Spence, Martha (Heywood) (1815-1973) Journal before immigration. AutoBio notes.

Martha Spence:  B. 8 Mar 1812 Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.  Parents:  Neal Spence and Maria Yates.
                           M. 16 Jan 1851 Salt Lake City, Utah.  Joseph Leland Heywood
                           D.  5 Feb 1873 Washington, Washington, Utah.

Martha Spence in the great grandmother of the contributor, Richard N. Heywood    

        Castle Garden for immigration information.

        Pioneer Overland Travel -- Trail Excerpts from her diary.
        Here for a brief biographical note and references to Not by Bread Alone.

       Journal:   Not by Bread Alone - The Journal of Martha Spence Heywood, Edited by Juanita Brooks, Digital Copy via Utah Division of State History (1850-1856).  This journal begins January 1, 1950 ends August 24, 1856.

Introduction to Martha Spence Autobiographical Information

Contributor's Note:  The following is a transcription taken from a photocopy of the original bound in a book entitled Martha Spence & J. N. Heywood Diaries and Poems Book 3 which is in my possession.  The original is untitled; it is not dated.  The transcription includes, insofar as possible, original punctuation (or lack thereof) and original spelling based upon my best interpretation of the photocopy.  In general, the photocopy is quite easy to read, but in a few places it is not.  Periods, commas, and apostrophes are often missing in the original, and I have not attempted to provide them.  What appears, in the photocopy, as “father in” is believed to be father-in-law; it is transcribed as “father in ---.”  Paragraphs, in many instances, appear to be run together in rather large paragraphs in the photocopy.  In these large paragraphs, there are rather long blank spaces between some sentences which possibly represent the intent to start new paragraphs.  These blank spaces have been ignored in the transcription; paragraphs have been transcribed as they appear in the photocopy.

Martha Spence immigrated to the United States on 13 December 1834.  

This journal appears to end shortly before her emigration from Ireland.  

Autobiographical Information Written by Martha Spence Heywood

[Before emigration from Ireland]

Martha Spence
         1812-1873

Was born in the city of Dublin on the 8^th of March 1812.  My father married my mother September 1806.  I believe I was their fourth child.  My mother’s first child named Godfrey, died in infancy.  Second child named Mary and third Robert who were older than myself.

I learnt from family conversation that my father was twenty years old when he married and my mother was twenty seven.  He was born in Dublin but his progenitors were Scotch.  His father was a resident of Bolton Street and in the grocery line of business.  He was the oldest of five children when his mother died in their infa

ncy his father married a widow who had children by her first husband and treated the first wifes children so bad that their relatives had to look after them, more particularly on the death of my grandfather.

My father was apprenticed to the stone cutting trade at an early age to a stone cutter merchant of the name of McCarthy and, before his time was fully out, a circumstance occurred which diverted his mind from that occupation.  He was rather a favorite with his master and the foreman of the establishment, which caused some jealousy from the men and apprentices, and on account of his natural smartness he was entrusted with business matters and one day having been sent to pay a bill in one of the banks, while waiting to be attended, he carelessly laid the money on the counter and in the crowd of persons also waiting the money disappeared and he was obliged to return to his master and report the loss,  the matter might have ended there, but those of the establishment who were jealous of the favor he enjoyed, took this opportunity of reporting that he secreted the money himself and persecuted my father very much in that for the purpose as my father realized afterwards, to irritate him to run away.  And as it was a time of war my father ran away and entered the sea service, and at the end of two years was dismissed but he scarcely touched the shore until he was pressed into service and then obliged to serve against his will  I cannot remember as to which service into which he was pressed but if it was again into the sea, he made an exchange and served in the army.  It was on home of absence, visiting his friends that he met my mother at his sister’s house, Sophia, married to a man named Buckton, had two children, whose names were Sophia and Arthur.  She died at an early age, her husband did not care for his children, left Dublin for London—he was a Goldsmith.  In consequence the children were taken by his sister whose husband’s name was Gaskin, also a goldsmith.  My father’s other sister named Mary Anne, died at the age of thirty or over, was never married.  He had a brother William, who resided in England, the place I don’t exactly remember.  I saw him once as also his brother John who resided in the north of Ireland, but never saw him but once

