Samson Occom, letter, to Eleazar Wheelock, 1767 February 12
12 February 1767[1767-02-12]
ms number767162.2
[note (type: abstract): Occom writes from England of his sorrow regarding the misconduct of Wheelock’s Indian pupils and the problems in caring for his family. He asks that Wheelock instruct Occom’s son Aaron according to the boy’s inclinations.][note (type: handwriting): Handwriting is largely clear, neat, and legible.][note (type: paper): The paper is generally in good condition, but the edges appear to have been trimmed and torn, which results in a significant disruption of text. This trimming of edges has separated the two sides of the paper, resulting in a separation of text on one recto, line 11 — the word “to” added to the left can be seen on two recto.][note (type: ink): Brown.][note (type: noteworthy): There is a red pencil mark near the bottom of one recto.]EventsFundraising Tour of Great Britain
Persistent Identifier
[Opener]
It has been my Lot for a long time to have Sorrow of Heart, I have
had Burden upon Burden, Trial upon Trial, Both without and within far and Near,
the A General Concern is Riveted in my Heart, for my Poor [Bretheren | brethren]Bretherenbrethren According to the [Fleſh | flesh]Fleſhflesh, Both for their Bodies and Souls; my Relations [Cauſes | causes]Cauſescauses
[Heavyer | heavier]Heavyerheavier Sorrow; Every [obſtruction | obstruction]obſtructionobstruction and [Diſcouragement | discouragement]Diſcouragementdiscouragement to Your School, and every [Miſs Contuct | misconduct]Miſs Contuctmisconduct and behaviour of Your Indian Scholars, Touches me to the quick; More than
all [theſe | these]theſethese, the [Conſiderations | considerations]Conſiderationsconsiderations of my poor Family, [illegible]as it [ware | were]warewere, lets my ^[above] very^very Heart's Blood; I am ready
^[left] to^to Say, I am a Cruel [Huſband | Husband]HuſbandHusband and Father, God had given me a large Family, but they have no enjoyment of
me, nor I them for Some [illegible][guess (h-dawnd): E]EYears back, and the whole Burden and Care of a Large
Family of Children, lies upon my poor Wife[pers0029.ocp];
what adds to my Sorrowful Heart is this, that [whilest | whilst]whilestwhilst I am a Teacher to others, I have neglected my own Children, by my [Perigrenations | peregrinations]Perigrenationsperegrinations, and now my Children are growing, up, and are growing wild; and the Devil
has been Angry, yea he has [& | and]&and is [Deviliſh | devilish]Deviliſhdevilish Mad with me, and if he can, he will Drag all my Children into
all Manner Sins and Down to Hell; But [bleſsed | blessed]bleſsedblessed be God he has provided an almighty Saviour, and all my Hope is in
hime, for [my ſelf | myself]my ſelfmyself and Family,— If I was not fully [Perſwaded | persuaded]Perſwadedpersuaded and [Aſure'd | assured]Aſure'dassured that this work was of god, and I had an undoubted Call of god to Come
over into this Country, I [wou'd | would]wou'dwould not have Come over, like a fool as I did, without any Countenance from
our Board[org0095.ocp], but I am [will. | willing]will.willing Still to be a fool for [Chriſt | Christ]ChriſtChrist Sake — this [Eleviats | elevates]Eleviatselevates
my Heart [amidſt | amidst]amidſtamidst all my Burdens, and Balances all my Sorrows at Times, or enables me to bear
my Trials, that I am in the way of my Duty, and the Lord [uſes | uses]uſesuses me in any Shape to promote his kingdom in the World, — I am Glad,
and am thankful that you have taken my wild
Son[pers0026.ocp], if You Can make
[any thing | anything]any thinganything of him, I Shall ^[above] be^be happy in him, if he Incline^[above] s^s to Book Learning, give him Good [Engliſh | English]EngliſhEnglish Education, bu^[above] t^t if not, le[illegible]t him go to Some good [maſter | master]maſtermaster, to Learn Joiner^[above] s^s Trade, he Inclines to that, and
if that won't do, Send him over to me, and I will give him [a way | away]a wayaway to Some gentleman here — I return you Hearty thanks for the
Care you have taken of my Family, — Sir, let it [ſuffiſe | suffice]ſuffiſesuffice you, to hear of me by [Mr | Mr.]MrMr. Whitaker[pers0037.ocp]s Letters, there is no need of my writing often, Since
[Mr | Mr.]MrMr. Whitaker[pers0037.ocp] writes So often,
By the [goodneſs | goodness]goodneſsgoodness of god we Enjoy Good State of Health, [Mr | Mr.]MrMr.
