And why, my dear husband, should a few angry and unkind words from an angry and foolish wife [for which I am now paying full dear, having neither eat, drank nor slept in quiet, and am already reduced almost to a skeleton, that unless you favor me with your company will bereave me of my life] make you thus forsake me and your children? How can you thus, for so slender a cause as a few rash words from a simple and weak woman, cause you to part from your tender babes, who are your own flesh and blood? Pray meditate on what I now send and reprieve your poor wife and eldest son, who take your departure so heavily, from a lingering though certain death, by your coming home to them again, as speedily as you can, where you shall be kindly received, and in a most submissive manner by your wife who is ready at your desire to lay herself at your feet for her past miscarriage, and am with my and your children’s kind love to you, your loving wife.
Margery Sullivan.
Summersworth, New Hampshire, July 11, 1743.
The Hon. Thomas Wallingford, who resided in Summersworth and lived near Master Sullivan, was captain of the company of militia in that parish in 1746, and probably several years before. The late Rev. Dr. A. H. Quint had the muster roll of this company, and I presume his widow now has it. Dr. Quint published it in his Historical Memoranda, and it can be found on page 377 of the book of this memoranda that I recently published. In this list of soldiers appears Master Sullivan’s name, although the clerk of the company spells it “John Sullevant.” Of course he was an old resident there, or he would not have been enrolled as a soldier.
Another witness, and I leave this part of my subject. Mr. Michael Reade of Dover was born in the same year as General Sullivan and lived to be more than eighty years old. He went to school to Master Sullivan and knew him and the boys well, hence, of course, knew where they lived. This Michael Reade’s son Michael was born in 1773, and lived to be more than eighty years old. He knew Master Sullivan, saw him many times, and his father told him much about the old master; among other things, that he lived in Summersworth many years before he removed to Berwick and united farming with school teaching. The younger Michael Reade was living when Dr. Quint wrote much of his Historical Memoranda, and furnished the doctor many facts about many topics, and one was that his father always said General Sullivan and his brothers were born in Summersworth.
I will give a brief summary of the points: May 20, 1723, the town of Dover voted to hire him to teach school one year and give him £30. Jan. 10, 1737, he wrote and witnessed a deed, Tebbets to Tebbets, and signed as of Summersworth. Dec. 13, 1737, the parish of Summersworth voted to hire him to keep school one year, and also sweep the meeting-house. The New Hampshire Gazette says he lived in Summersworth when his son John was born in 1740. His wife Margery says their home was in Summersworth when she advertised for him to come home in 1743. Capt. Thomas Wallingford says he was a citizen of Summersworth in 1746. And last, but not least, Michael Reade told Dr. Quint the boys were all born in Summersworth.
On the other hand, there is nothing in the Berwick records, parish or town, which even mentions Master Sullivan before 1753. Aug. 12 of that year he bought his farm in Berwick of Samuel Lord; and after that his name frequently appears.
Master Sullivan and his wife Margery were a remarkable couple. They are two of the interesting characters in Sarah Orne Jewett’s story, The Tory Lover, recently published, which, of course, you have all read, or will read.
Master Sullivan was born in Limerick, Ireland, in 1691, during the siege of the city by King William’s forces. His wife, Margery Browne, was born in Cork, Ireland, in 1714. In 1723 they both set sail from Limerick in the same ship for New England. The captain intended to land at Newburyport, but owing to stress of weather he was compelled to land at York Harbor, Me. In his old age, when he and his wife were calling at a neighbor’s, they got to talking about his younger days, and he told the following story, which was recorded by the person who heard it. Master Sullivan said, in the presence of his wife:
I sailed from Limerick, Ireland, for New England in 1723; owing to stress of weather the vessel was obliged to land at York, Maine. On the voyage my attention was called to a pretty girl of nine or ten years, Margery Browne, who afterwards became my wife. As my mother had absolutely refused to furnish me the means for paying transportation, and I had not means otherwise, I was obliged to enter into an agreement with the captain to earn the money for my passage.