| Title: | Greeves, Thomas to O'Brien (n. Greeves), Anne, 1822 |
|---|---|
| ID | 5998 |
| Collection | The Transatlantic Letters of an Irish Quaker Family_1818-1877 [B. Jackson] |
| File | quaker/44 |
| Year | 1822 |
| Sender | Greeves, Thomas |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | linen trader |
| Sender Religion | Quaker |
| Origin | Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, N.Ireland |
| Destination | Smithsville, Niagara Co., NY, USA |
| Recipient | O'Brien (n. Greeves), Anne |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | siblings |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 1866 |
| Genre | correspondence, return arrangements, prospects, family news, disturbances in Ireland |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Dungannon 2nd mo 10th 1822 My dear Sister This day I rec'd William's & thine dated in 11th month last, which you sent by Uncle and Aunt Sinton & directed to Carlow, & I need scarcely say we were all glad to hear from you, not having had one since that by Jacob Taylor to Philadelphia; & am surprised that you have not had one from me since the one dated 7th mo 15th 1820, as I wrote thee by the Globe to New York 5th mo 10th last; also by the John Dickinson 8th mo 1st enclosing you Uncle Saml Sin ton's draft on Abraham Bell at 21 days sight for Twenty pounds Irish, which I am astonished at not hearing from you of the receipt of ere this, as its now above six months since; &c since that time I wrote you by the Helen to New York bearing date 11th mo 7th —telling you of our prospects for you, if you would come home; & I wrote you again dated 12th mo 20th by the John Dickinson, informing you of the two last letters. We have concluded best to send sixty pounds Irish (which will be a bill at short date in his favour) to Abraham Bell, to lye in his hands until] William draws on him for it and this sum I intend sending him by the Ceres which sails from Belfast on the 26rh of this month, for the purpose of bringing you home (provided you think its best to come). I wrote you in my two last letters what information I could respecting the different routes — (New York or Quebec) and it seems the latter way would be much less expensive & more commodious altho though about 100 miles round, owing to so much travelling by steam boats. But we leave you to your choice, also the disposal of the money let you come home or not. I also mentioned in my two last about sending but f 20 to Abram Bell & the other £40 to Jas Sinton to Quebec to meet you there. But I understand by a letter which Anna Nicholson had from her cousin Thomas Nicholson a few days since (and it was written in 12th month which is a month later than thy letter), that thee had written him to know if he would give you encouragement to go live where he is, & that he was about to write thee to say that he thought that place would answer you; (Thou may recollect thy hinting at removing some where in thy last letter) & least you might have removed before this reaches you, thought best to send the money to Abram Bell & then William can draw it as he likes, either by getting a draft from Abram on Quebec or any other place, or William himself drawing on Abram at a short date; & I intend desiring Abram to write William on receipt of the money & to charge any postage or ex pence to Thomas Bell & Joseph Malcomson of Belfast (who are in Partnership) & I would pay it (to them). But he has so much business to attend to that perhaps he may forget it, so do not depend too much on him writing. This letter goes in a vessel from Dublin which is to sail shortly & I intend writing a duplicate with any other additional information or news I can collect by the British Packet which is [to] sail from London on the 6th of next month. I suppose Abraham knows William's hand write, for it is very necessary he should, least a forgery be committed, as I understand that a bill which Joshua Haughton sent to one of his daughters [Jane Taylor] lately, was taken out of the letter in the Post Office in America; her name, or rather James instead of Jane, was forged on it and thereby fortunately detected within a few days of its being paid, but had the forger written Jane instead of James, the Bill would have been paid, consequently lost. I mentioned in my two last letters that we had nothing great to offer you, but expected with economy you would make out a lively hood with more contentment in Clonmell than where you are. It is the same business as Dan and John & I are in we have in view for you, and Dan was there looking to see if it would answer and thinks there is an open for chat business in it; & as I suppose thou knows 8th or 9th Month is the best time in the year to open shop, we would wish if it was practicable that you could get beginning about that time. And its in order to facilitate your progress that I have sent the money to Abram Bell, before I hear from you, your determination, wishing to err on the right side, even should you think proper to stay in the land of liberty. We intend all contributing our mite in lending you money to commence & hopes that with the knowledge we have of the business and the good credit we are in, that it will not require a large sum to set you going reputably. 