Correspondence, 1876; 1883-1889.

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Correspondence, 1876; 1883-1889.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/191259147

This collection consists of eighty letters, the majority written to Amy between 1883 and 1889, and mostly written by Melora. Both were active in the First Unitarian Church of Worcester and much of the correspondence is concerned with the affairs of the church and its members. Running through early letters is a current of unhappiness at the departure from Worcester of Edward Henry Hall (1831-1912), their beloved Unitarian minister and cousin of Amy Barnes. The candidates for the vacated pulpit are critiqued by Melora. Melora held some firm opinions. She was opposed to drinking, smoking, and secret societies--particularly the Masons. She was supportive of women--"I do feel especially pleased to see a woman make a success of anything," she wrote. She encouraged Amy to invest in western farm loans as she had done. She urged the superintendent of public schools in Worcester to add cooking classes to the cirriculum. More traditionally, she was a member and treasurer of the Worcester Woman's Club, the Employment Society, and several cultural societies. The collection also contains one letter to Edward Barnes (1857-1885), Amy's brother, dated 26 March 1876, from Mary E. Smith of Northborough, Mass.

1 box (80 letters)

Gadsden Public Library

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SNAC Resource ID: 6957332

Gadsden Public Library

Related Entities

There are 7 Entities related to this resource.

Smith, Mary Elizabeth Reichert, 1923-....

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6cr64pq (person)

Hall, Edward H. (Edward Henry), 1831-1912

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6gq81kg (person)

Harvard College Class of 1851. Harvard Divinity School, 1855. Ordained at Plymouth as Unitarian minister, 1859. From the description of Journal of my campaign, 1862 Aug.-1863 June. (Boston Athenaeum). WorldCat record id: 40469444 ...

Pratt, Melora Fletcher, 1837-1928.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6hh7p3x (person)

Barnes, Edward, 1857-1885.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6br9vt1 (person)

First Unitarian Church (Worcester, Mass.)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w66x4c3d (corporateBody)

Maynard, Samuel T. (Samuel Taylor), 1844-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6rf6xz4 (person)

Barnes, Amy, b. 1859.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6nz9bm0 (person)

Amy Barnes (1859- ) was the daughter of George Barnes (1815- ) and Mary Ware (Lincoln) Barnes (1820- ). She may have been a native of Northborough, Mass., as it was her family's home during the period of this correspondence. She had a career as a cook and as a teacher of cooking in Worcester, Boston, and New Bedford, Mass. In 1892, she married Samuel Taylor Maynard (1844-1923), a teacher and horticulturalist. Melora Fletcher Pratt (1837-1928) lived in Worcester, Mass., t...