^[above] Whitefield[pers0038.ocp]^Whitefield[pers0038.ocp] is well as he
has been [theſe | these]theſethese 7 Years; but [Mrs | Mrs.]MrsMrs. Whitefield[pers0585.ocp] is in ^[above] low^low State of Health,
[Mr | Mr.]MrMr. John Smith[pers0497.ocp] is well as [uſual | usual]uſualusual, and hope
[theſe | these]theſethese may find you and yours in good Health. Dutiful and grateful [Reſpects | respects]Reſpectsrespects to you and your [Spouſe | spouse]Spouſespouse[pers0577.ocp], and Love to the [reſt | rest]reſtrest of the Family and Scholars, and [Chriſtian | Christian]ChriſtianChristian
[reſpects | respects]reſpectsrespects to all
[Enquiring | inquiring]Enquiringinquiring Friends,
[Closer]
I am Sir, your [moſt | most]moſtmost
[obligd | obliged]obligdobliged and Humble Servant
[Samſon | Samson]SamſonSamson Occom[pers0030.ocp]
To the [Revd | Rev.]RevdRev.
[Mr | Mr.]MrMr. Wheelock[pers0036.ocp]
[Postscript]
PS: Perhaps you may wonder why I write After this manner I have [receiv'd | received]receiv'dreceived
[Chifely | chiefly]Chifelychiefly Mo^[above] u^urnful Letters from my Wife, yet I have not
forgot the Tender Mercies of god to me and mine — —
[Trailer]
Since [Capt | Capt.]CaptCapt. Shaw[pers0477.ocp] is backward to do for m[gap: tear][guess (h-dawnd): y]y family, I [wiſh | wish]wiſhwish he had his Due, that won[gap: tear] be even, if you Ca[gap: tear]
[Saliſfy | satisfy]Saliſfysatisfy him I Shou[gap: tear][guess (h-dawnd): ld be]ld be
[Eaſy | easy]Eaſyeasy in my m[gap: tear][guess (h-dawnd): ind]ind
Document Summary
People identified in this document:
id | Text in document | Role in header | Authorized Name |
---|---|---|---|
pers0029.ocp | Wife | mentioned | Occom, Mary (née Fowler) |
pers0026.ocp | my wild Son | mentioned | Occom, Aaron |
pers0037.ocp | M r Mr. Whitaker | mentioned | Whitaker, Nathaniel |
pers0038.ocp | Whitefield | mentioned | Whitefield, George |
pers0585.ocp | M rs Mrs. Whitefield | mentioned | Whitefield, Elizabeth (née James) |
pers0497.ocp | M r Mr. John Smith | mentioned | Smith, John |
pers0577.ocp | your Spouſe spouse | mentioned | Wheelock, Mary (née Brinsmead) |
pers0030.ocp | Samſon Samson Occom | writer | Occom, Samson |
pers0036.ocp | M r Mr. Wheelock | recipient | Wheelock, Eleazar |
pers0477.ocp | Cap t Capt. Shaw | mentioned | Shaw, Nathaniel |
pers0030.ocp | S: Samson Occom | writer | Occom, Samson |
Places identified in this document:
id | Text in document | Authorized Name |
---|---|---|
place0128.ocp | London | London |
place0122.ocp | Lebanon | Lebanon |
place0158.ocp | New England | New England |
Organizations identified in this document:
id | Text in document | Authorized Name |
---|---|---|
org0095.ocp | our Board | The Company for Propagation of the Gospel in New England and the parts adjacent in America |
Dates identified in this document:
Standard Form | Text |
---|---|
1767-02-12 | FebrFebruary 12: 1767 |
1767-02-12 | FebyFebruary 12..th 1767 |
Regularized text:
Type | Original | Regularized |
---|---|---|
modernization | Revd | Rev. |
variation | Bretheren | brethren |
modernization | Fleſh | flesh |
modernization | Cauſes | causes |
variation | Heavyer | heavier |
modernization | obſtruction | obstruction |
modernization | Diſcouragement | discouragement |
modernization | theſe | these |
modernization | Conſiderations | considerations |
modernization | Huſband | Husband |
variation | whilest | whilst |
variation | Perigrenations | peregrinations |
modernization | Deviliſh | devilish |
modernization | bleſsed | blessed |
variation | my ſelf | myself |
modernization | Perſwaded | persuaded |
modernization | Chriſt | Christ |
modernization | amidſt | amidst |
modernization | uſes | uses |
variation | any thing | anything |
modernization | Engliſh | English |
modernization | maſter | master |
variation | a way | away |
variation | ſuffiſe | suffice |
modernization | Mr | Mr. |
modernization | goodneſs | goodness |
modernization | Mrs | Mrs. |
modernization | uſual | usual |
modernization | Reſpects | respects |
modernization | Spouſe | spouse |
modernization | reſt | rest |
modernization | Chriſtian | Christian |
modernization | reſpects | respects |
variation | Enquiring | inquiring |
modernization | moſt | most |
variation | obligd | obliged |
modernization | Samſon | Samson |
variation | Chifely | chiefly |
modernization | Capt | Capt. |
modernization | wiſh | wish |
modernization | Eaſy | easy |
modernization | Rev.d | Rev. |
Expanded abbreviations:
Abbreviation | Expansion |
---|---|
Febr | February |
& | and |
Hon.rd | Honoured |
Aſure'd | assured |
wou'd | would |
will. | willing |
receiv'd | received |
S: | Samson |
Feby | February |
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 19) |
Number of people/places/organizations with unknown keys: | 0 (out of 17) |
Number of "add" tags with unknown 'place' attributes: | 0 (out of 9) |
Mixed case attribute values in header (potential error): | 0 (out of 115) |