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Title: William McElderry, Lynchburg, Va. to T. McElderry, Ballymoney
ID1706
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FileMcElderry, William/26
Year1853
SenderMcElderry, William
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationgetting settled in
Sender ReligionPresbyterian
OriginLynchburg, Virginia, USA
DestinationBallymoney, Co. Antrim, N.Ireland
RecipientMcElderry, Thomas
Recipient Gendermale
Relationshipbrothers
SourceT 2414/11: Copied by Permission of Dr Helen Megaw, c/o 66 Malone Road, Belfast 9. #TYPE EMG Wm [William?] McElderry, Lynchburg, Virginia, [U.S.A.?], an Account of His Arrival in Lynchburg, to His Brother, Thomas McElderry, Jr. [Junior?], Ballymoney, [Coun
ArchivePublic Record Office, Northern Ireland.
Doc. No.9007072
Date20/10/1853
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
Log27:07:1990 TSFS#CREATE created 05:10:1990 CD input
Word Count579
Genre
Note
TranscriptLynchburg 20th Oct 1853

Dear Thomas
I suppose you will be thinking I have
forgot to write to you as I am so long about it but
I just arrived here last night and did not see Robert
untill [until?] this Morning and find him well and he says he has
written to you about a month ago and the reason that
he was so long of letting you hear from him was that he
had nothing to write about. I had a very long and rough
passage we were 28 Days coming to Quebec and we had to put
in to St. Johns for coal as we had run short of them and when
we were there they would not let us on shore because there was
some sickness on board but there was nothing but measles and
only one or two children had them we had 2 deaths on board
one a male and the other a female and they both died of disentry
so that we had no disease among us but the Doctor when he came
on board and found that there was a death he gave orders for
us to keep the vessel and that prevented us from seeing
St Johns I was not sea sick nor did I know what want
of health was since I left home there were very few but
sea sick as the weather was so rough the Captain said it was
the roughest voyage he has had this long time but all went
right when we arrived safe you wanted me to take some things
with me and if I had I would have had to put them over
board as I had no need of them I could not have been better
attended than I was the time was with on board we got
every thing of the best we could want and plenty to wait on us
at the table and at night we three of us slept in one room
so that we were very comfortable and we traveled [travelled?] together to
Philadelphia we left Montreal on Saturday and stayed at
Routland [Rutland?] on the Sabath [Sabbath?]and then started to New York &
Philadelphia and was there that night there I started my self next morning
myself and never stopped untill [until?] I arrived here last night at
10 O clock I cannot say much about the country as I had
not much time to see it but one thing I know that the
stage coach roads are very rough I had to come about
60 miles on the stage and I thought it bad enough
I do not know what I will be doing yet but I will
soon but Robert says that I was only loosing [losing?] my time
staying in Ireland and ought to have been here long ago
There is not much change on Robert except that he has
got some whiskers what he had not when he left home
he knew me as soon as he saw me and even a stranger
that I met on the street I asked him where Mr Peters lived
and he told me the place and asked me was I a brother of
young man that was from Ireland I had almost forgot to
say that Mr Mathews is living and in as good health as can
be As soon as I get settled I will let you hear from
me again no more at present but remain
Your affectionate Brother
Wm McElderry
Envelope: Postmarked Lynchburgh
Mr Thomas Mc Elderry Jr.
Ballymoney
Ireland