Otis Moody Annie Noble Florence, Northampton Leeds MA Anne Noble

Otis Moody Annie Noble Florence, Northampton Leeds MA Anne Noble (image 3/[null, null, null, null])

Otis Moody Annie Noble Florence, Northampton Leeds MA Anne Noble (image 4/[null, null, null, null])

Pricing & History

Sold for
Start Free Trial or Sign In to see what it's worth.
Sold Date
Source
Online Marketplace

Otis Moody Annie Noble Florence, Northampton Leeds MA Anne Noble Asian Trade/Oriental Rug Review are pleased to offer three letters from a group of letters exchanged by a small circle of friends located in Western Massachusetts, Northampton and Florence in the 1850s and 60s. The group as a whole probably totaled twenty plus young men and women. People moved in and out of the group and some moved away. Common bonds were: education at Smith, Williams, Amherst or other area schools; an appreciation of Emily Dickenson's poetry; literature in general; anti-slavery; Protestant Christian religion; and a strict adherence to Victorian norms in matters of friendship and romance. Members in the circle referred to each other as "sister" and "brother" to codify their chaste relationships and courtships proceeded at a kabuki theatre pace.The main players in the correspondence are Annie F. Noble who was the recipient of most of the letters, to a lesser degree her Mother Anne Noble, Otis Moody who probably would have married Annie Noble had he not been killed at Chickamauga in September of 1863, Will Williston (real name: A. Lyman Williston) who worked in his Father's mill business in Florence, MA, Charlie Walbridge, who survived the war, mustering out as a colonel, and who would marry Annie Noble in September of 1868, and Olivia Reynolds who was Annie's Aunt. Though Mrs. Reynolds was not a member of the circle, her influence over Annie was profound. Another name threads through this correspondence, that of Henry Ward Beecher, minister of the Plymouth Street Church in Brooklyn, Annie's home town."About the Nobles, Anne and Annie: In 1840, Captain James Noble sailed from England on his ship "Kite" with his wife Anne, bound for the Indian Ocean with a cargo of Bordeaux wine. Their infant daughter Annie was left in the care of James' sister Isabella in North Shields, on the River Tyne. During the voyage, Anne gave birth to a second child Ralph. The First Opium War broke out between Britain and China while the Nobles were at sea, and the Kite was requisitioned as a transport ship for the Royal Navy and ordered to head for the Chinese island of Zhoushan. In September of 1840, the Kite foundered on a sandbank in Hangzhou Bay, keeling over in a matter of minutes and drowning both Captain Noble and baby Ralph. Anne and all the rest of the Kite's crew and marines survived and made it to shore but were captured by the Chinese and taken in dribs and drabs to a Ningbo prison complex. There they were held captive in the jail of the county magistracy for some five months while negotiations were conducted over their release. Imprisoned elsewhere in the same range of buildings were others from the invading British forces, mostly Indian sailors, but including Philip Anstruther, a captain of the Madras Horse Artillery who had been kidnapped by the Chinese. Through an illicit Chinese intermediary, Captain Anstruther began receiving silver dollars and various other luxuries, which were shared with Anne and some of the other prisoners. He and Lieutenant Charles Douglas of the Royal Navy, who had been aboard the Kite when she sank, communicated with Anne using notes written on pieces of rice-paper, some of which Anne kept and took back with her to England when in 1841 she and the surviving prisoners were released (many had died of disease and ill-treatment). She was reunited with Annie in December of 1841, who by then was five years old. Anne applied to the British government for monetary recompense for her husband's death, which had happened while he was in the employ of the Royal Navy." We don't know how much she received, but she was able to immigrate to Brooklyn with Annie, buy a house and live comfortably. She and Annie became communicants of Henry Ward Beecher's church, and soon good personal friends with the minister. Beecher was often asked to speak at Western Massachusetts schools. When he did, Annie and her Mother were always in the first row. Annie's circle of friends always referred to Beecher as, "your Mr. Beecher,"Letter 1.) This letter was written by Annie Walbridge from Buffalo to her husband Charles Walbridge who was at a Ford's Hotel at Richmond VA. He and his good friend Mr. Charles Hubbell were on a trip touring Civil War battlefields. The two men were "comrades" during the war and both were in the 100th NY Volunteer Regiment, and they remained close friends after the war. They had originally planned to go to Maine for the 1885 GAR Summer Encampment, but Walbridge told Hubble that he had enough camping out during the war. So they opted to tour battlefields and stay in nice hotelsAnnie chided Charlie for not writing."...I have not yet had a word from you except that Rochester postal and don't understand it. Mrs. Hubbell says she has heard every day and gave me a slight sketch of your doings. I am sure you must have written and hope to get several letters tomorrow. If I do not I shall not know where to direct, as I only have instructions up to today...""