Tuesday, April 5, 2016

1881 Letter from James W. Bradbury at Augusta, Maine, to Mr. and Mrs. George W. Childs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania


1881 letter written by Hon. James Ware Bradbury at Augusta, Maine, to Mr. and Mrs. George W. Childs, presumably Philadelphia Public Ledger publisher George William Childs and Emma Bouvier (Peterson) Childs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Sadly, the envelope is missing.

Bradbury was expressing regret at having to decline an invitation to the wedding of the Childs' niece.  See a transcription below.

It's possible that the bride, Miss Peterson, and groom, Mr. Carter, were Mary Bouvier Peterson, daughter of Emma Bouvier (Peterson) Childs' brother Robert Evans Peterson, Jr.;  and Robert Harris McCarter, though Mary and Robert did not marry until 1886.  Interestingly, they named their son George William Childs McCarter.


Transcription

Augusta
October 5, 1881
Mr. and Mrs. George W. Childs
My dear Friends,
Please accept my thanks for your kind invitation to the wedding of your Niece.
I assure you it would give me so great pleasure to meet you, especially on so joyful an occasion, that the ___ [? environment ?] of age (more than four score years) and the distance alone prevent my undertaking the journey.  
With the ardent wish that the highest anticipation of happiness of Mr. Carter and Miss Peterson, who are now to unite their destinies in the most sacred and intimate relations, may be more than realized, here and hereafter I remain,
with sincere personal regard,
Very truly yours,
James W. Bradbury

P.S.  Please remember me kindly to the Father and Mother of the Bride elect.

If you believe Miss Peterson was someone else and that Mr. Carter was really  Mr. Carter and not Mr. McCarter, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

Below is the image of a page in an autograph album that was inscribed by Hon. James Ware Bradbury on September 27, 1900, not long before his death on January 6, 1901.



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