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Title: John McBride, New York State, To James McBride, [Derriaghy?]
ID3748
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
Filemcbride, john/96
Year1820
SenderMcBride, John
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationweaver
Sender Religionunknown
OriginWatertown, NY, USA
DestinationLisburn, Co. Antrim, N.Ireland
RecipientMcBride, James Sr
Recipient Gendermale
Relationshipson-father
SourceT 2613/3: Copied by Permission of Mrs Emily McLister, Mosside Cottage,Dunmurry, County Antrim. #TYPE EMG John McBride, Watertown Factory, Jefferson County, State of New York, U.S.A., to His Father, James [McBride?], [Derriaghy?] c/o William [Phillips?], [
ArchivePublic Record Office Northern Ireland.
Doc. No.9007097
Date09/01/1820
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
Log30:07:1990 JM created 26:10:1990 GC input 29:10:19
Word Count1245
Genre
Note
TranscriptTo: Mr James M[cBride?]
Care of Mr W[illia?]m [Phillips, Lisburn, County Antrim?]
From:
Watertown Jan[uar?]y 9th 1820
My dear Father
With pleasure I received your Letter of the 3d Octo[ber?] and
I am Glad to hear of you all being in good health since I
left home, except the accidents you mention but since they
were not fatal And you are getting well I am happy such
things happen as to remind us of our Duty, and it is well if we are
counselled by them, I also got a Letter from J[ame?]s Craig along with
yours they came by Baltimore that Post mark is on them the
6th Dec[embe?]r and N[ew?] York the 23d and I got them here on the 29th.
My Aunt enclosed them in one from herself and [?]
In my Letter from Patterson I sent you poor News but I am
glad to have it now in my power to send you Better I sent a
Letter to W[illia?]m Phillips just before I came here I put it in a
ship bound for Dublin, as I was coming here; I could get none
going to Belfast, and I thought it best to send it by her,
I sent a Letter to John Black dated Christmas day and I have
not much new, to send to you now, - You know I always
said when I was coming away I would write the truth no
matter what it was, and you may depend I shall always
do so no matter whether I am doing well or ill
You advise me to come home but I trust in God I shall
never have call to go home to stand like a Beggar at a
Manufacturers Door
this I have no occasion to do for if I wanted to go home
could go from this to N[ew?]:Y[ork?] a distance of 350 miles and which
would cost me Ten or Twelve Doll[ars?]: pay my passage to Ireland
and and arrive there better Clothed than you ever seen me
but Dr [Dear?] Father I am thankful to you for offering me the plan
I left and dont think hard of me for talking as I do above
I well know how the Weavers suffer in Ireland & so do you
the reason that times are so much worse in Patterson than here
is very plain, it is so near N[ew?] Y[ork?] that when people land there
who perhaps have not a shilling in their Pocket it is easy for
them to go there and another thing Foreign Goods can be so
easily brought then to the great detriment of the Trade there
Indeed any place near those Great frontier Cities is the Same
This place being far from any Large Town makes my Trade
pretty good here I can very easily earn 6 or 7 Shillings
Sterling per day & that is not bad considering the way the
times are in other Places I pay 9 Doll[ars?] a Month for my
Board Washing & Mending and I live on the very best that
the Country can afford a Well-behaved Man is much thought
of here - Seventeen Years ago this place was one continued
Wilderness but it now is settling up pretty fast there is but
one Cotton Factory here it is not Large but it does well
enough for the demand of this place there is a good deal of
coarse Woollen Cloth made by the Country people which is wove[n?]
Chiefly by Women, in this Factory are ten Looms which go
by Water one young Woman attends two Looms & it is very
curious to see them working they Weave all the Shirting &
Sheeting that is made here I work in a Shop hard by the
Factory in which are Seven Looms Five of which Weave
Ticken [ticking?] two Apron Check & one Diaper the Ticken [ticking?] is
in a 700 Reed and is drawn straight across in Heddles (or [?]
as they are here called) with four in a spilt of the Reed it is
tread the same way it is drawn in and makes a nice twill
& very strong Cloth it is Ticken [ticking?] I weave it is paid ten Cents
per y[ar?]d I have often Wove 18 y[ar?]ds per day but from 12 to 16
in a good days Work our bobbins are Wound on a Machine in the
Factory and We have nothing to provide for our Looms not
the smallest article except paying for the making of our heddles
the twine for which we get from the Factory the Check is
Woven with double boxed sleyes [sleighs?] (or lea[?] as they are called
here) they are as well made as I ever seen them in the old Country
I mention these things because I know they will be a
satisfaction to you or some one else - I came here on the
29th Oct[obe?]r Ja[me?]s Hunter wrote for me which I mentioned in
my Letter to W[illia?]m Phillips, in coming up the N[orth?] River to
Albany there was a man on board from Manlius the Village where
Mathew Hunters Son James Died he told me of his being Dead
desired me to write to his Father to send the Power of an Attorney
to W[illia?]m English to get his property
Since I came here I have had a Letter from Manlius
and I dont doubt if Mathew be there he will come
here or write to me as the Man who told me of James's Death
will tell him I am here - James Hunter has got no letter
from his father yet but is every day expecting one, he is Well
Dear Father My Cousin John McBride was often talking
of this Country when I was at home I dont like to advise
but I think if he was here it might be to his advantage
[?]
[?]is Well, and me being here before
[?] quite easy to him not like me who
[?] the Devils own place for Poverty and
[?] thinks of Coming Ouebec is the
[?] cost him much from that
[?] by Water & if he does no come let
[?] what he intends - I seen a Letter
[?] my Aunt had got from my Uncle John
[?]
[?] so I send you
[?] pay the postage
[?] Month I would
[?]ower to do
[?] that way
[?] different
[?] Britain and I
[?] under Tyranny
[?] do Well here
James Hunter has wrote to Benj[ami?]n Workman but got no Ans[we?]r yet I
would be glad if you would ask Mr Workman how we can write to Benj[ami?]n
and send me Word I was sorry to hear of Mr Hulls Death give my love to Ann
& her Uncle Tell Sarah Graham & Tho[ma?]s McHenry I wish them a great deal
of happiness Price of the following Articles here the Best Wheat Flour
5 Doll[ars?] per Barrel [?] Wheat 1 Doll[ar?] per Bushel Oats 18 per
Bushel Indian Corn 3/0 per Bushel Potatoes 18 per B[ushel?]
Beef 4 to 5 Dol[lars?] per CWT [hundred weight?] Pork 6 Dol[lars?] per
[hundred weight?] Butter 1/3 per 1b Cheese 6 per lb Mutton [?]
Sugar 1/3 per 1b Very best tea 5/0 to 7/6 per 1b Whiskey is so cheap a
Man may drink himself Rich it is 3/0 per Gallon Rum from 10/0 to 12/0
per gallon the above at Sterling Direct to John McBride Care of
Messrs Gilbert & Sigurney Watertown Factory Jefferson County State of
N[ew?] Y[ork?]