1834 - Letter from John Hankins to Chauncy Thomas

 On 30 April 1834, John Hankins wrote to his brother-in-law Chauncey Thomas (1813-1882) from Philadelphia.[1] John addressed the letter to “Dear Brother.” Chauncey was John's wife Susan's younger brother. They were the children of Moses Thomas (1777-1857) and Rebecca Monington (1782-1841).

John was in Philadelphia to sell lumber. He wrote to Chauncey to let him know that John, and three other men, James Dunn, Howell Gale and William Johnson had been exposed to smallpox and planned to stay in Philadelphia until they knew if they were sick. Another man, Mr Houston, had become ill the previous week, with John and the others attending him. It wasn’t until the 26th that they learned Houston had smallpox. John and the others thought it best to remain in Philadelphia rather than risk bringing smallpox home to their families. John wanted Chauncey to tell Susan (John’s wife) to not be too concerned. The doctor treating Houston though if any of they did come down with smallpox, they would have a light case since they were “diating”. 

John seems to be doing something in terms of diet to decrease his chances of getting smallpox, or at least having a severe case. However, so far, no information about a diet to prevent small pox  has been found. 

It's not clear where John and Susan were living when the letter was written. The 1831 letter was sent to Cochecton, Sullivan County addressed to Susan. [2] In August 1834, John made his first identified land purchase - 99 acres of land in Cochecton, Sullivan County. [3] The following month, John was a delegate from Cochecton to the Sullivan County Republican Convention.[4] So they likely lived somewhere in Cochecton when John traveled to Philadelphia to sell lumber. 


Philadelphia   April 30th 1834

Dear Brother  I Shall
Not be Able to Get out of Town As soon as
I Rote I would. Mr James Dunn Howell Gale
William Johnson And my self has bin
Exposed to the Small Pox and Do not
Intend to Come home till Wee Know
Wether we have it or Not. Mr Houston
Was taken Unwell Last Week We all of
Us Attended on him not Knowing What the
Disease was till Sunday morning Last
When the Small pocks Broke out on
Him very thick Whether we have
Catch it or not we Cannot tell we are
Diating for fear And think it better for
Us to have it hear than to Run the Risk
Of fetching it Home With us You must
tell Susan to not feele Unesy about
me for the Doctor says if Any of us has
it by Diating we Will have it Lite Houston
is getting better I Wish You to tend to
Collecting I will Write again Soon I Have
Hade very Good Luck in Collecting from
those I have Scene Yours With Respect  
John Hankins

Mr Chauncey Thomas

I have Not Sold my Cherry or Hemlock yet
Nor threk Ash I have Sold the hemlock twice
in town And are on the Stream and not got
Rid of it yet

Mr Chauncey Thomas
Cochecton
Sullivan Co
NY 


NOTES:
[1] John Hankins to Chauncey Thomas, letter, 30 April 1834; Hankins Family Papers, privately held by Patty Hankins, Bethesda, Maryland. 

[2] John Hankins to Susan Hankins, letter, 15 June 1831; Hankins Family Papers, privately held by Patty Hankins, Bethesda, Maryland. 

[3] New York, Sullivan County, Deeds, volume 10, 1834-1835, pages 145-146, John Laymon to John Hankins; images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99W5-BQQQ : accessed 16 April 2025), IGN 007180588, image 130 of 400.

[4] “Sullivan County Republican Convention,” The Evening Post (New York, New York), 8 September 1834, p 3, col 1, S & J Hankins; image, NYS Historic Newspapers (https://www.nyshistoricnewspapers.org/ : accessed 6 May 2025).  
Location: Philadelphia, PA, USA

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