| Title: | James Murray, New York to Rev. Baptist Boyd, Augnacloy. |
|---|---|
| ID | 1934 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Murray, James/2 |
| Year | 1737 |
| Sender | Murray, James |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | New York, USA |
| Destination | Co. Tyrone, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Rev. Baptist Boyd |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | unknown |
| Source | T 1809: Purchased from the Newberry Library, Chicago 10, Illinois, USA. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 8809069 |
| Date | 27/10/1737 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by JM 01:10:1993 |
| Word Count | 1535 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | LETTER OF JAMES MURRAY OF NEW YORK TO REV. BAPTIST BOYD OF COUNTY TYRONE, IRELAND REPRINTED FROM THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE, OCT. [October?] 27 1737 EDITED BY EARL GREGG SWEM LIBRARIAN WILLIAM AND MARY COLLEGE Forty-one Copies Printed for CHARLES F. HEARTMAN Metuchen. N.J., 1925 INTRODUCTORY NOTE This reprint of the letter by James Murray is from the text in number 464 of The Pennsylvania Gazette, bearing the date October 27 to November 3, 1737. The editorial note prefixed to the letter as it is printed in the Pennsylvania Gazette informs us that the letter "is said to have been sent from a person settled in New York, to his countrymen, to encourage them to come over thither," and that it "was printed and dispers'd in Ireland; a copy of which being brought over, in one of the late ships, we present our readers with it." I have tried to discover if the letter was published in broadside or leaflet form, but without success. An examination of the bibliographical aids in the Library of Congress, and New York Public Library does not disclose any information concerning the author or his work. I have been able to identify the Rev. Baptist Boyd to whom the letter is addressed. He was minister at Aughnacloy, County Tyrone, from 1697, or earlier to 1749. In ending his letter, Murray requests that letters to himself be directed to John Pemberton, Minister of the Gospel in New York. There was a Reverend Ebenezer Pemberton living at this date, 1737, in New York, but not a Rev. John Pemberton. Notwithstanding this discrepancy, the editor of this reprint believes that the letter is genuine and that the copy which Franklin used for The Pennsylvania Gazette was taken from an original letter. If printed in broadside or leaflet form no copy is known. The fact remains, however, that this unique and curious #PAGE 2 letter, whether written by James Murray or not, was circulated in Ireland to induce emigration to America. As an example of many printed inducements to induce immigration to this land of promise, published from 1607 to this present time, it claims our attention, and is therefore reprinted. Mr Charles Martel, of the Library of Congress, Mr. H. M. Lydenberg and Mr. Victor Paltsits, of the New York Public Library, and Dr. Henry Preserved Smith, of the Union Theological Seminary have shown interest in this reprint and I hereby express my obligation to them. E. G. SWEM. LETTER OF JAMES MURRAY The following Letter is said to have been sent from a Person settled in New-York, to his Countrymen, to encourage them to come over thither; which, that it might have the better Effect on the People, was printed and dispers'd in Ireland: A Copy of which being brought over, in one of the late Ships, We present our Readers with it. A Letter from James Murray, Thus directed; For the Kingdom of Ereland [Ireland?], in the North of Ereland [Ireland?], near to Aughnacloy, in the County of Tyrone, To Baptist Boyd, the Reverend Minister of the Gospel, in the Parish of Aughelow. Let aw [all?] Persons that see this, tak [take?] Care to send it to the Reverend Baptist Boyd, Minister of the Gospel, in the Parish of Aughelow, in the County of Tyrone, living near Aughnacloy. With care. Reverend Baptist Boyd, Read this Letter, and look, and tell aw [all?] the poor Folk of your Place, that God has open'd a Door for