...When are you coming home? You must not hurry too much if you are enjoying yourself - and I should think you could carry out your business plans after leaving Mr. Hubbell. By the way mrs. Holland is quite exercised at the thought of Mr. H. being absent ten Sundays this Summer. She says Mrs. H told Mrs. Lee he was going to be gone three Sundays now and then his vacation will take seven more..."Letter 2.) This is a letter from an old friend and classmate to Annie. 82 Hall StreetNew Haven28th Dec. 1875My Dear Friend,I thank you very much for the dear little book. It is very sweet and will be valued for your sake as well as its own. Did Mina (Wilhelmina) & Belle (Isabel) fare as abundantly as usual this Christmas? I should think it were time now in your family to make a rule to give no Christmas presents except to the children.We had a very pleasant Christmas morning here. We have all become so well acquainted and so much like one family that we nearly all exchange some little remembrance. James made quite a laugh by putting at each of the ladies' plates a handkerchief box with a five cent cotton handkerchief in it a comic picture and lines set to music on each. Everybody had to read everybody elses' and as they were all funny. There was a good deal of fun got out of the whole. Then Miss Tappan gave each of us a pretty flower card with a motto from Shakespeare on each these must all be read & compared to find out who had the most flattering. My present from James was a very pretty broach, black onyx & gold & pearl. We had a lovely picture from buffalo from B. & Grace. Again "A Highland Interior."The weather is miserable and I feel rather in sympathy with its being threatened with a horrid cold. Kind love to the chicks and your good husband in which mine joins me.Your loving Friend, Maggie L. AdamsLetter 3.) This letter from Cousin Minnie congratulates Annie and Charlie on their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. Aug. 27th, 1893 Dear Charles and Annie,"...It scarcely seems as if a quarter of a century had passed since that eventful third of September, when I witnessed an interesting ceremony in Brooklyn. Time's wheel turns quickly after all. The years seem to have flitted by almost uncounted and behold, the silver wedding is at hand. I heartily congratulate you both on reaching that shining milestone in life's journey and rejoice to be one of those to wish you continued health and happiness as you set out together hand into another twenty-five year tramp...". Letter 4.) This letter is to Annie in Buffalo from Isabella Bell in Brooklyn. The Bells were a large extended family, steeped in the anti slavery movement. Two brothers of the writer both volunteered for the Army when the war broke out. They made it through the war and both volunteered to stay on in the Army and they served as armed guards for the Freedmen's Bureau in Wilmington North Carolina. There is one place in this letter where the transition is not smooth, so the possibility exists that at least two pages are missing.37 Sidney PlaceBrooklyn, NYOct. 15 (no year date)My Dear Friend,Your kind and welcome letter reached me in due time for I was feeling very blue and down cast about sundry matters which I cannot explain now but may do to you at some future time, and though my whole heart reaches out to you in sympathy for the suffering you had had I seem so selfish to as to grasp at the pleasant things in your letter and get inspiration from them. You and I are such old friends that I feel always as though I wanted you to know everything in which I am interested and therefore I often open my heart to you when I would never to any body else - and in this case I want to tell you that I am convinced Al loves Lurine very dearly and I am sure she does him. I cannot help feeling I am to lose a great deal more than anyone outside can ever be able to understand, and no one can ever take his place. I thank you dear Annie for your love to him for he is one in one thousand and when I give him up (though I feel sure he will be happy) I give up half of my life. Now my other children that she must mind what her parents say to her, and mind you I will write and tell you all the particulars of the wedding and hope you will write just as soon as you can conveniently for I assure you my dear Annie that I really do get a great deal of comfort from your letters to me. everybody has gone to Sunday School and now I must close but please accept all the love they would send if they were home both to you and your dear husband and the children. Now my dear Annie I must give up so please accept my best love and believe me always to remain your affectionate friend,Isabelle E. Bell.Please excuse this pen, it insisted on going through the paper.Letter 5.) This letter is a fragment, with at least two pages missing. It is from Sarah Moody, Andrew Moody's wife and Otis Moody's sister-in-law written in Chicago to Annie Noble in Brooklyn. The Moody brothers advertised themselves as "Master House Builders." Prior to marching off to war Otis was the bookkeeper for the brothers' business, and soon the books were out of date. Sarah took some lessons and took over the books. She felt quite put upon. She wrote here "The fact is, Annie I have indulged these chaps so much there is a vast amount of time they manage to get from me in one way or another. If they live to get home I reckon they will have to march to my music for a while." And she wrote, "And after this I am book keeper for "Moody and Bro.", till the other member of the firm is home. " Of course the other member of firm did not go home, for Otis was killed at Chickamauga in Sept. 1863.Home May 26, (Probably 1860)My precious Darling,Yours was