| Title: | John Phillips, Fairfield, S. C. to James Phillips, Lisburn. |
|---|---|
| ID | 2125 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Phillips, John/87 |
| Year | 1819 |
| Sender | Phillips, John |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | carpenter |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Fairfield, S. Carolina, USA |
| Destination | Lisburn, Co. Antrim, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Phillips, James |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | T 1449: Copied by Permission of Miss G. McClure, Lisburn, Co. Antrim. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9002019 |
| Date | 12/03/1819 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by JM 25:10:1993. |
| Word Count | 1421 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Mr James Phillips Derriaghy Care of Mr Edward Phillips Lisburn County of Antrim Ireland Fairfield district March the 12th 1819 Dear Brother Being anxious to know how you are I take the liberty of sending you these few lines hoping that they may find not onely [only?] you but also my Father and mother and every member of our family in good health and spriets [spirits?] such as I now perfectly enjoy indeed I have been very well since I left Ireland except sea sickness and that was of short duration being onely [only?] half an hour during the whole voyage at that time we ware [were?] in the middle of the Atlantic ocean running at the rate of ten miles an hour with double reefed topsails which ware [were?] tor [torn?] to pieces notwithstanding we had a good passage being onely [only?] six weeks from we left Ireland to we got a view of our destined shore thire [there?] was nothing happened during the voyage worthy of communication so I have onely [only?] to relate what happened after I landed It being far in the day when we got on shore I spent the remainder in taking a view of the town which is the most consderable [considerable?] in South Carolina and is a pretty well built town the public buildings are an Exchang [Exchange?] store House armoury poor house two large churches for Episcopalin's [Episcopalians?] two for congregationalists or independents one for Scotch Presbyterians one for Babtists [Baptists?] one for German Lutherns [Lutherans?] two for the Methodests [Methodists?] one for French Protestants besides a meeting house for Quakers a Roman Catholick [Catholic?] chapel, and a Jewish Synagogue which are all well finished elagant [elegant?] houses the streets are wide and sandy the People are clearly in their persons affable and verry [very?] polite indeed too much so in many respects they have too much of the politeness of the french [French?] people I had not been walking long to I met [a?] verry [very?] respectable gentleman who asked me if I was not one of the passengers I told him I was what part did I come from Lisburn then we entired [entered?] into conversation in course of which he asked me if I knew Mrs Singers I told him I did perfectly he told me he was her Brother John so I give [gave?] him her letter then he took me with him to dinner whare [where?] I drank some of the most excelent [excellent?] spirits I ever tasted during which he read the letter give [gave?] me an excelent [excellent?] advice and promised to look for a place for me. Mr Blackwood is a verry [very?] respectable man and an extensive Merchant he intends to vesit [visit?] Ireland this summer which you #PAGE 2 must let Mrs Singers know It was near dark when I parted with Mr Blackwood returning down the street I met James Coburn and Robert who was glad to see me after taking a drink of ale I returned to the ship. The next day was nearly spent in getting our chests landed, A Mr Gray the gentleman that Robert Coburn keeps store for went to the custom house with us whare [where?] we had to swear that what we had was our own personal property so we got a permit for which we paid half a dollar I put my chest in Mr Grays store and dined with him that day I stoped [stopped?] at Mr Steels in [inn?] that night whare [where?] I met with a country gentleman who told me ther [they?] ware [were?] very ill off for a school master on their settlement and wished me to go with him telling me that I would have 300 dollars 70£ per year bound to me and that he would Carry me to the place which was a 160 miles above Charlestown and if the place would happen to be engaged he would not let me be at any expense to I should happen to get a place suitable to my inclination - so I started off with this man the next day and encamped successively in the wood for four or five nights when we had got up so far as jackson creek I met a Mr David Phillips son to Captain James Phillips who is Brother to the old Colonel. this young gentleman pressed me verry [very?] much to go and see his father but I did not like to stop until I had seen whether the school was engaged or not but I had only teen [ten?] miles further to go so that I could see him any time however my hast [haste?] did not avail the school was engaged but I was pretty safe being carried 160 miles into a healthy part of the contry [country?] with out any expense after I had spent a few days I returned to see Mr Phillips who gave me a most agreeable reception and told me to make his house my home to [until?] I would get business this old man had a large plantation lives retired and independent he has 5 sons 4 of them are married and have plantations of their own one of them is an adjutant in militia I stoped [stopped?] too [two?] weeks with the old man verry [very?] happly [happily?] as he is so agreable [agreeable?] his memory so good and having seen so much of the world that his company cannot fail of being interesting though he is 70 years of age he relates all his youth ful [youthful?] exploits with the sprightliness of youth and that dignity of manners which can onely [only?] be acquired by frequenting the best companies - I have begun to work with one of his sons at the carpenter business we are building a Methodist preaching house of timber which is a farmed work sheeted over we have 700 dollars for it we have onely [only?] to put up the outside and gallery and floor we get the plank at the saw mill for a dollar and a half per 110 feet the rest of the timber for the cutting down I have had a job at sawing the stuff for our frame so that I can now use the framed saw compleatly [completely?] - cannot tell you what wages I will make yet as I get a share of the profits but carpenters wages are from one dollar and a half to two dollars per day Brick layers and stone masons are the same plasterers or painters can allmost [almost?] make as much as the [they?] please a labouring man will get 200 dollars and sometimes his diet per year. A Blacksmith who will work will make at least 400 #PAGE 3 dollars per year Schoolmasters get pretty good wages I have been offered 50£ per year three or four times with my diet but A person who is able to buy a piece of land he will get it for [?] dollars per acre for ever he can make more [than?] that trades man can do, a man who can set up a small store in the country is supereor [superior?] to any other he will sell nothing but what he will have, 30 P C [per cent?] at least or more the natural produce of the place whare [where?] I have stoped [stopped?] is walnut, pine and locust on these lands [that?] are cultivated there is principally wheat - rye - barley - oats the three last of which the [they?] sow onely [only?] for pasturag [pasturage?] as the land dose [does?] not produce grass of any consequence in this state peaches and apples are plentey [plenty?] in this settlement Mellons [Melons?] especially the water Mellon [watermelon?] are vary [very?] plenty and grapes are plenty in the woods in summer I have little more to communicate onely [only?] I am at work every day my master is a good undertaker gives me every instruction bsides [besides?] I am making money plenty inchort [in short?] I live as well as a man could wish when I wish to go to any house of worship or any other place there is a horse to ride when I please though my master has a numerous famely [family?] it is a most agreable [agreeable?] one composed of 9 boys and one girl who is most amiable tell Sarah McAfese will meet a good reception here - let me know every particular and write as son [soon?] as you recieve [receive?] this I remain your affectionate Brother John Phillips |
