| Title: | J. Montgomery, Portadown, to J. Searight, Philadelphia. |
|---|---|
| ID | 1805 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Montgomery, John/87 |
| Year | 1848 |
| 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 | J. Montgomery, Portadown, to J. Searight, Philadelphia. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 9510042 |
| Date | 19/10/1848 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LET |
| Log | Document added by LT, 12:10:95. |
| Word Count | 990 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Portadown 19th Oct 1848 Dear Joseph I received yours of the 12th Sept [force?] by Mr Finlay + was very much pleased with your description of your journey and American life. In addition to all you said I would have been glad to hear about yourself If in the same situation [&?] how you like it! and some little about Uncle & his family. It was the latter end of last week I received yours & now send you on answer. By the time you had mine in June & wrote in Sept having heard from Wm [William?] that you had removed I did not know your address would be changed & did not send you many papers, also because you receive the "Watchman" & the postage with you is increased. The events which have been passing in Ireland for some time have attracted more attention in America than in the black North. I never read one of the trials, nor much as the attacks or shams or whatever you would call the affair between the police & some of the people. As you will have heard before now S. O Brien has been found guilty & sentenced to be hung. I have not the least notion that he will suffer it as all appear to wish & expect it to be transportation. It is wonderful that here there is hardly any notice taken of these things. I may now tell you what I can about this little port. The shillington's are all well as usual & nothing particular has come round with them. Mr Wm. [William?] Paul has been to that "great Country" America & came home two or three weeks ago. Wellington Perry was also there & not more than a month away altogether he was buying Ind. [Indian?] corn etc. The Mathews's Jackson's Totton's as you left. Sally Anne lives at home now & no talk of her at all Mr Cultra that lives with Mr J.A. Shillington has your old house below R. Moores. the station house is just opposite Sam Mc Cullough's & within two minutes walk of this. I suppose you will be rather surprised to hear that there is probabity [probability?] of Miss E. Cowan being married soon, you say who to ? to Mr Kiernan the Schoolmaster. he has been teaching her scholars arithmetic & from that dry study they have fell into love. & it is said the affair will come off about Christmas - [all well and it goes on I will inform you of the particulars. John Beauchamp left Mr Pauls about two months ago. There was no one knew anything of him for some weeks at last there was a letter received from him written in London & in a situation. We have had no librarian in the Sunday School since he left - The Sunday School is doing pretty well. Our young preacher Mr George Chambers is a very pious young man & a good preacher. Mr Nash is still here. Mr J. Kernahan is not now on the local preacher plan, he withdrew from it & has called a meeting of his creditors. I think there are only three in town, Mr Lantry John & Averale [Averil?] Shillington, it is said statement is not satisfactory. Mr H Reavey has also called a meeting of his creditors, I believe him to be an honest man, but he has a wife who is not a helpmate, I am thinking about a wife. You are very close, never a word about this or any other personal circumstances. I have been to Glasgow & hope to go again. Your sister is well & children & Robt still in the same place, & has been busy for some time I believe. Mr Lantry has got his mill started he has a beautiful engine 40 horse power Mr. J.A.S. is at his. you would have been surprised to see me at Ballinacorr & Bluestone on the platform at the missionary meetings this week. Miss Stanley is still as before. I wish you would write me all you know about Mr Watt where he is and if connected with the church there, the name of the minister, now do not forget this as I have been often taked [talked?] to on the subjects & will be thankful that you may soon inform me. I received all the papers you sent lately X x same time as the letter. some to my Father & some to me. My sister Lizzy has been 13 weeks in England with Dr.Bambers. They are over here. & Lizzy returned with them. Alicia is now in Warrenpoint with Mrs Kelly. Saml. [Samuel?] Adams that lived here has gone to Quebec some months ago. Robt. [Robert?] Johnston a boy we had is also away. he did not like it. & John Robinson expects next week or so to go to Mr. Halliday's Miller, near Enniskillen. The potatoes here are one half I think I may safely say are unfit for food for man or beast - one half totally bad, & it is the case all over Ireland. even now there are large quantities of Indian corn coming into consumption & very likely before Summer or next harvest we will see high prices. at present there is no demand, but gradually falling of [off?]. this applies to wheat & flour but not to Ind [Indian?] Corn which is steady here [at?] $112 lbs 9/3 to 9/9. 1 st. [stone?] flour 18/6- oatmeal 11/- potatoes 1d. to 5d per st. [stone?] 14lbs. I think there will be a great want felt before next harvest even now in many places, they are in a state of starvation. In the North it is not much felt so far. what sad scenes have we been witness to, in this place, & other portions of this country suffered far more. I have told you all worth hearing write soon. Your affectionate cousin John Montgomery |
