Mary Peck. "Aunt Pop." Moved to Benton County, Missouri in 1831.

Author of a letter from Benton County, MO dated May 22, 1832. There is some doubt about which year this letter was actually written though. Also, it is not clear to me what happened to the original or when it was transcribed by a typewriter. On my copy it is crossed out by Jeanne Miller with 'probably 1835' written in as well as 1838. Anderson Cockrill was appointed to his second term as constable of Allen Co. KY in 1836 -- for probably a two year term. Letter was probably written in 1838, as Herbert J. Boothroyd points out (in a letter to me):

The "little girls Adelaide and Margaret" were born 1832 and 1834. So 1832 for the letter is impossible; unlikely 1835 would urge a 3 year old to write letters (even though all our family is of course precocious!). Clincher is Anderson's Sept. 1836 election for two years constable in Allen Co., and... Larkin moved 1838...

Mary Peck's letter was to her brother and sister-in-law, Anderson & Mary Hammett, describing the arrival of her Uncle Anderson and Aunt Rebecca along with their children's families from Allen County, Kentucky to Missouri:

LETTERS OF MRS. V. V. HOYLE.

Dear Brother & Sister:

Benton County Mo May 22nd 1838.

Excuse me for not writing sooner, but it was owing to our post office not being convenient which causes us many times to delay writing though we would not regard going 25 miles if we were certain of a letter. We have not heard from any of you since Dow returned yet I still hope I am not forsaken. When I had no person with me in a land of strangers but a Brother in law you my guess I felt desolate but I trusted he would protect me which he did but in the midst of my lonesome hours I was cheered by the company of James Cockrill & Elizabeth. They arrived here the 13th Nov. stayed with us until the last of December then they moved further down the river a mile below where we live. Feb. the 5th Uncle Anderson, Aunt Rebecca, & Larkins family landed, moved 4 miles below us on an improvement he made which he thinks highly of. He appears well satisfied. He says he can have venison, turkey & fish as much as he cares about. Uncle Anderson has bought the improvement. James lives on & lives with him. He gave 50 dollars for 50 acres. He says he would not exchange it for his whole profession in Ky. Harrison has bought an improvement & appears well satisfied. Aunt Rebecca can make as much butter & cheese as their family can make use of. She says she can get as much milk from one of her cows here as she could from all in Kentucky. They milk three cows. We also have three milch cows which afford us milk a plenty. We have two besides ourselves in family James F. Groom & William Peck. He landed the 5th of May and intends living with us. James Groom has lived with us ever since November. They have made & improvement & have planted our corn. It looks very well though there has been a great quantity of rain lately which has made against people's crops. They have run the Osage several times this Spring. We live in Missouri. We have circuit preaching every five weeks at our hour [must mean house]. Preacher is of the name of Roberson. He is a very intelligent man. We have no Baptist preaching in the settlement where we live but about the Prairie [? sic] they have Baptist preaching about 20 miles distance. Amanda & Lurana Cockrill are not so well satisfied as the rest owing to the country's being thinly inhabited, but they are a great satisfaction to me. Lurana & Amanda sends [sic] their compliments to Caroline Mother & the rest of the family and wishes to be remembered to you & Mary. I should like to see you all once again but I never expect to [be] in that County. Tell the little girls Adelaide & Margaret that their Aunt Pop loves them and longs to see them and wants them not to forget her and Adelaide must learn to write her a letter. I want you Anderson come look at this country and be your own judge. Write soon after this comes to hand, letting me know what your are all doing and whether you are yet alive. For my part I have been blessed with tolerable good health since I saw you for which I feel very thankful as it is the greatest of blessings. Dow has had his health very well this spring. He thinks the complaint of his breast is broke in a great measure. Mary I think if you was here in some parts of this country you could make your living by teaching school & Larkin thinks Andy could almost make a fortune by teaching. I must tell you something about my chickens. I have a fine chance [choice?] of them. Give my love to Mother Melinda Caroline Harrison & Marion. Tell Mother I still remember her. Tell Caroline to write me a letter without fail. Remember my love to Uncle Billy's family and to Emily I will say marry and come here. I send my compliments to Mrs. Morgan's family and I want to know if they are coming to Missouri. Also my love to Mrs. Thomas. Tell her I remember her as a Mother. I remember you all my Brothers Sisters & Neighbors your features are very plain to me but shall we never see each other faces on earth so let us try to meet in Heaven. Dow sends his best respects to you & Mary also. Except of my tenderist regard, I remain your sister.

Lorenzo D & Mary M Peck Anderson & Mary Hammett

Anderson Hammett

Allen County, Kentucky

Scottsville

from Peck to Anderson

Herbert J. Boothroyd further remarks:

Incidentally, our Hammett KY family apparently lost contact with the Missouri branch even before they went to Calif. Victoria Hoyle moved to San Francisco around 1910 and wrote much of family history after that, with no mention of them, and the 1838 letter is the last I found from them in my aunt's collection. Victoria's grandson grew up with her and got me interested in genealogy in 1947, but he first made contact with Effie Joy and others a few years after that.

From Mike Jones, Logan family researcher (email, 8 Jul 2004):

...I saw the reference to Benton County (part of which later became Bates County), Missouri. Again of possible interest to you, others of our same branch of LOGANs later moved to Benton County, some of whom are buried there. The Bates-Benton-Henry County connection is growing in importance in our search.