received last eve. And I thot to answer it to put to rest your troubled mind. I, knowing you have been neglected but it has been unavoidable. When your last was received (and you know I had to wait a long time for it) we were in the middle of house cleaning and you know that can't stop for anything. Well, when that was over, cous. George sent up to have his valise sent to him & lots of things bought to fill it. Well, I had that to attend to it. It is so large that was off, & Otis wanted two or three articles purchased and sent to him. I attended to those. The fact is, Annie I have indulged these chaps so much there is a vast amount of time they manage to get from me in one way or another. If they live to get home I reckon they will have to march to my music for a while, would you not make them? But that is not all. Since Otis left he has had no one to keeps his books regularly so that some parts of them are sadly behind. & he could get no one to right them. I finally told him if he would learn me I'd go at it & do it myself. So for the last three weeks I have been writing with all my might & hope to finish this week & think I shall if I have no interruptions. And after this I am book keeper for "Moody and Bro.", till the other member of the firm is home.That is not all, either. I wanted to see if you missed my letters. Now I suppose if you was here I should get a "choking" in good earnest. But I have had to send a "dunning letter" so many times I had a little curiosity to see if you missed mine as much as I did yours. Now I am satisfied & will try to not be so naughty any more. Do you accept any of this as sufficient apology for my long silence? I guess you do. One question, you have not answered one yet, and that too, after you had my full and free opinion on the subject, & I do not think it fair one bit, and that was what did you think of me when you saw me as that cold, wet, disagreeable dog. You know now that I shall insist upon an answer in your next. As to the picture I shall have to send it. It is the last one, I have two of it. Friends were in a few eves since & saw them on the table and one pocketed one. This is not quite as good as some of them were but perhaps it will be better then none. Now my little lady, I wish you to understand that you are...Letter 6.) . This short note, Dec. 2, 1849, sent by an unknown friend was an acknowledgement and thanks for a giftFor Miss Annie Noble,Accept Miss Backus' grateful acknowledgement of your beautiful gift.She values it more highly in coming from those she loves.Dec. 2, 1849Florence is a village in the northwestern portion of the city of Northampton, near Westhampton and Williamsburg in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. The name "Florence" was suggested by neurologist Dr. Charles Munde, who also operated a hydropathic establishment there, named Florence Water-Cure. From the very early days of Northampton till 1847, the locality now called Florence was known as "Broughton's Meadow." Soon after 1810 another name was applied commonly to this region, namely the "Warner School District." The Northampton Association of Education and Industry was started in 1842, and while it existed, the common term given to the settlement was "The Community." In 1848 these three names gave way to Bensonville, and when two years later Mr. Benson failed, and the old appellation became objectionable, the village was called Greenville, from the new cotton company. In the fall of 1852 a meeting of the villagers was held in the South schoolhouse to choose a name for the place. Postal communication was soon to be established and a new name was desired. "Shepherd's Hollow" with its woolen mills, had been named "Leeds" after the city of Leeds in England, and the name of the great silk emporium of Italy was offered by Dr. Munde as a suitable appellation for this place. The pretty village, the clear stream, the silk mill, all suggested to his vivid imagination the proprietry of naming the village "Florence," and the stream "Arno." The citizens thought well of the neat and euphonious "Florence," and unanimously adopted it, but the "Arno" never replaced the historic term of "Mill River."Sojourner Truth, a former slave who became a nationally known advocate for equality and justice, was a member of this community. (She had moved to Florence in 1843.) After the community dissolved in 1846, she bought a house on Park Street, where she lived until 1857. A memorial statue was erected in her honor in Florence in 2002. read more

Items in the Price Guide are obtained exclusively from licensors and partners solely for our members’ research needs.

Flag item for content or copyright

If this item contains incorrect or inappropriate information please contact us here to flag it for review.

If you are the originator/copyright holder of this photo/item and would prefer it be excluded from our community, contact us here for removal.

Relevant Books, Paper & Magazines Articles

April 2, 2025

by Matt Doherty

The High Fantasy Art of Frank Frazetta

Breaking Down the E107 Baseball Card Set

April 1, 2025

by Jon Waldman

Breaking Down the E107 Baseball Card Set

Insight on Auction Sales: Bob Dylan Drafts, WWII Seaman's Jacket

March 27, 2025

by Will Seippel

Insight on Auction Sales: Bob Dylan Drafts, WWII Seaman’s Jacket

Otis Moody Annie Noble Florence, Northampton Leeds MA Anne Noble

Live Lots

Discover and Bid on Current Inventory Available from Our Industry Partners

(results based on your current search)

Relevant Books, Paper & Magazines Articles