This collection is made up of 4 letters that Benjamin Kite, Jr., received from his parents, Benjamin and Rebecca Kite (September 28, 1825, and May 1, 1828), and from his siblings Nathan (March 30, 1827) and Mary (June 1, 1828). The Kite family lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rebecca Kite expressed her belief that married couples, such as Benjamin and his wife Eliza, shared a common interest; and she provided news of Benjamin's brother Joseph, who was suffering from a grave illness. Nathan Kite wrote a humorous letter of introduction for "W. Kite," remarking that the traveler would be renowned for his trip down the Delaware River.
Benjamin Kite's letter concerns his retirement and his son Thomas's printing establishment; he expected to move in with Thomas, becoming his bookkeeper and errand-man. Mary Kite's letter contains news of each of the Kite siblings and encourages Benjamin to contribute to financial support for their parents. She also wrote about the family's move away from their longtime residence and reflected upon the impermanence of the temporal world.
Benjamin Kite (1754-1838) was a bookseller in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Rebecca Walton (1765-1840) had nine children, all of whom survived into adulthood: Thomas, Abi, Sarah, Mary, Joseph, John, Benjamin (1801-1887), Nathan, and James. In the 1820s, Thomas owned a printing business in Philadelphia and Benjamin, Jr., lived in Baltimore, Maryland. Benjamin married Eliza Lawrence in 1823, and they had at least three surviving children: Anna Marie, Sarah, and John. Benjamin and Eliza Kite successfully filed for divorce in 1831.
