| Title: | Andrew Robb, to Mrs David Robb, Newtownards. |
|---|---|
| ID | 2305 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Robb, Andrew/26 |
| Year | 1845 |
| Sender | Robb, Andrew |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | works with leather, farmer |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Hogtown, Florida, USA |
| Destination | Newtownards, Co. Down, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Mrs David Robb |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | son-mother |
| Source | T 1454/3/1-12: Copied By Permission of Dr J.C.Robb Esq, M.B.E. M.D. M.C.H., 21Cambourne Pk., Belfast. #TYPE EMG Frank Robb, Australia, Also Alexander Robb, Nicola Lake, British Columbia, to the Robb Family, Dundonald and Ballysallagh, 3rd November 1805 to |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, N. Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 8816082 |
| Date | 01/01/1845 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | 12:10:1989 LT created 07:06:1990 IH input 07:06:19 |
| Word Count | 1695 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | To Mrs David Robb Care of David Kennedy Esq Newtownards Co down Ireland came to hand February 21 pleas [please?] return thro [through?] H[og?]town 1845 My Dear Mother I received your letter of 10th August a few weeks since, the letter you mention having sent me by Charleston I never received, I have some reason to suspect although no positive proof that about the time that letter should have arrived in Newransville the Postmaster at that place for[warded?] [to?] me and by some rascal who never delivered it, - I was not aware of C H Brysons death until I received your letter nor of Andrews marriage, I was no way surprised at being informed of Cornelius's death although I have known nothing I may say of his [career?] for the last three years but previous to that I knew him very well, he enjoyed the advantage or disadvantage of having a wealthy Father and one of much political influence the consequence was that he did not feel dependant on his own exertions he had always a home, he claimed a good deal of respect from others more on acct [account?] of his Father than for any particular merit of his own, he was naturally possessed of more [than?] usually falls to the [lot?] of man but he was at first too indolent and afterwards I believe to [too?] careless and never took advantage of his position I have many a time went to his Bedroom and made him get up at eleven o clock in the day to do some writing while he kept an attorneys office in Nassau street - he very early became a politician this led to much company and late hours, a continued repetition of which I suppose has been the cause of his early death, he was a Mischevious [mischievous?] brat when a boy as much so as any one I ever saw I had not been in New york many days before he christened me the Irish Pady [Paddy?] I trounced him three of four times soundly until his Father not liking the name interfered with us both I have now in the pool the first lot of Hides, so I may say I have began my New Tan yard at last and trouble enough it has cost me I got my [?] water light at last by ca[ul?]king and paying them with pitch - like a ships bottom now the [they?] dont Leak a drop. I learned how to made the Tar then boiled the Tar in a large pot till it become pitch and smeared the seams with it, I had no oakum but found a good substitute in the fibrous stuff that grows on the [polmitte?], the [va?]ts now do very well the [they?] all are upon conductors which lead to a resinous in which will be a pump, but those are things which you do not understand I will only add that what I have done is done on the most labour saving plan, and the yard can be enlarged to any size, I have some Hides of my own, and some yet to collect I have also some to tan for other people for half and will have more on the same terms by and by, the present price of Dry Hides is 8 cents pr [per?] lb in summer the [they?] are less, 8 cents for prime dry Hides is a low price, the same article never cost me less than 12 in the north, I would not [?] for people even for half if I could stock my [vats?] on my own acct [account?], but it will pay pretty well, I do not curry the leather for them but give it them Tanned in the rough, I have yet some buildings to put up but will defer all but a barn shed for the present it seems to be my fortune to no sooner work through one piece of vexation than another immediately arises, or becoming a stale Govmt [government?] has caused the owners of this Land which I live on to have it surveyed and steps are now being taken to have it in markett [market?] for sale, some people think we will either have to buy it or rent next season, their [there?] are a great many owners to this tract of land, where their [there?] are so many interests to be consulted it is more than likely the [they?] will