Letter from Alice R. Allan to Ernest J. Wesson, January 16, 1961, about Edward Mansfield’s book about his father.

200 Midland Avenue
Montclair, N.J.
January, 26, 1961

Dear Mr. Wesson:

Thank you for your good letter. It gives me just the information that I wanted. I am glad to know that Edward Mansfield’s PERSONAL MEMOIRS is accurate. It is certainly interesting and it would be sad to think that he had not stuck to the facts.

I am glad too to know something more definite about Jared Mansfield’s surveying. There has been a tradition in our family that he had invented the system of rectilinear surveying but lately I had become suspicious of this story. After all, how would anybody survey except in rectangles? So, while it is not so flattering, I am glad to have the information that he followed the lines laid down by Thomas Hutchins. I imagine that Jared Mansfield’s achievements lay more in the field of pure mathematics than in the applied variety.

I looked him up some time ago in the DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN BIOGRAPHY and, as you know, there is quite a piece about him in it. I shall look it up again and see if I can run down some of the references.

I suppose the West Point Library might have a good deal of material about Jared Mansfield, but, oh dear, it is about 65 miles from here and I have no car. There is a bus from New York to West Point, but from here it is a long, tiresome trip of three hours each way, so I doubt if my scholastic ardor takes me that far, especially as it might require several trips to accomplish anything. The Academy Library has a portrait of him by Sully and I have seen that . . . [[ ellipsis in original ]]  The Library in Newark is very good and when I have noted some of the references in the DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN BIOGRAPHY, I will proceed down there.

I can’t think who the grand-daughter of Edward Mansfield was, who had to move to Chicago and sell here books. As you know, only two of Edward Mansfield’s six children married and had children. Eleanor married Mr. Swiggett and had a daughter Eleanor; Elizabeth married Mr. Dudley and had four children. Mansfield Dudley had only one son, Winston; Elizabeth, I think, had only one son . . . Edith and Margaret were not married. So I don’t see where your mysterious lady comes in, but the question sort of intrigues me and I will try to find out, just for fun. If I succeed, I will let you know.

With many thanks for your help,

Sincerely yours,

[[ no signature ]]

Mr. Ernest J. Wesson
30 Bowman Street
Mansfield, Ohio

The comments in the second paragraph are completely wrong. Need to add reference to book about surveying from the Math Dept Library.

Document created January 2001.