy with you than I should to remain at home I have not said anything to Father about it I am going to let you ask him I think of you very often and want to see you as soon as I can I want you to write to me very soon after receiving this for I shall be impatient to hear from you. I don’t feel as if I could hardly wait patiently untill [sic] Thanksgiving before I see you. I expect you will think I am rather foolish but you know children will be foolish sometimes and you must expect that anyway. I guess I will close now for it is getting late I want you to write how you get along with your resolution and write all the news. I will bid you good night now with many wishes for your present and future happiness.
Your true Friend
Margaret
[To] Mr. Josiah Hammond
1860 / 10 / 24 — Josiah Hammond writing to Margaret Whipple
Hampton Oct. 24th 1860
My dear Margaret,
I received your letter yesterday was glad to hear that you got home safe and did not get sick I am enjoying good health. Nelson’s folks are well I was up there last Saturday night John Hammond is going to teach their school this winter. You don’t know how much I missed my walk last Sunday I wonder if you thought anything about picking wintergreen and those pleasant hours that we spent down by the rumbling brook. Last Sunday was a lonesome day to me it rained so I did not go to meeting so I was here alone all day I took a walk out into the grass in the afternoon and picked up a meal of chestnuts I ate some for myself and you too. I suppose you had a little rather eat them for yourself. You have so many to talk with that I don’t believe you can think of me as often as I do of you if you was [sic] only near enough so that I could visit you once a week that would be some consolation but then I keep thinking that Thanksgiving will be along soon so I try to keep my spirits up. I know when I was a boy I thought a great deal of Thanksgiving because it was a hollyday [sic] and then we liked to revel in pies and puddings, but now I am thinking more of seeing my blue eyed Margaret and of bringing her home to my cottage where I hope to spend many happy days with her. You wish to know how I get along with that resolution I have the pleasure of telling you that it remains unbroken. I have gotten my harvesting mostly done I have been hurrying it through so as to burn my other coalpit. I will enclose a line to your father which you can hand to him whenever you think best I hope you will write often you don’t know how much good it does me read such a letter as you wrote last. It was plain and to the purpose. If it takes my letter as long to reach you as it did for yours to come here I guess you will think it never will get there. I have not time to write any more now so I will bid you good bye for this time wishing you much joy and hoping that you will soon write to me and that you will often think of your true friend and lover
Josiah
[To] Miss Margaret Whipple
1860 / 11 / 11 — Josiah Hammond writing to Margaret Whipple
Hampton Nov. 11th 1860
My Dear Margaret
I have been looking for a letter from you for some time, but have not received any since I wrote which was over two weeks ago. I hope you received that letter but I fear you did not I enclosed a line for your father in the letter asking his consent and I thought you would answer it soon if this reaches you before you write I hope you will answer it immediately I want to know what your father said about it and how you are getting along you know that Thanksgiving which was the time talked of for the marriage to take place will soon be along and we want to have matters arranged in season. If we are married Thanksgiving day I suppose that I ought to go down the day before but I shall let you arrange matters to suit yourself, but I want you to write your plans. You don’t know how much I want to see you I hope you think of me some for I think of you a great deal, you know it must be very lonesome here for me, but I try to cheer myself up with the thought that I shall soon have a companion that will bring happiness and comfort to my home. I was up to Nelson’s today they are all well. Harvey is at home now for a few days. I suppose you will want to know about my resolution it remains unbroken. But I must bid you good night for this time hoping to hear from you soon this is from your true friend and lover
Josiah
[To] Margaret
1860 / 11 / 11 — Margaret Whipple writing to Josiah
Hammond
North Stonington Nov. the 11th 1860
My Dear Friend:—