their Deliverance; for here [there?] is ne [no?] Scant [Scarcity?] of Breed [Bread?] here, and if your Sons Samuel and James Boyd wad [would?] but come here, they wad [would?] get mere [more?] Money in ane [one?] Year for teechin [teaching?] a Letin [Latin?] Skulle [School?], nor ye [you?] yer sell [yourself?] wad [would?] get for Three Years Preeching [Preaching?] whar [where?] ye are. Reverend Baptist Boyd, there ged [went?] ane [one?] wee [with?] me in the Shep [Ship?], that now gets ane [one?] Hundred Punds [Pounds?] for ane [one?] Year for teechin [teaching?] a Letin [Latin?] Skulle [School?], and God kens [knows?], little he is skill'd in Learning, and yet they think him a high learned Man: Ye ken [know?] I had but sma [small?] Learning when #PAGE 3 I left ye, and now wad [would?] ye think it, I hea [have?] 20 Pund [Pounds?] a Year for being a Clark [Clerk?] to York Meeting-House, and I keep a Skulle [School?] for wee [small?] Weans [children?]: Ah dear Sir, there is braw [fine?] Living in this same York for high learned Men: The young Foke [Folk?] in Ereland [Ireland?] are aw [all?] but a Pack of Couards [Cowards?], for I will tell ye in short, this is a bonny Country, and aw [all?] Things grows here that ever I did see grow in Ereland [Ireland?]; and wee [we?] hea [have?] Cows and Sheep, and Horses plenty here, and Goats, and Deers, and Racoons, and Moles, and Bevers [Beavers?], and Fish, and Fouls [Fowls?] of aw [all?] Sorts: Trades are aw [all?] gud [good?] here, a Wabster [Webster?] gets 12 Pence a Yeard [Yard?], a Labourer gets 4 Shillings and 6 Pence a Day, a Lass gets 4 Shillings and 6 Pence a Week for spinning on the wee [small?] Wheel, a Carpenter gets 6 Shillings a Day, and a Tailor gets 20 Shillings for making a Suit of Cleaths [Clothes?], a Wheelwright gets 16 Shillings for making Lint Wheels a piece, Indian Corn, a man wull [will?] get a Bushell [bushel?] of it for his Day's Wark [Work?] here; Rye grows here, and Oats, and Wheet [Wheat?], and Winter Barley, and Summer Barley; Buck Wheet [Wheat?] grows here, na [now?] every Thing grows here. ___ Now I beg of ye aw [all?] to come our [over?] here, and bring our [over?] wee [with?] ye aw [all?] the Cleaths [Clothes?] ye can of every Sort, beth [both?] o' [of?] Linen and Woollen, and Guns, and Pooder [Powder?], and Shot, and aw [all?] Sorts of Weers [Wares?] that is made of Iron and Steel, and aw [all?] Tradesmen that comes here, let them bring their Tools wee [with?] them, and Farmers their Plough Erons [Irons?]; a Mason gets 6 Shillings a Day; fetch Whapsaws [Whip saws?] here, and Hatchets, and Augers, and Axes, and Spades, and Shovels, and Bibles, and Hammers, and Psalm Bukes [Books?], and Pots, and Seafaring Bukes [Books?] and fetch aw [all?] Sorts of Garden Seeds, Parsneps [Parsnips?], Onions, and Carrots; and Potatoes grows here very big, red and white beth [both?], fetch aw [all?] the Bukes [Books?] here you can get, fetch a Spade, wee [with?] a Hoe made like a stubbing Ax [Axe?], for ye may clear as muckle [much?] Grund [Ground?] for to plant Indian Corn, in ane [one?] Month, as will maintain Ten Folk for a Year. Dear Reverend Baptist Boyd, I have been 120 Miles inn [in?] the Wolderness [Wilderness?], and there I saw a Plain of Grund [Ground?] 120 Miles lang [long?], and 15 Bred [Broad?], and there never grew nor [no?] Tree upon it, and I hea [have?] see [seen?] as gud [good?] Meadow grow upon it, as ever I see [seen?] in Ereland [Ireland?]. There is a great wheen [number?] of the Native Folks of this Country turn'd Christians, and will sing the Psalms bonily, [bonnily?] and appear to be Religious, that gee [give?] Ministers plenty of Skins for his Steepend [Stipend?], and he gets Siller [Silver?] plenty for the Skins again; Deer Skins and Bear Skins: Ye may get Lan [Land?] here for £10 a Hundred Acres for ever, and #PAGE 4 Ten Years Time tell [until?] ye get the Money, before they wull [will?] ask ye for it; and it is within 40 Miles of this York upon a River Side, that this Lan [Land?] lies, se [so?] that ye may carry aw [all?] the Guds [Goods?] in Boat to this York