My father’s mother’s name was Tassie, and on that side of his parentage he had a large circle of relatives.  William Tassie who was an officer in some department of public works, resided in Dublin  John Tassie, also in some department.  Hugh Tassie silk Merchant, resided for years in Glasgow Scotland, but the main branch of the family lives on their estate in the County Wicklow, called “Three Castles” which was considered the old homestead.  There was also a mingling of the Spences in the Tassie family besides that of my grandfather and grandmother.  There was another branch of the family of the name of Sargeant, but I rather think it was on my grandmother’s side.  They mostly resided in Dublin.

My mother was one of six children whose father Andrew Yeates owned a freehold property, named Whitestown about 20 miles north of Dublin.  He died suddenly of apoplexy when my mother was 12 years old.  And by right of primogeniture Samuel the oldest son would have inherited the freehold estate property saving that, that allowed to the widow, but he nobly waived his right and it was equally divided among the children.  There were four sons, Samuel, William, Kendrick and Joshua two daughters, Ellen, and Maria.

Ellen was married to a printer and bookseller of the name of Christopher Crooks, resided in the city of Dublin carrying on that line of business for over 40 years.  He lived many years before his death in a house where he carried on the above business 85 Capel Street where his son of the same name succeeded him.

Samuel Yeates was a celebrated Optician and Mathematical Instrument Maker, resided for many years 81 Capel Street opposite Lower Castle Yard but some years before he died he changed his residence to the corner of Nassau and Grafton Street where his son George succeeded him in the same business.  William got possession of the old homestead by allowing some right to the youngest son Joshua.  Kendrick Yeates the next youngest learned the manufacture of all kinds of ornamental brass works and kept a brass foundry in Stafford Street for years and was celebrated in that line of business.  He was also in the optician and instrument maker but more especially followed the ornamental brass works.

My mother (Maria) lived to the homestead for a few years with her mother.  She then placed herself in a boarding school in the city to improve herself in education and while in Dublin she formed acquaintance with an old lady of the name of Stephens who kept a toy and fancy store, and induced my mother to buy her out which she did & instead of returning to the old homestead to live with her mother she commenced business in the mercantile line in a small way.   & made it her home to her brother Kendrick who was married and in the Brass and Optician business  In this way she lived fives years enjoying life to her hearts content and one of her intimate acquaintances was the above named Elizabeth or Mrs. Buckton, where she met my father who was then in the Army and before my mother consented to become his wife she hade him promise that he would give up the profession and turn his attention to mercantile business, which was done at a great expense being time of war it was difficult to find a substitute and that at a high premium.  They married September 1806 and the house on the corner of Nassau and Frederick street trinity Colledge and its grounds forming one side of Madison Street which gave a splendid view of the park grounds from the upper windows of the house  My father had to give two thousand pounds for the lease or priviledge of renting the house at the rate of eighty pounds a year.

My father took possession of this house 1^st of November 1806 rented it of a John Lloyd of the firm of Lloyd and Carroll Apothecary and Druggist, 29 Nassau Street.  The Nomenclature (if it might be called) was on this wise, “Turnbridge Toy and Fancy Ware House, Manufacturer & Importer of Portable Writing Desks, Dressing Cases, Work Boxes [illegible word] &, also in Jewelry.  About two years after my father commenced business in purchasing goods in London, he was induced by a Firm of the name of “Smith and Nephew” to purchase two thousand pounds worth of very unsaleable goods  & in the first instance it was £4,000 but had it reduced to half this act, occasioned by my fathers want of knowledge and judgment tho simple its beginning, hung over his affairs like an evil genius and was the final act of closing his business after struggling for thirty years and a half.  I have seen my mother many times burn up large boxes full of old bills the stamps on which, alone would have made independent fortunes.