I have now seated myself for the purpose of answering your letter which I received about a week ago. I was very glad indeed to get it, and should have answered it before if I had been at home. I am up to Zachary’s, and have been here two weeks; I expect my folks up after me today. I am in good health and I hope this will find you enjoying the same blessing. I guess you will begin to think your letter never reached me or I am rather negligent about answering it, but I don’t think you well get any more impatient than I did for I thought you never would answer my letter. You seemed to think I should have so many to talk with that I should not think of you; I do have a good deal more company than you do up there I suppose, but then I think of you a great and plenty; I am thinking of you most all of the time day and night. I have read your letter over until I have nearly worn it out already. If you don’t send me another pretty soon I shall have this so worn out that I can’t see the writing. You wrote you went chesnutting [sic] and ate some for me; I am much obliged for they make me sick if I eat them for myself. I went that Saturday before and I ate a few and they make me real sick. You wanted to know if I ever thought of those walks. I do very often. I was rather lonesome last Sunday and I thought of them all day. I haven’t found out when Thanksgiving comes yet; I wish you would tell me in your next letter. I wish you would write what you are going to have for Thanksgiving and who you are again [sic] to invite; you know I told you not to invite anyone; I was rather obstinate then: you can invite who you please it don’t make any difference to me. I want you to come down if you can the day before Thanksgiving so to stay two nights. You had better look out and not get your coal pit sat [sic] up just Thanksgiving, if you don’t you will have to stay at home and attend to that and let wives take care of themselves; but if you don’t come I shall go and get married Thanksgiving and let you come when you get ready. I was so glad to think that you had not broken that resolution. I hope and pray that you will be enabled to keep it firmly as long as you live. I want you to write to me as soon as you get this and put it in the office as soon as you get it written so that I shall have time to get it before you come down. I guess I will draw my letter to a close now for it is of no consequence, and if I write any more it won’t be worth reading. Please excuse bad writing; you have my love and best wishes;
From your friend
[To] Mr. Josiah Hammond
P.S. I don’t show this to Nelson and Rebecca.
1860 / 11 / 14 — Noah Whipple writing to Josiah
Hammond
Ledyard Nov. 14th 1860
Dear Friend,
Having been permitted to read your few lines in wishing to have my consent for my Daughter Margaret to become your wife I will make you this answer. I feel very much gratified to think a man of as much virtue and honor as I consider you to be has called for my daughter and I freely give my consent for her to become your wife hoping she will be a dutiful wife to you.
Noah Whipple
1889 / 08 / 14 — John McGuigan writing to Josiah
Hammond
Philadelphia Hospital
August 14,1889
Mr. Josiah Hammond
Dear Sir:
I take it upon myself the honor of an introduction hoping, as I may not be quite unknown to you, you will for that reason forgive the otherwise unpardonable offence.
My reason for such forwardness, to be candid is to ask the favor of a gift, which is in your power to grant, if you so desire. This gift is one, which, in its very nature, will call upon you to make a sacrifice of your feelings, to part with what is near and dear to you, your only daughter, nay, your only child.
In the event of your granting me this inestimable favor, which I fervently hope you will, I can only promise to love, cherish and care for her the remainder of her life as the idol of my existence, as she has been yours, & deservedly so. I can but promise, in short, to be every thing to her which you could wish, & which could be comprehended in the term, loving husband.
It is not a passing fancy, but one which has grown for a year of continued observation & admiration, so you need not fear a simple fancy or infatuation.
I can but live in hope, awaiting your sentence, which I pray may be all I desire.
With this hope to busy me in this anxious interval, I am,
Yours sincerely,
John I. McGuigan, M.D.
To Mr. Josiah Hammond
Mystic Bridge,
Conn.
1891 / 06 / 29 — Cynthia Hammond writing to Clara
Hammond
Rawson, June 29, 1891
My Dear Cousin Clara
I thank you for sending me the date of your approaching wedding in advance. I shall most surely try to be there. I think some of the family will go with me but just at present cannot say how many. Sister Mary thinks it far to take the baby in hot weather. He is a very well child and she wishes to keep him so, but feels sure it would make him sick to take such a journey.
I hope all will be there that you invite and that you will have a delightful time.
My mother sends her love to you and congratulations on the near approach of your marriage day and wishes you much happiness.
With love and kind regards to your father and mother.
Your loving cousin
Cynthia A. Hammond
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