$20.00 CAD
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1844 letter from Ipswich Massachusetts to Hampden Maine. Captain (?) of ship about to sail for Hampden giving list of needed supplies. Signed Dulbrook & Co.
Handwriting is hard to decode!
Mailed to "Mr Jareel Curtis Jr Esq. Hampden Me"
Postmarked 'IPSWICH OCT 3 MS' . Handwritten postal rate "18¾" in cents. In 1844, 18¾¢ would correspond to a letter traveling over 150 miles and weighing more than one sheet.
Ipswich Oct 3 1844
Mr Curtis
Dear Sir
I am ready to sail for hampden. I want you to get us
8 to 5 m Hemlock nails 6 inch wide 16 & 24 ft long.
2 m Hem plank from to 8 m them & -- joint
Resp Yours Dulbrook & Co
The letter was mailed from Ipswich, Massachusetts—specifically the historic town in Essex County, on North Shore of Massachusetts Bay., located about 30 miles north of Boston. This Ipswich was a major seaport and lumber hub in the 1840s, making it a logical origin for a business letter referencing timber and shipping to Hampden
In the 1840s, Ipswich was involved in shipbuilding, lumber trade, and coastal shipping—consistent with the letter’s request for Hemlock planks and mention of sailing to Hampden.