My father had the peculiarity of ability to transact a great amount of mercantile trade and for years stood first in his line with the nobility and gentry of the whole country.  He was both loved and admired for his obliging and courteous demeanor to his customers.  He employed hundreds of workmen the year round in the various departments of his line of business.  But he had not the faculty of snugging up his business and realizing how he stood also he never learned how to say No to friend or foe when they applied to him for favor either in money or the loan of his name which would raise it this latter being the most disastrous of the two.

My father having no knowledge of business either practically or theoretically when he launched forth on its water way the cause was the primary cause of the difficulties of his voyage.  He also appeared to have no natural gifts to avoid breakers or sand bars that was continually shattering his “little bark,”  He was likewise subject to dishonest people around nor had the least perception in detecting the open frauds committed upon till all around him suspected such characters.  I might name a few by way of illustration.  There was a female by the name of Cathrine Higgins alias Higgenbottom  She represented to my father as an orphan having no relative to look to, for protection save one cousin who lived in England.  My father implicitly believed all that was told him and in consequence took the female into his house to treat her as his own child and put her behind the counter to sell goods.  Many strange things happened during her sojourn in the house.  It was naturally very difficult to miss goods from my father’s store or ware room and often when goods were missed it was difficult to decide whether they were sold or not.

At the expiration of two of her sojourn years my father decided that he must reduce his expenses and allowing her a handsome salary she was one with others to be dismissed   She felt it hard and rather upbraided my father for turning an orphan   My mother was very fond of her and did not like the idea of her being sent away.  On the night previous to being expected to leave My father lay awake all night troubled about his business affairs and in the morning as was her usual custom to come into my father and mothers sleeping room and took the key off the dressing table that stood opposite the foot of the bed.  My father detected a particular stealth of manner in so doing as if she wished to avoid waking him.  He arose quickly after she left the room and hurrying down stairs half dressed to the store he found her in the act of emptying a basket full of silver articles to a large aunt in the apron of what seemed to be a beggar-woman  or vile person & subsequently proved to be the mother of this female who also had nine brothers and sisters whom she had been supporting in their beastliness and low living (which always costs more than a respectable way of living) from my fathers store & ware room,  even the cousin she professed to have in England turned out to be a man she kept and supported in luxury from the same source nor did he live in England.  This woman on the first impulse of feeling she was given over to the law but afterwards, released without trial as my mothers sympathetic feelings could not bear the thought of one who had been an inmate of the house for two years on the most familiar intimacy, should be punished.  So in consequence was released.

My father suffered so much in his feelings and circumstances from the dishonesty of those around him, that he felt in a hurry to be assisted in business by his own children.  But previous to my commencing my business career I will try & relate some incidents of childhood also of my brothers and sisters.  My mother had four sons who died in infancy & of whom my recollection is very faint.  There were eight of us children lived many years together, the oldest my sister Mary who was born in the year 1809 & I think in the month of August  (the four infant sons of my parents were buried in the burial ground called Drum Condra a few miles north of the city,  two were named “Godfrey” & two were name Neal.  The first named after my father’s father and the last after my father.)  When my sister Mary was about 18 months old (when my mother was in her confinement of my brother Robert) the first part of March my father walked her before the door on the sidewalk till she was quite chilled & when taken to my mothers room she was quite lethargic my mother felt troubled about her symptoms and had her put into the bed with her when after a time she was taken with convulsions, the family physician was sent for & not being found at home he was traced to where he was spending the evening in a convivial party & on presenting himself to administer to my mother’s sick child he was under the excitement of wine. & in the confused state of his mind, he bled my sister in the neck & the first my mother realized of his doing so, was finding her in a pool of blood being bled in the right side of the neck the blood coursed its way down the right side & that side was ever after palsied  She was continually subject to epileptic fits her mind became idiotic but of a mild harmless kind  & had a kind of animal apprehension of those who were kind or unkind  She had much fear of her mothers anger knowing she would be punished if she exhibited any roughness on their teasing her, as she denominated it herself.  She loved my father devotedly and as he never punished her.  She seemed capable of appreciation of Love.  I have a distinctness of the effect it would have on her, when my mother could not reason or frighten her into some necessary submission would say, I’ll tell your father and that often saved the necessity of corporal punishment.  I also clearly remember overhearing conversations between my father and mother in reference to their responsibility as to her after life & the necessity of accruing a comfortable competence for her benefit if she outlived them,  It was one of my special duties to wait on this sister who was near three years older than myself & having fits daily she needed care all the time.  My mother took great pains to afford her all the facilities in improvement that her capabilities could grasp at  With wearisome labor she learned to write her name and where she lived could spell words read familiar stories, but only mechanically.  The mind was chaotic darkness.  She [unintelligible words] attended the daily school where I was sent & often had she fallen in a fit in the public street.

