Theophilus Chamberlain, letter, to Eleazar Wheelock, 1766 November 12
12 November 1766[1766-11-12]
ms number766612.1
[note (type: abstract): Chamberlain writes of improvements in the mission among the Mohawks.][note (type: handwriting): Handwriting is small, yet formal and clear. Letter case and punctuation, especially comma vs. period, is frequently difficult to discern. The trailer is in an unknown hand.][note (type: paper): Large sheet folded into four pages is in good condition, with light staining, creasing and wear.][note (type: ink): Brown-black.]
Persistent Identifier
[Opener]
[Kanajoharry | Canajoharie]KanajoharryCanajoharie
[Caſtle | Castle]CaſtleCastle[place0026.ocp]
[12,th | 12th]12,th12th of [Nov,m | November]Nov,mNovember 1766[1766-11-12]
[Rev,d | Rev.]Rev,dRev. and worthy
I received your favour of the [21st | 21st]21st21st of October[1766-10-21] some days ago. Hope my ^[above] Letter^Letter
of the Same Month will [releave | relieve]releaverelieve you from some of that Pain which I know you [muſt | must]muſtmust have felt from the Thoughts that all your Endeavours to [inſtruct | instruct]inſtructinstruct and reform the
mohawks[org0062.ocp] would certainly Prove [insucſeſsfull | unsuccessful]insucſeſsfullunsuccessful. In Addition to what you will learn from that Letter I add with great [Pleaſure | pleasure]Pleaſurepleasure that the two Schools under the [Inſtruction | instruction]Inſtructioninstruction of [M,r | Mr.]M,rMr.
[Johnſon | Johnson]JohnſonJohnson[pers0879.ocp] and
[illegible]
Jacob Fowler[pers0018.ocp] have [increaſd | increased]increaſdincreased to four or five and forty and since
[moſseſ,s | Moses']moſseſ,sMoses'[pers0677.ocp]
[arival | arrival]arivalarrival we set up a third which though small at [Preſent | present]Preſentpresent will I hope when we have Time to collect the Children have fifteen or
Sixteen Children without any [diminition | diminution]diminitiondiminution of the other school here which will still [increaſe | increase]increaſeincrease. [Laſt | Last]LaſtLast Sabbath the [Houſe | house]Houſehouse where we now meet though the [largeſt | largest]largeſtlargest in the [Caſtle | Castle]CaſtleCastle, was so
[crouded | crowded]croudedcrowded that some of the People were obliged to return [out doors | outdoors]out doorsoutdoors, and the Numbers of [thoſe | those]thoſethose who will attend is [Daly | Daily]DalyDaily
[increaſing | increasing]increaſingincreasing, except that the Indians are now [illegible]many of them on the Hunt and others every day [joyning | joining]joyningjoining them. I know Sir that you are now expecting me home. I know upon what
Information you came to a [conctluſion | conclusion]conctluſionconclusion that it was [beſt | best]beſtbest to leave the Mohawks[org0062.ocp], and hope and
expect that when you hear of the [preſent | present]preſentpresent State of Affairs here you will say [tis | it is]tisit is
[beſt | best]beſtbest by all Means to improve the favorable Minute. And in confidence of this
only, I have some Weeks ago concluded not to return [till | 'til]till'til Spring [unleſs | unless]unleſsunless I receive [abſolute | absolute]abſoluteabsolute Orders for it. I Long for [suceſs | success]suceſssuccess and however I may have been thought to be cold, [careleſs | careless]careleſscareless, and negligent
in [proſecuting | prosecuting]proſecutingprosecuting your [Miſsion | mission]Miſsionmission I have the [Pleaſure | pleasure]Pleaſurepleasure of knowing that I have [spard | spared]spardspared no Pains and neglected no Step to make the Affair succeed [unleſs | unless]unleſsunless it is when I have thought that making [Propoſals | proposals]Propoſalsproposals or altering [Diſpoſitions | dispositions]Diſpoſitionsdispositions Made would be [eſ‐teemd | es‐teemed]eſ‐teemdes‐teemed affirming. I have [Rev,d | Rev.]Rev,dRev. sir [venturded | ventured]venturdedventured to give my Judgment upon [mr | Mr.]mrMr.
