A year or so ago I was volunteering at Farmington and I was asked to transcribe a letter written by John Speed to his daughter Mary. Mary, and her sister Eliza, were away at boarding school in Bardstown. In the letter John encouraged Mary to be attentive to her studies and to try and help Eliza through a rough spot she was experiencing. The letter was written in the formal language one often finds in the writing of the18th Century. But that formal language could not cover-up a picture of a very loving father who was both concerned about his children and trying to steer them to live compassionate lives.
This letter from the early 1800s says much about John Speed and his relationship with his family. I think we could easily see Speed living in our own time. He showed real interest in his children and exhibited a typical father’s pride in their achievements as they matured. He was truly grieved when a child died (note that he suffered the death of four children and his first wife). He was quick to chastise the children when they wavered from expected behavior. Once when second wife Lucy allowed daughter Peachy to attend a fair, Speed rebuked Lucy because there were games of chance played at fairs and that was not proper entertainment for Peachy to pursue.
Speed provided the best education possible for all of his children, both boys and girls. As we explain in tours of Farmington, a good education for young ladies included gaining musical knowledge and ability. To accomplish that, Speed hired a musical tutor, Anton Heinrich, to live at Farmington and teach the girls to sing, write music, and play instruments. The boys were required to work on the plantation during their days at home. Tutors, local day schools, and boarding schools were all utilized to educate the children. College educations were available whenever any of them wished to pursue that avenue.
John Speed was devoted to his spouses, as well. His first wife, Abby Lemaster, died leaving John to raise two daughters. All indications are that Speed was deeply hurt by this untimely death and left his home in Louisville for a short period to return to the Danville area. There he met (though he may have been acquainted with) Lucy Gilmer Fry. The two were married in 1808 when Lucy was 20 years old and John was 36.
Surviving letters between Lucy and John reveal a mutual respect and dependence between them. Indeed, the main house at Farmington is a lasting tribute to the relationship between the two and their devotion to their children. It is almost certain that John Speed allowed Lucy to have significant input into the design of the residence. The house closely resembles that of Martha and George Divers. The Divers lived in Albemarle County, Virginia and were Lucy’s aunt and uncle. It seems that Lucy greatly admired their home. So, when John and Lucy were ready to build their permanent dwelling Lucy aimed for something like the Divers’ house. The similarities are remarkable.
Judge John Speed: Patriot, Entrepreneur, Community Leader, Loving Husband, Devoted Father. All of these titles fit the Judge. It would seem that the only major blemish on his reputation would be that he enslaved humans. That is a pretty significant blemish for a man who professed over and over that slavery was wrong. At some point in the future we will have to address that paradox.
All my best to you and yours,
David