Catharine “Kitty” Livingston, sister-in-law to John Jay, wrote to him in Paris soon after the treaty of peace, which he helped negotiate, was signed ending the Revolutionary War. Details about the Jays’ son Peter, who had been left behind in the care of the Livingstons, were certainly of interest to his parents.

Elizabeth Town [New Jersey], 30 December 1783Permit me, my dear Sir, to wish you and Sister [Sarah “Sally”], the compliments of the season, and assure you that no one more sincerely wishes the ensueing year may be propitious to your every wish than your friend who has now the pleasure of writing to you. …

By the enclosed letter you will see its determined that Master Peter stays with us this Winter. He is very ambitious to write equal to his Aunt Susan his instructer. This morning, as I was looking over him, I read his copy for the day—Commend virtuous deeds. I must do more than that, says he, I must imitate them. He has read Robinson Crusoe and Don Quixote. He is now reading Nature Delineated and is exceedingly pleased with the natural History they contain. He begins his exercise of the day and closes the same with reading a few Chapters in the Bible. He has learned many of the hymns in the book you sent him and frequently expresses a great desire to see you and his Mamma. He enjoys good health and is often complimented with having his Mamma’s complexion. It is indeed sun and frost proof. His under teeth are like Sally’s, the upper ones that have made their appearance are rather larger, they are perfectly white, but foul the soonest of any I ever saw. As we have paid attention to drawing the decayed and those that were in the way, they have every chance of being sound and well cut. …

Kiss Sally and the sweet babes for me, and I’ll pay you with interest when we have the pleasure of meeting. Mamma, Susan and Peter unite with me in Love to Sister and you. Your Affectionate Friend and Sister. C. W. L.

Having lost a baby in Madrid, Sally Jay gave birth to two girls in Paris: Maria and Ann, known as Nancy. It is hard to believe that Peter, at the tender age of seven, could have read books like Don Quixote, let alone Nature Delineated, a book of philosophical conversations. The Jays returned to the United States in 1784; they resided in New York City where John took up the duties of minister for foreign affairs.

The excerpt is from Selected Letters of John Jay and Sarah Livingston Jay, pages 162-63.

After her mother died, Martha “Patsy” Jefferson was taken to Paris in 1785 by her father when he was appointed minister to France. She was enrolled at the prestigious Abbaye Royale de Panthemont convent, but when she began to have thoughts of converting to Catholicism her father withdrew her. She returned to the United States in 1789 when Thomas Jefferson became secretary of state in George Washington’s cabinet. Patsy shortly thereafter married her second cousin Thomas Randolph. She managed the plantation at Monticello for her father while he was in New York and kept him informed about what was happening. Her account shows her to be a prudent housewife, a devoted, if somewhat critical, sister, and a dutiful daughter.

Monticello January 16th 1791I very much regret not having answered yours My Dearest Papa sooner. … I took an account of the plate china &c. and locked up all that was not in imediate use. … The spoons &c that are in use are counted and locked up night and morn-ing so that I hope to keep them all to gather till your return. It was very troublesome in the beginning tho now I have the boys in tolerable order. Every thing goes on pretty well. I have wrought an entire reformation on the rest of my household, nothing comes in or goes out without my knowledge and I believe there is as little wasted as possible. I visit the kitchen smoke house and fowls when the weather permits and according to your desire send the meat cut out. I can give but a poor account of my reading having had so little time to my self. … Polly improves visibly in her spanish which she reads with much more facility than when you went away. She was surprised that I should think of making her look for all the words and the parts of the verb. Also when she made nonsence but finding me inexorable she is at last reconciled to her dictionary with whom she had for some time past been on very bad terms. She has been twice thru her grammar since your departure. As for the harpsichord tho I put in fine order, it has been to little purpose till very lately, I am in hope she will continue to attend to that also. She is remarkably docile where she can surmount her Laziness of which she has an astonishing degree and which makes her neglect whatever she thinks will not be imediately discovered. … The morning of the 13th at 10 minutes past four we had an earth quake which was severe enough to awaken us all in the house and several of the servants in the out houses. It was followed by a second shock very slight and an aurora borealis. …
Believe me ever your affectionate child

Patsy’s letter is on page 235 of In the Words of Women. The illustration is from the Library Company.

The Haldimand County Museum and Archives in Cayuga is presenting an exhibit this December titled “Early Settlers Christmas.” This area of Canada was the destination for Loyalists who had fled from the United States after the Revolution. Many were British but there were also Dutch, Germans, Scandinavians, African Americans, and Native Americans who brought with them the customs and traditions of their home countries. Those of German descent, from Pennsylvania and the Mohawk Valley, celebrated with Christmas trees. The first Christmas tree is said to have been lit in the Governor’s Residence at Sorel, Québec, in 1781 by Baroness Frederika von Riedesel, the wife of the commander of the Brunswick troops who had fought with the British in the Revolutionary War and surrendered with them at Saratoga. The general was eventually exchanged and assigned to duty in Upper Canada. There, to celebrate Christmas, the Baroness, known affectionately as Lady Fritz, hosted a party for British and German officers with the traditional roast beef and plum pudding. But it was the fir tree decorated with fruits and berries and lit with candles that elicited oohs and aahs. The Canadian government in 1981 issued a stamp commemorating the Baroness’s Christmas tree.

Information about Frederika von Riedesel and the Christmas tree can be found here.