[ Johnſons | Johnson] JohnſonsJohnson[pers0879.ocp]s [Deſire | desire]Deſiredesire with regard to his stay‐ing at fort Hunter[place0078.ocp] this Winter. He told me [twas | it was]twasit was expect‐ed that, if he came home this fall he should return
next Spring. It [appeard | appeared]appeardappeared to me that it would be more to his ad‐vantage [bothe | both]botheboth in [reſpect | respect]reſpectrespect to his learning the Indian Language and making [Proficency | proficiency]Proficencyproficiency in his other studies, to spend the whole year here and the succeeding year
there, than to [devide | divide]devidedivide the
^[above] two^two years into four Parts, and so leave the Indians [juſt | just]juſtjust as he has got a Little smattering of their Language which he says him^[above] self^self he can retain only by staying longer [amongſt | amongst]amongſtamongst them. Then I was fully [perſuaded | persuaded]perſuadedpersuaded that his continuing at fort Hunter[place0078.ocp]
this Winter was the only way to maintain and [eſtabliſh | establish]eſtabliſhestablish a school there. To put [ither | either]ithereither of the Indian Lads (who by the way are both wanted at this [Caſtle | Castle]CaſtleCastle[place0026.ocp]) there where I cant be with them more than once in three or
four Weeks, and where the Indians declare they will throw the whole up if the [School-maſter | schoolmaster]School-maſterschoolmaster is now [changd | changed]changdchanged, would be the means of ruining and that perhaps beyond [Repare | repair]Reparerepair, a School upon which as much depends in the Opinion of Gentlemen who are [beſt | best]beſtbest acquainted with the Indians in [theſe | these]theſethese Parts, as any school in the six Nation[org0090.ocp]
Country. and the Indians are in all [theſe | these]theſethese
[Caſtles | Castles]CaſtlesCastles offended with the [Propoſal | proposal]Propoſalproposal of keeping Schools only in the summer. —
I hope to obtain an Interpreter this Winter without much
[Expence | expense]Expenceexpense. the Indians are [alowd | allowed]alowdallowed a [Blackſmith | blacksmith]Blackſmithblacksmith for the next six Months.
[M,r | Mr.]M,rMr. Spencer[pers0510.ocp] is appointed to serve in that Place. Sir [Will,m | William]Will,mWilliam[pers0292.ocp] was up this W[illegible]eek to settle
that and some other Affairs with the Indians. He was at my Lodgings ^[above] on Monday Evening^on Monday Evening and invited me to dine with him the next day.
I went and knowing his [Buſineſs | business]Buſineſsbusiness (which I found out by the little Indian I [underſtant | understand]underſtantunderstand) took a favorable [Oppertunity | opportunity]Oppertunityopportunity and put in a Petition [yt | that]ytthat in Spencer[pers0510.ocp]s Service for the Indians
his [Hon.r | Honour]Hon.rHonour would [pleaſe | please]pleaſeplease to [includ | include]includinclude interpreting which might be done without [Increaſe | increase]Increaſeincrease of [Coſt | cost]Coſtcost to him, or [Diſadvantage | disadvantage]Diſadvantagedisadvantage to [M,r | Mr.]M,rMr. Spencer[pers0510.ocp]. The [Requeſt | request]Requeſtrequest was too
[reaſonable | reasonable]reaſonablereasonable to be denied, and met with so favourable a Reception that his [hon,r | honour]hon,rhonour
[promiſd | promised]promiſdpromised to mention it in his
[Inſtructions | instructions]Inſtructionsinstructions to Spencer[pers0510.ocp]
[wh | which]whwhich he would give out the next day.
