| Title: | Frederick Foster, Sidmouth, England to Vere Henry Foster, New York, U.S.A. |
|---|---|
| ID | 1095 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Foster, Sir Frederick/34 |
| Year | 1851 |
| Sender | Foster, Sir Frederick |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | businessman |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Sidmouth, England |
| Destination | New York, USA |
| Recipient | Foster, Vere H. |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | D.3618/D/4/1 & 1A: Presented by the late A.C. May. |
| Archive | Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9306027 |
| Date | 10/01/1851 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LET |
| Log | Action By Date Document added by S M, 04:06:1993. |
| Word Count | 365 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | FOSTER OF GLYDE PAPERS DEPOSITED BY THE LATE A.C.MAY Letter from Sir Frederick Foster (2nd Bt.,[Baronet?] brother of Vere), to Vere in America, enclosing a copy of his letter to Lieut. [Lieutenant ?] Hodder, R.N. [Royal Navy] Government Emigration Officer, Liverpool, and the latter's reply, and informing him of the various steps he has taken to enquire into the ship 'Washington'. Envelope:- Vere Henry Foster Esq., [Esquire ?] Post Office New York America Back Stamped :- SENT BACK TO ENGLAND WITHOUT REASON FOR NON-DELIVER Sidmouth Jan [January ?] 10/15 [1851 ?] My dear Vere We were, as you may suppose very much shocked to hear of the treatment you met with on board the Washington, and in the interests of all future Emigrants I thought it necessary to take some steps to make the Ships Companies more careful in their choice of officers. - Enclosed is a letter I wrote to the Govt., [Government ?] Emigration Officer at Liverpool, and his reply. - I then wrote a second letter to him giving him a list of the provisions due & [and?] received and the conversation between the Surgeon & [and ?] you as to the age of adults, which are the two points most directly opposed to the regulations. - I also wrote to the Agent of the Black Star Line of Packet who has not deigned any answer. - I wrote to Captain Lindsay who discouraged the idea of legal proceedings as evidence could not easily be procured, & [and ?] finally I have written to the Editor of the Freemans Journal, to whom I sent the Protest signed by the 128 passengers & [and ?] begged him to publish it as a warning to future Emigrants against the Ship "Washington". If you had prosecuted the Captain at New York, it would have been easier to obtain damages. - Captain Lindsay remarks that if you had gone in the fore cabin, your interference on board would have had more effect. #PAGE 2 I am glad to hear so good an account of your emigrants and of the Earls family. I hope next year will show a large diminution in the number of Emigrants, the fare to New York is now 2 pounds 10 [s?]. - The country is improving rapidly and from [Killarney ?] I have very good accounts, the school is progressing and McNally has established a debating society. - I got them a mistress but shall have to change her, the trustees of the School & [and ?] the Parish have hitherto totally neglected it as if it were no concern of theirs, but I have written to both & [and ?] insist upon their doing something better then they have done. The Encumbered Court works well & [and ?] has sold a million's worth of property chiefly in Meath, Galway & [and ?] Cork. Agrarian outrages are now chiefly confined to Armagh. - I am going over there early next month for the assizes and have let both houses in London at moderate rates, preferring to let them at the usual rate rather then speculate on high prices during the Exhibition. - that in New Street will be vacant again in August & [and ?] that will be time enough for the Exhibition. - My mother goes to [Bra--sea ?] in May or perhaps even in April. - I have written you two letters before this but did not write so soon as I calculated on your being at least six weeks on the voyage. When next you write, tell us what you did on board all day & [and ?] whether you were allowed to walk on deck. - Whether the passengers had any way of passing time & [and ?] whether you had lights & [and?] room enough to read & [and ?] write. - Your next will probally be from Washington I think there is a railroad open now to Pittsburg [Pittsburgh ?] one of the most progressing [progressive ?] places in America which I hope you will visit.- And from thence there is steam to New Orleans. - If you meet with any compendious statistical accounts of the States pray read them. The census has just been taken but I have not any account of it. - The project of a railroad seems most gigantic - I hope the Congress will not allow a monopoly of the traffic, but make it themselves by degrees. Your Affr [Affectionate ?] Brother Frederick Foster |
