| Title: | William Williamson, Belvidere to Hugh Williamson, Co. Armagh. |
|---|---|
| ID | 3361 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Williamson, William/8 |
| Year | 1843 |
| Sender | Williamson, William |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | farmer |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Belvidere, Illinois, USA |
| Destination | Richhill, Co. Armagh, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Williamson, Hugh |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | T 2680/2/2: Copied by Permission of W. P. Williamson Esq., Ahorey House, Richhill, Co. Armagh. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9007144 |
| Date | 03/07/1843 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by JM 25:02:1994. |
| Word Count | 1515 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Belvidere July 3rd 1843 [?] Dear Hugh I suppose ere [before?] you receive this you will be in the post office a good many times looking out for it; and the reason was my delaying thinking John would be here however he may not have had got quick a passage as I had, we started from New York to Albany on Wednesday 24th May paying 40 Cents = 1/8 and arrived next morning, where D. Hutchinson's Friends were waiting on Mr Marshall we stopt [stopped?] in Albany to 1 O'Clock, we started for Rochester p [per?] Steam Carriage paying 4 Dollars & 11 Cents = 17/1 1/2 we travell'd all night in the Railway passing a great many pretty Villages each having 1. 2. or 3 Churches in it the Land appeared in some places good and in other places quite Stoney and barren we arrived in Rochester 1 O'Clock next day and crossed a Bridge near 2 Miles Long that ran across a Lake, John McKain Jas McK [James McKain?] Wm [William?] Thompson Thos [Thomas?] [Q--n?] & M Carragher stopt [stopped?] at Rochester and the rest of us put for the Good Land of Illinois, we started immediately for Buffalo paying 1 Dollar = 4/2 and getting our Supper and Bed this was by Canal Boat we arrived next morning at Lockport and was put in the Railway to the Falls of Niagara we stopt [stopped?] here for 2 Hours and saw the Falls and a great many other Curiousties [Curiosities?] too Numerous to mention we arrived at Buffalo on Saturday Evening and had to stop to Monday we started from Buffalo to Chicago paying 7 Dollars = 29/2 we were from Monday Evening to Sunday Morning going up the Lakes - Mr Marshall put all his Goods in Canal Boat they Engaged to Deliver them in 10 Days the [they?] Have not come to Chicago yet and he means to go back and find them out, perhaps they are in New York yet he will have a deal of trouble with them, and would have been wiser had he brought them along with Him, I started for Belvidere with Miss Scott Miss Ferguson and 3 of Mr Marshalls children paying 10 Dollars for a pair of Horses and Waggon [Wagon?], it cost Each of us 2 1/2 Dollars = 10/5 from Chicago to Belvidere we were 2 1/2 Days Wm [William?] Taylor was was working in Belvidere and I got him to see where we would stop he brought them all to his BrotherinLaw [Brother-in-law?] Wm [William?] Dean's where they stop't [stopped?] for a few days and then got into another House where there was more room, Marshalls Family came on next week and we were all greatly dissapointed [disappointed?] at him not having his goods with him he has not got a Farm yet but has got a great many offers I pusht [pushed?] on to See my best Friend here Joseph Taylor and found him in good health, he does not look quite so young as he was in Ireland but appears well content that he [?] the Good Fortune to come to this place where he has made an Independence for himself & Family. he recieved [received?] me not a Neighbours child, but as a Son of his own and has made me Welcome to his house and Table as long as he has one, he has not yet built his House but will, he expects this Summer #PAGE 2 he has 15 Head of Cattle Died Since last Autumn which was a heavy loss to him but he says one of his cows that Died in Ireland was more loss to him, than the 15 here, he has 50 Acres of as good Land as is in the State of Illinois it is what is called here Prairie, no Trees or any sort of Timber on it, on the surface it appears like a Moss where the Turf had been cut of to a foot of the Clay, when it is broken up it appears quite Black [F--?] & Rotten he has nearly 40 Acres in Crop he has 