William Wharton letter to Charity Rotch, 5 Mo 29th 1809

William Wharton discusses his concern for Charity Rotch who almost died of spotted fever that swept through the Hartford area in 1809. This is the first of eighteen letters in which Wharton asks Charity's advice regarding his marriage to her niece, Deborah Fisher, daughter of Charity's sister, Hannah. For Quakers, marriage required the approval of extended family. Successive marriages of their children was an investment for the future that strengthened and deepened kinship ties and created bonds of mutual obligation, affection, and support. 7.75" x 12.5" x (19.7 by 32 cm