| Title: | Job Johnson, Oxford Township, to Robert Johnson, Co. Londonderry |
|---|---|
| ID | 1563 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Johnson, Job/9 |
| Year | 1767 |
| Sender | Johnson, Job |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | farmer? |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Oxford, Penn., USA |
| Destination | Co. Derry, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Johnson, Robert |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | T3700/1A: Deposited by Prof. Curtis Wood & Dr Charlotte Arnold |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 1200267 |
| Date | 02/03/1767 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 19:12:00. |
| Word Count | 1863 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Oxford Township November 27th, 1767. My Very Dear Brethern, [Brethren?] Not being willing to neglect any opportunity that I have in my power to writ [write?] unto you, I have thought proper to address Myself to you all in a few lines hoping that they may find you all in good health, as thanks be to God they Leave Me. The Chief purport of them is to acquaint you that I have not had the favour nor happiness of one Letter from any of you this year. Although you have had Many Good opportunities to have sent by. Which gives Brother and I great uneasiness Concerning your Welfares [Welfare?], and if I were not sensible that letters between this and Ireland are subject to Miscarry I would really be apt to lose you with unkindness: But however, [----------?] that you have wrot [wrote?], and they have Got Lost, and on that account, I shall not insist upon your infringement of Brotherly sincerity and regard, but proceed to acquaint you, that brother William is in Good Health, And lives in Hertford Township, Chester County with one John Lewis, which is the same place he was in when I wrote to you before. He follows plantation business by which he Makes out extraordinary well, he likes this Country so well that he Does not know whither [whether?] he shall ever Return home or Not. I was fully Determined to agone [have gone?] home this fall, But I Could not Get Ready in time therefore I Continue in the above Township, where I now have been Two years and a half Teaching a very Large School, and am Now Engaged in it untill [until?] the tenth of February ensuing. Again which time if God permits Me days I intend to come home. Not with any other view than through the regard I have to see you all once More, and to settle My Affairs, there, and so to return (God willing) here again. I wrote seven letters home last year, six I sent by David White [?] but I do not know whither [whether?] or not you have Got them, and I have Got No answer therefore I have nothing further to writ [write?], only knowing that it is common [----------?] at home to expect something Concerning this Country its property and Quality, therefore this is really my judgement of it, that it is as Good as [a?] Country as any Man needs to dwell in; and it is Much better than I expected it to be in every way I assure you, and I really likes [like?] it so well and it is so pleasant to me that it would be a Good Estate in Ireland that would Make Me Stay there, and indeed many times when I have been by myself and think of the Lord's Good Dealings unto Me, I cannot but admire him for his Mercies that ever he turned My face hitherward; and Give Me Strength and Confidence in himself and boldness by faith, to oppose all Gainsayers, though never so strong, although I cannot say that then, it seemed so Clear for Me to leave the land of My Nativity, Yet Now to Me it is a Certainty that My Removal was right and in what I Did I had peace, and in all My exercises by sea and Land, I never felt the Least in Me, as to Desire I had not come forward, but rather rejoiced (Turn Over) in the Midst of them all. My Brother was not so Clear in these things untill [until?] he had Been a year in the Country. Which indeed is Mostly the Case, with all the first year after they Come here: but Blessed be God all is well to our Content. And if one heard every objection that lay in the way of Coming here, it would be work enough. But My resolutions were, and my sayings to several opposers, that I would come, if God hindered me not, no man should. And I do not know one that has come here that Desires to be in Ireland again, for to Live there and I have often wondered at our Countryfolk that was hard of belief in regard of what was said of their Country, and would rather live in Slavery, and work all the year round, and not be threepence the better at the years end than stir out of the Chimney corner and transport themselves, to a place where with the like pains, in two or three years, they might know better things. The only encouragement that I had to Come away was because Many Go to America worth Nothing yet some of them servants and to hear or see them come back again, in two or three years worth more than they would have been by staying at home while they lived and yet they would Not Content themselves at home, but went back again which was sufficient to Convince any one that the Country was Good. But there are Many in Ireland that Desire to hear ill of this place, because they would keep their friends there with them, in Bondage and Slavery, rather then [than?] let them come here, and they think