Mrs. Barrette Baker,
Dear Cousin Louise,
I received your most welcome letter some weeks ago and was delighted to have such a long letter and it enabled me to get better acquainted with you whom I have never seen.

You know that your father, Uncle Thomas, left P.E.I. many years ago and I don’t think that he ever returned even for a visit. I know his father, our grandfather, John Stevenson, often used to express a wish that he could see him again or hear more often from him.

There were two sons , your father, Thomas and my father, George, the latter was the youngest and his mother died when he was but a baby. Grandfather married again. I can just barely remember this step-grandmother, but she was a good kind woman. I can remember the funeral only. After that Grandfather mostly lived at our house or we lived at his. The farms lay side by side.

I understand that you had a brother Everett after whom they named me. I will give you the names of my brothers and sisters in order of birth.

J. Lorenzo who died several years ago.
Priscilla who married Mr. Hill.
Ida May, wife of Willard McGregor of P.E.I.
William Howard who lives in Charlottetown, P.E.I.
George Nelson, who lives in Alton, Ill., Professor of English, Shurleff College.
Richard Everett, Palmyra, Ill.
Arthur Burdette, Doctor, New Glasgow, P.E.I.
Edgar G. who lives in the old home at New Glasgow, P.E.I.
Maggie, wife of John Clarke, Rustico, P.E.I.

You see there was a large family of us and all have family except Edgar. I have three boys and one girl. The boys are Clyde, Virgil, Richard Vawter and Mable is the girl. Clyde lives in Palmyra. We all except Clyde went for a visit to New Glasgow, P.E.I., three years ago.

I didn’t tell you of your Aunts. Your father had several sisters, Aunt Janet who married John Orr, Aunt Anne who married John Smith, Aunt Margaret who married William Ling. They live in Hannibal, MO. I expect you know something of that family. Now you have had given you a lengthy family history but that is only a brief part of it.

You know the Stevenson’s came from Scotland, that is our Great grandfather emigrated from there with his family. My brother Nelson has been tracing the family history. It goes back to Stephen Guiscord who went with William the Conqueror to England in 1066. He was one of his officers. He received a baronial estate surname Guscord, adopted the Scottish plan and his sons were Stephen sons. The present Earl of Glasgow, is Sir John Stevenson. The owner of Houston castle near Paisley, Scotland is Sir David Stevenson. The Houstons and the Stevensons married and intermarried through the years. Your Grandmother Stevenson was a Houston. They were connected with the Stuarts of Scotland and you know the present reigning family in England is directly descended from the Stuarts of Scotland. So that’s that. You see where you belong now, don’t you. Well anyway, we needn’t be ashamed of our ancestry.

Well, I must close now, you will never be able to read my writing. I have a style of my own. Good-bye,

Love to you and your good Husband,
R. Everett Stevenson
B A Supt.
Kentucky, University
History and French