| Title: | Letter to Mr. Davis, from Wm. Moore re Sailing Ships. |
|---|---|
| ID | 1887 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Moore, William (1)/30 |
| Year | 1936 |
| Sender | Moore, William |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Buncrana, Co. Donegal, N.Ireland |
| Destination | Ireland |
| Recipient | Mr Davis |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | penfriends |
| Source | D 2015/1/26: Presented by C. L. Davis, Esq., 59 Maryville Park, Malone Rd., Belfast 9 |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 9706232 |
| Date | 20/9/1938 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LET |
| Log | Document added by LT, 25:06:97. |
| Word Count | 459 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | BUNCRANA ANGLERS' ASSOCIATION. ======= Hon. Secy,: Wm. Moore, Buncrana, Dunottar, Buncrana, 20 . 9. 1938. Dear Mr. Davis. Thanks for yours of 19th. I fancy the old [tubs?] you mention came ashore "Stocker" since our arrival Buncrana (1900) as I can distinctly remember an old Hull lying about midway in the bay some time about 1908/10. You mention being interested in our old Merchant Sailing ships out of Belfast & Londonderry as really they were the 2 centres for such on our N & E. coast. I can remember as a boy going to school in the 1880s (I am now in my 68th year) the lines of sailing ships, Derry owned, lying abreast at Derry Quays. I can also recall my father & mother telling us all our uncles & aunts who went to U.S.A. went in these sailing ships all which were barque rigged. Each Emigrant had to take straw bed, tin cup & plate & knife fork & spoon for the voyage & many a Home made scone & sack potatoes went with them. Many a canning I got being late for school or home to dinner climbing up the rigging. The principal owner was McCorkell & Co still largely in the grain trade in Derry. Their crack ships were the "Minnehaha", ["Nokoun's"?], "Harvest Home" ["Wenonah"]. Then there was Allan & Major who had the "Twilight Star" & "Harvester" & I think the "Maori" but they are all dead or away one of Allens sons was a crack Half for years at international Rugby & at school with me. They (boats) made the return journey sometimes with grain & very often with large logs discharged from a square Porthole well down in bows of ship & man hauled out of hold with chain & tackle. I often wondered >why< no journalist in Derry papers or free lance did not write articles on these old times as I am sure McCorkell could supply photos of their craft & possibly have old ships logs from which to glean "copy" which would make interesting reading to old Derrymen like my self. Rumour had it Culdaff Bay used to be a favourite spot to lie to in & drop & buoy an odd hogshead of tobacco or a keg of rum at least so I often used to hear my parter [sic] say who lived at Culdaff. It was always a race down to Inishowen Head by ship chandlers & purveyors to watch for incoming Derry ships to secure their orders & many a day & night was so spent Times are changed. When Derry shipyard started, I am not sure of date, it turned out steel barques & full rigged ships such as "Wm. [William?] [Tillie?]", "John Cook" Wm [William?] Mitchell etc but they belonged to a younger generation yours sincerely Wm. [William?] Moore Word count: 459 |