we never writ [write?] enough of the Bad properties of this Country and the Vermin in it. Now this I must say in report that there are Bears, Wolves & Foxes, Rattle snakes, and several other such creatures, but Not in this part as ever I seen, as I have Travelled Many Miles to & fro. But I suppose the fear of these Creatures in Ireland is far worse to Some there, than the hurt of them is here. But I believe that this Province of Pennsylvania by all I have seen and heard of it, is as Good a one as any in America. I have seen in all places I have travelled, Orchards Laden with fruit to admiration, their very Limbs torn to pieces with the weight, Most Delicious to the taste I have seen a Barrel of Curious Cyder [Cider?] from an apple tree; and Peaches in Great Plenty. I could not but at first smile at the Conceit of them, they are a very Delicate fruit, and hang almost like our onions that are tied on a rope. As for Cherrys [cherries?] both red and black they [there?] cannot be a Country to exceed it. Pears are also very plenty, and very Good; Plumbs [Plums?] in abundance, Quinches [Quinces?] also. but I do not like them: although Good of their kind. And here are from May until Michaelmass great Store of Very Good wild fruit. viz [vide licet?] Strawberries, Cranberries, Hukkleberries [Huckleberries?] and bilberries. There are Gooseberries in some places, middling good, but in a general was [way?] Does not Grow so well here as at home. But here Growes [Grows?] exceedingly fine Currants, of which the inhabitants Make excellent wine. Here is likewise in Great Plenty, wild Grapes of which they Make Wines. And it is My Judgement, at which I have observed that fruit trees in this Country destroy themselves by the very Weight of their fruit. As for Grain where land is Good and well laboured it turn [turns?] out to admiration; some Acres will produce Thirty, some Twenty and in Common the Land hereabouts will produce between fifteen and twenty Bushels of Good wheat, that will weigh sixty or sixty two pounds per Bushel. The land they plows [plough?] three times, and allows three packs of Wheat to sow an acre. Rye grows exceedingly well here; Barley Does not do so well here as at home, they allow two Bushels to sow an acre. Oats does pretty well here but not so well as at home, and indeed this year there was None in this part of the country they are Commonly ripined [ripened?] before they come to perfection, owing and I suppose to the heat of the Climate, and Make No other use of them here then [than?] to feed their horses; they allow only Two bushels to sow an acre here in a Grain, called Buck Wheat Very Good and is of Great service, and produces to admiration, the Common time of sowing this Grain is about the Twentieth of July and in less than three Months May have it in meal, they allow three pecks to sow an acre, and they will have in a Common Way between twenty and thirty Bushels off an acre. Here is a very serviceable Grain Called Indian Corn, and where it is well laboured and Duly attended will reward the Labour with four or five hundred fold. Two Quarts is what they allow to [---------?] the Ground here in a general way are but shallow, and is very easy [----?] a boy and two horses will plow [plough?] an acre very easy in a Day. As [-------?] Grass there is pretty Good Lowland Meadows, which is mowed [----?] as to their pasturage or upland, the grass is not extraordinary, [----?] Cattle very fat, the Inhabitants here give their cattle salt [-----?] they tell Me (sic) Makes them thrive. Every farmer has yearly two acres of Turnips which turn out to their advantage all roots [----?] do well here, potatoes does exceedingly well in Most part where they [---?] to raise them. here is also Cucumber, Water Milions [Melons?] Mush Milions [Melons?] and pomkins [pumpkins?] in Great abundance. As to Flowers we have such an abundance that the woods abounds in More plenty then [than?] your Garden at home. Pease [Peas?] grow very well here, and English Beans Likewise, but here is Beans called Kidney that is excellent eating with the podes [pods?] on. And indeed this is a Brave Country, although no place will please all. And some may be ready to say I writ [write?] of Conveniences, but not of Inconveniences; My Answer to those I honestly Declare there is some barren Land, as, I suppose there is in Most places of the World, and Land in this part is very, high selling Commonly, at six and seven pounds per acre. Neither will such Land produce without labour, nor Cattles [Cattle?] be got without something to buy them. Nor bread will not be got with Idleness, else it would be a brave Country indeed, and I Question not, but all them would Give it a good word. For My part I never would had the Least thought of returning home, only through regard of seeing you all again. I would here writ [write?] More particularly to each of you Concerning us both, but seeing, God willing I shall so suddenly follow this Epistle in person, Let these suffice. Dear Bretheren [Brethren?] I Desire this favour of you to remember me kindly to our Relations at home Indefinetely; for I have Not time at present to particularize them, so in a hopeful expectation of finding you all well at My arrival, I Conclude and remain My Very Dear Brethern [Brethren?] with the Most sincere regard your affectionate Brother Job Johnson [-- rejoiced] |
