| Title: | Letter from James Brown, ,USA, to James Stavely, Ballymoney. |
|---|---|
| ID | 338 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Brown, James (1)/118 |
| Year | 1838 |
| Sender | Brown, James (1) |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | merchant |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Augusta, Georgia, USA |
| Destination | Ballymoney, Co. Antrim, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Stavely, James |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | cousins |
| Source | D1835/27/1/3. Presented by Greer Hamilton and Gailey, Solicitors, High Street, Ballymoney, County Antrim. |
| Archive | D1835/27/1/3. Presented by Greer Hamilton and Gailey, Solicitors, High Street, Ballymoney, County An |
| Doc. No. | 9310596 |
| Date | 29/12/1838 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Action By Date Document added by C McK., 20:10:199 |
| Word Count | 836 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Letter from James Brown, Augusta,USA, to James Stavely, Ballymoney, County Antrim. December 29, 1838. Augusta 29th December 1838 Dear James, Yours of the 24th September I received by John Bones, I am perfectly satisfied there was no intention on your part, but it does seem strange to me that we did not understand each other better, I thought I had given you to understand that I might not have time to call at Mr. McConkeys country residence (this was the case) and understood you to say that you would either send the letter of introduction to Randlestown [Randelstown?] or have it left in Belfast so that I would get it there, not getting it was no disappointment to me as I got one from Mr. Kirkpatrick which answered every purpose although I am certain you have been very much annoyed about the matter. It was John Brown that made the mistake in writing to me on receipt of Mr. Kirkpatricks letter respecting the sailing of the vessels, he somehow imagined it was from Mr. Crowder [Crowden?]. I was very fortunate in getting a good strong vessel and although I thought the passage a long one it was shorter than any of the other vessels made at that time, ours was 38 days, we had a number of very severe gales one of them continued for three days, I felt squemish for the first fortnight, I am not aware that I lost any thing by being solate of getting to St. Johns and although I did not suceed so well and expected yet I am very well satisfied that I went and I am sure John [----?] has reason to be equally so. I sold all the clothing, 10 and a half dozen hats out of 29 dozen 15 pieces Linen out of 20 and 3 pieces of Jaiveling [?],the shirting and bird-eye diaper [?] I bought here. The only additonal expence I was at was my boarding for 3 weeks at St. Johns which cost 5 Dollars per week.I put my goods into the hands of John Kerr and Co. [Company?] their commision for selling and insuring debts is 5 per cent goods are sold at 3,4,6 and 8 months credit, when not invoiced too high they sell at 50 per cent upon the starting cost which leaves about 15 per cent of profit, some of mine were too dear, some not properly made and others that did not suit the market so that I did not realize so much. Clothing made for St. Johns market should be Nos. [numbers?] 4,5, and 6 very few of No. [number?] 4 which is about my size, your coats and ours were mostly short size which I found a loss in selling #PAGE 2 them. You would be surprised to see how neat and cheap clothing is sent from London there, as well made as ours, but tailors could do them, and I am sure as cheap if not cheaper made than you can get them done. St. Johns is a very brisk place and were it not for these long credits would be a pleasant place to do business, though banks are very cautious at present in discounting and will not [------torn?] anything that has longer to run than three months. I found no difficulty in getting from St. Johns to New York and from New York to Charlestone. I expected to have met John and Mary there, I was however disappointed, I left on Monday and they did not arrive until the following Thursday, I was a week in New York but it rained and snowed three days of the that time so as to prevent me from walking about to see the place, it snowed three days previous to my leaving St. Johns on the 29th October, during my stay there was a good deal of rain and some days very cold but altogether it was fairer weather than you generally have in Ireland at the same season. John and Mary had a rough passage of 32 days, William suffered very much from the dullness he had grown very much since he came here he is at work in Johns Store, we all spent our Christmas at the old gentlemans, William enjoys shooting the squirrels very much and I am sure would prefer it to attending business. Mr. McConkey did every thing in his power for me at St. Johns, I also found his young man Mr. Brady willing to do any thing in his power for me, he recollects you my brothers [-----?]ning will, I also met some old acquaintances from Straban [Strabane ?] there which was of service to me, there are a great number of Irish there. I am joined by John, Mary and William in love to you, Mrs. Stavely, your Fathers family and also the Chiquerhals [?] family, wishing you many happy returns of the season I remain your affectionate Cousin James Brown P.S. Please remember me to Hugh and Jane and please say to Hugh that I will likely write him soon JB [James Brown] |
