| Title: | John Montgomery Portadown to [Joseph Searight?] Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| ID | 1797 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Montgomery, John/49 |
| Year | 1849 |
| Sender | Montgomery, John |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | baker |
| Sender Religion | Protestant (prob. Methodist) |
| Origin | Portadown, Co. Armagh, N.Ireland |
| Destination | Philadelphia, Penn., USA |
| Recipient | Searight, Joseph |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | cousins |
| Source | D 2794/1/2/32: Presented by H. H. Montgomery, 4 Kensington Gardens,Belfast 5. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, N. Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9510054 |
| Date | 25/01/1849 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LET |
| Log | Document added by LT, 12:10:95. |
| Word Count | 979 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Portadown 25 January 1849 Dear Joseph I have received all your kind letters and notes, the last one yesterday morning. We had two letters from William since he arrived in N.[New?] Orleans. We had none by this mail. I hope we will by the next. I see by the papers there has been great mortality in N. O. [New Orleans?] but it was decreasing. I pray he may be preserved through all. There have been some cases in Belfast, but not very many. Matty Matthews has got married on Wednesday the 10 Jany [January?] to a young man in Ballyshannon a Baker I believe it is a good match. I know nothing of Mr Kiernan but that he came here as one of Mr Groggan's Schoolmasters, he was here when I retd [returned?] after being with you to L. pool [Liverpool?]. He is from the South & has a Southern tone. Mrs Kiernan and he appear to love [one?] another and are very happy. Miss Robinson who lived with Mrs Paul died after four days sickness on Saturday morning last and was interred on Tuesday in Drumcree. She died of inflamation [inflammation?], about 17 years old. Mrs Paul had her heart in her and it wil be a great affliction to her and other friends. She was a very amiable, handsome young woman. I know not how to fill my sheet, the weather has been very stormy and wet very little frost or snow this winter, trade has been middling, the linen trade I believe is better altho [although?] many in it have gone down. the "Smith's" Banbridge,"Acheson" Tandragee, and others, D. Ferguson has made a very bad turn out, he has gone down again and offers 1/3 & œ1, not so bad, he owes us œ17. I got two decrees last week for kind but I am afraid they will be of little use as he set on "taking the act" he was as you know expelled [from?] the society about nine months ago, there is nothing new in the methodist society here, I told you if I remember right about I Kernaghan being put out of the society for making unfair and untrue statements of his affairs when he stopped payment, the Sunday school continues doing well, Mr Cultra is Librarian, Miss Stanley has given up collecting for the Missions. I seldom see her or hear anything of her. The Matthew's Totton's, Jackson's Shillington's, Paul's are all as usual. Robert Moore and Ann Jane and family are all well, your sister thinks you might find time to write a scrap to her. She feels very much when you do not so much as mention her. No doubt you often think of her and it would be easy to send your love or write two or three lines & she would feel you had not forgotten her. I am now writing by gas light. Small Farmers in this country are nearly bankrupt, produce so low and taxes so high they cannot live and all over the land there have been thousands of ejectments taken out by the Landlords and hundreds of farms for sale 5/0 to 5/3 for oats oatmeal 10/- P [per?] cwt wheat 8/6 to 9/6 - flour 15/6 in this place the depression is felt but there are other parts of the land where it is much more so. Agitation has died a natural death. The newest thing at present is an association got up in England for the purpose of lessening the expences [expenses?] of the army and navy by ten millions a bold move but not more so than the idea at one time of free trade in corn Richard Cabden is at the head of this affair, this day week all duties will be off grain except a nominal one 1/- P [per?] quarter on wheat and [__?] corn. 7« on 1 [__?] of flour. Same day will parliament be opened. If the price with you is low so that it would stand in Belfast 26/- and a vessel coming direct you might send ten Barrels of prime flour extra. If you are acquainted with any person in the flour trade I would be glad [if?] you would get for me if it could be had the names of "good brands" and "bad ones" so that when buying I would know them, what expence [expense?] you would be at to procure this I will pay and be much obliged besides. Mr Paul is manufacturing large quantities of gingham, he send them to Dublin and some to America they are cheaper than anything you could buy elsewhere if they would suit your purposes or answer your business, they are very much worn here and look very well & wear long . Say plainly where to direct your letters to. There have been in the neighbourhood of Belfast and round about it a great many incendiary fires, Hay and corn stacks frequently burned and what is singular no one can guess at the cause or by whom it is done. Last week a young woman shot one fellow but he fell and his comrades carried him off & no account of him or them since. There have been a great many murders in different parts of Ireland this winter Mrs Kelly has been here for some time. She is poorly & my father is not quite well. Business is dull. I received the papers and am much obliged. One this week to my father, the "Advocate" we may send each other more now as I believe the expence [expense?] is less. I could have sent you more but as you receive the Watchman and from what you said I thought you did not care for them unless something worth notice in them. Write soon and send one paper in the week if you have no postage to pay your cousin John Montgomery |
