In 1800, a Mrs Polly Lutgert of New York wrote to several newspapers on the eastern seaboard, informing them that her husband John had left her “about the first of June”. According to Mrs Lutgert’s letter, her husband was:

“..a dirty Dutchman, between five and six feet high, has a round face, snub nose, large mouth and teeth, squint eyed and marked with the smallpox. In addition to this he has long small legs, knock knees, [a] humped back, cat hammed and [is] a fool.”

Mrs Lutgert added:

“I do furthermore request that noone will use the least influence in their power to return him to me again…”

And that she grants her estranged husband:

“..free and interrupted ingress and regress into any part of the world, my bed only excepted.”

Source: Virginia Argus, October 31st 1800. Content on this page is © Alpha History 2019-23. Content may not be republished without our express permission. For more information please refer to our Terms of Use or contact Alpha History.