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Title: R.W. Smith, Philadelpia, to James Smith, Moycraig, Co. Antrim
ID2543
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FileSmith, Robert W/145
Year1840
SenderSmith, Robert W
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationunknown
Sender ReligionPresbyterian Check Jonathan And Jon. W, Robert And Robert W Presbyterian
OriginPhiladelphia, Penn., USA
DestinationMoycraig, Co. Antrim, N.Ireland
RecipientSmith, James Sr
Recipient Gendermale
Relationshipson-father
SourceD1828/18: Presented by James Steele, The Whins, Mosside, Ballymoney.
ArchiveThe Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
Doc. No.9504032
Date02/06/1840
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
LogDocument added by LT, 04:04:1995.
Word Count1248
Genre
Note
TranscriptTo: Mr. James Smith Moycraig
County of Antrim parish of Billy
in Care of the Mosside Postmaster
County of Antrim parish of
Ballymoney Derryceighen [Derrykeighan?] Ireland

From:
Philada [Philadelphia?] June 2nd 1840

Dear Parent
I am in receipt of your letter of the first of
April 1840 which was handed to me on the 29th May by the bearer
Joseph Chestnut which found me in good health thanks be to god
and these few lines leaves me in the same hoping that the [they?]
may find you enjoying the same blessing which is one of the
greatest blessings that you could enjoy I have little to mention
to you in this letter as it is but a short time since I wrote to
you with my friend James Scott of Carncullough I expect you to have
received it before this time together with his own company if you
get him in a fresh gale all sails set with a good helmsman you
may get as much news from him as you may desire respecting
my welfare but he knows something of my mind that I do not want
him to make known to any althoug [although?] you may title him
the American agent the same almost as the man that brought the news
of the Queen Victorias principal minister offering a new treaty
with Governer forsith [Forsythe?] touching the boundry [boundary?]
question the british Government has to pull in their hornes [horns?]
at this time I deputised James Scott to act as my minister until
my return to Europe although I do not wish him to make eny [any?]
treaties with eny [any?] person without my Signature it may be of
some servace [service?] to you or your friends to know that the
European Vessals [Vessels?] arriving at the different ports
in this Country this season is in a dredful [dreadful?] condition
with sickness it may satisfy those that has friends on board to
mention some of these vessals [vessels?] names there is too that
came into our Channel with the small pocks [smallpox?] board one
is the [------------?] from Liverpool and another [Onknowatome?]
from Derry the [they?] lay for a long time at the lazarette the
following vessals [vessels?] at Gross Isle below Quebec at
last account with sickness on board barque Independance
[Independence?] from Liverpool 270 passengers 11 deaths and
18 sick of the smal pox [smallpox?]; barque Helen from
Belfast, 161 passengers 3 deaths and 10 Sick of the smal pox
[smallpox?]; barque Nelson Villag [Village?] from Belfast 280
passengers 16 Deaths and 30 Sick of the smal pox [smallpox?]
Barque Champlain from Youaghal [Youghal?] 120 passengers 6
deaths and 8 in hospital of typhis [typhus?] fever I would
not have mentioned eny [any?] thing of this but to satisfy
those that might have friends on board of them there is dealy
[daily?] ariving [arriving?] a great meny [many?] of my
countrymen into this country and on account of the hard times
the general Cry is by those that is favourable to old country
men God help them what is going to become of them the natural
borns that abhor the name of Irish change the tune to dam
[damn?] them if it was not for them our country would not be
in so alarming a situation these words I have heared them
express and at the same time [-----?] a Irish potato to
the back of ther [their?] neck times her [here?] is very dul
[dull?] on account of the preasure [pressure?] of the money
market although there is the appearance of a bountiful Crop
all over the land and as fine growing moist weather as ever I
experienced although it is now getting very warm I am glad to
hear that my Brother has taken my advice and stayed at home
this season and I am also well satisfied to hear such a good
word of my Brother James & John learning to bee [be?] smart I
dont mean where the [they?] [-----?] is off account I have by the
last live stock from that place You wish me to mention the
time when I will return home I intend if the Lord spares me
or as the fellow said if no on see [unseen?] thing
happens you may when you are drinking each
others health on Mosside May fair Eavening [evening?]
1841 expect me to be sailing out of the sandy banks of the
river Deleware [Delaware?] which I long to view on my return
home if eny [any?] of my brothers gets Merired [Married?] it
will terminate my abode in this Country
I hope you will be so kind as to let Samuel McElhose & Thomas
McFadden know that I had a letter from Messers McElhose
McFadden & Co. [Company?] on the 20th of May last giving me
general satisfaction to hear that the [they?] were well since my
last correspodance with them by letter as I always keep it up
I answered their letter immediately for I am not both bad and
lazy at writing it would be to hard to be both although
[-----?] I must admit the [they?] rote [wrote?] to me to hear from
their parents and from all about that neighbourhood as the [they?]
had no account from home for 12 Months onely [only?] what I
furnished them with the [they?] wanted my advice and oppinion
[opinion?] that if the [they?] could not make a living in Philada
[Philadelphia?] I gave them a history of the hole [whole?] and have
it as my oppinion [opinion?] that if they could not make a
living in Philada [Philadelphia?] the could not do it in the
United States of America I would not be surprised if some of
this [torn] when I am not with my Dray I would see them
coming in rear of a smoaking [smoking?] horse along the
Columbia Railroad the [they?] are working on a Cannall [canal?] in
in Picua [Piqua?] County Ohio it
is worck [work?] for corks own dear town I think they will
take my advice and leave it their address is to Either of
them in Care of Mr. Randalls Duffin in Picua [Piqua?] Post
office Mamia [Miami?] County Ohio I expected it to bee [be?]
before long Wm [William?] Smith Distiller N East [Northeast?]
Corner of 12th and Lombard Street Philada [Philadelphia?]
Joseph Crawford gave me a letter for James Burnside I
forwarded to him immediately about 20 miles in the Country
Joseph Crawford is well Joseph Chestnut and Wife is well John
White and Widow Neills Fameley [family?] is all well and all
his family I see him every day he drives Cart I expect the
few words that was underlined in the commencement of your
letter was the workmanship of the person that they named the
latter page of your letter was the same handwriting I was
very sorry to hear of the death of my accqiaintans
[acquaintance?] John McConoughty although it was what I
expected for I got no answer to the letter that I sent him
Thos. [Thomas?] Linsey is well the McKinneys is well all the
people that is in this City or County & John to have a good
horse well trained under the Saddle at my arrival of the [they?]
should make any hard struggles in getting him I will pay them
well for him Give my love to Wm. [William?] Campbell and to
all that Enquire after me or my few lines of scrall [scrawl?]
I must conclude with hoping to see you all once more in
happiness
I remain your affectionate and faithful Son with Respect
R W Smith