| Title: | J. Montgomery, Portadown to J.[Seawright?], Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| ID | 1798 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Montgomery, John/54 |
| Year | 1849 |
| Sender | Montgomery, John |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | baker |
| Sender Religion | Protestant (prob. Methodist) |
| Origin | Portadown, Co. Armagh, N.Ireland |
| Destination | Philadelphia, Penn., USA |
| Recipient | Searight, Joseph |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | cousins |
| Source | D 2794/1/2/38: Presented by H.H. Montgomery, 4 Kensington Gdns, Belfast 5. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9510074 |
| Date | 12/04/1849 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LET |
| Log | Document added by LT, 12:10:95. |
| Word Count | 1134 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Portadown Thursday 12th April 1849 Dear Joseph, I received your note also the one I now send yourself [I?] suppose the day after it was written so I had not anything particular to write about it. I have kept it untill [until?] now and from now when I commence I know not how to fill up. I got cold on Sunday last and have not been out since Imaysay [I May Say?] I am now writing this in the parlour a little after four in the evening. Your sister [Anne Jane?], [Alicia?] and Lizzy are talking about a gown that I just bought a (misfeldelane) on the other side of the table Rachel is writing exercises. There have been several sudden deaths in this place lately. Charles [Marley?] brother to [John?] the grain merchant for some time [previous?] he had given way to excessive drinking. He would go from one public house to another and drink large quantities and almost immediately vomit it and then return to [seek?] it again. Two days before his death I believe he got none. On the Sunday morning he died (last Sunday week). He came to his mothers room and asked her to forgive him for all he had done for that he was going to die as usual the priests were sent for and some act of contrition was said & he repeated it over and got the "last rites" and that secured him from being lost as they suppose. We are assured out of the word of Truth that God is merciful and we cannot say what may pass in one between the soul and God. I attended the funeral and saw & heard the priest go through all their soul deceiving nonsense and [jugglery?]. The lifted offerings to pray for his soul as the Priest said he was on his way to peace on last Friday Mrs [McIlveen?] wife of the Baker died of Cholera after a few hours illness she was well in the evening and dead in the morning. David [Love's?] wife in the country and another woman died after from the same after very short illness- There was a man named [Dickson?] of Seagoe died last Monday night in the gateway at Wm [William?] Williamsons from intemperance he was an orangeman and not many weeks ago he said when he was going home from an orange lodge he swore at the bench some one or more persons threw him over the Bridge and into the Bann & he swam out. he could give no particulars. Last Monday was here Easter Monday Fair day & vast numbers were drunk as usual. this vice is one means by which Satan destroys our country. Thomas McAnally [setshon?] died having shortened his days by this practice. and we should always remember that moderate drinking is the same material out of which all drunkards are mad. Anne Jane & and Robert are well and the three barns [bairns?] too. The last [one?] is to be called Elizabeth or Elizabeth Sarah. [ann?] [Jane?] received your note please let them be oftener. Some changes have occured [occurred?] in the family J. D. Robinson has left & is now in James Twinems Liverpool. Thomas Fletcher is [away?] [&?] the bread-cart is given up some months and what is cause for thankfulness we have baked more since than before and had less trouble. We are all, through the goodness of God preserved so far. may we trust in Him fully. Father is well and does be on the farm a good deal. So the trades people in your "Great Country" keep shop and farm too! The annual Missionary Sermons were preached last Sunday by the Rev. S Stinston and the Meeting is to be held on Thursday 19th this day week. Shillingtons Paul [to be?] all in the same way as when you left only older. Mary Stanley is still in Derry[hale?]. she has been but once or twice in the preaching house for months. she goes to Church and has given up collecting. Lizzy and Miss Atkinson are doing her part. no gossip about her getting married now. people tire sometime. Mr Nash and she had a quarrel about Butler's case. & her brothers family is not friendly either to her or her to them. The weather was, at school a subject of all our letters, the moon came on Saturday and it is said that 19 times out of 20 when that is the case there is less or more rain for twenty days after. I think it has been so this time. The Linen Trade is good & Mr Carlton's son William is now a "manufacturer". farming is now a bad business. Potatoes paid well this year where there was a crop. œ20 to œ40 clear off an acre in some cases. wheat, oats are very low: american flour 24/- to 25/- There are large quantities of potatoes planted this year more than for any year since '45. If God gives the increase we will not want so much I.[Indian] Corn from you. It is a great blessing it is so plenty now- vast quantities of it is used now. it will increase until harvest oatmeal has been largely consumed & is now getting dearer so that the people will fall more on I. [Indian Corn?] and meal. There are vast quantities of foreign wheat and flour in these Kindoms but we will find use for it all. We hear regularly from William and write to him every fortnight. If the expense is little you might send this to him, or the substance of it, as we are not writing this week and did last. tell me all about my uncle [?] are you still in the same place? single or married? I enjoy single blessedness yet but hope- Mr Elliot the Rev. has not been here for some six months. he went to Scotland and is not returned. There is more [---?] going to collect I think. I don't know what. It is useless for me to tell you that 1000's (do you know that?) are leaving this their native land for this "far west"- It seems to be America for the Irish not "Ireland for the Irish"- I suppose now and then you see an Irish Emmigrant- [emigrant?] Poor Paddy. Have you been sick? Iheard you were getting medicine "the unfailing Morrison" from Lurgan. someone was telling me that this week. I have been thinking of one striking characteristic of true christians, the fear of death is taken away. nothing less than the love of God can take this away out of the heart of the individual who knows and believes the truth of God's blessed word. David often prayed "Teach me thy statutes." Think of & pray for me. Sincerely yours John Montgomery |