2 Cows & 2 Oxen 1 Mare 1 Horse and 2 Colts 19 Sheep 9 or 10 Pigs and we can scarcely get into the House for Fowl The Reason of so many Cattle Dying here, last winter was so severe that no Farmer had sufficient Hay cut, They [The?] Earliest Settlers here never remembered so severe a Winter as last Winter was - [?] Rankins people will be glad to hear that notwithstanding the loss of her Husband, Mrs [C--amon?] looks in good health and Spirits and has got her Farm fenced and good Crops in it. I never expected to meet with as good neighbours here as I have, scarcely an Irishmans house that I go into but they wish me to stop all night to they hear how the old Country as they Call it is getting on, Mr [C--amon?] wrote to Mr Marshall to fetch 2 Sheep I have seen as good Sheep here as in Ireland, and as fine cows as you could wish for, the Horses in General are of a smart light nature with Cow like Ears on them, the Pigs are of a thin Riby appearance they dont take any care of the Pigs to the fall when they turn them into the Harvest field to eat the fallen Indian corn & oats, There is no good Houses here yet, as the County is newly settled, There is scarcely any money in the County but what goes to the Land office, until the Farmers sells their wheat, a Man gets from 10 to 15 Dollars p [per?] Month but you will have to take oxen Horses cows sheep or wheat for it which you will sell or turn into money as well as you can The Cattle has to get salt here once a week or they will not fatten [you?] might be thinking that I am not content here and would wish to be home again all that I can say is that I am as happy as ever I was and all that I am sorry at is that I did not come out here with Joseph Taylor at the time I went to Trotters if I had come and had health and no Misfortune I could have had a Farm that the Seed Breed or Generation of me never saw the like, & I am looking forward for that time yet I have not seen much of america yet but I think if some of my Country men were here that is living on potatoes & milk they would bless the Day before long that they left Ireland In any house here there is no meal eaten without [Fresh?] meat, and Tell Hamilton that Tea Twice a day, Joseph Taylor's Eldest Daughter had a young son last week she is got quite well again, My Grandmother wanted to Know what sort of places of worship there is here, they are generally Presbyterians or Methodists there is one Meeting House in Belvidere which is 4 1/2 Miles and a preaching in the School House #PAGE 3 every Sunday which is not half a Mile of us, There is a great many Irish Settlers here, and a great Many Yankees coming in from other States and going to Wisconsin Territory and good many coming here, This State is not near so woody as the State of New York the Land seems much better here than any I Ever saw, In my last Letter I Spoke of [torn] going to serve a time and I think if Ben or John would get a Situation in the Towns or villages if [torn] to learn a trade he would get a Salary during his apprenticeship but it would not do if John or Ben were not with him. when I was coming across the Sea I was offerd [offered?] #70 for 3 yrs [years?] and learn the Carpenter Buisiness [Business?], it was McKain made me the offer but he is to [too?] neat a man for me, there is something in him very small, we were not shaved or taken in along the way but it took good watching. I am ashamed to send this Letter home the writing is bad, my Hands are swelled and sweating [and?] I cannot use my pen as I wish I have omitted saying things you are anxious to Know but I wil write to Sally next and mention them to her. we expect the Harvest here in 3 weeks and I dont suppose I will write to its over I am daily expecting John and a Letter from some of you perhaps he wont come here. I must conclude but begs to be remembered to John Anderson Mrs Anderson Thos [Thomas?] McClure Father Mother G.Mother [Grandmother?] and all thy [the?] Rest of the family, and that God May Bless and direct you all is the fervent Prayer of your afft [affectionate?] Brother Wm Wmson [William Williamson?] 100 Cents make a Dollar = to 4/2 484 Cents make Pound Sterling 480 halfpence make a pound there is only 4 cents more in a pound than Halfpence [addressed to:] [stamped:] Mr Hugh Williamson AMERICA 6E ARMAGH Ahory L JY28 JY29 Rich-hill [Richhill?] 43 1843 County Armagh Ireland paid |
