| Title: | John Caldwell, New York to Robert Simms, Belfast. |
|---|---|
| ID | 432 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Caldwell, John Jr/34 |
| Year | 1806 |
| Sender | Caldwell, John Jr. |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | New York, USA |
| Destination | Belfast, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Simms, Robert |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | friends |
| Source | T 1815/7: Copied by Permission of the Presbyterian Historical Society, Church House, Fisherwick Place, Belfast. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 8809106 |
| Date | 15/05/1806 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by JM 09:11:1993. |
| Word Count | 841 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [New York?] the 15th May 1806 My Dear Sir I am just returned from [Sallisberg?] with my brother's place, & hasten to reply to your letter I advised the enclosures, but our friend has little time for reading anything but [?] [?] [?] [?] reports he is at the head of his profession & daily gaining ground in the estimation of people of all ranks & all parties - the Co Down Pamphlet is [really amusing?] & to me who knows all the characters particularly so tho [though?] I do not feel the same interest in Irish election affairs as formerly, yet I rejoiced in the [discomfiture?] of the Presbeterian [presbyterian?] lord & his redi [ready?] supporters - I believe I formerly gave you a description of my brothers farm, Mills &c &c the improvements will then have been very grat [great?] - He will have the handsomest farm in the Country, has built a number of Houses, all which are tenanted & in the village you may see [carried?] on by different People Shopkeeping [Tanning?], [?] Shoemaking, Weaving, Spinning, [Smithswork?], Cooperage, Milling of every description fulling and Dyeing extensively Machines for Wool Carding - Richard having too much to attend to has Let his Store to [one?] Brother in Law [James Rawly?] for whom he is building a House and he has [removed?] there, where if he lives, I [dare?] venture to say in the course of seven years, he will have saved more Money, than he [would?] have cleared in a large & expensive City, where the Rent of a common House is more than is exhibited in John [Bronson's?] Rent Roll for the Marquis of Donegall's [Donegal's?] House - one of the [grandest?] sights Human imagination can conceive, occurred in the Neighbourhood of Salisbury a few Nights since there is a tremendous Mountain, the base of which is almost a Mile from the Mills - the [trees?] on the Summit of this Mountain for at least a Mile in extent in a semi circular direction took fire & blazed with inconceivable velocity - the Night was [dark?] and the Thunder roll'd, with a violence unknown in Europe when suddenly the Moon broke out of the Clouds, in all it's brightness - the Hemisphere was instantly as clear, as you can conceive the same beggars description one of Richd. [Richard?] Neighbours being Allarmed [alarmed?] tho [though?] without [cause?], for his [employed?] Men to cut down a number of trees to stop the [conflagration?] which was [effectually?] done, by a heavy rain - If I have time I intend writing to my friend Mr Wm [William?] Tennant, but whether I do or not I wish you would urge him to write to his attorney Mr #PAGE 2 Bailie, to [desist?] from proceeding further agt [against?] John [Shaw?] I know his Brother in Law - Shaw has a large family & tho [though?] he has been unfortunate, is honest, but can do nothing for himself or his family, unless he gets a discharge for the debt due by him to Mr Tennant which at any rate he is totally unable to pay. I wrote sometime since to Mr Jos [Joseph?] [Stevenson?] to apply to the [treasury?] for some relief for their Brother Robert, he is in a state of most abject poverty I have him at present Painting my house, he makes but a so so painter, but is willing to do anything for a support & a feeling man in that trade gave him what instruction he was capable of receiving - As his Brothers have not done anything tho [though?] they promised it, we think of raising money to pay his Passage home, as we do not think the present enlightened & liberal administration would suffer an helpless broken down old Man to be Persecuted for what is past do speak to Mr Stevenson about this matter and to the [treasury?] also The Publick [public?] Papers will inform you we have been badly treated by [foreigners?] off our harbour we trust the wisdom of your Government will grant immediate redress, but the editor of the Belfast Paper knows nothing of the state of Politicks [politics?] here, when he talks of a french Party - there is no such party here if any predilection to a European Power exists it is rather in favor of the British, tho [though?] our Government cannot [tamely?] submit to [aggression?] from any - be so good as shew [show?] this letter to Robert Patterson who will interest himself about [Mr Shaw?] John White has established a House here under the firm of John White & [Co?] this House in Baltimore are the Partners - pray remb. [remember?] me affty. [affectionately?] to Mrs Simms & family - I see by the Papers our good old friend D. Matthews is no more - I have two Daughters that my friends tell me I am in a fair way of spoiling - I hope soon to have a [Son?] which may perhaps prevent it I am your affectionate & obliged friend. John Caldwell |
