| Title: | Rev J G Mulholland, Windsor, N.S. to Rev G Kirkpatrick, Craigs |
|---|---|
| ID | 1916 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Mulholland, Rev John G/11 |
| Year | 1849 |
| Sender | Rev. John G. Mulholland |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | clergyman |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Destination | Ballymena, Co. Antrim, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Rev. George Kirkpatrick |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | friends |
| Source | D 1424/11/1; Purchased From Mr John A. Gamble, 44 Taunton Avenue, Belfast 15. #TYPE EMG Letter From Reverend John G. Mulholland, Collegiate School, Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada, to Reverend George Kirkpatrick, Craigs Rectory, Ballymena, [County Antrim?], |
| Archive | Public Record Office Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9004022 |
| Date | 21/03/1849 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | 25:04:1990 SS created 07:08:1990 MC input 09:08:19 |
| Word Count | 1776 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | The Revd [Reverend?] George Kirkpatrick Craigs Rectory J.G.M. Ballymena 31 March 1849 Revd John G. Mullholland from Windsor Nova Scotia Collegiate School, Windsor - N.S. [NOVA SCOTIA] March 21 1849 My Dear Gr [George?] Kirkpatrick, A letter from the "far west" will not be unacceptable to one residing in the "Emerald Isle". You have in this heard [of our?] safe arrival & settlement in this colony, & i am [I am?] happy to say we are succeeding as well as I had anticipated, [though?] we had difficulties to contend with as strangers to the people. These are by degrees wearing away & I trust in couse [course?] of this year the school will be as flourishing as in years gone by. The climate of this country is very healthy - I have not had a cold or pain in my chest since I came here. Tho'[though?] cold especially during Jany [January?] & Feby [February?] - it is dry. [so?] now the snow is in some places, 6 feet or 8 feet deep - but owing to the dryness of the air it does not feel so cold as in England during the snow season. Last wek [week?] we had a fall of snow some of 8 inches, & strange [to say?] tho [though?] the beams of the sun in a beautifully blue unclosed sky are shining all dylong [day long?] very little thaw takes place. There has been sleighing since 26 Decr. [December?] i.e. nearly 3 months of continuous frost & snow with only one day's rain. Sleighing is the most pleasent mode of travelling - so smooth & easy for a horse. one horse in a sled or sleigh can draw 4 times as much with greater [ease?] as he could do in a [cart?] or carrige [carriage?]. When one gets on so he has not far to fall & the snow is a soft bed to fall on. An upset is of frequent occurence and so I mention it; for instance the Mail-sleigh with 4 or 6 horses (here they drive six in hand) got 6 upsets in 45 miles from Halifax to this:- This country is thinly populated - perhaps the whole of N.S. [Nova Soctia]- as large or larger than England does not contain as many inhabitants as Manchester. Halifax is a flourishing town of good trade. Cunard the contractor & 3/4 owner of them mail Steamers lives there & is a very wealthy man. But you may imagine the value of property in Halifax [when?]I tell you building [ground sells?] as high as in Sackville st [street?] [O'connell st?] Dublin. It is a pity the houses - fine well built & architectural houses - are [made?] of wood, as fires frequently occur. St.John N.B. [New Brunswick] 200 miles fr[om?] Windsor - suffered severely last month by two fires - which destroyed nearly 6000 - or 10000 worth property. Windsor is delightfully situated & is the [country?] seat- or the Cheltenham for Halifax. - The parishes are rather extensive - What wd.[would?] [Dominic Moon?] think of one 30 miles long by 20 broad such are many here- I think his clerical person would be the [worse?] of the [wear?]. A priest has seen double this size & some treble. The priest at Windsor (who wishes to be on good terms with me as being a country man) has to go often in his tours 80 miles. - Most of the people here are from the North of Ireland - McHeffeys (Mehaffy Hibernia) - Dills &c are from Ballymena & Coleraine- some from Crumlin & Antrim. They first landed, as is general for North of Ireland emigrants, at St. John's N.B. [New Brunswick] & then came in this direction. Some of them are very wealthy now. They take great pleasure in reading an Irish paper. And as Miss [Cunningham?] kindly sends on a [Coleraine?] paper, I circulate it among them. Emigration is a difficult part to speak upon. I should wish I could say something satisfactory on this point in order that you might communicate it & those who feel inclined to seek for support in a land less distracted than by our poor native land. I can only speak of Nova Scotia & New Brunswick. What [?] I have strictly investigated. When a workman or labourer comes to either of these provinces he may get work almost regularly from April 15 to nr.