Lucy Hopkins Johnston Ambler to Sarah "Sally" Tate Steptoe Massie, August 3, 1822

[Lucy Hopkins Johnston Ambler at Morven, about three miles south of Markham, Fauquier County, Virginia, to Sarah "Sally" Tate Steptoe Massie at [Pharsalia,] August 3, 1822. Postmarked Farrowsville, Virginia, August 10, 1822. Massie Family Papers, Virginia Historical Society. This is my rough, annotated transcription from a copy graciously provided by William Myers. Extra paragraph breaks inserted for easier reading.] 

My dear Sally I am afraid you will think me very Lazy for not answering your letter sooner but I have been very busy since that time and besides I have had company constantly. I have put a bed quilt in frame and you know that must be a tedious job. The quilt was commenced by Mr. Ambler’s mother and I think I am bound to finish it. Catherine and Elizabeth Ambler are staying with me and they occasionally assist me though not much.

Besides this quilt I have another very serious job on hand which is working a spencer for myself which is a good deal for me to do as I do all the sewing for my family.

I am obliged to keep Cinthea [Cynthia?] nursing John as he has no notion of walking yet owing to his laziness for he is sixteen months old and could stand alone three months ago.

Our neighborhood is quite fashionable at present. We have Dr. and Mrs. Alexander from Baltimore Mr. and Mrs. Lewis from below Richmond and Mr. and Mrs. Douthat from that town all in this immediate neighborhood and in a very short time Mr. Ambler’s father and mother will be up.

The neighbors are going to unite and give a barbacue [barbecue] to General Marshall who is also up from Richmond and I am told they are to have a dance as there will be an abundance of young ladies though I believe beaus are scarce.

I hope you have had more rain with you than we have had. We have had so little that the mills have stopped grinding and we are obliged to send over to Frederic[k] county for every dust of meal for our negroes.

Mr. Tom Marshall and Mr. A are the only persons in this part of the country who will make any corn. It is melancholy to see the corn which has not filled up at all and not more than half the usual hight [height].

Do you ever hear from Frances Langhorne[?] I am afraid she is very lazy or has forgotten me one for it has been at least a year or two since I heard from her.

I did not understand you when you spoke of Nancy Wright in your last letter as being very dejected for I had never heard of the death of her husband and it has not been more than two or three weeks since I heard of it.

I hardly ever hear from home now. None of the Children ever write and you know papa’s eyes prevent his writing often so I do not hear from them for three months sometimes.

I am sure I have beat you this year raising turkeys. I have twenty eight young ones and should have raised more but the hogs broke up two of my turkeys.

Mr. A. joins me in love to you and Mr. Massie and Tom.

Believe me to be yours affectionately

                                                 L. Ambler

[Checked against a transcript as rendered in Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. XXIII, No. 2 (April 1915), pages 188-189. A few variations in punctuation. Biggest change is from "Farmville" in the 1915 transcription to Farrowsville in this one. 

Lucy Ambler = Lucy Hopkins Johnston (1800-1888) married Thomas Marshall Ambler (1791-1875) on April 14, 1819. Their main abode was "Morven," Fauquier County, Virginia, from about 1820 on. For a link, see here. 

Sarah "Sally" Tate Steptoe Massie (1796-1828) was married to William Massie (1795-1862) and was the daughter of James Steptoe (1750-1826). Their son Thomas "Tommo" James Massie (1817-1877) was born on March 23, 1817.There is a massive Massie collection at the University of Texas here.

Mr. Ambler's mother and father = John Ambler (1762-1836) and Katherine (aka Catherine) Bush Ambler (1773-1836: Norton from first marriage).

Catherine and Elizabeth Ambler = Catherine Cary Ambler (1802-1850) and Elizabeth Byrd Ambler (1804-1877). 

Cinthea / Cynthia = probably an enslaved servant.  

John = John C. Ambler (1821-1891). 

Fashionable people = all interwined with Amblers and Marshalls.

General Marshall = Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall (1755-1835). 

Mr. Tom Marshall = probably Thomas Marshall 1784-1835), son of Chief Justice John Marshall and Mary Willis "Polly" Ambler Marshall (1766-1831); Mr. A = Thomas Marshall Ambler. 

Frances Langhorne = Frances "Fanny" Callaway Steptoe Langhorne (1798-1832) married Henry Scarsbrook Langhorne (1790-1854) on March 13, 1816. Their son John "Jack" Scarsbrook Langhorne (1817-1896) was born on June 1, 1817 (in later years, sometimes changed to 1818 or 1819). Their son William Maurice “Wee” aka "Billy" Langhorne (1818-1900) was born on June 30, 1818.


Nancy Wright = not sure who this is.

None of the children / papa = other children of Charles Johnston (1769-1833).]

[Many thanks to Sue Davis, William Myers, Mary Davy and Sally Young for their ongoing research collaboration.]