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The Reverend Jonathan Ashley (1712-1780) wrote a letter to his 17-year-old daughter Dolly, when she left home to go to school in Boston in 1760. The minister wanted his daughter to learn more skills than the schools in Deerfield could offer and knew that she, as a child of one of the finer families, needed more information about the world than could be had in Deerfield. Like all parents, he also was concerned about Dolly's safety and morality. He signed his full name, as was the custom, but declared himself, "your affectionate Father."