John Jay and his wife Sarah returned from abroad in 1784. John had served as a diplomat, first in Madrid and then in Paris, where he had helped negotiate the treaty that ended the Revolutionary War. In addition to their son Peter, whom they had left with his grandparents when they went to Europe, the couple now had two girls, Maria and Ann, whom they called Nancy. Congress once again called John to serve his country, naming him minister for foreign affairs. But before he was sworn in on December 21, he was a delegate to Congress from New York. Sarah wrote to him in Trenton where Congress was meeting at that time. While looking forward to the holidays, Sarah wrote of the pleasure she felt imagining that she and her husband had been writing to each other at the same time. She also conveyed how hard it was to cope with two young children.

Elizabeth Town, 5 Dec 1784My dr. Mr. Jay,
Your letter of the 28th reached me last fryday; & from the date of that & yr. former letter I find that both were written at the same times, perhaps the same inst. that mine to you were wrote, & I enjoy’d the idea that we had been mutually employed in marking our attention to each other at the same inst. of time. How happy for us my Love! that space seperates not the minds as well as persons, for otherwise absence would be deplorable indeed. Mr. Renden informs me that Congress are at length assembled & I’m glad of it, for I now hope that by Christmas you’ll be at liberty to pay me the promised visit. …

It is with difficulty I write & I believe it will be as difficult for you to read this scrawl, but Maria will not quit me & I’ve but one hand at liberty & more that but by spells. How imperfect my dr.! is human penetration. While the delicacy of little Nancy’s appearance awakened our fears, & the florid complection of Maria assured us on her part, Nancy recovers health & strength & poor little Maria is attack’d wh. a fever. This is the first in 8 days that she has eat a mouthful. Last Sunday she was taken very ill, monday her fever still continued & her tongue & mouth appeared very sore. That alarmed me, for I apprehended she had the malignant sore throat, but the next day her fever abated, tho’ her mouth continued & still does very sore, & her breath very offensive. The fever has intirely left her & it is wh. pleasure I’ve observ’d ever since I first apprehended the sore throat, that when she drinks she swallows without difficulty, & I now conclude she has the sprue, or as the English call it the thrush: if it is that it will be some time yet before she’ll be quite well. To day she told me in the bed that Pappa Jay wd. come home bye & bye to see Maria. . . .

Mr. Renden waited upon us this afternoon & has promised to call himself or send his servant in the morng. for this letter: Scrawl I might rather call it, & indeed I am quite ashamed of it, but if you knew under what disagreeable circumstances I’ve written, you wd. rather pity than blame me. I’ve just daub’d all my paper wh. syrrup that I had to mix magnesia for Maria. I’ll endeavor to let you know from time to time how she does. Don’t be uneasy, for if I think her dangerous I’ll send an Express to you. …
Adieu my dr. Mr. Jay & believe me to be most affectionatelyYours
SA JAY

Sarah’s letter appears in Selected Letters of John Jay and Sarah Livingston Jay, pages 168-69.

In 1800, Sarah Livingston Jay visited Lebanon Springs, New York, in search of a remedy for her ailments. Columbia Hall, serving the spa, opened in 1794; it stood 300 feet above the valley and at full capacity could accommodate 400 guests. Writing to her husband John in Albany on July 28, Sarah recounted details of her stay and her wish to retire to their home in Bedford, New York, which was nearing completion.

My dr. Mr. Jay,
The only circumstance that has induced me to remain so long at a distance from you & from home has been the evident progress of my health. The air of this place no less than the Bath has had a wonderful effect upon it. The Mayor & Mrs. Van Ranselear, myself &c. last evening climbed one of the highest mountains here & I was not at all fatigued; the view from it was superb. Bathing now has the same effect upon me it formerly had that is to say it gives me a charming glow & occasions a quick circulation. Remember me if you please to our friend the D[octor]. He will be gratifyed to hear that I am so much recovered. I long very much to see you & the Children & can hardly believe that a fortnight has not quite elapsed since we parted. …

Our quills are cut up & the family not having risen yet I am writing with the stump of a pen that is as stiff as my knife. Maria [the Jays’ eldest daughter] is very well & still sleeping. Sammy & horses are very well. Hannah [a servant she sent for] has answered our purposes as well as an elder person wd. have done. Give my love to Ann [their daughter whom they usually called Nancy], tell her there is not any body here that she is acquainted with except the Mayor & his party. Kiss Sally & Wm. [their two youngest children] for me. I hope to hear from home this evening by Mr. & Mrs. Perkins who are expected here. I hope they meet with no impediments at Bedford for I am more than ever desirous of being there, then we may roam together & together inhale the salubrious breeze. Now a cruel regret that my beloved husband & children do not with me partake of the Rural pleasures in which they so much delight diminishes the satisfaction these wild scenes are calculated to inspire.
Adieu my dr. Mr. Jay!
believe me ever yours S. J.

While in Lebanon Springs, Sarah took the opportunity to visit the Shaker Society settlement in New Lebanon. She described to John her reception there. “We have twice visited the Quaker settlements, & each time received every mark of attention we could wish; nor was the pleasure afforded us by their civilities at all diminished by the simple confession that they thought them due to the family of a Governor (John was governor of New York State) for whom they entertained the sincerest respect. I have purchased of them some very clever sheets, towels & ticken & likewise very pretty shirting for servants at a very reasonable rate.”

The Sarah Jay’s letter can be found on pages 371-72 of Selected Correspondence of Sarah Livingston Jay and John Jay. The illustration of the Mt. Lebanon Shaker Village Stereoview (ca. 1880) can be found on this SITE.