Letters
1837 Letter | 1912 Letter
A Letter from John Elting to His Son,
Philip H. Elting - June 1837
Please note: I have tried to duplicate the letter as it was written -
therefore errors in capitalization, spelling, grammar and punctuation are
intentional. Brackets indicate unreadable text. -Edie Elting
Barrytown, Dutchess County june 19, 1837
My Son,
Your favours of the 10th and 24th May, have been thankfully
received and all yur inquiring friends are agreeably satisfied with your safe
arrival and and general description of the country. I had written you a few days
ago before I received your first letter in which among other things I informed
you of the extreme pressure in the money market. Those times still continue and
are not likely to abate very soon, but that I intended to assist you in getting
along with your undertakings at all hazards, although this is saying a good deal
for the times - yet I will do my endeavors to effect it - If I understand you
correctly you have purchased 3 yoke of cattle and waggon. the price you don’t
name but I suppose that [ ] in your first letter $250 - roughtly 50 acres @
2.75/ - $137.50 - 300 Rails @20/.[ ]. $75 - this is to be sure a heavy sum at
present. - 
You do not state what drafts you have drawn if any, or if they are
sent on, and I am now at a stand to determine if whether you want the money sent
on to you, or if you calculate to negotiate through drafts on Rowley - I believe
Rowly wrote on to Moore, [Morton] [ ] that he would accept about $200 -[ ] at a
time payable ten days after sight - and that you should write on immediately
advising me of the draft.- I shall go to the city tomorrow and get Rowly to
write on to M.M[ ] at Quincy and if it can be arranged in that way will
determine how [ ] I should think knowing that it will be necessary to make your
drafts from 30 to 60 days apart say $100 each untill you pay all up - what I
fear now is if you have been dealing with a shaver that he may take advantage of
the times and give you trouble. But if this is likely [sentence missing] your
letter of the 24th, and concluded you must have written particularly from
Quincy, and therefore delayed as I had to be there at New York yesterday and
found your letter there from Quincy, which by the by if I had received first,
wouold have supposed you entirely discouraged____ you must of course expect to
find pickpockets as every one will get all of you they can, hence the necessity
of selecting your company and those you deal with__ avoid L[ ]at all events + S[
] all vicious company_ I herewith enclose $120, not knowing what money you could
[pass]. I obtain 100 Ill. Bank + $20 Mississippi. This money you will divide
among your creditors so as to pacify them for a fortnight when I will remit you
at least another hundred and so on if it arrives safe about every fortnight
untill they are all paid, you ought by all means to have a cow or two + some
pigs or hogs and I should think you would buy them much cheaper down south + I
presume every thing will soon be cheaper for cash than it has been perhaps I
better make the remittances about 3 weeks apart so as to hear from you before I
send the third remittance_ they may not go safe_ it takes about 3 weeks for a
letter to arrive _ _
I hope my son you will keep good courage go on moderately _ have patience +
perserverance _ I believe all you have done is right + will no doubt prove the
proper course _ let me hear from [Frank] + his family - we are all well + hope
you are the
same _ _
I Remain Sir
Yours affectionately
I Elting J x [ ]
the 100 bill is somewhat torn be careful of it
Barrytown NY
23rd June
single sheet 25
Mr Philip H. Elting
Macomb
McDonough County
Illinois
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A Letter From Philip Edward Elting to His Wife -
September 1912
The following letter contains a good deal of Elting History. The writer's
knowledge of the family indicates its importance in his upbringing. Philip
Edward Elting is the grandfather of James Wallace Elting, Elting Family
Genealogist.
Macomb Ill Sept 1, 1912
My Dearest Alleyne,-
Your letter today telling me of the arrival of John’s shoes
and the apples and other good news came am glad to hear of your interesting trip
to Montery and of John’s party. You know John is quite expert in adapting
himself and making himself agreeable and he generally gets the best out of
everything and is quite thoughtful of others and as a result he always gets his
share of attention which reflects great credit upon his Mother in training him
to be proper at all times.
I am glad you are meeting interesting people and particular
the Philip Elting from St Helena, Calif. He no doubt belongs to the clan and you
should meet him and form his acquaintance. You also speak of Miss McAdam being
impressed with the Hudson River Eltings, "One of whom I am which."