My brother Robert was born Feb 25, 1811 and my mother’s health being such that she could not nurse or have the care of him he was given to nurse to a woman of the name of Gregg, an uncultivated mind & vulgar habits, my brother when an infant was of such a sober cast that this nurse of his used to remark to my mother “What a sensible lad mam”.  I was born one year the following March on the eighth day & was handed over to this same woman who was then about half gone in pregnancy & tho my mother suspected it was so she denied it & being so sick she gave me up to her and three months after my mother was obliged to take me from her as instead of gaining I was some less than when I was born.  This was my start in this life.  & the evil of it no doubt has followed me year after year.  In my infancy I was subject to misfortunes, which if it did not generate it must surely have nursed disease in my system.  I believe I was about one year old when I suffered severely with a sore head & was so excessive that my mother thought I could not live.  I was out to nurse & on one occasion mother had her mother accompany her that she might be able to give some advice concerning me  they heard my screaming some distance before they got to the house & my grandmother was so affected by my sufferings that she took off the doctors ointment & applied cabbage leaves wilted over the fire and it was the means of curing the sore head.  I can remember having a tumor come out on my abdomen down to my knees.  & always had running humors on some part of my body and continually a discharge from my head and ears.  I must now bring in the other children.  The next child that lived was my sister “Anna Maria” called after my father’s Aunt Bradshaw (her maiden name Spence being one of his fathers sisters who had a comfortable situation in the Lying Inn Hospital of the city of Dublin) also named for my mother,  My mother had two of the infants referred to, that died between us.  This sister my mother nursed which seemed to make a manifest difference in her feelings of affection.  She was born August 1815  The next sister was named after grandmother Yeates, Hannah, born January 1817 who was put out to nurse  My brother Andrew was next but I think there was one of the infants between them  He was nursed by my mother  He was born Jan. 19. 1819. named after my Grandfather Yeates.  Next my sister Ellen Hester or Ester, named born July 1820 named after my aunt Crookes & a child of hers that died  My uncle Crookes named the latter name & insisted on my mother calling her “Hessy” and that was the way he called his daughter, who died when a little girl of whom he was excessively fond.  The next and youngest of the family was Elizabeth born Sept. 27, 1822 named after a daughter of my fathers Aunt Bradshaw of whom my father was very fond & was a general favorite among her connection.

My father had a cousin Robert Spence who carried on the stone and marble cutting business whose establishment for years and up to the time I left Dublin was on Kingstown Street which was in the north part of the city  he was [the word  married seems to have been omitted] to Hannah Farrell.  She was a relative and was in years when married lived with brother of the same name whose homestead was in Killina Co Wicklow  She acted the housekeeper for him as his wife was bedridden for 14 years and was cured by the circumstance of the house taking fire which occasioned her jumping out of bed in fright of the moment and from that moment regained the powers of her limbs and was enabled to attend to domestic requirements, where upon her sister-in-law became free to get married.