not all be satisfied with their portion, should some demur Litigation will follow, if so their [there?] will neither be land bought nor rent to pay for some time to come, I wish more earnestly the [they?] would let me alone two or three years longer this land is surveyed in sections of one mile square containing 640 acres my section I suppose will sell high although their [there?] is not more than about 100 acres of very prime land on it and that is contained within the qr [quarter?] section (160 acres) which includes the Tan yard and Mail [seat?] the [they?] are alrady beginning to talk of moving the site of the Capital of the county at or near this place, Newransville is on one edge of the county, the court House is [wanted?] more central all those things combined make it evident that this land will sell high I do not think anyone will want my Tan yard but the [they?] may very likely want the qr [quarter?] section which it is on the yankee who lived with me when I wrote you last used my House and made a field of Cotton but only lived with me a little over four months he meddled with things that did not belong to him and I made him board elsewhere he built me a house and split Rails and done work of one kind and another to near the amount he owed me he made of 10 acres about 3000 lbs of cotton in seed which he sold at four cents pr [per?] lb making about $120 - less the expense of picking when this sea Island Cotton is in fine bloom and the bowls well opened one hand can pick from 50 to 60 lbs pr [per?] day but in the beginning and latter part of the season about 30 lbs is as much as most of them do gathering this crop you perceive is much more difficult than making it, this yankee wants to make Cotton [?] on one of my fields, I will porbably make a [?] with him for I have more land than I can [?] he d[?] not make a good crop the land ought [?] brought 500 lbs to the acre, I planted myself 10 [?] acres of land in corn and made 150 Bushels, I had some to but last years this I think I have enough should the rail road ever be made it will of course raise the value of land wherever it goes through, but it cannot be made yet for years, while we were a Territory congress ordered a survey for a route, but their action on the matter on their part rested the [they?] do not make internal improvements and [S?]outhern statesm[e?]n maintaining it unconstitutional to do so, if ever made it will have to be done by the state and for sometime to come her citizens have more important matters to mind - I got the six [Cows &?] Calves last spring I wrote you of, not having any one to attend to them I gave them to a Widow woman - to milk all summer. I will not sell those Cattle if I can help it, in a few years the [they?] will be of much benefit, I gave an indifferent one eyed grey mare for them. I have also aloud [allowed?] fifty head of Hogs the [they?] will not stay at home but ranged on a large Parerie [prairie?] three miles away this Parerie [prairie?] is from two to four miles wide and about thirty in circumference it is a fine place for Cattle and hogs I wrote the most of this letter two weeks ago, as I am going tomorrow to-day [today?] I will finish it. I will send you an old newspaper along with it a few Cotton seeds sister Jenny ceased to be fond of flowers, if she will plant those seeds in good ground Early the [they?] will grow till frost and maybe to you a curiosity I sent a few to John murdock the [they?] grew on some corn hills before my [door?]. I wrote Jane soon after receiving your letter she never amswered my previous letter. I am affraid [afraid?] she has never forgave me for [jesting?] about her children, if you have no use for the money you mention I will accept it, although I would rather Borrow a larger sum if I could, but here we have no Banks and I can not do so it would be folly to deny that I do want money for I do want much and from the nature of my bussiness [business?] I expect to be in want of money much for some years to come but under all the crosses and dissapointments [disapointments?] I have met with I have been and am still of opinion that I will yet make a fortune in this country at my bussiness [business?] it cannot help paying well when property underweigh I will make handsome leather and ship it to new york and have it sold by the quantity almost every other Tanner on this side of washington has got Rich, my turn must come next, if I do not spend this mony [money?] for land I will buy Hides with it, it will fill one [va?]t let Brother James manage it as he did before let him get a check [cheque?] from a Banker and send it to Peter Bryson with a request to Peter to advise me on its Receipt in N Y [New York?] my dear mother I must close this long letter I have 30 miles to ride to-day [today?] and some offaces [offices?] to attend to - give my affectionate love to all the family your affectionate son Andrew Robb |