My Father, Philip H. Elting (son of John Elting and Margaret
Jones) was born on the Hudson near Poughkeepsie NY in 1814.
My Grand Father John Elting (son of Abraham Elting and
Arraantje Van Deusen) was born in Ulster Co NY in 1791 and had two brothers and
one sister, namely - Robert who married Hannah Gale; James who married Lany
Elting and Marytje who I think remained single.
My Great Grand Father Abraham Elting (was a son of James
Elting and Marytje Van Steenberg) was born at Kingston Ulster Co N.Y. in 1757
and he had six brothers and sisters, namely - Rachel who married Cornelis Van
Deusen, John who married Cornelia Hallenbeck, Marytje, who married Michael
Hallenbeck, Elizabeth who married George Crawford, Willem single, and Jannetje,
who married Cloudy Delamater.
Abraham Elting is one of the 218 men who signed the
"Articles of Association" ten days after the Battle of Lexington.
My Great Great Grandfather James Elting (son of Jan Elting and
Rachel Whitaker who was born at Kingston Ulster Co N.Y. in 1736 and had five six
brothers and sisters, namely - William who married Anneke Schoonmaker, Lidie,
single, Jannetjen who married Philip Houghteling, Petrus who married Rachel Van
Gassbek and Elizabeth single and a daughter Elsie by second wife Rachel Hasbruck.
My Great Great Great Grand Father Jan Elting (son of Willem
Elting and Jannetje Lessier) was born in 1709 at Kingston N.Y. and had eight
brothers and sisters, namely Elsjen, Willem, Jacomyntjen, Jacobus, Petrus,
Hendricus, Jannetjen and Annaatjen.
My Great Great Great Great Grand Father Willem or William
Elting (son of Jan Elting and Jacomyntje Slegt) was born Jan 19. 1685 at
Kingston NY - and four brothers and sisters namely [line missing]
My Great Great Great Great Great Grand Father Jan Elting. The
original Elting in this country (son of Roelif and Aaltje Elting) was born July
29th 1632 in Holland, at Swichsueleu, a decendency of Beyle, in the province of
Drenthe, Holland.
The first record concerning him in this country is in one of
the volumes of transactions of the Dutch, at Albany, in a commission, issued
Sept 6,1675, by authority of E. Andross, Governor, constituting and appointing
Capt Thomas Chambers to be a justice of the peace of Kingston, Hurley and
Marbletown and dependence in Esophus and also for him and George Hale, the
sheriff, Cornelius Sleght, W. Nottingham John Elting (or Jan Eltinge) and John
Biggs, or any four of them or more of them to hold a Court of Sessions twice a
year at Kingston, to hear and determine all appeals and causes, as a court of
sessions, according to law.
So you see he was one of the Judges of his time. He signed the
treaty made by the Paltz Hugenots and the Indians in the Spring of 1677 as one
of the Witnesses and on the 8th of June 1686 He bought a lot of land at
Rhinebrek:"Right over against Roundout Creek". This is now the home of
Hon Levi P. Morton.
My Father was raised in Dutchess County and came to McDonough
Co Illinois in 1834 and Grandfather John Elting located in Peoria Ill in [sentance
missing] Hudson River sometime ago. You can tell them we belong to the Kingston
Hurley, New Paltz Eltings Descendants of Jan Elting who settled in Ulster Co
prior to 1675 who located in Ulster Co NY and that my Grandfather lived in
Dutchess County NY near Poughkeepsie and was a merchant and had a line of Steam
Boats running between Albany and NY City and that he came west about the year
1840. Where he engaged in the Merchantile business. My father came to Macomb Ill
in 1834 and located on a Farm in McDongh (sic) county one of the pioneers.
History of New Paltz says " the personal characteristics
of the eltings, as noted by the old people They are an active, thrifty energetic
race, given to sociability and hospitality. They have been, with very few
exceptions upright, moral and church-going people, Bluntness of speech and
positive in likes and dislikes may be considered to some extent as family
traits. A tendency to turn gray at a comparatively early age has been considered
by the old people as a physical characteristic."
This will give you a general idea and after you see Mr. Elting
I will send the family tree after I find out where his
[remainder of letter missing]
