| Title: | Henry Neill, Kentucky to Matthew Neill, Co. Down |
|---|---|
| ID | 1952 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Neill, Henry/151 |
| Year | 1840 |
| Sender | Neill, Henry |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | Protestant |
| Origin | Louisville, Kentucky, USA |
| Destination | Co. Down, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Neill, Matthew |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | Donated by Hilary Murphy, 45 Ava Avenue, Belfast BT7 3BP |
| Archive | Centre for Migration Studies |
| Doc. No. | 611001 |
| Date | 15/09/1840 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 991 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [Front of Envelope] Mr Matthew Neill Rathfriland Down Ireland [Care?] Mr Wm [William?] [McCauley?] Liverpool Ship Letter [Page 1] Louisville, Ky. [Kentucky?] Sept 15th 1840 Dear Brother, I Recd [received?] your letter of the 26th July on the 24th of August and in order to be able to give you as much information as possible I delayed writing till now as I was expecting a letter from John which I have now Recd [received?] which informs me that He was married on the 16th of July. But as to your enquiries. the requisite qualifications as to learning are good spelling, reading, writing a good hand, a good knowledge of arithmetic and likewise English Grammar and Geography. the two last are indispensably [indispensably?] necessary for a Teacher and is the only deficiency I laboured under. However I give it as my opinion from the experience I have had that the best qualification a young man could have coming to this country is, added to a good education ability and will to make good use of the flail, spade, shovel, plough and if possible to be a Jack of all trades and capable of turning his hands to any thing and To all such I would gaurantee [guarantee?] success in pushing their fortune in this country. And as to advising you concerning coming here I cannot at this time say anything farther than you will have as good a prospect in going on to Burlington as you could have here. I am only engaged to the first of April and I may possibly be there (as soon or probably) before you. However you shall hear from me as soon as you land in N.O. [New Orleans?] by calling on Mr Dobbin to whom I will direct for you and should I stop another year in this place and find a situation or a prospect of one for you I shall let you know. Meantime I request you to write to me as soon as you ascertain what time you expect to sail that I may know when to write to New Orleans (for you). [Page 2] [Map drawn over this page and finishes on page 3] And next as to your enquiry concerning clothing it would be well to have a good quantity of woolen [woollen?] and linen both of which are higher here than with you so is shoes and in fact everything. The only difficulty is the difference in making as the usual mode of making clothes with you appear awkward here dress coats in particular, and the narrow brim and taper [S-----oin ----------re?] in this country ridiculous broad fall cloth pants and frock coats and the only clothing made the same as here. On the 2nd Inst I recd [received?] a letter from Father dated May 16th from his letter he appears to have no idea of our position here but I wrote to him some time ago, which I think will impart more knowledge as to our situation. John is two weeks journey from here. He also speaks of having a map of the river from Pittsburgh to New Orleans this only includes the Ohio and lower Mississippi or even if it did show the upper Miss. which is from the mouth of the Ohio up the Miss. [Mississippi?] to the head waters at its date viz 1833 Burlington was not settled the distance from New Orleans to the junction of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers is about 1015 miles and where there instead of coming up the Ohio (which would be distance of 1366 Miles from New Orleans to this place) You goup [go up?] the Mississippi river to Bainbridge Mo. [Missouri?] 50 miles from thence to the St. Genevieve 62 miles thence to St. Louis 69 miles thence to the mouth of Missouri River 18 miles the different places of note from thence and Alton Ill. [Illnois?] Hamburgh Mo. [Missouri?] Louisiana, Hannibal, Marion City, Tumey, Lagrange, Warsaw Ill. [Illinois?] Mouth of Desmoines River (which separate Iowa from Mo. [Missouri?] Keokuck I.T. [Iowa Territory?] Commerce Ill. [Illinois?] Fort Madison I. T. [Iowa Territory?] Burlington, I.T. [Iowa Territory?] making a distance of about 430 miles from the mouth of Ohio River up the Miss. [Mississippi?] to Burlington. The last letter I recd [received?] from John is dated August 23rd the stock on hand at that time was [Page 3] a yoke of oxen, a cow and calf a good mare and 18 head of hogs large and small on 240 acres of land eighteen or twenty of which is cleared and mostly under crop this season, in which He and I are equal partners. He has also a house and two lots in Burlington which he got with his wife, and forty acres of land within 3 miles of Burlington which his Fatherinlaw [Father-in-law?] gave him after his marriage this he says is all timbered land (our 240 acres on which he is now using is 6 miles from Burlington. As to what Father says about bringing a plough with him it is a singular Idea but it might be well enough as there is nothing equal to it (if it be a good one) in this country. I send you some newspapers with this and I request you to write to me as soon as you can give me, satisfaction , the name of the ship [-rach-ible?] and I would only add the earlier the better. Mr Dobbin of New Orleans is none of those my father has conjectured. He was born near Maharalin [Magheralin?] in Ireland and his father and family left there when He was very young probably [Missing] 25 or 30 years ago (or more) the old mans name was William John Dobbin and lived near the Canal bridge on the way from Gilhall to Moira - on the opposite side I give you a vague sketch of the River with some of the principal cities and towns and as I haste I hope you will excuse this careless manner of writing and punctuation. [No more?] at present Yours &c [etc.?] Henry |
