| Title: | Greeves, Thomas to O'Brien, William, 1819 |
|---|---|
| ID | 5956 |
| Collection | The Transatlantic Letters of an Irish Quaker Family_1818-1877 [B. Jackson] |
| File | quaker/9(2) |
| Year | 1819 |
| Sender | Greeves, Thomas |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | linen trader |
| Sender Religion | Quaker |
| Origin | Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, N.Ireland |
| Destination | Philadelphia, Penn., USA |
| Recipient | O'Brien, William |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers-in-law |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 737 |
| Genre | invention of the steamboat, correspondence, family |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Dungannon 4th Month 13th 1819 Dear William I had the pleasure about six weeks ago by a vessel from Belfast to New York in which 1 acknowledged the rec't of thine giving the pleasing acct of Anne's safe accouchement. Since which we are without any of your favors but as the Ceres is soon expected from Philadelphia, we daily expect letters from you, which at all times is a great gratification to us & I hope we may always be able to get letters from you with as much facility. But if you should happen to go to any of the back settlements I'm afraid of it, & we would rather you would stay among your relations, if thee finds it will answer. If I can credit the account I see in the Newspapers of a new discovery in navigation, by propelling vessels by steam, we may calculate on receiving any communication by sea in a certain time, as if by a mail coach. The particulars or rather the description of the aparatus is not published yet. but the inventor (a young student80 in Glasgow or Edinburgh) has obtained a patent for it. It's wrought by steam, & no weather can affect it, and may be attached to any vessel: besides there seems to be little of no danger of accident. In short I think it says too much to be true & if it is true & it comes into use. dont be surprised if you see me paying you a visit one day or other. But in the present mode there is too much risk to tun for a trip of pleasure, for me ever to be able to persuade my Mother to let me go; indeed excepting a tradesman, without a person has plenty of money, it seems as if a person can make it out nearly as well in Ireland. To be sure they may make it out here, but not be able to leave anything to their offspring if they ever should be blest with so endearing a gratification; as to myself, it seems if I was doomed to live out a solitary existence with the application of an old batchelor. I have had four diffr letters from Jno G Greeves, the last one dated the 21st of 2nd mo by the Parker & Sons which which arrived at Liverpool in 31 days, the shortest passage ever known. He mentioned his intention of writing you. By all his letters he says trade is very bad: the market is much glutted with all kinds of European goods. Tell Anne since I wrote last I had two interviews with Betty Grimes about going over to you. She would like it much, but having lent her Father some money could not get going till next spring: & I think ... [if it?] would come to the push, her relations would try to prevent it. However she says she would be resolved & not let any of them hinder her. She is living these some months back with Edwd Shaw of Castle Caulfield at 5 gs p. year. I told her there was some danger of you going back into the country, which she seems to have no objection to, provided she was with Anne. So untill we would know this & she know of some acquaintance going, she would be undetermined untill spring & whether she could be depended on even then I cant say. Anne Green, who I wrote Anne abt before, seems full as anxious for going & as Anne knows her, she can write what she thinks about her. We are anxious to hear from you: it seems so long since you wrote. I purpose setting out for Dublin on the 23rd and not returning untill after the yearly meeting, where I expect to meet with many of our acquaintances. The Simons are getting on as well as the times will admit of & seem to enjoy a House of their own much. Everyone almost has been complaining of trade & altho it has not been so good as 1 expected at Easter, we had no reason to complain; but now that this set time is over, I tear we will have little to do. The Grocery business is doing as well as I expected. He [brother John] has got seeds & timber also to sell. Believe me thy afft brother Thomas Greeves |
