The following letters were written by Martha Jane Irwin (1825-Bef1856), the eldest of four children born to John Maclay Irwin (1785-1856) and his second wife, Martha Nourse (17xx-1829). John’s first wife was Nancy McMurtry (1785-1821) with whom he had seven children. His third wife was Elizabeth Glass Marshall (1801-1844) with whom he had three children, and his fourth wife was Martha Culbertson. We learn from this letter that Martha’s father took his fourth wife in the summer of 1847 and that she was from the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area.

It appears that Martha’s father lived his entire life on the farm he had near Lexington, Fayette county, Kentucky. When he died in 1856, his will directed that his slaves Moses, Juba, Matilda, Rachel and Ann be hired out “at good and suitable places” and that half their earnings go toward their support and the other half to them. The other slaves, namely Lewis, Aaron, William, Solomon, Samuel, Mary and Jane, he directed should be hired out for $200 per year and then, he expressed his hope, that would voluntarily “elect to go to Liberia” and given $200 each. It appears that he wished his slaves Betsy and her two children, James & Eliza, as well Sarah and Susan would be offered the same terms. Two boys—Thomas & John, he desired should learn a trade and then in five years be sent to Liberia, but if they refused to go, they would be sold.

We also learn from the will that his daughter Martha was deceased by the time it was written in 1856.

Martha wrote the letter to her much older sister, Eleanor Estill (Irwin) Chambers (1808-1888) and brother-in-law, George Maxwell Chambers (1800-1891). George moved with his parents from Maryland to Kentucky in 1805 and married Eleanor in 1820 in Fayette county. In 1835 they relocated to Jacksonville, Morgan county, Illinois, where he engaged in various business pursuits.

Midway, Kentucky
[May 14th 1847]

Dear Brother George,

I feel very grateful to you for the two very interesting letters I have received from you and as I consider two of yours quite equal to one of mine, I have determined on answering them forthwith. Lizzie and myself are  almost alone this evening having no one but George to protect us. Pa has left for Pittsburg where he will remain  for a week or two (Providence permitting) taking unto himself in the meantime another rib as our friend, Dr.  English, so affectionately designates his companion. Now this step I shall make no remarks on knowing as I do the very desolate situation of a widower even though he have an interesting, accomplished daughter like myself to  manage his domestic concerns and one whose housekeeping qualifications are the boast of an admiring community.

As to intellectuality, you yourself are forced to acknowledge in almost every document I receive at your hands the decided superiority of my humble self, but after all that can be said of these admirable attainments  and commendable traits, I consider my humility my most shining characteristic, and I would ask of you what can be more interesting than to imagine a being possessed of all these charms and yet perfectly ignorant of her numerous graces and virtues? If the mere imagining of so exceedingly delightful, how infinitely blest you should consider yourself to have just such an exquisite for a correspondent. Oh yes, I doubt not but the “bright reality” will be overpowering and the intensity of feeling so great that you will have an alarming attack of “high strikes“—put the children all in the corners for not being intellectual—and endeavor to burnish your own ideas by an  excessive application of your ten scratchers to the region of phrenological developments.

I am glad to hear that you are all well. No one can tell the great anxiety I feel to see you all once more and I hope to be able to visit you this fall if nothing should turn up to prevent and I have a suitable opportunity.

There is no news of consequence to communicate except that we have whitewashed the fence, broke one of the parlor looking-glasses, and killed the black cat for eating chickens. Tell Sister that I thank her very much for those tomato seeds and planted them immediately. I cannot express the very deep sense of gratitude that I felt on receiving that  very applicable piece of poetry relative to the gal that had a hole in her stocking. Now it is nothing very uncommon for folks to have rents in their hose, but it was certainly “shocking” on an occasion like that and I  would advise anyone placed in similar circumstances to adopt my plan of sewing them up.

Well another day has fled and I have not yet finished this letter and the worst of it is I have no additional news to communicate except that Old Frederic Cable of Woodford County was shot night before last by two negro men. One of them was named Hawkins—a brother of our Maria’s former husband. I suppose they will be hung. ¹

This is the first day of our big meeting. We have brother Strahan and I have to assist Mr. Logan. My best  love to sister, Charles, Kate, Rowland and all the rest of the children and believe me to be yours affectionately, —M. J. Irwin.

¹ I inferred from this statement initially that Frederic Cable was killed but it appears he was only shot. Frederick Cable was born in Mississippi in 1774 and did not die until 1853. He was married to Mary Dickerson (1777-1853). I couldn’t find anything in the newspapers pertaining to this incident.

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Letter 2

Locust Grove, [6 miles from Lexington, Kentucky]
August 1st 1847

My dear Sister,

It has been a long, long time since I wrote to you but I intend now to write you a long, long letter to fill up the space caused by my delinquency. The fact is there is very little to write but probably by dint of  comments, &c., I can spin out “a something.” But whether it will merit the name of letter or not, I leave you to judge.

Our neighbors are all well and so are we. There has not been a death in the neighborhood for some time. Mrs. Lyle,  Mrs. McClure, and Miss King and Miss Mary Simrall McClure ¹ are over from Madison, Indiana, on a visit to the Marshall’s and Glass’s. Mrs. Mary White is on a visit to her Father’s. The old Aunty’s and their granddaughters have spent several days with us. You know that “big Glass Marshall” ² and ourselves are at loggerheads so I have never been to call on his kin, but they waved ceremony and came to see us. Sam (Charles’ uncle) is spending the  summer at his “loving brother Glass’s” so I think that with him and the Granny’s and their four grandchildren (for there are two boys), that they have something for a squeeze in their two spare beds. It does me good to think how  delighted (!) Mary Ann is to have them all there at this particular time for you must know that she is in a “situation” to appreciate and enjoy company. But you will say that I am sarcastic. Well, I know it is wrong to indulge in anything of the kind, but I know the contents of this letter cannot injure any of the breed and I do not speak my sentiments very often these days, for everything I say is of such vast import that it is heralded abroad as  speedily as a “report from the seat of war.”

