Abigail (Lefferts) Smyth

In 1778, Abigail (Lefferts) Smyth married Captain John Ferdinand Dalziel Smith of the Queen’s Rangers, who returned to England in 1779. She gave birth to their daughter, Elizabeth, in 1780, who would not meet her father until he returned to America sixteen years later. In the years following her husband’s departure, Abigail (Lefferts) Smyth and her brother Samuel Lefferts developed a relationship by writing letters to each other. 

His perspective in these letters showcases the growing importance of women’s domestic responsibilities in the mid and late eighteenth century. As the home became a more prominent social institution, women were able to expand their influence in society by passing on morals and values to their children. Samuel Lefferts’s comments on his sister’s behavior, responsibility to their parents, and abilities as a mother are reminiscent of earlier social values where men were viewed as the center of morality.

However, this is very different from how he views his mother. Where he seemed to use his status to scrutinize his sister’s behavior, he praises his mother and exalts her as a beacon of moral authority for her comportment on her deathbed. This highlights the shifting view of women–particularly mothers–as authorities on morality.