to sell, if ony [any?] of you comes here. It is a very strong Lan [Land?], rich Grund [Ground?], plenty of aw [all?] Sorts of Fruits in it, and Swin plenty enough; There are Cay, and Stirks, and Horses that are aw [all?] wild in the Wolderness, [Wilderness?] that are aw [all?] yer [your?] ean [own?] when ye can grip them: desire my Fether [Father?] and my Mether [Mother?] too, and my Three Sisters to come here and ye may acquant [acquaint?] them, there are Lads enugh [enough?] here; and bid my Brether [Brother?] come, and I wull [will?] pay their Passage: Desire James Gibson to sell aw [all?] he has and come, and I weel [will?] help him too; for here aw [all?] that a Man warks [works?] for is his ane [own?], there are ne [no?] ravenus [ravenous?] Hunds [Hounds?] to rive it fre [from?] us here, ne [no?] sick Word as Herbingers [Harbingers?] is kend [known?] here, but every yen [one?] enjoys his ane [own?], there is ne [no?] yen [one?] to tak [take?] awa [away?] yer [your?] Corn, yer [your?] Potatoes, yer [your?] Lint or Eggs: na [no?], na [no?], blessed be his Name, ne [no?] yen [one?] gees [gives?] Bans for his ane [own?] here. I bless the Lord for my safe Journey here, I was Cook till [to?] the Ship aw [all?] the Voyage, we war [were?] Ten Weeks and Four Days on the See [Sea?] before we landed; this York is as big as twa [two?] of Armagh; I desire to be remembered to aw [all?] my Friends and Acquaintance, my Love to your sel [self?] Reverend Baptist Boyd, and aw [all?] yer [your?] Femily [Family?]; I do desire you to send this Letter to James Broon, of Drumern, and he kens [knows?] my Brether [Brother?] James Gibson, and he weel [will?] gee [give?] him this Letter: It shall be my earnest Request yence [once?] mere [more?], to beg of ye aw [all?] to come here, I did value the See [Sea?] ne [no?] mere [more?] then [than?] dry Lan [Land?]: Let aw [all?] that comes here put in a gud [good?] Store of Oten [Oaten?] Meel [Meal?], and Butter, and Brandy, and Cheese, and Viniger [Vinegar?], but above aw [all?] have a Writing under the Han [Hand?] of the Capden [Captain?] of the Ship ye come in; if I war [were?] now in Ereland [Ireland?], I wad [would?] ne [not?] stay there, yet I think to gang [going?] there as Factor for a Gentleman of this City of York, he is my relation by my Father, he is Returney [Attorney?] of the Law here. There is Servants comes here out of Ereland [Ireland?], and have serv'd their Time here, wha [who?] are now Justices of the Piece [Peace?]; I will come to Ereland [Ireland?] gin [if?] the Lord spare me about Twa [Two?] Years after this, and I wull [will?] bring Rum, and Staves for Barrals [Barrels?], and Firkins, and Tanners Bark for to sell, and mony [many?] other Things for this Gentleman, and my Sel [Self?], for I wull [will?] gang [go?] Super Cargo of the Ship so that #PAGE 5 if nene [none?] of ye come I wull [will?] bring ye aw [all?] wee [with?] my sel [self?], by the Help of the Lord. Now I have geen [given?] you a True Description of this York, luke [look?] the 8th Chapter of Deuteronomy, and what is saith [said?] of the Lan [Land?] there, this is far better: Now this is the last of 6 Sheets I hea [have?] writt [written?] to you on this Heed, I hope that you Fether [Father?] wull [will?] be stoot [stout?] and come, and aw [all?] that I have named, fear ne [not?] the See [Sea?], trust in God, and he wull [will?] bring ye safe to shore, gin [if?] ye plees [please?] him, now the Lord make ye se [so?] to do. Ne [No?] mere [more?] fre [from?] me, but my Duty till [to?] my Fether [Father?] and Mether [Mother?], and my Sisters and Brether [Brother?], and yence [once?] mere [more?] my kind Love till [to?] yer sel [yourself?], Reverend Mr. Baptist Boyd; if any yen [one?] sends me a Letter, direct till [to?] Mr. John Pemberton, Minister of the Gospel in New-York, send it we [with?] ony [any?] Body comin [coming?] till [to?] ony [any?] of these Parts, and let it be given to the Post Hoose [House?] in America, and I will get it fre [from?] John Pemberton, and now my Love till ye aw [all?]. James Murray. Words(in letter):1535 |