The whole neighborhood is angry at me almost. The Stevenson’s were  insulted because Charles wrote “something” to William. The blame was all thrown on me who was as innocent as  “our dog Watch.” Then Sally Poke has told the Offutt’s family some lie that I should have said of them and there is not one of them that ventures within speaking distance of me. All this, however, I care nothing scarcely about for I know my own innocence and they knew that Sally Poke was the greatest enemy I had in the world and if they choose to believe that “snake in the grass,” let them do it There is no one living better able to appreciate her whining hypocrisies than I for I have had sufficient experiences. Dear knows she has sent word time and again for me to go and see her but I treat her invocations with that perfect contempt which they so richly merit.

My dear sister, you say in your last letter that I had given some hints of matrimonial intentions and now I doubt not you are looking for an open announcement of something of the kind. But you will be mistaken. But trusting to you honor as secret-keeping lady, I will inform you that I gave two flats [rejections?] week before last—one of them was a written [letter] and the other a verbal heartbreak. Now I do not tell you this by way of boasting but just because you are my sister and I have always been in the habit when with you of confiding all my sorrows and joys to you. Indeed, if everybody hated such things as much as I do, there would be little coquetry in this world of ours. It is always a matter of very great regret and I trust I may never have but one more opportunity and that the right one—which by the way I never expect to have for I do not know where that one is to come from. I hated very much to reject my Philadelphia beau but Pa said I should not go so far from home with one whom I had so slight an acquaintance with. And sure enough, I wrote the poor, dear fellow and that “his cake was dough” (I didn’t exactly use these words but the idea was the same) and it cost me many a pang to blast his fond expectations.

My other beau started off to Niagara Falls and I fear he will precipitate himself headlong down the cataract. Oh dear, what a world we live in.

Bethel Church has been pulled down and the workmen are busily engaged building another which they expect to complete in about three months. It will be a very handsome country church. I expect Mr. Logan will preach tomorrow in Mr. Stephenson’s Woods.

George was at a great barbecue today that was given to our Volunteers that have returned from the [Mexican] War. He says that Miss Mary Nuckols and Miss Lizzie Washington were there and Mr. James Nuckols. The attending beau, Mr. Nuckols, is very attractive to Miss Washington. Tell Charles that Miss Kate Lewis has a beau from Louisville about as “long for this world” as Mr. Gray and it is thought that (as Solon Martin was married a week or two since to Miss [Catherine Harriett] Pinkerton of Midway) ³ they will make a match. Mr. Stuart (this is his name) took her to Frankfort in a buggy to see the remains of McKee Ivy, &c. buried. George went down to the great doings on that occasion and Pa gave all the negroes holiday. Susan Dolan went down and I as I generally do, staid at home.

Wednesday morning.

You will want to know, I suppose, how we all like our new mother. Well she has been with us nearly three months and she and I have not had the first hard word between us, and you know it takes a right clever person to get along amicably with me. Yes, she is devoted to Pa and seems to take a lively interest in his children. I not only like but love her. She is a very dignified, fine-looking woman and the only blue-eyed wife Pa has had. I do not want you to think her pretty for she is not, but she has a countenance that is a true index to her kind heart and if it had been left to me to choose for Pa, she is the one I would have chosen. She is too old to promise any more little brothers and sisters, and I don’t know how it is with you, but I feel satisfied on that score. She is a perfect pattern of housekeeper, but the sewing will still devolve on me till I get married and that will be a little while yet. If I am spared and can get anybody to accompany me, I will try and see my Illinois friends this fall. Pa says he feels very anxious to see you all but he cannot go now as all the winter work is coming on.

I have not got to Cincinnati yet and have almost declined going.

We are fixing up wonderfully here. We have got a set of very handsome mahogany chairs, a handsome wardrobe, sofa, and venetian blinds for the parlor and are expecting a handsome bedstead and silver candlesticks soon.

Tell Charles that his true love is the admired of all admirers and has more beaus than she can shake a stick at. Mrs. Laird says what’s the reason you don’t write? She is quite hurt at you all. Mother sends on her love. Pa’s in a hurry and I stop. Your affectionate sister, — Martha

Dr. Douglas Price is going to the Legislature.

¹ Mary Simrall M’Clure (1832-1916) lived her entire live in Madison, Jefferson county, Indiana. She was a life-long member of the 1st Presbyterian Church and a school teacher. Her father was Dr. William McClure, a pioneer physician, and her younger brothers were Colonel William Simrall McClure (1834-1900), and Captain David G. McClure (1837-1894), both of whom were members of the First Indiana Cavalry in the Civil War. 

² Glass Marshall (1809-1899) was the son of Rev. Robert Marshall (1760-1832) and Betsy Glass (1772-1828). He’s buried in the Bethel Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Lexington, Fayette county, Ky.

³ Catherine Harriett Pinkerton (1827-1903) and Solon D. Martin (1825-1907) were married on 28 June 1847 in Woodford county, Kentucky. Not long after the couple were married, they relocated to Kansas City where Solon practiced medicine.