(MORMONS.) Personal letter from Joseph Smith's maternal grandmother Lydia Mack, among papers of his New Hampshire uncle. 37 items (0.1 linear feet); letter with only minor wear, the account books disbound, worn and stained. Gilsum, NH, 1777-1822
The main attraction here is an Autograph Letter Signed as "Solomon Mack, Lydia Mack" in the same hand, to their daughter Lydia Mack Bill and son-in-law Samuel Bill of Gilsum, NH. 2 pages, 12¼ x 7¾ inches, on one folding sheet, with address panel and no postal markings on verso; short separation at one fold, several ink smudges.
Lydia Gates Mack (1732-1818) and her farmer-veteran husband Solomon Mack (1732-1820) are best known to history for their daughter Lucy Mack Smith (1775-1856), and especially for Lucy's son Joseph Smith Jr. (1805-1844).
Solomon Mack was born in Connecticut and led a somewhat itinerant life. He and Lydia settled in Gilsum, NH in 1771. After their children had grown, they moved Tunbridge, VT circa 1799, and were there at the time of the 1800 census. This letter was written to their fourth child Lydia Mack Bill, who had remained in Gilsum; the Macks later returned to Gilsum and spent their last years there.
The letter, written in a humble hand with phonetic spelling, begins with simple greetings: "I tak this oppertunyti to inform you, my children, that through the great goodnes of God your father and your mother is as well as can be exspexed for such old peopel."
Next they recount some news of their son, who would soon become Joseph Smith's uncle. "Stephen has been very sick sence he came from Boston. We did not exspet his life for som dayes. I toock the care of him a week, I never had my clothes of in the hole of the time, only to lie down. . . . All of us have a great reson to returne humbell and hearty thenkes to God for shuch a faver as to raise him up agine."
Next is news of daughter Lucy Mack Smith, who was in Tunbridge with them, expecting a baby. This letter is a few years too soon for that baby to be Joseph Smith: "Lucy is as well as we cane exspect under hir sircomstances. She lockes to lie in the first of nex month. Hir family is well." The baby was born on 9 February, and was named Hyrum Smith. Both the mother Lucy and the son Hyrum would play central roles in the early Latter Day Saints.
Next are some exhortations of faith: "Their is a gloris time heir. We have lectters and confernces every wek. We have three and fore, five lecters. Mr. Willeston preeches extronly well. We have the best of preaching. He spaers no paines. . . . I desire and beg that you all mite work out your salvation with fear and trembling and live as we shall wish we had when we come to die, so as to give up our account with joye and comfort." The Rev. David H. Williston was at the Tunbridge Congregational Church during this period.
The remainder of the letter is devoted to a request for cider, green apples, and "my great chare" to be shipped to Tunbridge.
We have not found any handwriting samples for Solomon or Lydia Mack outside of this collection, so we cannot say with absolute confidence which of them actually penned this family letter and signed it on their spouse's behalf. However, the first-person reference to a week of tending to their ailing son suggests strongly that it was Mrs. Mack who actually penned the letter. Lydia Mack was also known to be the religious force in the family during this time, rather than Solomon. Solomon would experience a religious awakening in 1810.
Also included in this lot are account books and other miscellaneous papers of Joseph Smith's uncle Samuel Bill (1763-1845). They include three entries signed by Solomon Mack--in a hand quite different than the hand Lydia signed with in the 1800 letter. A 1799 account book entry lists several transactions between Samuel Bill and Solomon Mack, with Mack's 25 March 1800 signature testifying that the account was settled. Bill's later account book has two unsigned entries for Solomon Mack, 1803-1806, on pages 28 and 41, plus another signed account on page 57 dated 12 April 1808. Another account book kept by Bill's in-law John Dort also has an entry signed by Solomon Mack: "Gilsum, March 18 yr 1803. Solomon Mack and John Dort come out even." Scattered through the other papers are receipts and other account book entries signed by various Macks, presumably more distant relatives. Some account book entries distinguish Solomon Mack's son as "Solomon Mack Jr." (1773-1851) so it seems likely that that the ones without the "Junior" designation are actually Joseph Smith's grandfather.
Provenance: found among the Bill family papers with other letters to Samuel Bill and his descendants (see lot 147). We trace no other Solomon or Lydia Mack letters of manuscripts at auction.
