| Title: | William McElderry, Lynchburg, Va. to Thomas McElderry, Ballymoney. |
|---|---|
| ID | 1703 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | McElderry, William/11 |
| Year | 1854 |
| Sender | McElderry, William |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | collects cash bills |
| Sender Religion | Presbyterian |
| Origin | Lynchburg, Virginia, USA |
| Destination | Ballymoney, Co. Antrim, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | McElderry, Thomas |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | T 2414/14: Copied by Permission of Dr. Helen Megaw, c/o 66, Malone Road, Belfast, 9. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9007075 |
| Date | 17/04/1854 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by JM 03:09:1993. |
| Word Count | 1099 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Lynchburg 17 April 1854 Dear Thomas I have been on the look out for a letter from home this three or four weeks and not one yet has been received by either Robert or I you complaine [complain?] at home if we do not write regular to you and what am I to say if you do not write to me I sent one to David long ago and one to Anne and I expected an answer from David I received several news papers from you which I am much obliged to you for sending and in return I send you one every week which I hope you receive regular in the last one I sent one enclosed to John which you will give to him when it coms [comes?] to hand I purchased a suit of Dress Cloths [Clothes?] last month the [they?] were the first I have bought since I came as I did not want to get any untill [until?] the Summertime and one is sertain [certain?] the [they?] cost very high here the [they?] cost about 9 pounds or 10 pounds here The Shirts I brought from home were no Count there are some of them not fit to ware [wear?] already The Stockings that were bought for me did not last long the [they?] would be the better of Mothers hands bout [about?] them to [too?] I did not expect great things of them as if the [they?] had been made at home but there was no time for that when I started which is now 7 Months and 7 Days sinse [since?] (how the time goes round) I am getting along smoothly as usual some times working hard and other times nothing to do but work at my books which keeps me nearly busey [busy?] all the time I rise every morning about 6 Oclock and attends as usual to the Cars in the morning the [they?] start at 7 Oclock since the first of June so that we must be up and we get breakfast at 7 Oclock which I would have thought early at home but I am become accustomed to it now I am getting acquainted with the folks here having to go through the #PAGE 2 town to collect cash bill it gave me an opportunity of learning where people lived and made me acquainted with them Within this few days the weather has been very changeable we had some very warm day and now it is cold as winter I received a Standard last week from Coleraine dated 2 Feby [February?] I wonder what they ment [meant?] by sending one so old as that I received a CC [Coleraine Chronicle?] from Thomas Nevin dated 4 March 10 days before it You said in one of your letters that I might expect a letter from Miss Conn but it has never come to hand yet When you write let me know how the [they?] are getting along and what [word?] they have received from Hugh I am in good health and so is Robert since I came here my Eys [eyes?] very sore and it was all in the lashes I went to the Doctor and he burned them with cost[ick?] [caustic?] and gave me ointment for them but all don [done?] no good untill [until?] the fine warm weather Came the Doctor told me that as soon as the fine weather would come the [they?] would get better and so the [they?] did The [they?] are stronger now than I ever knew them to be before As I said Robert is well and doing a good business the [they?] have a very large stock of goods it is just a Haberdashery and Clothing store that the [they?] keep although it dos [does?] not go by that name it goes by the name of Dry good store Mr Peters & Mr Ligat has commenced business as money broker and I am sure it is a money making trade here there [their?] office is next door to Roberts Store I joined the Old Presbyterian Church on the first Sabath of April it is the one that Robert belongs to and the only one that Comes near to what we have at home the Others are very grand and as I think come near to the High Church of England Since I left Richard Wallace & Robert Lyle in Philadelphia I have never heard any word from #PAGE 3 although R Wallace [Richard?] promised to write to me yet he never has don [done?] so and I would like to kow [know?] how R [Robert?] Lyle is coming on and what business he is in & [where?] he is I received a letter from Wm [William?] Nevin some time since I got your last and he Informed that you were all well and gave me some news about Coleraine and of Mrs Conn having taking [taken?] a house in Coleraine for the winter I suppose they will be all starting to Astralia [Australia?] this Spring from the notion that they had before I left They will be sure to go Wm [William?] could give me no news about Hugh but that he was making money like hay I thought I would have got the particulars about Hugh before this but I am sure he is doing well and I would like to hear of his welfare Let me know how Uncle Robert & Uncle James are getting along if Uncle J [James?] has made any money by storing meal at so high a price as he was paying it was my opinion that could buy it Cheaper if would ha[ve?] waited for some time I hope my father bought some when it was cheap or rather when the Price had falin [fallen?] if he has not I suppose David Boyd will be very [exclusive?] in it this year I expect to hear of David starting in business some day and then we will be going home to help him to spend his money for by the [way?] he talks about it you would be led to think that you could make a fortune all in a sudent [sudden?] if either Robert or I would have commenced business in Ballymoney but I fear that is what he will never see Give my love Father & Mother and to #PAGE 4 brothers & sisters (I include John) and to all my friends And hoping to hear from you before this reaches you I Remain Your Affectionate Brother William McElderry Ps Excuse this hurried letter W. [William?] McE. [McElderry?] Since I wrote this we have had a great fall of snow |