To return more particularly to myself I will relate an incident of which I remember all the particulars.  I must have been seven years old, on the 17^th of March commonly known as Patricks Day.  I was playing in the upper room of a three story high house, which my father owned as a country residence and where we children with a woman to care for us was then staying.  After being wearied playing I have a perfect remembrance of getting out on the window sill and there sitting, my feet hanging outwards admiring the distant scenery which in my elevated position was all new to me.  And as my eye scanned new objects I called to the others to see them.  I can remember the circumstance of my sister Hannah then turned of two years old coming up behind & saying “Let me see” and pushing against as she prattled the words,  it was enough to cause me to lose my balance and down I came from my very elevated position from a three story high window.  There was a man on the opposite side of the road who saw me fall and said I spun round like a top.  My left should joint was injured and the bone between that and the elbow joint some broken.  I was senseless for about 12 hours & word being sent to my parents they sent a carriage & two friends Mr. Gaskin with whom I was always a great favorite and John Tassie my fathers cousin for at that time it so happened that both father and mother lay prostrate by disease my father by the fistula and had to undergo an operation, and my mother by rheumatic gout, which caused her to be bedridden for a year.  Surgeon Crampton set my arm & was my medical attendant during my prostration  a year after the shoulder joint had to be opened & some bits of bone picked out.  About this time I commenced attending school to the “Misses Thomas 49 Angier Street” which must have been in the latter part of 1820 or the commencement of 1821.  My sister Mary attended school the most part of the time I did.  My sister Ellen was an infant in the arms when I commenced attending school.

I can remember writing copies of 1821&1822 & 3 and well as I can remember it was at the termination of this year that I was taken from school and put in the store to commence business.

The first duties I entered upon, was to wait on others in the store and as my brother Robert commenced at the same time we made quite an appearance and were commonly termed Lilipution Shop Keepers.  When we commenced selling goods we had to stand on stools to be high enough with the counter to wait on customers.

About this time my sister Hannah received an injury that affected her health and threw her into a decline that terminated in death.  It was on this wise,  there were several of us children taken a walking with two of my mothers servants and in crossing one of the draw bridges near that Custom house my sister fell and was hurt in one of her kidneys and I remember well the women making us promise not to tell mother what had happened.  She complained some time and passed blood with her water before my mother know what had happened to her.  She was very intellectual  My mother designed her for a governess.  She always complained of a pain in her side but her love of learning was such that she progressed very fast.  My sister Anna Maria was 18 months older but they were educated together and always dressed alike so that they were often supposed to be twins.  they were put to a boarding school in a town called Baldriggan whose proprietor was “Mrs. Steward”  there was also in this town a School for Young Gentleman whose Proprietor was the Rev Mr Fenton where my brother Robert had spent one year. 

I cannot remember how long my sisters were kept at this school but when they first went there, I accompanied them to visit my mother’s relatives who lived a few miles further  & with what romantic delight I ran over the old garden and grounds of the homestead where she passed her Childhoods’ days.  I spent a little time also at the boarding School, & when I returned home my mother thought I was indeed crazy.  I will relate a little incident that made a deep impression on my mind  I had selected two very pretty work boxes just alike and asked my mother to give them to my sisters but she did not think it best as they were too nice for boarding School use, but as a reward for thinking for them, & not for myself she presented me with one.

When my sisters returned for the first vacation, I felt myself quite in the back ground as regard the touch of fine Miss that a boarding school generally gives to girls.  The next School my sister attended was a day school the Proprietor was a Miss Cayne a French woman  When my sisters returned from boarding school a piano was procured and my younger sisters shortly after commenced music.  A teacher of the name of “Ready” who was organist to “Swords Church” attended my sisters as music teacher.  He was an excellent performer and singer and gave a style to my sisters performance that was delightful to my ear.  I was in the practice of reading every Sunday evening during the winter season (Sunday being the relief day from business), and I was particularly fond of reading “Humes English History” at the piano when my sisters used to play duets on the piano and blending of melody of their music while I read had a most ravishing effect on my senses from my earliest recollections I always felt carried away with good music.  Another musical enjoyment of the summer evenings was to take walks towards the Barracks, & sometimes into the barrack yard with my father or some suitable person for protection, for the purpose of hearing Martial Music, and if I have one regret more than another it is that my mother did not have me taught music and as I was not in the habit of telling her what I wanted she did not once think or know how much I thought of it, and desired the priviledge of learning. There was one occupation I followed in connection with attending my fathers store it was dressing dolls for the store at the same time I had a decided taste for reading which I practiced to some extent notwithstanding my occupation was laborious and unremitting.  The year round I had to be in the store from seven o’clock in the morning till ten o’clock at night & suffer severely in the winter weather in the cold, and this reminds me of a predisposition I had to lung disease, for a cough and a pain in my side was so severe, that my mother used to put what was called warm plaster between my shoulders during the winter season also cough mixtures were administered.  I well remember the chilliness I felt during the cold season and my father’s store had no fire place that I could warm myself by.  I had a natural disposition to read and had extensive opportunity to indulge this disposition as juvenile books had a place in the miscellaneous assortment of goods in the store.

