AMERICA THE GREAT MELTING POT
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Direct descendant is highlighted in red
| Alice Marie Moore | ||
| Born: Jun 1839 Rochester, Monroe, NY | ||
| Died: Bef. 17 Aug 1839 Rochester,
Monroe, NY Buried: 17 Aug 1839 Mount Hope Cemetery, Lot 40 G, Rochester. |
 Burial Record at Mount Hope Cemetery |
FATHER
MOTHER
Notes on Alice Marie Moore
by Susan Brooke
Nov 2012
Abigail may have contracted tuberculosis while she was pregnant with Alice Marie. Her father, Adam Mott, died in January 1839 and in a January letter to her son Edward, just five months before her baby was born, Abigail writes, "for some days previous to thy grandfathers illness, I had not been quite as well as usual, and the day after he was buried I had a chill followed by some fever, I took some medicine, soaked my feet - and tried to get in a perspiration, but could not succeed, the next day I was still more unwell, and at night tried again to sweat - took a large 'dover powder,' had warm bricks wrapped in damp clothes put at my feet and side, etc. (somewhat quackish perhaps) but it was all of no use, before midnight the pain in my chest and difficulty of breathing was so great that I was obliged to be bolstered up almost straight. I would not let father call any of the family; for it was a bitter cold night, and I knew they had done all they could do for me in the evening. -- nothing but bleeding would relieve me, as soon as it was day light father made a good fire in the stove and I was got up and sat in the arm chair which was quite a relief to me, the pain being much increased by lying down. Dr. Ried was immediately sent for and when he came in, he wished me to take calomel and opium and go to bed saying I was not in a fit state to be bled, but that he would return in an hour and half and give me further attention, he did so and bled me very largely - he did not apply blisters, for my side and chest were already very sore with the application of mustard which thou used pretty freely a day or two, but the direction of my lungs and shoulders should be completely covered with bags of salt as warm as I could bear them, and changed as soon as they became cool, he kept me almost constantly under the influence of morphine for 4 days. I have been thus particular with thee, for probably thou will understand the 'why and wherefores,' but to me it was rather a novel move of procedure, but it certainly has had a salutary effect upon me, for I am now well enough to be about the house and for the last 3 days have only laid down once." (1) Abigail mentions being "unwell" again in a letter five months later, in June, to her daughter, Ann, but she assures Ann that it is nothing serious. Alice Marie was probably born within a week of that writing. Abigail, however, felt well enough to be having guests, etc. She begins that letter to Ann by saying she has been busy with "my many domestic cares, particularly at this season of the year, such as cleaning house, garden making, renewing the family wardrobe with as much ironing as I am capable of, fitting father off for a three months tour, etc." Abigail also had just "concluded to hold an exhibition of the Asylum children." (2) She was very involved in the Rochester Orphan Asylum and helped to get the children bound out to good families.
Before that June letter to Ann at her Aunt Sarah's could get mailed, Abigail gave birth to Alice Marie. Gilbert added a note written lengthwise over the top of Abigail's writing, "Mother has filled her letter so full that I have scarcely room to tell thee some very great news; and at the same time I blame mother and father most exceedingly for not giving thee some little idea of the possibility of such an occurrence, and even at this moment I am under the necessity of using a little deception to get a chance of informing thee so great a piece of news, for I have brought this letter down to my school born with pretense of directing it & mailing it for thee. For even at this moment Mother decreed that no one will tell thee of it at all, but I consider it my duty to tell thee. So, after all this preamble, My Dear sister, please don't faint when I tell thee that this morning was born unto thee a sister, a fine healthy child, and weighing 8 1/2 pounds. Mother is quite low, but much better than the Dr. anticipated, for she went to meeting yesterday and finishing this letter last night. The name is not decided upon yet. Thou are not the only one of the family thast has been deceived for Murray knew not, suspected nothing of it until this morning, and now goes about the house perfectly befuddlized. If this is news to thee I am exceedingly sorry for it, for I do not consider it as using thee falsely. Monday Afternoon. They Affectionate Brother, G. H. Moore." (2)
Abigail was sick, probably with the consumption that took her life in 1846, just seven years later. At least two of her children had no idea she was even pregnant. She was out and about doing her chores and volunteer work. She mentions packing up Lindley for a three month tour, so he probably was not there. Yet, she delivered what appeared to be a healthy child.
One reference check says that, "At the turn of the twentieth century more than 80% of the population in the United States were infected before age 20, and tuberculosis was the single most common cause of death. - The fetus of an infected mother may contract TB by inhaling or swallowing the bacilli in the amniotic fluid." (3)
Ann and Lindley must have come right home after that June letter to Ann was written.
