| Title: | H Tyler, New York, to "My Dear Mother", Newtownlimavady. |
|---|---|
| ID | 3137 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Tyler, Henry/59 |
| Year | 1836 |
| Sender | Tyler, Henry |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | on a trip |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | NYC, USA |
| Destination | Newtown Limavady, Co. Derry, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | unknown |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | son-mother |
| Source | D/3220/4/34: Deposited by the Late Lady Tyler on Behalf of the Other Trustees of the Will of Sir Henry MacDonald Tyler. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9808495 |
| Date | 16/03/1836 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 19:08:98. |
| Word Count | 1223 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | New York March 16th 1836 My dear mother We landed at this place on the 8th after a very pleasant passage But as Thomas Cather wrote by the packet which sailed the day we arrived I suppose you have heard all that already. I send this letter by a Mr Davidson who promises to take charge of it to Liverpool. The people in this country have had a very backward season the ground being still covered with snow, which of course makes it very unpleasant to us, as we cannot move about as much as we might otherwise do and it may perhaps be pretty owing to that that we have formed rather an unfortunate idea of this city some of the streets being nearly blocked up with snow. We are stopping at the city Hotel which is the largest house I have ever been in, and the highest too, as I know to my cost, being placed in the upper story, to reach which I have every day to mount some where betwixt one and two hundred steps, in fact all the inns in this country are on a gigantic scale ours I think accommodates nearly two hundred people, and there is one which will be opened soon, which will contain five hundred I have found the yankees, as I expected a very queer race of mortals, you would be surprised to see how speedily they take their meat, before you could peel a potatoe [potato?] they have all finished their dinner in fact they seem always to be in a hurry and engaged in an affair of life or death, but perhaps it is not fair to judge of all the nation by inhabitants of this place, as there is so much business going on here, However we will know more about it when we have been some time longer in the country, we called upon Mr Sampson the day after our arrival and found that he had been very unwell, but is now recovering, we have been spending an evening there since, we also dined with Mr Gickons (a friend of Thomas) on Sunday and spent a very pleasant evening, The people here keep very early hours, The actual dinner hour is 3 o clock, and tea at 6. we went to look at the remains of the great fire, there are an immense quantity of houses burnt down but they are already beginning to repair the damage, and in the course of a year I believe it will all be rebuilt. we intend leaving this place in a day or two for Philadelphia, and I suppose we will have to make some stay there, as the roads are nearly impassable, and travelling will be very unpleasant until the beginning of next month, and when the spring fairly sets in, I shall pay a visit to Canada. I cannot yet form any opinion about the country as all I have yet seen of if has been comprised in the city of New York and every thing appears to great disadvantage at this season of the year. the spring having not yet set in, but in my next I may perhaps be able to enlarge more upon the subject, one thing, I believe is pretty certain in this country that any person with common abilities and persuance is certain of gaining a livlihood and eventually becoming independent, it must not be concluded however that the style of living &c does not enhance the same comforts and luxuries we can command in our own country, in fact it appears to me that comfort is a word the Americans do not understand at all, but it is scarcely fair for me to begin criticising already, after a residence of one week in the country. We were out spending the evening last night with Mr Machecon, an old countryman of ours and had a most delightful evening, there being some very pretty young ladies of the party we were quite an Irish party. No yankies being present on the 17th Patricks day, there is to be a great dinner here, but I dont think we will stay for it. I do not find that in the city things are much cheaper than at home indeed (with the exception of books, I think most articles in the shops are dear but I believe this is the most expensive place in America, in all the Hotels in this country you pay for the day, our charge here is 2 dollars or about 9 shillings a day, that however includes servants & every thing, travelling expenses however are very low indeed, and travelling very expeditious people here think nothing of a journey of one or two thousand miles in consequence of the quantity of building going on labour is very high at present a labourers time being 5 or 6 shillings a day provisions of all kinds are also very high here owing to the unusual severity of winter and so is fuel for the same reason they burn mostly coal here. when you write you can direct to the care of John Gihon Esquire 166. Pearl Street. New York. and he will forward the letters to me wherever I may be. We have had visits here from arrival of our Newtown friends amongst others. Mr Harry Hassan & Ned Murray. There is also a Mr Cochrane who formerly lived with Mr Cather who has been very attentive to us. acting as our guide through the city and showing all that was to be seen, we have not made any plans yet when we shall go from Philadelphia but if the roads are passable I think we shall go southward till the weather improves as the season is much more favoured in the south than it is here and it would be [___?] visiting Canada before May or June we will I think go as far as Charleston, & see Wm [William?] Ross. I sent his letter by the post on Thy [Thursday?] evening. However either Thomas or I will write again soon, and tell what our motions are meanwhile I must bid you all goodbye, as I can assure you my fingers are very cold, as it is a hard frost at present, and I am sitting in my room without a fire, so Believe me ever yr [your?] afft [affectionate?] son H [Henry?] Tyler. I suppose Alick [alex?] has returned from his Edinburgh visit I wrote him & also you a letter from Liverpool which I hope arrived safe remember me to Mrs Danock & [___?] [O may?] when you write to them, and also to the Raphoe and Coleraine people and all friends at Newtown, let me hear when you write if any thing has been done in lodges business and also if there have been any letters for me arrived I shall write again in the course of a month, to Mr Alick, and I hope by that time to be able to give him some information concerning the country, There is not much news of any kind at present here, except that the Indians have been committing voyages down Florida and there has been a force sent against them, so as I believe I have said all I have to say over now Goodbye HT [Henry Tyler?] |
