| Title: | John Montgomery, Portadown, to "Dear Joseph", U.S.A |
|---|---|
| ID | 1806 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Montgomery, John/89 |
| Year | 1848 |
| 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 2794/1/2/29: Presented by H.H. Montgomery, 4 Kensington Gardens, Belfast 5. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9508152 |
| Date | 30/11/1848 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LET |
| Log | Document added by LT, 14:08:95. |
| Word Count | 752 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Portadown 30th Nov 1848. Dear Joseph, I received yours oF the 12" Oct & the letter & newspapers sent by Mr. Finlay. I wrote to you when I received them, but you had not recd [received?] when you wrote last, before you receive this I hope you will, & I am anxious for you to write first steamer after this comes to hand and give me all you know about brother William, his address and what he is doing, we are uneasy not having heard for five or six weeks. If any alteration in your own address, give it to me. It is useless for me to give you an account of the manners and customs of the Irish in this place, and the methods they have of passing the winter, you know it all better than I do, and for any information about the people in this town, it is not worth telling, nothing of interest or importance. Mr. Wm. [William?] Robb. Derry [brougher?] died [since?] a weeks illness, and was buried Sunday week. Miss Cowan & Mr Kiernan expect to be married before Christmas, the cake is made. My sister Lizzy returned home on Tuesday week. She was sixteen or seventeen weeks away. We have got Mr Cultra for librarian in the Sunday School and the attendance is good. we commenced a new plan in giving rewards, that of giving those children who say their lessons & whose conduct is good. tickets each sunday and at the beginning of the month, a periodical is given for the right tickets, the "miscellany" "early days", "Juvenile offering", differing according to the class they are in. It is thought it will have a good effect in keeping up the attendance and interest the children more. We are to have instrumental music in the W.[West?] Chapel, a flute and fiddle we are to try how it does for six Sundays. Mr J Kernahan has been expelled from the methodist Society for making unfair & untrue statements in reference to his affairs, he had a meeting of his creditors, [sad+--?] [-----ien--?]. Mr Graham, the schoolmaster has removed from his place to Belfast. Miss Lizzy Cowan will leave her sister when the marriage takes place. Miss Stanley continius [continues?] in the same state & place, & no talk about anyone paying attention to her. [S.A.J.?] is as you left. Mrs Totten & Joe are as usual. I am now at a stand still and know not what more to say. Dr & Miss Bamber are pretty well but always complaining you did not answer her last letter. If I remember right. Business has been rather good this season, all sorts of grain have fallen in price this month or two past, very heavy arrivals of foreign wheat, flour & corn there is money losing on most, if not all that is coming from America. oatmeal is 11/ cwt [hundredweight?] amer [american?] flour [free?] in L.pool [Liverpool?] 28/6 in hand 25/ Indian Meal here œ18.15.0 per Ton. [---th?] We do not hear much about the potatoes now, there are more than was expected. 4d & sh. Robt [Robert?] Moore & [----?] sister & family are well. I hear the linen trade is better than it has been for some time & that the news from America is [---------?] There is some stir in the trade expected [--?] Belfast tomorrow. Hugh Reany sold all his goods to evade decrees taken out at the last Sessions & is gone to the land of "liberty". Dr Leebody has drunk & [sported?] himself out, at least for a time & the house is shut up and he is away this month. I know not when. We are all well here, thanks be to God for his goodness in preserving us. the cholera has made its appearance in several places in England, Scotland, & Ireland, no cases that I have heard of in the North. Is there any word of you getting married? (Do you know how Sunday Schools are managed & could you tell me about them? you said nothing of Uncle Joe or any of the family in yours. I do earnestly request you to write all you know about Wm [William?] first Steamer & say [faded] prices of produce. Mr Paul was telling me yesterday that he searched up and down for you in Philadelphia but could make nothing out, are you still in the same house. I thank you for all your letters, write long. Sincerely yours John Montgomery. |