My father continued his practice of having a summer residence which was an enjoyment to me and as the location varied almost every summer it was always new, sometimes by the seashore, where we could bathe in the salt water undressing in the house and crossing the road in our bathing dress, and to me, the sea shore was always an agreeable sight.  Sometimes on the North end of the city and sometimes on the south end, the sea shore running east side of the city more especially on either end, situated for bathing convenience, & again we would find ourselves on the banks of the canal and have the pleasure of seeing the Packet and other boats running to and fro all the time.

I can look back on these reminiscences and now realize that variety was one of the chief ingredients of my happiness.  A walk in company with my father and brothers, sisters as the case might be on a Sunday afternoon and sometimes mother would be of the party in the suburbs of the city was enjoyed and never tired of from year to year and on other evening a stroll with my mother who would always have two or three along has no other remembrance but enjoyment  There was an innocency a dependence on the spirit of our parents a continual looking up to them for all we felt or had that the severity of duties and punishment for thoughtlessness or supposed disobedience was over powered much by the good order and kindness of our parents in the main.  We had often the compliment given us by some relative or friend by contrasting us with others, that we were very industrious and obedient and less expensive in our living than the rest of our relatives.

In the year 1830 my sister Mary died in the town of Lusk 11 miles north of the city of Dublin, where she had been placed a few years previous under the care of an Aunt of my fathers whose husbands name was Molony.  As this was the first material break in our family we felt it most severely tho considered a blessing to her who died and us who lived  She had numbered 23 years in idiocy and died as if going to sleep.  At this time my father and brother Robert were in London where my brother spent a year to perfect himself in the Ivory turning business and after he returned he commenced business for himself and my brother Andrew was apprenticed to him.  Shortly after made acquaintance with Mary Jane Cook whose father was in the same guild as my brother the result of the acquaintance was marriage.  We considered her good looking, a good singer, played a little on the piano but decidedly unsociable as she visited to our house for a week or two on purpose to get acquainted.

About this period my sisters Anna Maria and Hannah apprenticed themselves to a Millenery and dressmaking establishment of the name of “Major” of the first class to which my father was determinately opposed. & as our business was declining my father losing his wanted energy and I becoming weary of the burden that was increasing on me as others was stepping from under it.  I tried to get away but could not effect my object, as my father was inexorable on the subject of my leaving him and the business.

About this time a Mrs. Clark a widow who was an intimate acquaintance of my father and mother and a near neighbor, was visited by her son “William Clarke” who had been gone about two years to America and in his conversation gave such a lively and glowing pictures of his life there, that it interested me and I continued my interest in the subject after his departure by reading what ever came in my way about America. & that was principally in a periodical called “Chamber’s Edinburgh Journal” and then by some circumstance I got hold of the life of  “Benjamin Franklin” and this Memoir so captivated my senses I could think of nothing so interesting as American life, & became disgusted with everything around me “Socially and Politically” the more I became enlightened on American life and the subject became the beau ideal of my existence, but how to accomplish the getting to the goal of my happiness was shrouded in impenetrable darkness, the subject not once thought or named of in the family, but in the idea of some future time seeing America lay the goal of my ambition, everything else was mechanical.  And the remembrance I have of the general feeling and observations of my parents, brothers and sisters, I was not considered of very bright intellect which left me the more at liberty to make a little heaven of my ideal notions  And I can well remember how little I cared for the public opinion of those around and still more if possible how little I cared for my personal appearance as regards love of dress.  I think I was as destitute of that passion as any female I ever knew and the common everyday duties of dressing was truly irksome to me, which amounted to slovenliness.

