In Mary's personal letters....

[Linda Anderson]

(08-20-2013 08:10 AM)BettyO Wrote:  Victorian convention was extremely strict in some instances. There were actually some couples who, throughout their married life, who referred to themselves as Mr. and Mrs; i.e. Mr. Jones and Mrs. Jones when addressing themselves.

This is from Benjamin Ogle Tayloe's book of reminiscences, Our Neighbors at Lafayette Square, one of whom, by the way, was William Seward.

"At Mount Vernon, a guest who slept in an adjacent chamber is reported to have heard a curtain lecture from Mrs. Washington to her lord. The General received it in silence, and at last said, 'Good-night, Mrs. Washington,' and was heard to turn over in bed.
"Mr. Buchanan, when I related the above, remarked that it bore with it internal evidence of its truth."