Thursday, May 24, 2012

To My Best, My Friends Are Free


From the files of Goodwood:

This little verse was transcribed in Sen. Hodges' hand.  The earliest known reference is in The Jester's Magazine or The Monthly Merrymaker, published in 1767.  With minor changes along the way, it was oft quoted though the 1800's.   It was even included in the 1816 volume Elegant Extracts in Poetry:  Selected for the Improvement of Young Persons.  It is unknown where Sen. Hodges came across this version.

To my best, my friends are free
Free with that and free with me.
Free to pass the harmless joke
And the tube sedately smoke
Free to drink just what they please
As at home and at their ease.
Free to spend a night or so.
When uneasy, free to go.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

View of Park Avenue


Here is a view of Park Avenue, with First Presbyterian to the right and Trinity United Methodist to the left.  To put this in context:  First Presbyterian Church was completed in 1838 and Trinity U.M. Church in 1840.  The Goodwood home was completed in 1840.  Florida became a state in 1845.  Notice the horse and buggy in front of Trinity.

This photograph was taken by Senator Hodges c. 1890.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

L. E. Arrowsmith's School Book


In the parlor library:

I apologize for the fuzzy photos.  This is an English grammar book by Lindley Murray dated 1834 (sixth edition).  What is so interesting is the name inscribed:  L. E. Arrowsmith.  Was Lucy Anne Ellinor's book?  Lucy, the daughter of Dr. & Mrs. Arrowsmith, was born c. 1859.  Or did this book belong to another L. E. Arrowsmith, perhaps Dr. Arrowsmith's sibling?  (Dr. Arrowsmith was born in 1818 and married in 1839.)   Hmmm....

About the author:  Lindley Murray (1745-1826) was an American Quaker who moved to England before writing his grammar textbooks.  His first textbook was written for a Friends' school, although later his books gained a wider audience, selling millions of copies.

The 1819 (fourth edition) of this book is available online.

Update:  Volume I of this book has surfaced.  It also bears the inscription of L. E. Arrowsmith.

Monday, May 21, 2012

The Whitehead Piano


From the files of Goodwood:
The Whitehead Piano by Ruth Whitehead Roberts
Amos Whitehead graduated from the University of Virginia.  His father, Dr. James Whitehead of Waynesboro, Georgia, was preparing to deed Amos one of his plantations.  Dr. Whitehead was a very wealthy gentleman, who owned several large plantations.  However, Amos told him that he’d rather have money instead.  You see, he wanted to buy a place in Florida, which had only been acquired by the U.S. government a few years before.
Dr. Whitehead gave his son a trunk that contained a million and a half dollars, and came to North Florida with Amos.  It was as beautiful as their friends had described it.  Amos proceeded to buy a large tract of land on the eastern side of Lake Jackson and built his home on a hill.  This homesite is now owned by the Frank Shaw, Seniors.  In time, Amos fell in love with Margaret Bradford, daughter of Dr. Edward Bradford and Martha Branch Bradford and granddaughter of Governor John Branch. (Note:  John Branch was Susan Hopkins’ father.) They owned two plantations in the area–Pine Hill, on both sides of what is now known as Thomasville Road, and Horseshoe, which overlooked Lake Iammonia.
When Amos and Margaret became engaged, he went to Europe to buy her gifts.  One was a complete set of real pearls–necklace, rings, bracelet and a head band.  He also gave her a beautiful piano, inlaid with green sea snail, that he had bought in New York.  The happy couple was soon married.  As Amos was a captain of the Tallahassee Co. “M”, 2nd Regiment, Florida Infantry, C.S.A., he soon went to war.  He lost a leg in the Battle of Gettysburg, had a wooden one attached and was sent home to recuperate.  Later, while supervising his father-in-law’s lumber mill, his leg was cut by a saw and he bled to death.  He died October 13, 1874.
His wife, Margaret, lost the plantation and all of her property.  She went to live with her daughter in Tallahassee, who lived just a few blocks from William C. Hodges, his wife and his mother.  When Margaret Whitehead began to grow feeble, she sold the piano to William Hodges.  He, in turn, gave it to his mother.  It was kept in their family until they had all passed away.
William Hodges’ wife, after his death, married Col. Thomas Hood.  After Mrs. Hood (Hodges) died, Col. Hood gave the piano to the Brokaw McDougall House.  (It has since been returned to Goodwood.)
I am the granddaughter of Amos and Margaret Whitehead.  I was also a friend of the Hodges family from about 1925 until their deaths.

Friday, May 18, 2012

A Previous Residence of Dr. William Lamb Arrowsmith


Dr. Arrowsmith, who moved to Goodwood in 1885, lived previously in a number of other locations.  The wedding certificate of his daughter Lucy Anne Ellinor Arrowsmith to Frederick Molison Burke states that this was her residence in 1877.  Now this property, 22 Gordon Square, belongs to University College London.

Virginia Woolf's residence was 46 Gordon Square from 1905-1907 and the plaques related to the Bloomsbury group are located at 50 and 51 Gordon Square.  The economist John Maynard Keynes lived at 46 Gordon Square (1916-1946), marked by a plaque in his honor.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Lands of Leon, 1911

For your reading pleasure,  the 1911 edition of the Daily Democrat's "The Lands of Leon."  This is a wonderful peek into the world of Leon county during this time period.  Many familiar names and places are mentioned, including Goodwood (see page 46).  We have two copies in our collection, but I was pleased to find an online version in the University of Florida Digital Collections.