Amanuensis Monday: McKee Family Letter

COPY of a letter written by: William McKee of Danville, Illinois, Vermillion County, december 9th, 1845. (To his nephew William McKee, son of Guian McKee, Jnr.) 

Dear Nephew: 

I take up my pen to inform you that we are in a tolerable state of health at present thanks be to a kind Providence over us hoping these few lines may find you and all yours well. 

I now have a letter before me which you sent to Elijah A. McKee requesting him to try to get William Perry Lamphier from Benefield but word came up from Perrysville that the boy was bound but we have found out that it was a mistake, true the boy was taken to Perrysville with the intention of having him bound but William Hutsinpillar, our soninlaw living in Perrysville objected to him being bound believing that the man that wanted him was not capable of raising an orphan child.  William Hutsinpiller said when the boy went to Perrysville he was nearly naked and had one foot badly frostbit so that he will be hardly able to wear a shoe this winter, we told William to bring the child up to us and we would keep him till we would get word to you, so you could come and get him, so we have him safe and he is a smart healthy looking child.  Likewise I think it would be very proper for the administrator if there are one to look after Susannah's plunder.  I understand that Benfield never took it away from where she had lived till after she was dead, if it had been me I would not have touched it, therefore, I think it would be necessary for you to come prepared to look into it.  As to myself I have no grounds nor yet, not authority to do anything with it as I do not know anything about the arrangements of things.  Come on we live two miles East of Danville on the Covington road. 

I come to a close for the present by saying I still remain your loving Uncle and Aunt. 

William and Hester McKee 

To: Mr. William McKee
      Wilkesborough, McLain County, Illinois
      Postmarked Danville, Illinois., December 15th, 1845

This is a letter to my 3xg-grandfather William "Billy" McKee of McLean County, IL from his uncle William McKee of Danville, Vermillion County, IL.  There is a tremendous amount of meat still left on this bone!! What I do know is very little so far.  Susannah was Billy's only sibling, she was married twice once to Lamphier, and once to Benefield.  Like I said, a lot of meat still left to chew on this bone.  What happened to William Perry Lamphier?  Did Billy McKee raise him?  What is the story about Susannah and her husbands?  More to follow.

Copyright © 2014 by Kevin W. Walker