| Title: | James Reford, U.S.A. to "Dear Brothers & Sisters," [Ireland?] |
|---|---|
| ID | 2257 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Reford, James A/15 |
| Year | 1867 |
| 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 | unknown |
| Recipient Gender | male-female |
| Relationship | siblings |
| Source | T3038/B/11: Permission to copy from W. Reford Esq., 81 Islandmagee Rd., Whitehead, Co. Antrim |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, N. Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 205246 |
| Date | 25/06/1867 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 23:05:02. |
| Word Count | 737 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Bloomfield, June 25th 1867 Dr [Dear?] Brothers & Sisters I recd [received?] your letter yesterdy [yesterday?] and was glad to hear from you but was sorry to hear that [Lewis?] was sick and that Frank had the rheumatism I know what it is I have had it for 6 months it has cost me over 10£ [pounds?] all to no effect the only thing that I know is to grin and bare [bear?] Martha has it so that she can scarcely walk and at night she cannot get any sleep all the [----?] is [----?] Henry is still teacher Sarah still organist in the church Grace is at home Georgeanna goes to school and she is a fine scholar She can play the Piano as well as her Aunts, Annie is still in Florida [Among?] the flowers and oranges She got married on the 19th of last March to Alfred P Jones he is Brother to [Miss?] Knapp where Annie went to be governess. Wm [William?] H Knapp and A P Jones owns 2 Sections of land 3000 acres they have over 100 work hands Negroes besides the children they have Negro huts about 1/2 mile from the house that they live in they raise cotton rice oranges They have 40 acres of orange groves all last winter every week she wrote us that she had green peas readish [radish?] asparrougrass [asparagus?] beans cucumbers squash strawberreys [strawberries?] currents [currants?] green corn to [tend?] On Christmas day the weather was so fine they had all the windows open She could not think that it was Christmas. I expect Sarah will step off one of these days as for [Fanny?] I cannot spare her. Times are very dull no business I have not disposed of over £100 this last 3 weeks but still I have to come to the city every morning and return every evening to Bloomfield New York is [fuller?] than ever I knew it has business of any kind flour is $20 per barrel Beef 10c per lb mutton 40c veal 30 to 35c coal $8 per ton When I first came to this country one dollar would purchase as much provisions as four would do to day it is surprising to see a ship load of emigrants every morning as we pass over the North [River?] lying at anchor from Europe there is plenty of room for them but God only knows where they will get employ [employment?] as business of all kinds is completely at a stand still the late war has turned this country we will not get over it for years to come We hear that they call feinain [Fenian?] meetings all over this country they say they [want?] Ireland a Republic. [---?] but in fact they cannot agree here in this Republic, where all now are equal you know as well as I can tell you how it is with them a dissatisfied set of people placed under any [cruelty?] We have had a very cold and wet Spring it is now the 25 of June and I have seen the gardens farther forward the 1st of May I was through the east end States the last week of May and the trees on the mountains had not a leaf on them and the pasture plots was completely brown with the exception of where there was a spring but since that the weather has been very warm and things have grown very fast. My store is 121 North St [Street?] but when you write direct to Bloomfield and dont be so [dictating?] as you were before, we all join in sending our love and best respects [Jasper?] is still at 121 Nassau St [Street?] Book keeper for the American News Co he has 3 sons great boys. Annie sent me a barrel of oranges We expect her and her [husband?] on the month of Augt, they are as far off as you and me are over 4000 miles My best [wish?] to Daniel, Matilda [Mary?] and Sarah [Seedely?] & family, Frank and [Lewis?] and all. Yours James A Reford Transcriber's Note:- The following appears after the above letter as set out below. Elizabeths children are Henry Georgianna Willie and [Joseph?] Banks as fine children as ever was, but their Father a bad [--?] Give my best regards to Mary and Matilda Bruce I often think that all that I knew in [leaving?] [home?] are passed away Do not forget to write to me 121 North St New York (Transcribed by James Tuff.) |
