| Title: | James A. Reford, New Jersey to Frances Reford, Antrim |
|---|---|
| ID | 2256 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Reford, James A/9 |
| Year | 1863 |
| Sender | Reford, James A. |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | store owner |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Bloomfield, New Jersey, USA |
| Destination | Co. Antrim, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Reford, Frances |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | siblings |
| Source | T 3028/B9: Deposited by W. Reford, 81 Islandmagee Rd. Whitehead, County Antrim |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9309343 |
| Date | 09/04/1863 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Action By Date Document added by C. R., 30:09:1993 |
| Word Count | 1068 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Letter from James A Reford, Bloomfield, New Jersey, USA, to his sister Miss Frances Reford, Antrim, Co Antrim. Bloomfield April 9th My Dear Sister and All I received your letter of the 22nd of March and was glad to hear from you all and that you were all so well as this leaves us in your letter you did not mention where Susanna lives or [Lewes?] all the last you mentioned we are all pretty well and I hope that when this reaches you it will find you all well Fanny will write you and Joseph along with mine I cannot write you much that would interest you as you do not know any thing about here but I will give you a faint description of things here I See your letter has post marked the 22 March 2 days after the Sailing of the [Alluntra?] which was wrecked on the Rocks off Halifax where over 700 lost there lives on the 1st of April a few of her passengers was from New Ark [Newark?]. D'r [Dear?] Sisters & Bro's [Brothers?] I will tel [tell?] you Know [now?] all about my family Fran [Francis?] is well and is one of the best operators to be found on [S----- M-------?] Anne is at [Homassassen?] [Homosassa?] Florida and her Husband 50 Miles from post office 24 Miles from any houses but the quarters for once 60 Negroes and they are 3 Miles up Cristal river from their residence and all that is at the house is A Jones Annies Husband Annie little Frank Alfreds Nephew [Lisey?] Day and Uncle Tom and 2 [----?] his all the work hands are at the plantation they have 12,000 acres in all but the greater part is [wilderness?] they raise Oranges Bananas Pea Nuts [peanuts?] Sugar Cane & Cotton George was out 6 Months 2 years ago all winter Joseph was there one year ago this last winter they say that it is a a paradie [paradise?] flavers [flowers?] Blooming a [all?] the time and a continual Spring Joe had fine times fish'g [fishing?] Shooting aligators [alligators?] wild Turkeys and Deer Oysters and fish in any quantity Oranges blons [blooms?] and [bears?] all the year they consign the Oranges to Mee [me?] they bring from 12 to 14 per hunds [hundreds?] they plant 10 or 12 acres of Pea Nuts [peanuts?] and then they let in the hogs to root them up and live on them their hogs weigh 150 to 200 lb. their cows is about of a 2 year old, and if they kill a cow or hog they must eat it the day that it is killed as it will not keep they cut it and divide it among the col'd [coloured?] help, the government obliges them to give their Negroes ration of Bacon and Salt Beef bought north Indian Salt coffee and 12 dollars a Month they have no Slavery now Since the [Election?] as they were amancipated [emancipated?] by President Lincon [Lincoln?] Annie will be home this Summer Joseph took his office on the 20 of last Mon [month?] he was Swon [sworn?] in on that day [----?] [Securely?] in 20000$ Joe is ding doing?] well and if he lives and has his health, and will he may have $15000 as I know he will he is going to buy himself a lot of groud [ground?] and build him a house on the face of the hill above Me Jas [James?] has 3 Boys Jas [James?] [Th-----?] George and Chas [Charles?] their ages are 15 13 & 10 [Fanny?] is principal of the 4 departmt [department?] of Publeck [Public?] School Salery [Salary?] £2.5.0 per week Georgie in the [P------?] a £1.5.0 per week the State pays monthly 20 days for the Month Horace and Sarah is well they have the finest little girl I ever saw She can Say and know every thing She talked and walked when she was 10 Months old She can walk up Stairs [16 stips /steps?] like a cat Sarah and Annie comes and Stays with Mother from 9 o'C [o'clock?] to 5 to be company for her as we are all away I am in N.York [New York?] from 7 AM to 5 1/2 PM. Fany & Georgie 8 1/2 to 3 1/2 o'C [o'clock?] Horace is at the [Malodeon?] Case Making and Joe [Shanna?] is with Horace in the tinny [tiny?] room. So [now?] I must give you a description of Ireland in America if you want a girl to do house work the first question is have you got hot and cold water in the house? Stationary wash tubs wringer is My Bed room Carpeted Bureau Table wash stand and chairs and what privaleges [privileges?] and then the wages they want from 13 to 17 dollars a Month and by their talk they can do every thing and when you get them they at home had Maids to wait on them and their fathers had farms of 3 & 4 hundered [hundred?] acres and it is a low day when they came out to AMERKY [America?] and for [dress?] I could wish that you could See it DOLLY VARDEN Stile [style?], [rather?] 5 Yards behind them and [bustle?] that a dog to Sleep all day without Rolling off and to see their gate [gait?] you would know they were from the bogs of Coneght [Connaught?], [We?] do all our own work only washing and we have to give a Women [Woman?] $1 50c [or?] 7s.6d. per day. The girls Irons after School hours and makes beds before they go to School Rather than be bothered with their lies and -------?] And extravagant they will cut of [off?] the crust of loaf bread and as for the fat of hams it is not fit for to eat. So you See how America revolutioniziz [revolutionizes?] thim [them?] it is fairly disgusting to hear thim [them?] and some of them cannot read their own name To accompany that letter I will send you some of N.York [New York?] Papers Joe and Fanny will write you more May the Lord bless you and protect you and when you write give me full particulars of no. [number?] of each family of Bro [Brothers?] & Sisters James A. Reford We have had Snow from Dec.7 to April 1st I did not Miss a day from N.York [New York?] this winter But Christmas & N.Years [New Years?] is not that good for me |
