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Note: 839. His wife of six months, Sophronia Nichols Lett, and his sister Anne succumbed to yellow fever in Natchitoches, Louisiana. He had traveled back to Lewiston, Niagara County, NY, from Louisiana in early 1939 to betrowth and marry Sophronia. Immediately after Sophronia's death in November 1839, Thomas and the remaining family moved to Illinois, traveling up the Mississippi River onto the Illinois River, wintering (1839-40) along the way in Kentucky, and into northern LaSalle County, Northville Township. The family of Jeremiah and Comfort Kinne Springstead were the first people they met when they arrived at Ottawa, IL, in 1840. Three of the Lett daughters would marry three of the Springstead sons. There families would intertwine for many more years. In 1843 Thomas "broke sod where Sandwich now stands", according to J. Ivor Montgomery's writings, most likely after just marrying Merilla Jerusha Pease, 23 Feb 1843, immediately establishing the Lett Farm Homestead just south of Sandwich, IL, in Northville Township. Thomas purchased many land parcels which were wooded in the area of lower Adams and upper Serena Townships, and in Northville Township, LaSalle County. The Letts were farmers and loggers by trade, back in Canada. Among other lands, Thomas entered US Government land in LaSalle County, IL, in 1840, later gaining these 10 Mar 1843 dated Federal Land Grants: 80 acres: E1/2 of the W1/4, Sec 22, Twsp 36N, R5E, Sands District, Certificate No. 6695. (southwest of Sandwich, Adams Township) 40 acres: SW1/4 of the SE1/4, Sec 21, Twsp 36N, R4E, Sands District, Certificate No. 6696. (south of Sandwich, Northville Township) 40 acres: SW1/4 of the SW1/4, Sec 26, Twsp 36N, R4E, Sands District, Certificate No. 6697. (south of Sandwich, Northville Township) 80 acres: S1/2 of the E1/4, Sec 22, Twsp 36N, R5E, Sands District, Certificate No. 6718. (southwest of Sandwich, Adams Township) 11 Sep 1848, Warranty Deed: purchased 160 Acres, NW1/4.23.36.5, from Wm. Cumberland for $300.00. 26 Sep 1876, sold 160 acres, NW1/4.23.36.5, to son Samuel Jackson Lett. Thomas and Merilla's first four children all died before 1853; Richard, b 25 Mar 1844, d 7 Oct 1844, at 6-1/2 months old Sarah, b 18 Feb 1846, d 25 May 1849, at 3 years 3 months old John, b 4 Aug 1848, d 9 Sep 1851, at 3 years 1 month old Harriet, b 13 Jan 1852, d 29 Oct 1853, at 1 year 9 months old And then came; Mary Aleumena Lett, b 1 Dec 1853, 1 month after Harriet died; Samuel Jackson, b 26 Dec 1855, d 30 Aug 1921. In the 1860 US Census, Mary, age 6, and Samuel, age 4, are listed with Thomas and Merilla in Northville Township, LaSalle County, IL. The Charles and Marie Gould family, with their 3 children, appear also living with Thomas and Merilla under the same roof. (Dwelling 581; Families 588 (Lett) and 589 (Gould)) Living in Sandwich with wife Merilla in 1885, where he died. Obituary of Thomas Lett, b 17 June 1809, d 8 July 1885 Thomas Lett was born in Kildemond, County Carlow, Ireland, June 17th in the year 1809 and died at his home on Church St., in Sandwich, Illinois, July 8, 1885, aged 76 years, 21 days. His father was Samuel Lett, and his mother Elizabeth Warren Lett. While young his mother passed through the rebellion in Ireland of 1798 alive, barely; others of the family having been killed for their loyalty to Great Britain. Elizabeth, then eleven years old, was twice imprisoned to be burned alive, but each time was saved by the British Dragoons. Elizabeth’s only brother, Benjamin Warren, 20 years old, was taken out of his mother’s house and barbarously murdered: he was at first shot, but finding this did not kill him, his murderers ran his body through twenty-four times with spikes. Subsequently, at his own solicitations, his brains were beaten out with a club to end his sufferings. His body was then left in the streets of Wexford, to be devoured by swine. In June, 1819, the father and mother of Thomas Lett emigrated from Ireland to Chatham, Lower Canada, with their sons, Robert, who died one year ago last winter at his home in LaSalle County, John, who died several years ago, Benjamin, who was poisoned in 1858, and four daughters, Ann, long since died, Elizabeth, Maria, and Sarah, now living. In Sept., 1824, the father of Thomas Lett was killed by an accident, leaving a widow and seven children. From 1830 to 1832, Thomas Lett was engaged in lumbering and rafting upon the Ottawa River, one of the most dangerous rivers for rafting purposes in America. In 1833, the mother and seven children removed to Darlington, Upper Canada on Lake Ontario, and again west to Solina, Upper Canada, where the brothers continued to engage in lumbering and rafting. In 1838 Thomas Lett married Sophronia Nichols, of Niagara County, N. Y., and the same year all the Lett family removed to Texas. NOTE: An original Land Agreement / Promissory Note exists today, given by an A.J. McGown to Thomas Lett for a “league of land” in east or west Texas (4,428 acres) and is dated 21 May 1838. While south, in 1839, his mother Elizabeth died in Nacogdoches, TX, and later his wife, Sophronia Nichols Lett, and his sister Ann, died of yellow fever in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Immediately, in 1839, the remainder of the family removed for LaSalle County, Illinois, wintering over 1839-1840 in Kentucky, traveling up the Mississippi River onto the Illinois River, disembarking at Ottawa, IL, early 1840. Feb. 23, 1843, Thomas Lett was married to Merrilla Pease, daughter of Sylvanus Pease, then of Kendall County, Illinois. They moved at once upon his farm in the Township of Northville, in LaSalle County, which he had bought in 1840. In 1862 and 1864 Mr. Lett erected two monuments to the memory of his brother Benjamin, in the Lett Cemetery which are wonderfully descriptive of his life; one of which contains over eight thousand letters alone. In 1883, Thomas Lett and wife moved to Sandwich where they have since resided. Six children blessed the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Lett, four of whom died in early years. The other two are Mary A., wife of J. Ivor Montgomery, of this city, and Samuel Lett, of Northville, LaSalle. Obituary is from The Aurora Beacon, July 1885, submitted by J. Ivor Montgomery "of this city" (Aurora) (shown above with Benjamin Lett text edited out)
Note: Moved with his family including his Mother, Elizabeth, his two brothers and four sisters from Solina, Darlington, Canada, to Nacogdoches, Texas, to Natchitoches, Louisiana, via Arkansas and Kentucky to Ottawa, Illinois, all between c. 1836 and 1
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