| Title: | Mary Cumming, Petersburg to James Craig, Ireland. |
|---|---|
| ID | 770 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Cumming, Mary/3 |
| Year | 1811 |
| Sender | Cumming (n. Craig), Mary |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | middle class housewife |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Petersburg, Virginia, USA |
| Destination | Lisburn, Co. Antrim, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Craig, James |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | siblings |
| Source | T 1475/2 p32-33: Copied by Permission of Miss A. McKisack, 9 Mount Pleasant, Belfast. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9405203 |
| Date | 11/11/1811 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 09:05:1994. |
| Word Count | 736 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | November 11th 1811 I have been engaged these two days writing to my Lisburn and Armagh friends, and I now take up my pen to write a few lines to my dearst James, my old and loved correspondent. I am sure you would be pleased to hear that after encountering the dangers of a tempestuous voyage at sea and a fatiguing one by land, that I am now comfortably fixed in my new place of residence. I cannot express the joy I felt when after being buffetted and tossed about for five long weeks on the great Atlantic, I again got in sight of dear terra firma. I was as sick as possible during the voyage and sea-sickness is the most unpleasant and dispiriting kind that I ever suffered. I wish my dear James saw how comfortably I am settled in my new habitation. Everything in it is as neat as possible. I am very much pleased with America and the people I have met with I like and admire very much indeed. The American ladies are in general elegant, accomplished and well-informed. Their manners are extremely pleasing, there are a good many of this description in Petersburg who have visited me since I arrived, and I think I shall have a very pleasing society. I was quite delighted with the view of New York, the harbour and surrounding country: on our sailing up the river Hudson there was nothing that attracted or pleased me so much as the immense tracts of country covered with woods. I can give you no idea of the beauty and endless variety of the colouring and form of the trees. On my arrival the woods appeared in all their magnificence and charmed me more than anything I ever saw. The trees assume a much more brilliant appearance here than in Ireland, but I was delighted with everything I saw then, being completely tired looking at the wide Atlantic for such a length of time. The principal towns in America are very handsome, some of the public buildings are extremely beautiful and the houses have all a clean nice look, owing I suppose to the inhabitants burning wood instead of coals. Philadelphia is thought to be the handsomest town, it is built in the most regular manner, but I admire New York more, the situation is beautiful. When at Philadelphia I had an opportunity of seeing the celebrated Cook perform his favourite character of Sir Pertinax MacSycophant in "The Man of the World". I never was so pleased with an actor in my life as with Cook. There is a theatre here but it is not open just now. We were at Covent Garden when we were in London. I was delighted with it of course, but indeed, my dear James, we went to so many curiosities when in that great metropolis that my poor head was quite bewildered. I never was in a place that I would like to live in so little as London. Our climate here in some respects is pleasanter than in Ireland, particularly at this season of the year. The weather at present is clear, dry, and in the middle of the day as warm as in the month of April with you. But I will be better enabled to tell you how I like it when I spend a summer here. I am glad you are determined studying law, and if the best wishes for your success in everything you undertake would be of any use to you be assured you possess my most earnest prayers, for you happiness and prosperity. I often anticipate the joyful meeting we shall all have if we live to return to my dear native country, and I trust and hope you will then be Councillor Craig. Oh! how proud I shall be of my dear brother. I hope I shall hear from you soon, it is impossible to conceive the joy I feel when I receive a letter from Ireland. When you write tell me all the news you can think of for every trifle is interesting to me now that I am so far from all of you. How are the Miss Wallaces? Give my kind love to my Nephew William. I hope he is well. Mr. Cumming joins me in the best wishes for your health and happiness, and believe me, my beloved James, your sincerely attached. M. [Mary?] Cumming. |
