| Title: | William Parke, Petersburg, Va. to his Wife, [Ireland?]. |
|---|---|
| ID | 2059 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Parke, William/30 |
| Year | 1860 |
| Sender | Parke, William |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | shop owner |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Petersburg, Virginia, USA |
| Destination | Ireland |
| Recipient | Parke, Mary |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | husband-wife |
| Source | T 1648/15: Copied by Permission of Miss M. Parke, 9 Bridge Street, Banbridge, Co. Down. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 8810081 |
| Date | 21/09/1860 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by JM 27:09:1993. |
| Word Count | 1366 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Petersburg Va. [Virginia?] September 21st 1868 My Own dear Wife, I am now in your debt for two long newsy letters I got yours of the 4th Sept. yesterday 21st it came by Derry so I must try to get one answered at least, and now for your questions, you wish to know the state of my finances, I have just made a rough calculation of what I own & what the books show against me & the gross amt [amount?] is 1,020$ to balance this I have to my credit on the books $10 and sales of 500 & some lbs feathers which when rendered will I expect amount to over 260$ which leaves me 50$ besides all of this years salary untouched (100$ pr month) so you see dear we are not quite so poor as you feared and I hope to be able to make enough by speculating in a small way to pay expenses for the balance of the year, I have seen Mrs Many & Marks sometimes but not to speak to them. Deny has been home a long time, They do not know whether they will remain in the house or not, I did not make anything of the [gesden?] except some 50c I sold the stove at auction for 5$ expect to get my next in New York when I go to meet you Robert Hill spends a good portion of his time on his farm in the country he has no other employment that I know of. I did not see the "Big Ship" Horner has been employed for some Months he paid all his debts I believe, and if not keeping house must expect to do it, he told Mrs McClevy & me of a Wardrobe he had bought at 45$ he offered as much for 27$ for a bureau to match at an auction sale a day or 2 since you recollect the new furniture store above us a few doors, well they sold out, I bought 16 chairs & 2 Mirrors for 17.25 and missed getting a nice bureau cheap by having to attend to things at the store Hervey being in the country, what I did get are worth over 25$ now love I think I have answered all your questions in your letter of August 24 #PAGE 2 except one about Tillys propositions. You must if possible bring her over untill [until?] she explains all about them and gives me her reasons & then as Hervey says "I will think of them" I think dearest about the third week in October would be as late as it would be prudent to put off your return unless for good company and as I have mentioned before one of the Cork Thursday Steamers is about the best line you can select Wm [William?] Inman, Tower Buildings, Liverpool agent, who will furnish you plans of the vessels on application by letter if you could not select a good room from them Mr Hopps I dare say would do it for you, Liverpool is the best place to engage a room or berth as it is head quarters and you can get whatever one you choose kept for you till you meet the vessel at Cork, it is uncertain at the other offices as they do not know what ones are engaged in L'Pool [Liverpool?] If you should think of trying the Galway line again I dare say they are improved since we came over, there are some fine new vessels on the line, but I think there will be only one to sail next month for New York & that will be the 20th. There is another cheap line of Steamers from Liverpool that I know very little about, it is the Cunard Screw Steamers, the [Iura?] & Melita belong to this line & some others I think they call at Halifax now dearest I dare say Robert will be able help you to select which line & vessel to come by and I hope and pray God will preserve us all to meet in N York [New York?], I will not take the Doctors advise [advice?] & order you to leave Robert I fear we would both miss him too much, I am in hopes I will be able to get a healthy place in the country where we will have good air exercise & milk in plenty I purpose D.V. [God willing?] to do business for myself next year I have not yet determined exactly what kind or to what extent, the latter must be determined #PAGE 3 by the amount of Capital I can get hold of I think it probable I will be able to borrow on interest a few thousands from some of my sick friends here and it will not require a great deal to carry on the kind of business I will do, as I do not expect to have much if any thing to do with the credit system so common here, which requires large capital buying most things for cash & selling on credit. I would rather reverse the rule & buy for credit & sell for cash & I think it can be done. I have spoken to Jas. [James?] Lynch to look out for a place, he said he thought he knew one I could get that would probably suit not far from him, I may know more about it before I close this. 22nd this like yesterday has been a nice cool day after 2 sultry ones, I dreamt of you & son several times last night dearest & thought you were both back & looking as you describe yourselves, you quite handsome again & son a big chap running about and climbing on chairs & everything, [apropos?] of chairs, those I bought are all new & nice looking & cheaper than the old ones [?] 1 large rocker 1.80 with arms, cane bottom & back like Mrs Lynches old dining room chair, 2 serving chairs 2.25 cash 2 1/4 cane seats & backs, dark color [colour?] wood, 1 fancy painted wood chair 40c 6 cherry wood dining room 62 1/2 each 6 Imitation Mahogany parlor [parlour?] chairs 1.20 each all cane seats, the Mirrors are 9 + 12 ins. in handsome frames to hang up 40 [$ ea?] St Pauls Church has got 9 bells & they are singing chimes while I write it reminds me of the joy bells in Derry Cathedral, they cost about 1$ pr lb & all together weigh over 6000 lbs. Bishop wanted the Building Committee on Wednesday night to agree to buy the old bell for our new Church (which is slated now) I have not heard whether they consented or not, it was stated in one of the papers this morning that Grace Church had got it, but I think that is a mistake, they have no money to buy with. The chimes are playing home sweet home now. It is astonishing to think of your not being home sick after living near two years in this country (tho' [though?] not in a very settled way) and being now amongst people whom you knew all your life & not tired of them either I warrent [warrant?] well I suppose such things have happened before, but the indulging in such "skittish" dreams is the worst of all, a thing I never dream of and then to think of your wanting to make a Paddy of your American son passes all comprehenshun [comprehension?] we may have to do that same dearest if we find on #PAGE 4 a further trial that this climate does not agree better with you than it did before, if we should give up without another trial we might regret it hereafter, try dearest wife to get Tilly to come with you for six months to try the effects of the change in her constitution I have strong hopes it would be the very best thing for her & for no other reason would I ask her to leave home, you know she could return next spring or summer & no doubt we could get her a safe escort the whole or part of the way. |
