(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved. Contact us for information about using this image.
label levels:
Expressions of love and concern, as well as pious admonishments commingle in this letter from the Reverend Jonathan Ashley (1712-1780) of Deerfield, Massachusetts. He was writing in 1760 to his eldest daughter Dolly (1743-1833) who was living at the time with a family in Boston. The minister wanted Dolly to learn the graces suitable to her social class and knew that she needed more worldly knowledge than was available to her in Deerfield. Like all parents, he was concerned also about Dolly's safety and morality in an unfamiliar environment.