| Title: | John Parks to John Caldwell Junior |
|---|---|
| ID | 2068 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Parks, John/33 |
| Year | 1799 |
| Sender | Parks, John |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | businessman |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Dublin, Ireland |
| Destination | New York, USA |
| Recipient | Caldwell, John Jr |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | friends, business |
| Source | T 3541/2/2: Deposited by Mrs. R.V.T. Edie |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9309353 |
| Date | 03/08/1799 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Action By Date Document added by C. R., 30:09:1993 |
| Word Count | 1480 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Harmony Hill 3 August 1799 My Dear John As no private conveyance or Merchant vessel offers, I think it necessary to write you by the Packet-. I wrote you a few lines by Bellona & Draper to New York. Yr. [Your?] Father wrote Dolphin bound to Boston - he finding it impossible to get his time extended, for more than one month, after making use of it in settling his affairs, sailed from Larne for Philadelphia the 7th ult?, [ultimo?] on the Prosperity, Capt'n [Captain?] Loughan - his situation on board was extremely commodious, but I hope and trust that long ere you received this he will be with you safe and happy. - Previous to yr. [your?] Father's departure, the defect in the title to Ballynacrushan was radically removed, and it is now at Sale,-Kyle being off-and no other person has since actually offered for it, th' [although?] many enquirys [enquiries?] - We have the happy tidings of yr. [your?] safe arrival - the Ship which conveyed your Packet to Mr. Wilson arrived in Dublin Harbour the 10th July & on the 20th we had yours - the accounts you give have made Flora entirely a new woman - you had a merciful escape from the French - which I conceive was entirely oweing [owing?] to your address - Your journal interested us much, and we take for granted that on the 11th of June the family slept in New York - You must have spoke a vessel at Sea, as the account of the French reincontre was in Belfast a fortnight before your letter arrived- Since your Father left us, everything has gone Smoothly, plenty of Turf cut and a fine Stock got up - the Carry? got forward, and a tolerable Quantity of Linen washed & Beetled.- the Cloverfield cut & trampcocked? - also the two Hay seed fields - the remaining hay will be brought to sale in Lotts in abt [about?] a fortnight, on foot - & what remains for want of the value being offered, together with what oats may remain in like manner will be cut & sold from time to time as the market may call for it. Fletcher Shaw & Darlington sold yr [your?] Father's last cloth under invoice which will leave I believe 30 Brit. to yr. [your?] Father's credit - but I have not yet received the acc't [account?] current - I have got the Manchester Mortgage reconveyed at an expence [expense?] of abt [about?] two guineas - my friend who only went to Manchester, was obliged to get at Mr. Harrison in the interior of Lancashire, which incurred the expence [expense?]. John Orr, Hugh Orr's son still remains in Confinement in Belfast and I fear in the end will be obliged to go to America-. James Steele is turned out of the Marchioness's employment - poor unfortunate Js. [James?] Parks still persecuted-however he defies his Enemies ----------------- I fear ---- have destroyed his prospect of succeeding in his profession- John Calderwood, W. Boyd & all here, as usual- I seldom go into B'money [Ballymoney?] -pleasant society istotally [is totally?] over - Yesterday they were all signing papers approving of the Union- the whole nearly of the Grand Jury at this last Ass's., which ended a few days ago, were for it - the opposition to it is nearly over, the Gov't. [Government?] party being greatly strengthened by the great body of Constitutional reformists, who may now seeing all hopes of an amelioration of the Borough or Parliamentary trade system over, are flying to the Union as a channel through which they will be rescued from the Tyranny of the Monopolists #PAGE 2 - besides the Union (it is now sayed [said?]) will carry the Catholicks [Catholics'?] Settlement - and a kind of reform of the representation in its bosom - On the Continent Prussia is intriguing to give France a limited Monarch - the Allies pressing her close -& Buonaparte [Bonaparte?] entirely destroyed Egypt - on the whole great changes are expected on the Political Theatre- Everything looks prosperously on England, the fund rising - & no opposition- In short the loss of the Publick [public?] Opinion by the French seems very much to have tended to their present situation - and has been much in favor [favour?] of these Kingdoms. Aunt Ball still at the Green, Uncle Ball & all the Parish of Lifford people well - Chambers. & etc.