November 2007 49
Was the writer a minister or religious professor who and was reckoned before 1752 by Quakers as “first
knew scripture and interpretation like the back of his month”. Then there are references to “first day” (Sun-
hand? But who would want to read a sermon when day), etc., and the common usage, even in business
one would be readily available the next Sunday? correspondence of “thee”, “thou”, and “thy”, the per-
Was the writer a willing missionary writing to family
sonal Quaker code word and polite reference to brother
that would not be seen for months and years, less edu-
and sister Quakers, officially known as members of
cated than a professor, but nevertheless full of the vigor
the Society of Friends.
necessary to sail to the antipodes or across the coun- If you have a letter from Salt Lake City after mid-
try ‘to convert the heathen’? 1847 (their arrival in Utah), it is doubtless written by
Clues From the Cancels
a Mormon, and from Nauvoo, Illinois before Mid-
1840’s, chances are good it is from a Mormon too.
Back to the question: how to tell an early writier’s
faith from letters? What clues does a letter from a
Letters before 1700 from Boston would be written no
particular city or state give to hint at the religious de-
doubt by a Puritan, a belief system in its death throes
nomination of the writer? Maybe a specious question
by about 1750. It was being transformed into Congre-
but, again, the rule of thumb for most people before
gationalist or Presbyterian congregations. The United
about 1870 (and common train and soon to be car
Church of Christ is a direct descendent of Puritan fore-
travel), people lived, prospered, and died all within
fathers and mothers. Be wary of the word “Congrega-
20 miles of their birthplace. And we do know the domi-
tionalist” however, for it is a fuzzy word describing
nant religious affiliations of
most areas.
So a Virginian writing in 1816
may well be Episcopalian, the
former state religion, unless it
was posted from a western
Virginia village, in which case
he or she may well be a Scots-
Irish Presbyterian. But the
Baptist movement in the South
was taking its toll long before
1816, so it would also be a
good choice.
“Quaker dates” are a dead
giveaway as to the writer’s
faith. To avoid pagan month
names, Quakers adopted the
number-month and day sys-
tem. This system was used
with decreasing frequency into
the 1850’s.
With New Years Day, January
1, 1752, the Quaker “first
month” became January in-
stead of March, since in the
previous year Parliament after
Figure 10 What would a religious article be if it didn’t include one item that refers
240 years agreed to adopt the
to New York as a ‘City of Sin’? An upper class girl prefers her “little room” and
Papal inspired Gregorian cal-
reading to going to the big Horse Show in town or any other extravagances the city
endar. March 25 had previ-
holds. She is waiting for the minister to call on her! The note was posted from
ously been New Year’s Day Yonkers on Nov 26, 1900 arriving at New London NH the next day.
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