| Title: | J. Wightman, Pennsylvania, to Miss Wightman, Lisburn. |
|---|---|
| ID | 3327 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Wightman, James/39 |
| Year | 1822 |
| Sender | Wightman, James |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | businessman (owns a factory) |
| Sender Religion | Protestant |
| Origin | Lancaster, Penn., USA |
| Destination | Lisburn, Co. Antrim, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Wightman, Eliza |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | father-daughter |
| Source | Copyright Retained by Prof. J.A.Faris, 15 Coney Island, Ardglass, Co. Down. BT30 7UQ |
| Archive | Ulster American Folk Park |
| Doc. No. | 9802456 |
| Date | 01/12/1822 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 09:02:98. |
| Word Count | 1127 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [Miss Wightman?] Lisburn Ireland LIVERPOOL SHIP LETTER 27JY27 1822 [Dublin postmark 27 January 1822?] Lancaster (Penn)[Pennsylvania?] 1st Decm [December?] 1822 Having given over all hope of receiving any letters from Ireland you may judge, My Dear Eliza, with what emotions I recognized your handwriting on the cover of your letter dated the 8th Sepr [September?] the only one I have received since that brought by your Aunt Nancy - every account I receive announces the removal of one or more of my relatives [or?] connexions to the silent regions of the Dead, and extends the long catalogue of human misery - In the few months that have elapsed since my departure from Ireland, how many of those whom I left in the enjoyment of health (some in the vigour of life)have paid the great debt of nature, & how many of their survivors have drunk of the bitter cup of affliction - the lesson presented by this reflection is calculated to impress on the mind of the most inconsiderate, this most important truth, that in the midst of life we are in Death, and that when the shafts of the great Destroyer are flying with such profusion around, although the protecting arm of the Almighty averts them from ourselves at the present moment we are nevertheless not their less devoted victims - The death of your Uncle Andrew was an event I had long expected to hear of - an enemy only to himself, I trust the virtues of his heart (for he had a good disposition) will atone for his constitutional infirmities and that as his indiscretions had more of weakness than vice in them, they will be included rather in the account of human frailty than human depravity - Eliza and William have attained that age when their services will be very useful to their Mother and I hope that with their assistance she will be enabled to realize a comfortable provision for them all - I am sorry I cannot give a more favourable account of the health of this place than you will have received by my letter to Jas. [James?] Coulson, forwarded by the last vessel for Liverpool - since the writing of it we have lost one of our warpers - this is the fourth death among the adults, but several children have been carried off by this most disgusting malady, (fever and ague) fortunately for me, I am the only person that has been on the establishment during the season, that has escaped an attack - yet how enviable is our situation here compared to that of others - In the [devoted?] cities of New Orleans & Pensacola scarcely a stranger that continued in either place but fell victim to the yellow fever - I still continue to reside in Lancaster and walk over to the factory every day - I stay at [Haymakers?] [Tavern?] of which the celebrated Mr Cobbett makes such honourable mention and it justly deserves all the encomiums he gives it - there are several permanent boarders most of whom are young Lawyers - one of them a member of congress - their reserve and taciturnity form a striking contrast to the conviviality and loquacity of your Irish Lawyers - each leaves the table as soon as he has taken the last mouthful, which he masticates as he quits the room - from 15 to 20 persons generally sit down to each meal, sometimes 30 or 40 - and I have often counted more dishes of meat at breakfast than there were persons to eat of them. The dishes to be sure were small consisting of sliced [meat?] & boiled beef, tongue, sausages [spatchcocks?] steaks, fried ham, hung beef (raw) sliced very thin, eggs, mackerel, &c &c it is customary to lay knives & forks & plates for breakfast and supper [same?] as for dinner, and the knife & fork is used for bread & butter, toast, cakes &c indiscriminately - Lancaster is a smart place - the inhabitants are chiefly of Dutch extraction and among the middle & working classes the German languages is prevalent - there are several very good modern built houses in it. but with the exception of these & a number of two and three story houses which formed the grandeur of its earlier days, the rest are but one story and so low that one can reach to the roof of most of them - from the number of places of public worship one would suppose that at least one commandment was very strictly observed here, but when you are told that the law court is sometimes held on the sabbath, and that Butchers, Millers, Distillers, Brewers [all?] follow their several occupations as on other days, you will form a different conclusion - the churches are 10 in number, viz an episcopal, a German Lutheran, a German reformed, (Calvinist), a German Moravian, a Roman Catholic, a Presbyterian, a Quaker, a Methodist, a new kind of Independent, [stain] the five first have organs, some [torn] [torn] ago we had a Militia Inspection here, [torn] [-----anding?] officer was Brigadier general [Ma-?][torn] was mounted on a grey charger, and draped in a blue [un--?] [uniform?] [torn] coat, white Dimity pantaloons, a pair top boots (the boast of other days) & a small round hat surmounted with a "nodding plume" of red & white feathers - In the afternoon a Gentleman invited me to a glass of Madeira, while we were drinking it, his Excellency stepped in, and i had the honor of being introduced to him - but what was my astonishment, when as I passed by a Blacksmith's shop a day or two afterwards I observed "his Excellency Brigadier General [Mor---?] [stain]" with his shirt sleeves rolled over his elbows busy at work shoeing a large waggon horse. Mr Wrights information was rather incorrect, there was a lady (a doctors widow) that made me an offer of her property if I accepted of her hand with it - I have not heard of her Death, nor have I any expectation of being her heir - I must refer you to my letter to M Coulson for what I had to say on the subject of your coming over. Remember me to all my friends, give my love in particular to your aunts & cousins and embrace Margaret, Mary, and Ann for me, may God bless you all is the fervent prayer of yr [your?] affectionate Father J. Wightman Jacob Hancock arrived at Baltimore, we have corresponded, but having had no reply to my last letter, I infer that he has left that I had a letter not long since from my sister Nancy the family were all well. I sent you a copy of the [poem?] in a parcel that Wm [William?] sent to Mr Patton 18 months ago |
