Francis Mayrant Adams papers, 1844-1848.

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Adams, Francis Mayrant, 1821-1884. Francis Mayrant Adams papers, 1844-1848.

Francis Mayrant Adams papers, 1844-1848.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/180266893

Letter, 22 May 1844, written from Pendleton, S.C., from F.M. Adams to his uncle, the Rev. Sewall Harding (in East Medway, Massachusetts), rejoicing that John had been elected editor of the Yale Literary Magazine and reporting that his connection with the Pendleton Male Academy had been dissolved and he planned to relocate to Baltimore, Maryland, where his wife had inherited an estate, "I thank God that I have done with teaching. I hope never again to resume it. It is to me an employment both disgusting and hateful." Mr. Renick, who had been principal for the preceding nine months, resigned at the same time, and as a result of their resignations the school had closed until another teacher could be procured. Adams thought the school to be in "pretty tolerable condition," noting that in addition to English, mathematics, and languages, Renick had trained the pupils in military exercises, "the members of the company had procured their cadet-dress; officers had been appointed; we were daily expecting the arrival of the state muskets, and military accoutrements, both of which had been ordered some time before, as, in the mean time, we had to use common muskets and guns...." Adams thanks Sewall for managing his portion of the estate of his grandfather and expresses eagerness to apply his portion of the estate to assist him in his professional studies, noting that he was in debt as a result of having tried to support himself and his mother on a teacher's salary and that he had recently applied to the equity court for his portion of the estate of his father. Letter, 5 Oct. 1848, written from Sumter, S.C., advises that he had been admitted to the bar but continued to teach. He had not yet read the equity course or been admitted to practice in the equity court and while he had a law office in Sumterville he did not expect to practice there as he hoped to relocate to New Orleans. To prepare himself financially, he had applied "for the situation of Principal of the Male Academy in this village." If unsuccessful he planned to seek employment with a country school. Adams wished to live in New Orleans as he hoped his sister Ann Richardson "Anzie" Adams, who had recently been engaged to Dr. John C. Calhoun, Jr., would live there. However, their mother opposed the marriage, in part due to the health of the city, and Adams was uncertain whether he would ever practice law there since Louisiana law was "civil law and very different from ours." He wanted to dispose of his remaining interest in his grandfather's property to the other heirs and asked Harding to assist promoting the sale.

2 items (1 folder)

University of South Carolina, System Library Service, University Libraries