The first opening towards my cherished object of seeing the other continent was on this wise. 

When my brother Robert married his wife her father passed some notes to him as security for a share of property due to her as a marriage portion.   Which notes he used in his business but when due were not met by his father in --- in which threw him in apparent difficulties.  In having an interview with father to counsel as to what course he had better take to avoid the said difficulty. I broke in upon their conversation and suggested to my brother the plan of starting for the New World as it was commonly called in that day.  “Why not go to America while young and your family small and commence your living in a New Country where everything is so much more desirable than here?”

My brother acceded at once to my proposition and never thought otherwise from that moment and in a subsequent consultation meeting with my father I made the second move towards the accomplishment of my favorite object  Poor Mary Jane said my brother in allusion to his wife’s trial in being separated as it was decided that he best go first alone and either come or send for his wife and child.  Poor Mary Jane said I, “I wish it was my case to have a husband to send for me from America.”

Why not go to America, husband or not rejoined my brother  Father will not let me go, said I.  My father looked up at me over his spectacles (as he was sitting and I was standing before him) in one of his sternest moods saying If you want to leave your poor old father in the name of God go!! emphasizing his speech very strongly.  I at once answered You say so now but when the time of my going is at hand you will not let me go  He then repeated what he had said.  & from that time resolved to go.

In due time my brother left he and I having arranged that I would accompany his wife if he sent for her, he left his wife under our care but not to live with us, as my mother would not consent to her taking her abode permanently as a member of the family.  fearing some little family difficulty may arise and it wisdom to avoid at once the possibility of such an event by not running in the way of it she having her parents to look to.  I remember well mother arguing the point with my father and wound up the argument by saying she would extend all the kindness and care to her in every other way and that she could visit us as often and as long as she pleased  Their little daughter “Elizabeth” was six weeks old a very beautiful child favoring its mother in this respect

In due time letters arrived from the other world and as my brother was naturally a ready writer we had many of them, all very lengthy and enthusiastically in favor of the country and in due time sent means to pay the expenses of his wife’s trip across the Atlantic, but nothing more than a recommend and desire for me to accompany her.  & although I had no means to look forward to or opportunity to create means, I never faltered in my determination that I would go nor can I now at this remote period understand or realize how my faith should be so strong.  even before I had any experience how this vague kind of faith would act, but so it was, and to America I most certainly came and that at the time appointed and how it was effected was on this wise.  My father had not only refused to help me in any way to what he called my disobedient un-natural course the contemplation of leaving my parents but prevented my earning in any way by keeping me more rigidly strict to the business, and even then finding fault with me continually and winding up every scolding with “How can you attend to your business with your transatlantic trip in your head all the time?”  His object was to harass me and frighten me into an abandonment of my wild project and my mother was equally opposed and to make my sin the greater in their estimation my sister Anna Maria made up her mind not to remain at home after me.

Note:  This extraction was made by Richard N. Heywood in January of 2002 from a copy of the "Journal of Martha Spence Heywood" as recorded by Mary Heywood Lewis Riggs, a copy of which is in my possession.  Mary stated that--
"THESE 13 PAGES OF MARTHA'S JOURNAL HAVE BEEN COPIED FROM ELLA KVIST'S TYPEWRITTEN TRANSCRIPT.  THEY HAVE NOT BEEN CHECKED WITH THE ORIGINAL.  ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES IS A COPY OF THE ORIGINAL."

I am not able to find the original journal nor a copy of the original.  RNH 16 Jan 2015.

Click for a  listing of the Martha Spence relatives as given in this Journal.

(Note:  Martha Spence immigrated to the United States on 13 December 1834 along with her sister, Anna Maria)