| Title: | Lazewell Thompson, Virginia, To Mr. Carter, Belfast. |
|---|---|
| ID | 3118 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Thompson, Lazewell/28 |
| Year | 1886 |
| Sender | Thompson, Lazewell |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Gloucester Court House, Virginia, USA |
| Destination | Belfast, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Mr Carter |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | Mr Thompson asks for info about ancestry |
| Source | D898: Presented by Mrs. J.A. Hind, 150 Sandown Road, Belfast. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Belfast. |
| Doc. No. | 9604039 |
| Date | 27/09/1886 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 15:04:96. |
| Word Count | 1208 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Gloucester Court House, Virginia Sep [September?] 27 1886 My Dear Mr. Carter It has become necessary to the prosecution of a claim against the U.S. [United States?] Govr. [Government?], under the French [Spoliation?] Bill that our family should (if possible) know something of a certain uncle of my father's, --- by name Neill Thompson. My father was, by a letter of this Uncle bearing date May 25 1800, and written from Norfolk in Virginia, made the sole heir of his uncle, and this heirship was further confirmed by a decree of a chancery Court in Virginia by which his sisters and brothers (I mean of course my father's sisters and brothers) were forever barred as coheirs &c. This last document cites my father's brothers and sisters by name, but is now in Phila. [Philadelphia?] in the hands of my nephew F.R. Penberton, who is the agent of my sisters and self in the prosecution of our claims. His address I give you --- Girard Building, 3rd. Lulow [below?] Chestnut Sreet, Phila. [Philadeliphia?]. As to our being the rightful heirs then of this uncle, we fancy there is no doubt, and if we could only follow him and locate him as a merchant doing business in Charleston, South Carolina, as easily as we can trace him doing business and writing letters from Norfolk, we would much relieved, as the larger part of the claims hinges heavily upon this point. That you may understand our status, I will now tell you all we know of the connection between this uncle and his heir, (my father), and much of this information is from my recollection of conversations with my father when I was a mere boy. It seems then that at a very early age, I think about 14 years, my father left his parents in Newry [County Down?] and was regularly articled as a clerk to his uncle, Neill Thompson, at that time a merchant in the Island of Saint Domingo, --- that not long after his arrival there the blacks rose in insurrection, and my father and his uncle were forced to Abandon everything and took shipping and landed in Phila. [Philadelphia?], I have often heard my father speak of the discomforts of that trip and how he suffered from change of climate, and how the captain of the vessel loaned his pia [pea?] jacket, and how he walked up with his uncle in Phila. [Philadelphia?] and was fitted out with thicker clothing. Business at this time in Norfolk was almost exclusively in the hands of the English and Scottish merchants, and consisted largely of West India trade --- very naturally then, --- this uncle and my father as his companion found themselves in Norfolk in the year 1793. In the letter to which I have already referred as written to my father by this uncle, and bearing date 25th May 1800 Norfolk in Virginia, he opens in this way "we have not met since we parted at this place in 1793 --- he then goes on to express very strongly his disapproval of the fact that my father's parents had seen fit to [weak?] my father to his home in Ireland, stating as his reason that his (my father's) prospects in life were rather worsted than improved, inasmuch as by remaining with him (the uncle) he would have been advanced to --- he then goes on to describe how "since we parted this place " 1793 --- he the uncle had visited his former place of business (which he speaks of as the Cape), and in what condition he had found his affairs. "The Luteudant [Lieutenant?] (presumably the officer in charge of the French Government) had succeeded in saving the lower warehouse from fire, and had taken possession of its contents valued at $30000, which together with other property had from him, amounted in all to Fifty Thousand dollars, and that the Lutendant [Lieutenant?] had given him bills for this amount upon the French minister, and that he not knowing what better to do, had accepted these to realize from them" -- These bills have never been paid, and as I understand it, constitute our claim against this government. The second claim I do not understand very thoroughly but is based upon the capture of the Brig "Aquilla," which, with her cargo was valued at $500,000 or perhaps more ---, but the claimant is Neill Thompson, a merchant of Charleston So. Ca. [South Carolina?] We all feel that this was our uncle, but can't prove it, nor do I see any way in which it can be proved except from old letters in the possession of the descendants of the family in Ireland. I am aware that this is a weak chance, but we all know that in the old country family letters are preserved and treated with more respect than they meet here. In this connection my hopes are rather weakened by the facts that the uncle in the letter to my father uses these words, --- "remember me to the members of your family provided you think they care to hear from me." This of course looks like there might have been some ill feeling between him and his relatives, and to this extent have prevented the very correspondence from which we might expect some information. While conveying his Kind regards to his relatives, "provided they care to hear from him," he was most particularly to be remembered "to the Gordon family." Do you think there was any one in that family with whom he could possibly have corresponded? This whole letter gives one the impression that the writer was a vigorous old fellow, and if he made ventures from Norfolk in a Brig loaded with sugar and coffee for Lighoru [Leghorn?] (as this letter of 25th May 1880 states that he had to do in a few days), there is certainly no reason why he may not have done business in Charleston So.Ca. [South Carolina?] and [suit?] or taken his ventures from that point also. I have quite a distinct recollection that my father occasionally corresponded, when I was a youth, with a newphew of his hearing your name and I am not entirely mistaken this newphew held some position in the Custom House in London. Could he have been your father or an uncle of yours? Do you think it possible at this late date to identify Neill Thompson a merchant doing business in Charleston So. Ca. [South Carolina?]. This is the question, and its solution would be a tremendous lift to me. During the life of my sister Mrs. [Loyale?], I used frequently to hear from or of you, but of late years I go so little from home that I have heard nothing of you, except that you had married. I trust we may meet again, and if, at any time, you should be passing through Norfolk and would care to see us, we would be very glad to see you. Is your father still alive? And is your brother still in the country? I shall be glad to hear from you, even though you may not have it in your power to put me in the way of this desired information; aud aiu Very sincerely yours Lazewell Thompson |
