Collection Overview

Title: Dr. Fredrick Winsor Letters
Dates: 1879-1881
Creator: Fredrick Winsor
Call Number: DAL.SMS.076
Repository: Drew Archival Library
Location: Small Collections Box 3
Quantity: 1 Folder
Language: English

Administrative Information:
Access Restrictions: The Dr. Frederick Winsor Letters is open to researchers. There are no restricted materials in the collection.
Acquisition Information: The Collection was donated to the Duxbury Rural & Historical Society by Henry G. Pearson in 1961.
Preferred from citations: DAL.SMS.076, Dr. Frederick Winsor Letters in the Drew Archival Library of the Duxbury Rural & Historical Society.
Finding aid Prepared by: Lauren Roy, Duxbury High School Intern, November 2014/Carolyn Ravenscroft 2014.

Scope and Content: The collection consists of two letters written by Dr. Fredrick Winsor to his daughter, Elizabeth Ware Winsor (“Lizzie”).  Both contain sketches made by Frederick Winsor – one of his aunt’s (Jane Winsor) house on St. George Street and one of the rear of the same house with the Myles Standish Monument in the background. In the letter dated 1879 he describes swimming with his cousin, George Soule and rowing to a beach next to Ezra Weston’s wharf. In the letter dated 1881, he tells of the death of his great-aunt (Judith Winsor Hathaway), the wife of the painter Rufus Hathaway, at age 102.

Biographical Information: Dr. Frederick Winsor (1829-1889) was the 11th child of Welthea Sprague and Thomas Winsor. He attended Boston Latin School and both Harvard (class of 1851) and Harvard Medical School (1855). In 1857 he married Ann Bent Ware (1830-1907), the daughter of Unitarian minister and abolitionist, Henry Ware, Jr. Together Frederick and Ann had 7 children.  Dr. Winsor served as a surgeon in the Civil War in the 49th Massachusetts Regiment and was the head of Massachusetts State Hosptial. The Winsors lived in Winchester, MA.

Elizabeth “Lizzie” Ware Winsor was the daughter of Dr. Frederick Winsor and Ann Bent Ware. She was their sixth child, born on November 15,1870. Elizabeth was the co-founded the Nursery Training School in Boston (later the Eliot-Pearson School at Tufts University) with Abigail Eliot. She marrried Henry Greenleaf Pearson and lived in Newton, MA.

Organization: 2 letters in one folder.

Transcriptions:

Letter #1

Duxbury, July 9th, 1878

My Dear little Lizzie,

I was very glad to get your nice little letter last night, telling me about the picnic in the woods behind Mr. Brackett’s. I like to know what my children do, and what companions they do it with.

This morning after breakfast I rowed your cousin George Soule in his brother Charles’ boat. It lies on the shore of the Mill Pond, just in front of the house where your Aunt Harriet Soule is staying & only across the street from it. I made that little picture on the other page just to show you about the Mill Pond and the bridge, under which we had to row on our way down Blue Fish river and out to the harbor. We came back in an hour – Such a lovely little beach as we found the other side of Weston’s wharf! and such clear green waves as were rolling up on it with a sh-sh-ing sound & a soft rattle of a few pebbles mixed with the sand.

Last evening just before sunset Paul Gifford & I had a swim at the Old Cove – of which place there is a picture in the book you have at home telling about the landing of the French Cable. I swam. Paul only paddled; but he meant to learn to swim this week, and I am certain that his is sorry to see this rain, which will prevent our having a swim tonight. But all the rest of the town is very glad that the sweet rain has come at last.

On the last page is a sketch of the back of Aunt Jane’s house with Captain’s Hill in the distance, drawn by your loving father.

Kiss Mother & all the brothers and sisters for me.

Letter #2

Duxbury, July 23

Sat. 3 P.M.

My Dear little Lizzie

The above scratch is not in true proportion even, but may give you some idea of “Aunt Jane’s” pretty cottage & I have no more time to spend on it but they are to have a photograph of it.

This A.M. Paul Gifford & I rowed down Blue Fish to the harbor as far as the end of Powder Point & on our way back I had two delicious “[?]” from the end of Weston’s wharf at high tide.

This P.M. I mean to walk over to my brother Seth’s & my cousin Catharine’s mailing this note as I go by the Post Office. This evening we go to a reading in Duxbury Hall & eat ice cream afterward. Tomorrow I expect to sail down the harbor with my old friend Sylvanus Sampson Smith.

My old aunt Hathaway died yesterday, aged 102 yrs 10 months & is to be buried Monday P.M.

Tell Mother that I read her letter with the enclosure about ministers & will write Mr. Goodwin tomorrow. Kiss them all from your loving Father.