TITLE: Letter, John Bowne to Hanaah Bowne, from Jail in New Amsterdam
DOCUMENT ID: BFP 2018.1.03-01
DATE: 5 November 1662 (Old Style) / 15 November 1662 (New Style)
DESCRIPTION & NOTES
John Bowne wrote this letter to his wife Hannah while jailed in New Amsterdam for the offense of holding forbidden Quaker Meetings in the colony of New Netherland. In it, he offers her advice on running the farm and providing for their family in his absence, along with recommendations as to which neighbor to ask for help with various tasks during the crucial harvest season. We get insight into the tremendous weight of labor and responsibility that fell upon Hannah during Bowne’s ordeal, but also the strength of familial and community ties in the Colonial-era farming settlement.