| Notes |
- St. John's on the Humber is now part of Weston, Ontario.
'Betsy' Elizabeth Sophia married her first cousin John Fenning Taylor the Elder & they had 10 children. She died at Rolyat House, Ottawa, Carlton Co., Ontario & was buried at St. John's Cemetery.
To Elizabeth Sophia Dension,
Quebec, 9th October, 1825. My Dear & ever dearest Betsy,
It gives me much happiness after a very long separation to write you again from the quarter of the Globe in which I hope & trust I shall now end my days. Anxiety, my dear, is the most poignant sensation of any other, & God knows I have felt it to my heart's content ever since I left you, but by the Divine Will I thank the author for my being, that I have been preserved thus far, after a long & tedious voyage, & of sickness, & shall, I hope, meet you ere long in perfect health.
You no doubt have been expecting my arrival for a long time past - as when I parted with you - & also when I last wrote, I had every prospect before me of seeing you in August last, but from the long sickness with which I was visited, prevented me, but I trust nevertheless that my being thus far upon the road to you will sufficiently prove that my sincerity is not to be doubted, & that my attachment for you, is as I have always professed it to be. Oh my dear, dear Betsy, I don't know how to repay you for your kind & affectionate letter which came to hand as a healing draft after a sickness of two months. I never read anything in my life with such joy - nor did I ever in my life read anything so often. The more I dwelt upon its contents & the affection that it breathed from the beginning to end, the more happy in mind I became; but there was, notwithstanding, a degree of pain mingled with it. Because of our being at so great a distance from each, I was fearful you would think from my long absence from you, that I was totally undeserving of your esteem, & which I cannot prove to you is the same as when I took the parting kiss - until I again see you I dread to reveal to you the very heavy disappointment that I have met with since writing you last; but, my lovely girl, do not for a moment suppose I knew of it at the time. I allude to my business transactions with my brother's house. I omitted writing to you until I had seen George (who was out of town when I arrived in London) lest I should be too sanguine in what I should write; & as soon as I saw him, I mentioned the subject of my visit, to him & his partners, & reminded them of their letter to me, who seemed much pleased with the idea of doing business, & obtained a list from me of all the articles I wanted to take out, got me samples of different goods to show me, requested me to engage a vessel, which I did, & ever kept me in painful suspense for two months, when, to my great astonishment, & mortification, they told me that they had been weighing matters, & after mature consideration, they would wish for the present to decline doing business with me, as they did not like speculations so far out of their usual course of business, but at a future day they should be very happy in embracing my offer. This, you may be sure, was like a thunder clap upon me, & my letter to you was foremost in my mind. But when I meet you, I will explain their base conduct more fully.
My grandfather is still living, & my brother & brother-in-law have been fleecing him completely. My brother-in-law has all his affairs in his own hands; & in place of there being something like £2000 in one stock when I left, there is now only about £:300 or £400 - & still he has been paying up the interest of the first sum regularly, & impoverishing the principle. God knows what I shall do when I return, or how I shall bear to see you, after deceiving you so grossly in my expectations.
I have brought you a few presents, & have not forgotten the knives forks, & spoons; neither did I forget the ring. I have brought your Mama a pair of spectacles, prayer book, rosemary & lavender, &, not forgetting the locket.
This has been written in great haste to save the post, which please excuse. I take the boat tonight - therefore, my dear girl, adieu till I, see you in York, when I hope you will grant me an interview at Miss Caldwell's, prior to my going to your Mama's. I remain Your affectionate, lover, & I hope, husband, J F Taylor.
Ref: Toronto Reference Library. - - -
|
1819 - 1892 (72 years)