-but neither of the Miss Marshalls have come over. Butter has experienced a considerable fall, but it is believed Beef will be very dear. Linen cloth and Yarn greatly looking down, & all wishing they may have a fall - as they say the last linen sent to America at the dear price has sold Badly - Flora will write to the girls Joseph - she would write here but for fear of double postage - Andrew is very industrious changing the Bookworm in to the man of business - Mrs. Calderwood is now with Mrs. Martha Dinsmore, and I rather believe will be permanently fixed there.- We all (viz. Flora, Andrew, little James & I) long most anxiously for the Sale of the Concerns here, and that all yr. [your?] Industry may be set in motion by the Spring of Capital - and that we may have the happiness of once more joining you all - No efforts have been, nor shall be wanting on this head -my only fear is that an offer may be made for the Green, which may force us to wait an answer from yr. [your?] Father - & therefore I wish he would by his first lett letter - say what he conceives the lowest purchase it ought to go at without Sacrificing it; this he's refused before he left this -- but every hour since shews [shows?] me the wisdom of having some Instruction of this kind - That in - -- - --shall turn out as profitable, as your Father may think they should I dare not hope - but If the persons he has entrusted shall do their best, I think is all that can be reasonably expected from them - Thus my dear John have I thrown together without method every Circumstance that occured [occurred?] to my mind worth noticing - Wm [William?] Boyd has not yet paid, but I am in hopes it now Soon will, proceedings are going on -- You will have Packets by every Private Vessel Sailing from Belfast or Derry * With love to you all, in which all most fervently Join me I am as Usual My Dr. [dear?] John most aff'y [affectionately?] yrs. [yours?], John Parks HOLE particularly to your Father my son particularly desires his love to his aunt Eliz'th [Elizabeth?] & Uncle William- he is in excellent health, but very bold - tho' [although?] twice inoculated he has refused the small pox- #PAGE 3 4th August 4th August. Since writing the foregoing, we have this day received My Dr. [dear?] Mary's and yrs. [yours?] of 15th June Packet Packet from Falmouth- We eat Pine apples [pineapples?] & Brea Bread & Milk with the Girls in Im magination [imagination?]. I hope & trust we shall have your acc't [account?] of the Meeting between you all. Richard & your Father- (In another hand) Since the account came of the arrival of you all I am really quite a new creature - my spirits are better than I could have supposed they would have been during our separation - and if I heard of my dearest Father getting safe to you I would be quite at ease- he hasbeen [has been?] just a month out yesterday- and I depend on that power who has already done such wonders for us, for his safety - John tells you the reason for my not writing fully now - I will take the first opportunity of doing so - we have got my Grand Mother placed with Mattie Dinsmoure which is a great satisfaction. JOHN (& Flora) PARKS TO JOHN CALDWELL, JR. IN AMERICA *- Aug.3rd 1799 Uncle Jack rather oftener with us than before - Aunt Ball tolerably well - I havebeen [have been?] here at B Bank for some days - it was yesterday my dear Mary's letter was sent me by Andy - it was just that day fortnight the first news of your arrival came - this family were really quite in delight about it - for my part my feelings were indescribable - by this time I figure you to myself as being settled - acknowledged and beloved by your old friends- and all Carressed [caressed?] by new ones - and enjoying - and anticipating pleasures which you could not have known here- my heart is with you all- and my enjoyment [tear] depends on your happiness My dear girls and boys Adieu The letter is addressed: "Single sheet Paid A Avan 99 BALLYMONEY Mr. John Caldwell Junr. [Junior?] [care of Messrs. John and Joseph Stevenson, Merchants] Peekskill state of BY DUBLIN NEW YORK In John's hand on fold "Harmony hill 3 Aug 1799 John Parks rec'd 10 Oct. " #PAGE 4 Also figures - " 7. 3.10 66.16. 6 7. 4 forwarded to Peekskill, N.Y. (Which had a Hudson River landing.) on the advice of Bishop Provost of N.Y.C. - Trinity Church - John Caldwell, Jr. left the city with his charger to escape the yellow fever epidemic. The Bishop's wife was an Irishwoman, a Miss Bousfield, + they took an interest in the newly arrived Caldwell family. The trip to Peekskill took 2 days in a Hudson River sloop. John wrote in his memoirs that "nowadays (1850) it could be done by steam in 2 1/2 hours!" |
