Collection of 29 manuscript Letters, primarily incoming correspondence to George Hale, of Glastonbury and briefly, Providence, Rhode Island, from family members and Yale classmates, dated 1783-1791

Collection of 29 manuscript letters (totaling 39 pages + address panels, mostly folio and quarto) dating 1783-1791 to George Hale (b. 1759 d. 1803) of Glastonbury, Connecticut, from various correspondents (including Yale classmates) writing to him at Glastonbury and (for awhile) Providence RI. Correspondents include: Jabez Peck, Isaac Welles, Roswell Welles, "John Hiwill," Ashbell Welles, his older brother, Elisha Hale, Nabby Kimball, Zebediah Tracy, Abner Moseley, Nathaniel Tallcott Jr., and Elijah Killack. Together with: 7 chit receipts contemporary with these letters and later; a very worn BOSTON EVENING-POST (Numb. 1567, Sept. 23, 1765); and three other family items. Condition: clean, but worn and torn, with occasional textual loss consequent to original opening of wax seals.

George Hale was descended from Samuel Hale who landed at Watertown, west of Boston in 1634, who settled in Wethersfield, Connecticut in 1635, until in 1690, Glastonbury was set off as a separate parish. George's father Captain Jonathan Hale born 1718, died March 7, 1776, at Jamaica Plain, near Boston, fought in the Revolution with the American forces. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Hon. Thomas Welles and Martha Pitkin. The coupled had fourteen children, of which, George, born July 24, 159, was the ninth. He attended Yale and worked as a merchant in Providence, employed in the store of Messrs. Brown & Benson.

The letters concern business, domestic and social affairs, and courtship.

"Glastenbury May 30th 1784

Dear Brother,

I have not heard a syllable from you since you went from home except by Mr. Robbins which says you have got Quarters in Commons I am very glad… I hope you will pay a strickt attention to your Business & not spend your time in Pleasure or a Great deal of Company except so much as will be advantageous to your Business you will remember Providence is a very loose place that ill habits are very catching unless a person keeps a strickt watch over themselves.

I understood after you went from home that you had absented yourself from the Red House which I'm not a little surpriz'd at & that a great Independency appear'd in your Behaviour – a great contrast indeed in the space of six weeks … I'm very sorry to hear of it – I assure you, you had no business to frequent that House so much as you have without the approbabtion of her parents but especially in absenting yourself in such a manner it is a very ungentleman like [ac]tion I think it is what I never did I hope never to see it in my Brother… I don't mean to control but I think it my Indispensible dutry to advise to Gentlemanlike Behaviour.

The Sloop sails on the last day of April with 15 oxen & 20 Horses for Cargo I gave her verbal order to lay off & on Antigua & go with the Boat shore see wether a could trade or wither the English ports were open if they was to lay their course to Granada unless they was offer'd a great price there if they could not trade in the English port by all means to procure some casks of English rum att all adventure we shall look for her in about four weeks… you will write me the price current of West India goods in your first… Elisha Hale"

"Windam [March] 13 1785

Dear Sir,

Agreeable to your request I return an answer to your letter which I received a few days since was very happy to receive an Epistle from a Gentleman of your abilities as you wrote you stiled it great happiness to add to the number of your sisters gives me reason to think you prize them as you ought. I am sure there is no greater happiness than a harmony with our friends & Acquaintance. I think your sentiments upon my friend are very just & I dare presume if you should enlarge acquaintance with her you will never regret it as she is a Lady that possesses a generous disposition you would esteem her a person of worth as to giving advice upon Love subjects I am sensible I am not capable in the Least yet I hope you will be so much master of yourself as to retain your Senses. Nancy has concluded to write you since you stile yourself a friend… Nabby Kimball"