Your Supply [Rev,d | Reverend]Rev,dReverend by [Moſses | Moses]MoſsesMoses[pers0677.ocp] came very [seaſonably | seasonably]seaſonablyseasonably as I had then [leſs | less]leſsless
[then | than]thenthan two dollars and was in debt for [myſf | myself]myſfmyself the [School-maſters | schoolmasters]School-maſtersschoolmasters and Interpreter near [30,£ | £30]30,££30
[Law. | lawful]Law.lawful money, hav‐ing made some [Proviſion | provision]Proviſionprovision for my own and Jacob[pers0018.ocp]s stay here
over the Winter. My Credit here will I fear be ruined by neglecting the [Chriſtian | Christian]ChriſtianChristian Rule to owe no man [any thing | anything]any thinganything but to Love. If you judge [Rev,d | Rev.]Rev,dRev. Sir that my Conduct is such as merits appro‐bation, cannot
Doubt but you will support me here to my [satiſfaction | satisfaction]satiſfactionsatisfaction; and if you judge [otherwiſe | otherwise]otherwiſeotherwise, I beg it
as the [higheſt | highest]higheſthighest favour of a Patron to tell me plainly wherein I [miſconduct | misconduct]miſconductmisconduct, that I may have [Oppertunety | opportunity]Oppertunetyopportunity to clear[ myſelf | myself] myſelfmyself, to reform or to [reſign | resign]reſignresign my [Commiſſion | commission]Commiſſioncommission. In the [Mean Time | meantime]Mean Timemeantime Sir, give my Duty to
Madam[pers0577.ocp], my [kindeſt | kindest]kindeſtkindest Compliments to all your family and Love to the
School[org0098.ocp], and be [aſsurd | assured]aſsurdassured that [unconſcious | unconscious]unconſciousunconscious of Neglect I [chearfully | cheerfully]chearfullycheerfully
[Subſcribe | subscribe]Subſcribesubscribe
[Myſelf | myself]Myſelfmyself
[Rev,d | Rev.]Rev,dRev. and Worthy Sir
[Closer]
your [faithfull | faithful]faithfullfaithful servant in the Lord
Theophilus Chamberlain[pers0009.ocp]
[right]
[Rev.d | Rev.]Rev.dRev.
[Theoph.s | Theophilus]Theoph.sTheophilus Chamberlain[pers0009.ocp]’s Letter [Nov.r | November]Nov.rNovember
[12,,th | 12th]12,,th12th 1766[1766-11-12]
[Rev.d | Rev.]Rev.dRev.
[Theoph.s | Theophilus]Theoph.sTheophilus Chamberlain[pers0009.ocp]’s Letter [Nov.r | November]Nov.rNovember
[12,,th | 12th]12,,th12th 1766[1766-11-12]
To [Rvd | Rev.]RvdRev.
[E. | Eleazar]E.Eleazar Wheelock[pers0036.ocp]
Document Summary
People identified in this document:
id | Text in document | Role in header | Authorized Name |
---|---|---|---|
pers0879.ocp | M, r Mr. Johnſon Johnson | mentioned | Johnson, Samuel |
pers0018.ocp | Jacob Fowler | mentioned | Fowler, Jacob |
pers0677.ocp | moſseſ, s Moses' | mentioned | Moses |
pers0879.ocp | mr Mr. Johnſons Johnson | mentioned | Johnson, Samuel |
pers0510.ocp | M, r Mr. Spencer | mentioned | Spencer |
pers0292.ocp | Sir Will, m William | mentioned | Johnson, William |
pers0510.ocp | Spencer | mentioned | Spencer |
pers0510.ocp | M, r Mr. Spencer | mentioned | Spencer |
pers0677.ocp | Moſses Moses | mentioned | Moses |
pers0018.ocp | Jacob | mentioned | Fowler, Jacob |
pers0577.ocp | Madam | mentioned | Wheelock, Mary (née Brinsmead) |
pers0009.ocp | Theophilus Chamberlain | writer | Chamberlain, Theophilus |
pers0009.ocp | Rev. d Rev. Theoph. s Theophilus Chamberlain | writer | Chamberlain, Theophilus |
pers0036.ocp | Rv d Rev. E. Eleazar Wheelock | recipient | Wheelock, Eleazar |
Places identified in this document:
id | Text in document | Authorized Name |
---|---|---|
place0026.ocp | Kanajoharry Canajoharie Caſtle Castle | Canajoharie |
place0078.ocp | fort Hunter | Fort Hunter |
place0026.ocp | this Caſtle Castle | Canajoharie |
Organizations identified in this document:
id | Text in document | Authorized Name |
---|---|---|
org0062.ocp | mohawks | Mohawk Nation |
org0062.ocp | Mohawks | Mohawk Nation |
org0090.ocp | six Nation | Six Nations |
org0098.ocp | the School | Moor’s Indian Charity School |
Dates identified in this document:
Standard Form | Text |
---|---|
1766-11-12 | 12,th12th of Nov,mNovember 1766 |
1766-10-21 | 21st21st of October |
1766-11-12 | Nov.rNovember 12,,th12th 1766 |
Regularized text:
Type | Original | Regularized |
---|---|---|
variation | Kanajoharry | Canajoharie |
modernization | Caſtle | Castle |
modernization | 12,th | 12th |
modernization | Rev,d | Rev. |
modernization | 21st | 21st |
variation | releave | relieve |
