In 1775, John had signed a document which gave Letitia authority to become a sole and separate dealer in buying, bartering, exchanging and retailing various goods, wares and merchandise and, if necessary, to file lawsuits on their behalf.
The document’s stated purpose was to allow Letitia to make provisions for their present and future. In 1786, while John was in England petitioning the Crown for his losses, Letitia exercised her right to sue, bringing suit against someone for debt. There are documents also showing where she sold land, cattle and various items. During the war, Letitia stayed and lived with her father, William Wright, and is listed as the Executrix of his final will and testament, receiving nearly all of his estate upon his death. John and Letitia’s support for both sides showcases the difficult times faced within families, some of which were torn apart during the Revolutionary War. History is often romanticized, but War is ugly and personal convictions can be different within families. It cannot be imagined that Letitia would leave the only home she knew, America, to move to a foreign land of which she had no ties, England, to be with her husband. He was a Loyalist, but Letitia, a strong woman, was not and she stayed in America and asserted herself as the head of the household, something few women of the time had the opportunity to do.