| Title: | W.J.C. Allen, Belfast to his Uncle Arthur Harper, Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| ID | 443 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Campbell Allen, William John/208 |
| Year | 1831 |
| Sender | Campbell Allen, William J. |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | businessman |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Belfast, N.Ireland |
| Destination | Philadelphia, Penn., USA |
| Recipient | Harper, Arthur |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | nephew-uncle |
| Source | D1558/1/1/1: The Papers of William John Campbell Allen, Depositedby F.D.Campbell Allen Esq., 15 London Rd., Harrow-on-the-hill,Middlesex. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, N.Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9904156 |
| Date | 14/04/1831 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LTE |
| Log | Document added by LT, 13:04:99. |
| Word Count | 1306 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | 47 York Street Belfast April 14th 1831 Mr Arthur Harper Philadelphia, Honoured & Dear Sir The person who now makes bold to trouble you with a letter is one who never had the pleasure of seeing you, but having been favoured by Mrs. Hunter with the perusal of a part of your last kind communication relating to himself, he takes the liberty of addressing you a few lines. You are pleased in, to offer me a word of advice with regard to my future conduct, [---ing?] me not to give up the idea of pursuing my profession notwithstanding the means which have been placed in my power of living in indolence. This advice coming as it does from a person of worthied experience, sound understanding and a kind heart, possesses every thing necessary to recommend it to my attention; but there are two circumstances which render it still more irresistible: I am persuaded in the first instance that it was the intention of my good Uncle John, while knowing my delicacy of constitution he made me independent of eleemosynary support, not by that means to paralyse my feeble efforts, but to add a spin to my ambition and in a manner goad me on to attain if possible a higher and still nobler station among my fellows. Besides I have within myself a strong disposition to activity: not to be employed & to be dead seem to me to be similar in their nature, so that in spite of the urgent advice of some who seemed to be my well wishers; I have commenced the course of study necessary to fit me for the most honourable, at the same time that it is the most arduous profession in this country I mean the law. I am just on the point of setting off for London to keep two terms with a view to my being called to the bar, which I expect will take place in about four years. My Dear Mother, (whose name, by the way, is Jane not Ellen) feels honoured by your kind notice of her in your letter to her cousin and she [bys?] that you will accept her kindest regards. My good Uncle James Campbell enjoys good health; as you are no doubt aware, since you last left this country, he took to himself a wife; he is now the father of six most lovely children, two of whom William & John are pretty well advanced in their education. They are both boarding at the Institution of this town, the first school in the North of Ireland, and it gives me very great pleasure to state that all the teachers under whom they study inform me that they are among the very best, most diligent and clever boys they have ever had. My Uncle has for some time been talking of writing to you, if you would not be fatigued by receiving too many epistles from your friends in this island: in the mean time his kind partner joins with him in presenting to you their very best compliments. My Uncle William has also a fine young family: his two eldest boys are at the Academy in Antrim and are I believe making considerable progress in their education. Mary Anne his daughter by his first wife Ann Clarke, who lived principally with my mother was married about two years after to a respectable grocer in this town named Blain: she has one very fine little son whom they have called William Campbell Allen: they live very comfortably, and as I am frequently called from home to attend the hours of Court my Mother and I have joined them in their house, so that she is not entirely left in the hands of strangers during my absence. My Uncle & his partner unite with Mary Anne and her lord in offering you their respects. Our other friends in Antrim are all pretty well, your good sister spent rather an indifferent winter indeed, but I hope the genial heat of summer will restore her to her wanted health and spirits. You will no doubt soon have a communication from Mr Harbison so that I shall pass on to another branch of our numerous circle of friends. Your sister Mrs. Mulholland has been I am sorry to say, for several years in rather a delicate state of health. The troubles of her latter days have however been alleviated, and the pillow of her sick bed has been smoothed by the hand of one of the most affectionate daughters I have ever seen. The life of Mrs. Bryans indeed seems centered in that of her mother, and in what pleasure and delight, after attending to the concerns of her own little family, seems to be to render the passage of her dear Mother along the downhill of life, as smooth and gentle as her circumstances will allow. It now only remains for me to mention another of my good friends her, the person to whom your letter, which I had the pleasure of seeing, was addressed: though I have left Mrs. Hunter to the last yet believe me she is far from being the least respected of the friends whom I have mentioned: and though you will have a letter from her own hand, I cannot get over saying a few words respecting her. To Mrs. Hunter and to her family I am bound by the tenderest ties of gratitude: Clouds and storms encompassed the path of Dear Father during the last years of his adventurous life, and during that period the family of Mrs. Hunter was to us indeed a city of refuge. Her kindness of heart indeed was a strong support both to my father & Mother during their difficulty, and the only circumstance which I can regret respecting her is that her benevolence is in a great measure restricted by her means: although she lives comfortably and I hope happily. Her eldest daughter, one of the kindest and best of friends has been married nearly two years ago to a most industrious draper in L'pool [Liverpool?]: of her son James, you know more than we do, and I am happy to learn from you that he is doing well on the farther side of the Atlantic: while he lived in Ireland he was my most particular Companion: and, if it would not give you too much trouble, I would be exceedingly obliged by your reminding him when you may write to him of old friend Willy John as he used to called me. A good son and a most amiable daughter then, are the only of the children who remain at home with Mrs. Hunter. Arthur has become indeed a very fine young man, and is extremely attentive to business: I should however be glad to see him in a more extended and active line of trade. Mr. Hunter, who for many years enjoyed the most uniterrupted health, has been, I am sorry to state, for some time, rather delicate: age is creeping fast upon him but I trust Arthur and his sister Eliza will be a [sure?] prop to their good parents in their declining years. You will be tired my Dear Sir, before you arrive at the end of this epistle especially as it is not written too legibly: I trust however that you will excuse my prolixity, and that your good disposition will find an apology for a request which I am free to confess, considering the difference of our ages, is a very bold one, namely that if your busin [business?] would allow, you would favour me with a line or two from your own hand as I am anxious to cultivate a correspondence with one whom I have always been taught to revere: and believe me to be Honoured Much Yours Most Sincerely William John Campbell Allen. |
