When a
person under the age of 21 years planned
to marry, it was necessary for a parent or guardian to give consent for the
license to be issued. Most of these consent notes are brief and to the point,
but occasionally a consent note surpasses
"ordinary" and gives us a glimpse into the personality of the
writer. An example of this is the letter
below. On the 3rd of September 1855, Willis L. Hobby, who was temporarily in Grass Valley,
California, wrote his son, William M. Hobby of Caldwell County, Kentucky about
William's intended marriage.
"Grass
Valley California September the 3 -
1855 William M. Hobby:
Dear Sun I
have Jest recived your compliments and vary unexpectedley had I thought of
being addrest on A Subject of Such magnitude as yours and having but few
moments to reflect I shall bee at great loss for the form of my letter however
I feel willing to gratify you as fare as I can consistent with my feelings and
intrest. William you have complied with
your duty as an obedient Sun to me being your Father, and I feel willing as a
Father to comply with my duty to the child.
William in the first place I feel it my duty to ask you some important
questions. The first question I ask have
you give your Self time for [illegible] and Sober reflection in regard to this
matter; also have you taken into considderation the great responsibillity which
involvs upon the head of the family and also the Solom oath that is binding
through life. William I never intend to
make or brake matches and if you think you had rather ingay A retyard life
exersise your one free will and if you do well it will bee well for you and if
not dont reflect on me. William let the result bee as it may I hope you will Stay with my children till I
return I will start home the 15 of
November next if I live and able to travel.
William Studdy your intrest and act in accordance is all that I can say
at present I will do no more I remain your
Father Willis L. Hobby"[1]
William M.
Hobby and his bride, Lucinda Crow, were married
the 8th of November 1855[2] and
Willis L. Hobby did return to Caldwell County, but probably not in time for his
son's wedding.
Keep in mind
that gold was discovered in California in 1848 and many men left their families
behind to travel by sea or overland to California in hopes of making their
fortune. The 1850 Nevada County, California shows a number of men living in
Grass Valley who listed their occupation as "miner." Apparently, Willis L. Hobby did not find a
fortune as he was back in Caldwell County in time to be enumerated on the 1860
census.[3]
[1] Letter
from Willis L. Hobby, Grass Valley, California, to his son, William M. Hobby,
Caldwell County, Kentucky, filed with original marriage records (1855),
Caldwell County Clerk's Office, Princeton, Kentucky.
[2] Brenda
Joyce Jerome. Caldwell County, Kentucky
Marriages 1854-1865, (Evansville, IN: Evansville Bindery, 1997) 11.
[3]
1860 Caldwell County, Kentucky Census, Farmersville Subdivision, page 133,
dwelling #990, family #990, family of W.L. Hobby, Ancestry.com, accessed 29
July 2017.
Published 10 August 2017, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/
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