modernization | muſt | must |
modernization | inſtruct | instruct |
variation | insucſeſsfull | unsuccessful |
modernization | Pleaſure | pleasure |
modernization | Inſtruction | instruction |
modernization | M,r | Mr. |
modernization | Johnſon | Johnson |
variation | increaſd | increased |
variation | moſseſ,s | Moses' |
variation | arival | arrival |
modernization | Preſent | present |
variation | diminition | diminution |
modernization | increaſe | increase |
modernization | Laſt | Last |
modernization | Houſe | house |
modernization | largeſt | largest |
variation | crouded | crowded |
variation | out doors | outdoors |
modernization | thoſe | those |
modernization | increaſing | increasing |
variation | joyning | joining |
modernization | conctluſion | conclusion |
modernization | beſt | best |
modernization | preſent | present |
variation | till | 'til |
modernization | unleſs | unless |
modernization | abſolute | absolute |
variation | suceſs | success |
modernization | careleſs | careless |
modernization | proſecuting | prosecuting |
modernization | Miſsion | mission |
variation | spard | spared |
modernization | Propoſals | proposals |
modernization | Diſpoſitions | dispositions |
variation | eſ‐teemd | es‐teemed |
modernization | mr | Mr. |
modernization | Johnſons | Johnson |
modernization | Deſire | desire |
variation | appeard | appeared |
variation | bothe | both |
modernization | reſpect | respect |
variation | Proficency | proficiency |
variation | devide | divide |
modernization | juſt | just |
modernization | amongſt | amongst |
modernization | perſuaded | persuaded |
modernization | eſtabliſh | establish |
variation | ither | either |
variation | School-maſter | schoolmaster |
variation | changd | changed |
variation | Repare | repair |
modernization | theſe | these |
modernization | Caſtles | Castles |
modernization | Propoſal | proposal |
variation | Expence | expense |
variation | alowd | allowed |
modernization | Blackſmith | blacksmith |
modernization | Buſineſs | business |
variation | underſtant | understand |
variation | Oppertunity | opportunity |
modernization | yt | that |
modernization | pleaſe | please |
variation | includ | include |
modernization | Increaſe | increase |
modernization | Coſt | cost |
modernization | Diſadvantage | disadvantage |
modernization | Requeſt | request |
modernization | reaſonable | reasonable |
variation | promiſd | promised |
modernization | Inſtructions | instructions |
variation | Moſses | Moses |
modernization | seaſonably | seasonably |
modernization | leſs | less |
variation | then | than |
variation | School-maſters | schoolmasters |
modernization | 30,£ | £30 |
modernization | Proviſion | provision |
modernization | Chriſtian | Christian |
variation | any thing | anything |
modernization | satiſfaction | satisfaction |
modernization | otherwiſe | otherwise |
modernization | higheſt | highest |
modernization | miſconduct | misconduct |
variation | Oppertunety | opportunity |
modernization | myſelf | myself |
modernization | reſign | resign |
modernization | Commiſſion | commission |
variation | Mean Time | meantime |
modernization | kindeſt | kindest |
variation | aſsurd | assured |
modernization | unconſcious | unconscious |
variation | chearfully | cheerfully |
modernization | Subſcribe | subscribe |
modernization | Myſelf | myself |
variation | faithfull | faithful |
modernization | Rev.d | Rev. |
modernization | 12,,th | 12th |
modernization | Rvd | Rev. |
Expanded abbreviations:
Abbreviation | Expansion |
---|---|
Nov,m | November |
tis | it is |
twas | it was |
Will,m | William |
Hon.r | Honour |
hon,r | honour |
wh | which |
Rev,d | Reverend |
myſf | myself |
Law. | lawful |
Theoph.s | Theophilus |
Nov.r | November |
E. | Eleazar |
This document's header does not contain any mixed case attribute values.
Summary of errors found in this document:
Number of dates with invalid 'when' attributes: | 0 |
Number of nested "hi" tags: (consider merging the @rend attributes, or using other tags) | 0 |
Number of tags with invalid 'rend' attributes: | 0 (out of 24) |
Number of people/places/organizations with unknown keys: | 0 (out of 23) |
Number of "add" tags with unknown 'place' attributes: | 0 (out of 5) |
Mixed case attribute values in header (potential error): | 0 (out of 116) |