Correspondence from Sarah J. Girdler Belknap

1857 February 3 (At Sea) to dear Mother (four page letter stained paper) Re: sailing to Mobile Bay, relates stories about children: Fannie and Willie, Uncle Richard, Emma, Mamy Taddie, Hannah.

1857 May 24 (Off Elsinor) to dear Mother (four page blue tissue paper letter) reports waiting for fair weather, left Mobile March 18th, describes the scenery along the English Channel, Lizzie Stevens, Uncle Richard.

1857 December 8 (Bordeaux) to dear Mother (one sheet letter) re: Uncle Richard and Samuel here, Robert Dixey family, Aunt Becca, Fannie sick.

1858 January 25 (Mobile Bay) to dear Mother (one sheet blue tissue paper) Re: safe return to Mobile, Dixey family, Christmas Day more like 4th of July, New Orleans, Aunt Becca.

1868 February 6 (Louisville) to dear Mother from Jennie (one sheet of Willard Hotel stationery with advertisement for King’s Patent Wrought Iron Tubular Arch Bridges, many brown spots on the paper) Jennie describes the location of the hotel, Henry Clay statue, possibly boarding with Steven’s friend, Mrs. Downs called and took them to a lecture, Aunt Becca, Emily, Mr. Belknap’s mill.

1871 August 23 (Louisville) to Mother from Jennie Belknap (one sheet of Letterhead of Utica Lime Company) re: sad blow to Dick and Emily, John, Aunt Mary and Nora, without help, asks mother to come.

1874 February 1 (Lexington, Ky) to Mother from Jennie (one sheet of Phoenix Hotel stationery letter written in pencil and ink) re:Mr. B got home from Chicago and left Sophia very sick, Dick and Emily, Stephen Belknap’s little Minnie died at Centralia, Aunt Prissy, Aunt Becca, Lampers.

1878 June 17 (At Sea) to Mother from Jennie (Anchor Line Steam Ship stationery) re: expect to arrive at Glasgow, Mr. B sea sick, John and Delia Low, decide to go to London and then Paris

1878 June 30 (London) to Mother from Jennie re: worn out from sightseeing, coming home on the Circassia sailing from Glasgow August 24.

1878 July 18 (Paris) to Mother from Jennie (two sheet letter and envelope) Re: met Aunt Becca on the street ready to go to London, Kati (Kali) Bristol, Cowell, Mrs. Bush, John Low, Lew (Lewis Girdler envelope, Paris postmark)

1878 August 25 (At Sea) to Mother from Jennie Belknap (written on Utica Lime Company stationery) re: expect to land at New York and then sail to Boston, will spend a week in Chelsea and Marblehead and come home by way of Buffalo, Aunt Hannah, Aunt Becca, yellow fever in the South, wrote to Lime company for money to get home.