Page:Autobiography of Rear Admiral Charles Wilkes.djvu/28

2 Daughter, Afterwards Mrs Deponthieu. Israel Wilkes, my grandfather, had two sons & a daughter, John, my father, being the eldest, Charles and Frances, who married Mr Louis Simond of Lyons, France in 1797.

My father was the first to immigrate to this country, shortly after the Revolutionary War broke out. Then in his 20th year, he had but little funds and was recommended to Wm Seton of New York who gave him employment in New York. Too young to enter into any business, but studied Law with [blank]. At the close of the war in 1783 he returned to England and then returned with his Father & Mother & Sister, leaving his brother Charles still at Eton.

My father was an Eton Boy and was a fag to [blank], who was unmerciful in his treatment. He had gone through the Primary School of Dr Busby and graduated at Eton. He received a good education, which his father endeavored to bestow on him. The inducement to emigrate was owing to the political opposition to his family from the opposition of his Uncle who was, at that time—before the Revolutionary War, a great opponent to the Govt & King and was persecuted for his political opinions being a firm & fine Radical of those days as appears in many of the violent discussions that then took place in favor of the American Revolution. He was more notorious for his actions in the vindication of the liberty of the press and the rights of the Subject.

After my Mother's death I was taken charge of by an intimate friend of my father's & mother's, a Madame d'Olive—a French lady of great beauty, accomplishments & [illegible] who was the next door neighbor at Bloomingdale some 8 miles then from the city. Madame d'Olive was the wife of a finished gentleman from France who had come to this country to escape the horrors of the French Revolution with ample Means, and a man of Note. He afterwards died of the Yellow Fever and his widow and children returned to France. I was cherished by her and allied to her nursery. This continued for sometime, but my father deemed it important for me that my early education should be in English and not in French and from then I was taken & consigned to the care of an Aunt, Mrs. Seton, who afterwards became a convert to the Catholic faith and was subsequently the Lady Abbess of the Convent at Emmetsburg, Maryland. I did not remain with her long. She was on the eve of going to Italy to join her husband. She changed her faith under influence of the priesthood after her husband's death.

The character of boys and their ways & mischiefs were far more indicative of their temperament and liberty some fifty years ago than at present. Young America had not yet been born, and a feeling of action was allowed them which is unknown at the present day. They were much more uproarious and more under surveillance. I have thoroughly impressed upon my memory many fun frolics that we had in mischief