| Scope and content |
Collection consists of letters written by Hattie Gregory to relatives in Tarboro, N.C., prior to and during her stay in China, as well as letters and cables from her husband, R. H. Gregory, and their daughter, Jane. Early letters describe her travels prior to marriage. The bulk of the correspondence reflects the daily social lives and customs of the roughly 2,000 foreigners living in Shanghai's International Settlement in the early 1900s. Letters contain occasional, brief references to Chinese social and religious customs, including funerary practices, New Year's celebrations, and the Mid-Autumn Festival. Letters of 1918 refer to the war and its effects on prices, employment, exchange rate, and those living at the International Settlement. War relief efforts, the British commandeering of steamers, the entertainment of American servicemen en route to Manila, local Red Cross work, and Red Cross aid to Siberian forces also are discussed. |
| Access restriction | No access restrictions. |
| Cite as |
Hattie A. Gregory Papers (#388), Special Collections Department, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA. |
| Terms of use | Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law. |
| Acquisitions source |
Joyner- Gift of Dr. Jane Gregory Marrow. |
| Biographical note | Hattie Gregory (nee Arrington) was born in North Carolina in 1878 and educated in Greensboro. She married R. Henry Gregory in 1912 and traveled with him to Shanghai, where he became head of the Leaf Department of the British-American Tobacco Company. In the course of his work, Henry traveled extensively in China. The Gregorys raised two children while living in Shanghai -- John, who died during childhood of diphtheria, and Jane. |