12th I saw Uncle Samuel a few days ago and he told me he had written Uncle Joe Sin ton, inviting him to come over & see him and further if he would, that he would pay his expences both coming & going: (dont mention this last part to Uncle Joe least it might hurt him). I think this was a handsome offer of Uncle Saml & should not wonder (if Uncle Joe had bur little notion of coming before) that if he knew that you were coming, he would embrace the opportunity of your company. The last letter I had from Mary McDonnell was dated in 12th month. She was then much better. She said bet sister Peggy was teacher in a boarding school at Flushing 14 miles from New York & she was to go live there also and pay for her board &c. I believe Mary intends returning the ensuing summer. Cousin James Sinton is a merchant at Quebec & has a country House about 2 miles from town, should you come that way. I am sure he would do what he could in procuring you a comfortable passage &c Sic. Although there has been, & still is, a good deal of disturbances in the neighborhood of Limerick &c Cork in which several lives have been lost, yet it cannot be called Rebellion, (at least against the Government). They dont seem to have any organized plan, nor no respectable person has joined them. Its the very poor struggling against tythes & high rents. They are quiet about Carlow & here in the North we are also in peace. Parliament is about to renew the insurrection act which, as was in force in the year 1798, it is thought will completely put down anything of this kind. We have got a new Lord Lieutenant, the Marquis Wellesly our countryman, who so far is well liked. Sure enough there was great doings about the Kings visit. I was in Dublin at the time & saw him so near that I could have touched him. He only went two or three places from town, not much more than 20 miles distant. Anna Nicholson & her sisters have commenced shop keeping in Belfast: I hope they may do well. They are all well but Anna, and she is recovering after being very poorly. She is at present staying at Jem Pikes. Sarah Calvert is dead & Billy has married Rosey Donaghy and sold his place & has come into this town & is about to set up a public House. I expect you will have got some of my other letters ere this reaches you, by which you will find that Father & Mother are gone to live in Armagh with John & Jane. They get a fair share of business for the time. They have not got Bernagh disposed of yet. Although Mother has been very poorly with a cough a good part of the winter, she & Father I think get their health as well as in Be ma & are more content. Mother's tongue however is no better, nor, I would fain hope, is not getting worse. We would wish you to get your certificate, if you have time & have it directed to Carlow monthly meeting & to come by Belfast & I could go there to meet you; & if you could get no vessel for Belfast I think Dublin would be the next best place to land. I expect you will surely write me on receipt of this & let me know your determination and when we may expect you (even should you have written before); and whatever port you sail from, if there be another vessel for any part of Great Brittain or Ireland, please write by it as it might happen to get to hand before you arrive & would let us know when & where to expect you. I would also suggest that you should write me by the Captain of whatever vessel you come by, when he takes the letters off the ship to the Post office wherever he lands, as I suppose thou knows they are the first things brought to shore. 1 should think that the less things you have to bring with you, the better, if you can dispose of those you can do without for money: as you know, you can replace them much cheaper in old Ireland. I think you may write several letters as I expect now you have money to pay the postage. It would be as well not to mention what particular prospects we have for you: its only known to our own particular families what we are about doing. I had a letter from Jno G Greeves a few weeks since & he was well. W Sinton and his sisters are well - Mary is still at Moyallon for the good of her health but seems recovered. With dear love to Win & your little Toads (in which I am joined by all) I am with much affection Thy brother Thomas 2nd Month 27th Altho' its now the 27th of the month, I'm still without hearing from you since the letter alluded to above. I intend sending this by the British Packet & I sent the original to Dublin to go in a vessel from that; & I also intend sending another Duplicate by the Ceres & writing Abraham Bell by her, also enclosing him the £60 I alluded to. I have got the draft on New York & will forward it to Belfast the day after tomorrow to go by the Ceres. But as the Packets are the Quickest sailers, I expect you will get this as soon as he will receive his, however this is uncertain. c/o the Packet For William OBrien Jacob Taylor Smithville Post Office (via Buffalo) State of New York America |