Abigail was "laid low" and Alice Marie began to weaken. On July 10, Gilbert
wrote to his brother, Edward, " As father has told thee of Mothers health
improving so very fast, I need tell thee nothing on that subject, except that
father knows very little or nothing about it. The rest of us are all alarmed
about her, on account of her lungs and afraid of Dr. Coleman’s and that other
New York physician’s prediction being verified, as she has a slight cough almost
all the time, and worse during the night, accompanied with a slight chill and
considerable fever every day and sometimes more than over a day, but I do not
wish to alarm thee needlessly.
But the truth of the matter is, that father knows nothing of her situation, as
he only goes into her room at meal time when he finds her either sitting up in
bed or in her armchair eating her meals and her appetite is good, although she
does not gain strength at all, and says herself that she is not so strong as she
was a week after her confinement.
Her babe is a sickly thing, in consequence of mothers protracted illness, but is
without exception the most beautifully featured child I ever saw, which thou
will admit is a great deal for a person to say who has two of his own, who have
been generally acknowledged to be about the top of the heap." (4)
Edward must have come home sometime during this time. By August 17th Alice Marie had died and been buried and Edward was back at school. Ann wrote to Edward on Aug 25th, "After thou left us the baby continued to fail and although every thing was done that could be, she breathed her last on the 4th day after thou left, it was quarterly meeting week and Father Murray and Mary were absent, the Doctor came in about an hour after she died and on Mother’s asking him if she could be kept till 7th day on account of Father's absence he told us if we would wrap her in cloths wet with spirit there would be no difficulty. -- The funeral did not therefore take place till first day afternoon. Before daylight on first day G Waddell took up little Richard carried him to D Bells shop till a short time before we went to Mt Hope when he carried him up there placed him in the grave and watched till we arrived. It was our wish that one grave should hold them both, but uncle S spoke to the sexton and told him to have them side by side, so that although there is but one grave there appeared to be two for one side was not dug as long as the other and two mounds are raised. We knew that the babe could not last long though she did not appear to suffer the last few days, we saw she was wasting to a mere skeleton, we still had her with us, but when she was gone there was a dreary void, but even then while we still had her in the home there was something to be done to keep the clothes wet and a pleasure in looking upon her beautiful in death, but when the coffin was lowered, the sods fell, then I felt that she was really gone. - On our return home there was a painful vacuum. Mother has always felt that the baby would not live & she had resigned her from her birth, but when the trial came she found it harder than she anticipated, but truly our loss is her gain, we cannot mourn for her. Mother is still feeble though better than when thou left, and this week she, father, Aunt S & Murray are going off riding round whither and how long I cannot say." Ann goes on to say that "Mother still keeps her promise of 'Letting me be housekeeper.' -- Last 6th day was monthly meeting here and mother was determined to go, and we were determined she should not. Dr. Allman was here a few days before and I told him of it. He said, 'well, Mrs. Moore, if I was one of your children or belonged to the family so that I dare, I would stand at the door with either a stick or a pail of water and keep the company away.' --- He tried to persuade mother to stay at home, but it was of no use, go she would, and took her station as clerk." They ended that day with nine to dinner.
Abigail then gained the pen and wrote, "There is always two sides to a story,
and so far as I am concerned thou wilt find my version will differ from Ann’s,
for the now feeble is not applicable to me at at present. I come no farther on
the invalid list than merely to say I have not quite regained my full compliment
of strength, my appetite improving but still I am not often hungry and I am
still under the necessity of occasionally using opium in some form. Ann has
given thee particulars relative to little Marie’s death, and altho I felt that
there was no cause for mourning, still there was a deep feeling of loneliness,
for she has been such a little sufferer, that my maternal feelings were warmly
enlisted in her behalf."
Abigail was known for writing extensive letters. Some of them are four long pages of narrow writing which, when typed up, convert to 6 or 7 type-written pages. The family teased her about her letters. But on this occasion, Ann only let her write a small amount, and then added again in her own handwriting, "I have nothing very particular to say but wished to get mother from the pen as it is too fatiguing for her to write."
Sources
(1) Letter of Abigail to Edward Mott Moore, 1 Mo. 24, 1839. Letter on file in the Edward Mott Moore Papers at the University of Rochester.
(2) Letter of Abigail to her daughter Ann, Rochester 6 Mo. 1st, 1839. Letter on file in the Edward Mott Moore Papers at the University of Rochester.
(3) Medical Dictionary - online http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Bone+Tuberculosis
(4) Letter from gilbert to Edward Mott Moore, Rochester, July 10th, 1839. Letter on file in the Edward Mott Moore Papers at the University of Rochester.
(5) Letter from Ann and Abigail to Edward Mott Moore, Home 8th Mo. 1839. Letter on file in the Edward Mott Moore Papers at the University of Rochester.