| Title: | John Love, Banbridge, to R.Love Petersburg |
|---|---|
| ID | 3626 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | love, john sr/109 |
| Year | 1821 |
| Sender | Love, John |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | farmer |
| Sender Religion | Protestant? |
| Origin | Banbridge, Co. Down, N.Ireland |
| Destination | Petersburg, Virginia, USA |
| Recipient | Love, Robert |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | father-son |
| Source | T 2393/2/17: Presented by Messrs. Heron & Dobson, Solicitors, Banbridge, Co.Down. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9601052 |
| Date | 28/01/1821 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LET |
| Log | Document added by LT, 04:01:96. |
| Word Count | 1292 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Banbridge Jan.28th 1821. Dear Robert, We are greatly surprized at your long silence [as?] the last letter we got from you bore date August [8th] in which you mentioned that Mr. Murray had been unwell for some days past. I answered your letter in a few days after I recieved it but before it left Belfast we got word of Mr. Murray's death to our great grief and sorrow, I thought you would then have surely wrote to us and I still put off writing to you till I would receive another letter from you but lately we heard of a [Velpel?] from Petersburg that was lost on the English coast and we think now that you had a letter in her for us. I hope the Lord has preserved you in health and safety to the present, as he has us also blessed be his Name. Your Grandfather is still alive and lives in a room of his own in Tandragee the Count and Countess has left that but allows him twelve pounds a year. the intercourse is never open yet between this house and the people up street, I think I told you that Sloan ploughed up all the lane but one little field that was not sufficient to graze their own cow, well in June last the road men came and broke up that field for gravel so that they had to take grazing for their cow as well as me. In May the old woman allowed John Love to go and sow Lay seed in this side of the land that we might have grazing for the cow next summer, you would think this should have insured that side to us. John did sow it but at November when I spoke to the Agent to get the land divided he gave her the choice of either side she pleased as being the old tenant, so she took her choice before the Agent the baliff and me, and left us the side that John has sowed with Lay seed, with which I was well content, but when she went home I suppose the young couple had told her that our side was best and that there would be great toil and expense in leveling the gravel holes that was in her side, so she sent a note to the Agent requesting him to give her my side with which he complied to my great dissatisfaction. for had they not a just right to fill up the gravel holes for which they had received three pounds for the damages, Now I [-----?] [-----?] [-----?] [------?] [-------?] [--------?] [-----?] She's worse than old Laban who multiplied crimes And changed Jacob's wages full nine or ten times On the vilest of mankind turk heathen or jew Such a vile action I never would do Was she in my power (believe what I say) On every occasion I'd give her fair play. The following lines will give you some faint idea of the field in which the gravel holes were which was unjustly put on me. but we are beginning to like them very well now as we can see a good part of the land out of our kitchen and yard. These gravel holes was left in such a state That language fails their horrors to relate One of the pits was gloomy large and wide A frightful precipice on every side On parts of it the sun did never dawn Its [hections?] mouth did like a vortex yawn Had the unwary stumbled there and fell He might have bid all earthly things farewell Terrific gloom did in this cavern dwell But half its horrors I could never tell Besides this pit another full as deep And on one side most dreadful high and steep His horrid mouth John Love and I did close No easy task as you may well suppose It took far more to fill its dreadful [maw?] Then all the monsters that you ever saw There awful caverns we undermined The numerous stones against us there combined To these huge banks we gave a dreadful fall Whose frightful looks astonished one and all In dead of Winter there we toiled with pain To make it leavel [level?] areable [arable?] and plain It will be leaveler [leveler?] in some time more And nicer than ere it was before These gravel holes has taught my son and me The art of labour and industry We now may join in any toilsome trade As we can handle shovel pick or spade We now could [stub?] root up or hog or saw The greatest trees in all AMERICA. Mary McClelland and John Glass died this winter. Eliza is walking, Mrs Craig is gone out to the country to live. We got some America papers. by them we understand that you know all about the Queen's trial, so I need say nothing about it now. Let us know all about Mr. Murray's death, and if you have any intercourse with Mr. Riddle and how he is doing, and how you like your own buisness [business?]. James McMeehan and young Waugh is come home lately from America, trade is still very dull here, but provisions are at a low rate. I hope you strive to live in fear of the Lord all the day [---?] [----?] [-----?] for an hour your best friend let your [---?] [-----?] This day Jane Margrat [Margaret?] and Emely [EMily?] got each a most elegant guilt new prayer book in church as premiums for answering so well at a late examination in this parish, Mr John Lavery sends his kind love to you, We have a pork market in this town now, whoever buys most [pigs?] every monday gets one guinea premium John Lavery got it the first monday. The House of Commons was to meet last week it is thought they will have sad wrangling respecting the Queen's affairs, the three kingdoms seems to be greatly agetated [agitated?] there is addresses pouring in from every County and large town to the King or Queen, She gets the greatest number. by the following lines in the next side you may learn what is the sentiments of the most of the common people respecting the Queen extract of a letter from Banbridge I could in prose or flowing line Convince you if I had but time That the bright Star of Brunswicks [line?] Is clear of every filthy crime Truth wisdom goodness all combine And centre in Queen Caroline She is the most accomplished fair In all our Northern Hemisphere From all I either read or hear Of every charge I count her clear But know I count it [laxing?] time, To write a verse of prose or rhyme To those who dare impute a crime, To the accomplished Caroline Her foes should all chastisement meet, And lick the dust beneath her feet Those who did her had usage give, Are the reptiles hardly fit to live None but the vilest of the vile, The Star of Brunswick would revile Then would you merit my esteem, With great respect still name the Queen- We have never got an opportunity of sending the things we have ready for you, there was a great many questions in my former letters that you have never answered yet, I hope your next will be very satisfactory such as may comfort your mother who is uneasy about you. the Lord bless and keep you from evil and cause the light of his countenance to shine upon you now and ever more so prays YOUR LOVING FATHER The whole family send their love to you JOHN LOVE. |