[November] 25 perhaps later at 3/6 to 5/- per diem currency i.e. 2/- British being equal to 2/6 currency in dry season he can get £5 per month = £4 British. If honest & industrious he can get 24 to 26 currency per annum paid monthly - (the usual engagement) & his board in a family. I pay mine 24 & his board & I could not get one for less, & I must have a man to cut & chop the wood for the fires & attend the cows & farm of 18 acres which are attached to the establishment. Again during the winter i.e. from Nr. [November] 25 to April 15 a labourer may or may not get work - It requires tact & skill to chop & fell in the woods & as a man is paid by measurement A native can do more in 1/4 day than a new comer can do in a day conseqently can earn wages - the general way a colonial - a poor man I mean - acts is this - he works for others from April to Nr.[November] - he gets a bit of land & during the winter clears it that is cuts down the trees to a level with the snow which may be 2-3 or 5 feet high - he then leaves the stumps & when the snow has gone off he scrapes or tears ruffly [roughly] up the ground between the stumps sows his grain & leaves it till [until?] Autumn-This is what is called clearing ground, but the stumps begin 3 to 6 or 8 years before they are rotted when a fire is put in them, & what remains is easily torn up by leavers [levers?] & crow-bars - These appeared strange to me at first but even now I am become accustomed to them & think nothing of seeing whole acres on fire, by which it sometimes happens the fire spreads, [desolates?] for miles - Travelling from here to Halifax there are more than 2000 acres of bear [bare?] poles sticking out of the ground to a great height, so caused by the spreading of fire. I think thru [through?] the south of the states - New Orleans is the best place, but not by any means New York or Philadelphia which are overtaken already, & those who have been induced to go hence to them have returned. All work is done cheaply there & consequently cant afford high wages - besides an ordinary laboring man can do only in the fields & must move backward - but how do this if he have not the means - I fear too many leave Ireland expecting people to be on the quays offering them work on landing whereas the poor people have to look for work & wait even for it. The very day we landed at St John a vessel full - 300 passengers landed, & they thought they had nothing to do but go to work - so far from it for weeks they did not get work, & a clergyman Dr Gray told me afterwards - a subscription had to be raised for the poorest & those who could went off to the states in search of work & money. But again if a man can work & is willing to work & not be contaminated or enter into leagues with the workman throughout the provinces for high wages, he will do very well. I shall be very happy to find out & communicate any information I can if it be desired [for?] persons about to emigrate - the advice I would venture to give viz - Let them choose whether they will work in the agricultural parts or in the towns for they are totally distinct & different. Labor in the country is indeed hard, & owing to the long winter, when no farm work can be done, the spring work is urged on with severity to keep pace with the rapid growth. Now not a blade of grass is in the fields & a month or 6 weeks hence & all will be luxuriant, & every flower in bloom. I fear I have by this time wearied your patience, but I feel a pleasure in writing home - for Britain is always called home even by Yankee who has a love for her - it seems as if I were speaking to dear friends. I am as busy as I can be from 6 in the morning till 4 - & I keep myself as close to study as possible for at times my thought turn to the land I have left & the friends perhaps never again to be seen - I can often picture to my mind - Fortescue -[?] Craigs & White park - I fancy I am not so far away & that such a wide wild waste of ocean rolls between us - As the steamer comes in sight of Halifax & as the express hastens thro'[through] Windsor my heart often beats for a letter or even a paper from old Ireland - No one can feel as the emigrant for the land of his birth. Tho [Though] I have many friends here yet - there is no place like home. No day seems so bad as the Sunday - & why I know not- except that my mind is less active, & the solemnity of the day calls up past actions, & causes me to wander to the churches [?] which those who are dearer & nearer to us [?] If a spare hour hanging heavily on y.[your?] hands I would be very glad to hear from you - believe me none will welcome a letter more - give our [?] & best wishes to Mr Kirkpatrick & sons - & to Mr.Moore - Please remember me to Dennis Wallace I hope he continues a good Protestant Will you tell Miss Cunningham I gladly & gratefully recognize her handwriting on the papers, that after Easter I shall give her a long kindest regards - also Mr & Mrs Beggs & any of the sons on his way to New York should call at Halifax I shall be happy to see him here. Only 45 miles distant which can be easily got over. with every wish for yr.[your] happiness & that of your family Believe me to remain ever Yours very faithfully John G. Mulholland The Rev.Geo.[George] Kirkpatrick, Craigs Rectory. |
