| Title: | Henry McKibbin, Canada to Ellen McKibbin, Co. Down, Ireland. |
|---|---|
| ID | 3851 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | mckibbin, henry/28 |
| Year | 1813 |
| Sender | McKibbin, Henry |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | surgeon |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Destination | Portaferry, Co. Down, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | McKibbin, Ellen |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | nephew-aunt |
| Source | T3103/1: Presented by Mrs Margaret Orr Herriot, Co. Down. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9503145 |
| Date | 15/12/1813 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 22:03:1995. |
| Word Count | 891 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Miss Ellen McKibbin Portaferry Ireland Halifax Dec 15th 1813 My Dear Aunt To you who have been my best and almost only friend, it might perhaps be [exepacy?] to apologize for my silence but your friendship and affection which renders me doubly culpable must at the same time form and render acceptable that course which I do not myself dare to offer; I acknowledge that I have been neglectful, and apparently ungrateful but I have perhaps suffered sufficiently to atone for that or any other offences with which my worst enemy could [charge?] me. I have written frequently, but I have received no replies to my frequent and anxious enquiries; from those who have the first and dearest place in my heart I did naturally expect other treatment and even supposing they had entertained, no very high opinion of my feelings or my conduct they must have certainly known that this long and studied silence and that too under the peculiar circumstances in which I left them, must and did wound me in the most unbearable parts, more, believe me, infinitely more there the purpose of the worst will to which I have been at times exposed poverty and disease. I can never believe that Isabella could have forgotten me, nor my Mother - therefore I naturally supposed some accident must have occurred which they have been afraid to divulge but I would be left distressing them this suspense. You must already have heard from Isabella many of the accidents which have befallen me, as to her I have endeavoured to present a faithful but not minute detail of whatever I could have supposed would be interesting to her and to you all since then I have seen much bloodshed and have been taken Prisoner by Commodore Rodgers; we were carried into Providence in Rhode Island, United States when we were detained two monthly suffering (particularly myself, much from poverty as the allowance of our Government was extremely inadequate to support us as Officers and in a Country where where every thing was so exorbitantly dear - After a short period, indeed, from our arrival met with much disinterested hospitality and were able to borrow as much as relieved me from many and distressing [poverty?] As a Surgeon I was not considered a Prisoner of War and was at liberty to leave the U. [United?] States when and how I pleased but without money, to transport myself six or seven hundred miles was impossible. I procured a passage in a [Contd?] which has just arrived in this place and suffered so much on the passage from cold, hunger and other causes that I have been extremely unwell I have lost my instruments - they were seized by the Surgeon of the President as a lawful price, though to me, alas, they are an irreparable loss in my present circumstances and what little stock of [Clothes?] I have remaining is so battered that I suffer much from the intense cold of this place, and I have no money, my American expedition having expended my stock in refunding what I had borrowed. We proceed in the Fox Frigate tomorrow in guests of the Admiral Ships, for Domingo, which we expect to find at Bermuda. I had been appointed Surgeon of the Anaconda Sloop of War since I came in but I have refused to accept the warrant as I hope to be sent on the home station; this however I am by no means certain of, as I have, to my cost, become too great a favourite of the Admirals, and he will be very unwilling to [torn] part with me, particularly as there is [torn] a scarcity of good medical officers here and so many Ships newly commissioned - I could not go through what I have done, again for I have suffered very much from bad health; but as there is no other prospect for me at home, I must endeavour to be contented in the station in which my for tune or rather my misfortunes have placed me. I have already written to McCleary, & he has disappointed me; I shall now therefore write to Willm. McCleary. I hope my Mother is happier than when I left her; she has always been an excellent mother to me, and I am afraid I have added not a little to her sorrow; I should have written to her now, but that I am afraid she has left Portaferry and I have nothing pleasant to communicate. As to Isabella and my Child, it is a subject I cannot write upon, I hope they are happier than I have any prospect of being, though indeed I do feel some momentary gleams of pleasure in the hope that we shall soon meet under more [permissible?] auspices. The delusion is transitory, it is succeeded by real remorse and pain but you will not wonder that I solicit the present [stained] of so pleasing an idea by every means known in me. Give my love to my Aunts, Mother Sisters McK [McKibbin?] but particularly to Isabella - I am Dear Aunt your Affect. [Affectionate?] Nephew Henry McKibbin Direct to me. "Care of Wm. McDowell Esq. Apt. [Apprentice?] Surgeon N. MS San Domingo Bermuda or elsewhere to be left at the Admirals Office Portsmouth" The Postage must be paid to Portsmouth else they will not reach me. |
