| Title: | J. Montgomery, Portadown, to Joseph Searight, USA |
|---|---|
| ID | 1802 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Montgomery, John/70 |
| 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 2794/1/2/35: Presented by H.H. Montgomery, 4 KensingtonGardens, Belfast 5 |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 9509142 |
| Date | 08/03/1849 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LTE |
| Log | Document added by LT, 29:09:95. |
| Word Count | 1189 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Portadown 8th March 1849 Dear Joseph I received yours dated 25 Dec 48 on the 24th February and the note you sent by London with all the papers, several anyway, we are obliged to you for all and as there is a new regulation in reference to the postal charges it is likely I will trouble you to send me books & pamphlets &c. Had I thought of it this week I would have sent you an order to pay for two copies of the "Christmas Advocate and Journal" one directed to Mrs Kelly, Warrenpoint & the other H. Montgomery, Portadown, I would be obliged if you would order & prepay them and I will either send you the amount or account for it. Mrs Kelly would like it from the commencement of this year if they have copies on hand let them send these from first week in Jan [January?] last. There is very much information in your letters to me, now you know far more about Ireland than I do, you have a guess what kind of people the Irish are their manners and habits, the climate & staple trade, how trade &c is carried on, Sunday schools conducted &c &c. I am thankful for all your communication & information about Sunday Schools, Hymns &c & shall be happy to be further instructed. I am like you quite opposed to instrumental music in public worship. I now commend & what to say I know not. What a blessing is it that we are all spared and in the enjoyment of health! many have been called away suddenly in Belfast and other places by Cholera &c, and thanks be unto God we are spared. I am not sure about informing you of Miss Elizabeth Robinson's death after four days illness but I think I did. she was considered very handsome and if spared had great prospects before her as to this world. Mrs Paul had her heart very much set on her. We should take cake about placing the affections God has given us for himself on any earthly thing animate or inanimate He requires us to love him supremely and how often does he in mercy remove the idol, your memory can refer to many illustrations of this from the Bible. David set his heart on the number of his people, how soon were they cut down. Nebuchadnezzar on his ability to rule & his great kingdom his reason was taken away & also his kingdom, many more. This province (of Ulster) has not suffered anything like the south & west this year, there has been a good deal of work in weaving & wages better, farmers especially small ones have felt the pressure of the times the poor rates &c are so high and produce so low that many of them cannot go on unless a change comes somewhere, rents & rates lower or higher prices, wheat is 8/- to 9/6. oats 5/6 to 5/9. 1 st. flour 15/6. oatmeal 10/- to 10/6 per 112 lbs. but flour Belfast 27/- down feed meal œ7.10.0 to œ7.17.6 per Ton in Belfast or Newry. Potatoes up. seeds only 6/- to 9/ p [per?] cwt. Robert Moore Anne Jane & all the children (three) are well. If you have written this long time to Anne Jane, it must have been lost or miscarried as she did not hear for many months, she had a severe cold for some time & was confined to her room but is now better . I have something new to communicate to you & that is (although no moment to you to us it is) my Father has entirely given up the bread cart & what is cause for thankfulness we have baked more since than before. the baking is doing well now, not much profit on Indian meal yet other articles fair average profit. J.D. Robinson is at home. there was nothing worthwhile for him to do since Henry has come & he is gone home. Mr Capper's nephew Johny [Johnny?] is here for some months and we hope he will do well. Mr Cultra is now living in your house. Lizzy is talking about writing a note to you soon. I have not been in Glasgow since October & as yet have not made one step in that affair. 1 Cor. 7:2. good advice what are you doing? Matty Mathews is married to a baker John McDona of Ballyshannon. Frank Saunderson is married to Miss Jane Wilson of this town. Will I give you some account of the folk here, Shillington's, Paul's, Mathew's, Totton's, Jackson as before but older. Miss Stanly is still in Derryhall & no talk of match making at all. If you have any thoughts that way, the way is still open. There is quite an agitation in the north now against a "rate maid" as it is call, a new measure brot [brought?] into parliament to make us pay 6d in the pound to support the unions in the west and south of Ireland who will not pay anything at all. There was a large meeting in Lurgan 4 or 5000 persons at the meeting Col. [Colonel?] Blacker in the chair, in the mall. There have been many meetings in different places on the subject and petitions without end. How it will go I know not. most likely Lord John Russell will yield to the pressure from without or very much alter it. There has been a terrible battle in India 5,000 lives lost you will see all about it in your papers I suppose, I would be glad you would write to William and tell him we have written every mail since we received his first letter from New Orleans. I think this mail will be the sixth letter or letters we have sent him. He writes he has not received them but please say to him we have regularly written by the mail. Our Sunday School is doing pretty well. Mr Cultra has not only got your house but your office. he is Librarian are you connected with any? There has not been much of life in the society of late deadness & coldness however we are hoping better times and expect to see a good work going on. Do you have revival meetings & how are they managed? Mrs Kelly has been here for some time & this last week was very ill with her side confined to bed but this evening able to be down in the parlour. You can imagine how we are all sitting round the table at half past eight- half past one & half past five - I cannot think of the way you are never having seen it perhaps if spared I may go over & see the land of liberty, I would like a tour through it well but we know not what a day may bring forth. May we be found ready when called. Excuse all that is amiss in this. I desire your happiness & an interest in your prayers. Your cousin Mr & Miss Bamber, well as in general. John Montgomery |
