Series I: Correspondence, 1824-1956
Scope and Contents note
The correspondence in this collection mainly consists of personal letters by the eldest daughter Mary Parsons (often referred to as Mamie or M.P.) to members of her immediate family, particularly her sisters. Almost every letter in the collection is followed by a typed copy that was presumably completed by a later relative. Although some of the typewritten copies are not completely accurate, they often include helpful notes explaining the context of the letters. The letters are arranged chronologically.
Many of the letters are from Mary while she is traveling abroad and include observations on the customs and manners of the people she encounters. She comments and often makes judgments on the nationality, religion, appearance, and clothing styles of natives of the countries she is visiting ,as well as of her fellow travelers. She also reports gossip and hearsay surrounding the European royalty and upper class. Her other letters from her home in New York City or Stoneover in Lenox, Massachusetts speak of everyday events and family news such as trouble with servants and the health of various family members. Many of the letters to Mary and the letters among the members of the Parsons family were also sent from abroad.
The last folder in this series contains correspondence from 1824 from Bowes Reed McIlvaine in Louisville, Kentucky to Catherine Dumesnil (the parents of Mary Dumesnil McIlvaine). In the letters, Bowes Reed discusses their impending marriage and urges his wife-to-be to write him more often.