| Title: | Samuel Brown, Philadelphia to David Brown, Belfast |
|---|---|
| ID | 351 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Brown, Samuel/7 |
| Year | 1793 |
| Sender | Brown, Samuel |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | shop assistant |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Philadelphia, Penn., USA |
| Destination | Belfast, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Brown, David |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | T3525/1: Deposited by Mrs F.C. Rogan. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9310019 |
| Date | 23/12/1793 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Action By Date Document added by C. R., 01:10:1993 |
| Word Count | 1312 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | 23 December 1793 To David Brown, Mill Street, Belfast, Ireland by the brig Susanna Philadelphia Decr [December?] 23 1793 Dear Brother I take this oportunity [opportunity?] of Wrighting [writing?] you a few Lines to Lett [let?] you know that I am in good health at Preasant [present?] thanks be to God and hoping these Lines Will find you and My sister and the children Injoying [enjoying?] the seam [same?] as is my Ever sinsere [sincere?] wish - Dr [dear?] David I hope youl [you will?] not think mee [me?] Ungreatfull [ungrateful?] not Wrighting [wirting?] to you Sooner for the times has been so very disagreeable sins [since?] I came here I [Desianed?] to give you as full an acount [account?] of this Country as an acount [account?] of this Country as possabl [possible?] - I had a very Good passage of Eight Weeks and two days Without the least sickness on the passage there was a feavour [fever?] aboard but Not Mortal Wee [we?] Landed at New Castle on the Eight [eighth?] Day of September on account of a Feavour [fever?] that Prevealed [prevailed?] in Philadelphia Thomas Stewart and Thos [Thomas?] Smyth and I thought it better to Detain there for a few days to [till?] Wee [we?] could Hear a better acount [account?] of the sickness which I think was very fortunate for us only that I took a Feavour [fever?] which continued for Near Four Weeks I would seen More of this Country only on that acount [account?] for the Feavour [fever?] was so shocking in Philadelphia I stoped [stopped?] there for Eight Weeks Which Cost Mee [me?] ten Guineas Without - I came to this Sitty [city?] on the 7th of Novb. [November?] which was Nearly the end of the sickness When I got the acount [account?] of so many of my aquentanses [acquaintances?] being dead shocked mee [me?] verry [very?] much amongst these was Mr Faulkner and Andrew Sproule Carpenter and Wm [William?] Campbell Stone Cutter & Medole the Beaker [baker?]and Russel the Plummer [plumber?] and John Monrow Cabinet Meaker [Maker?] and a great number too numerous to Mention the Number in Whole Died from the first of Agust [August?] to the 15th of Nov. [November?] is concluded to be 6500 People this sitty [city?] is verry [very?] Much [hurted?] by the sickness and is thought by many it has a chanse [chance?] to break out ageanst [against?] the Spring it has spoiled all Kind of Treade [trade?] there has numbers Left the sitty #PAGE 2 [city?] on acount [account?] and not coming back to [till?] after Spring I should not come here only on the acount [account?] of the Lead I brought on our arival [arrival?] here put me to asinddy [uncertainty?] Whether to Leave the sitty [city?] or stay to Sprig Wee [we?] took a Room and shop But finding the Pay being so verry [very?] bad Wee [we?] thought better to work for an Imployer [employer?] Where Wee [we?] ar [are?] Paid Every Week the Room Wee [we?] Keep only so that if sickness apears [appears?] Wee [we?] Intend to Remove to New York. This sitty [city?] I Like Midling [middling?] Well and has my health as Well as I ever had thanks be to God our Weages [wages?] is Five shilling and sixpence p. [per?] Day Each Wee [we?] both Fell to Work In one shop the third Day after our coming here Imployers [employer's?] prices here is Very Good In Peanting [painting?] and Gleazing [glazing?] but Long Trust Gleazing [glazing?] is Done here by the pean [pane?] or Light acording [according?] to the size the General sizes is 10 I. [inches?] by 8 I. [inches?] which is one shilling and 10 I. [inches?] by 12 I. [inches?] is 2s [shillings?] and 9 I. [inches?] by 11 I. [inches?] is 1s. [shilling?] 6d. [pence?] this corrensy [currency?] there is Larger Peans [panes?] so Large as [10?] I. [inches?] by 20 I. [inches?] [these?] is found by the owner of the Building. I am Gleazing [glazing?] a Large hous [house?] at Preasent [present?] for the Imployer [employer?] and for Priming and Putty and workmanship 1s.6d. [1 shilling and 6 pence?] Light or Pean [pane?] the Gleazers [glazers?] here is but verry [very?] bad at the Buisness [business?] for the [they?] Both Peant [paint?] and Gleaze [glaze?] the man that I work for is verry [very?] Hapy [happy?] he mett [met?] with mee [mee?] and I Beleive [believe?] would find Me in Constant Imployment [employment?] at the Gleazing [glazing?] only but the summer time the Weages [wages?] Is better I beleive [believe?] a Doller [dollar?] a Day is the higest [highest?] Boarding is Very Dear from two dollers [dollars?] to three Pr [per?] Week a doller [dollar?] is 7s.6d. [7 shilings and 6 pence?] this corensy [currency?] as for Carpenters Weages [wages?] Jurneymen [journeymen?] has from six shillings to a Doller [dollar?] pr [per?] Day from sun up to sun Down but by Peise [piece?] Work the [they?] can meake [make?] 10 shillings p [per?] Day there is three Months in the year that all Treades [trades?] is bad from December to March - there is a Great Demand for Labourers at a [Rinall?] thier [their?] weages [wages?] in winter is 4s.6.d [4 shillings and 6 pence?] & 5s. [shillings?] p [per?] Day Where yoyl. [you will?] find some of your verry #PAGE 3 [very?] Respectfull [respectful?] Irish Men that you would be sorry to see - [---ttling?] is Dear Beef is from 5d. [pence?] to 8d. [pence?] pr [per?] Pound in Market Butter is 1s 10d. [one shilling and tenpence?] pr [per?] lb [pound?] & potatoes 6 shillings P [per?] Bushel Mutton 5d to 6d [pence?] and Milk by the Quart is 6d. [pence?] Beer by Do [ditto?] 8d. [pence?] Porter by Do [ditto?] Bottled 1s. [shilling?] Spirits by the Quart 1s.10d. [1 shilling 10 pence?] out of the stores and taverins [taverns?] 16d. [pence?] pr [per?] half pint oat meal here out of the stores is 11d. [pence?] P [per?] Quart Shoes is from 8s. [shillings?] in the market to 11s.3d. [11 shillings 3 pence?] bespoke. Meaking [making?] of Cloase [clothes?] is Dear a coat from 2 Dollers [dollars?] to 20s. [shillings?] Small close [clothes?] is 12 shillings Each - As for My Part I heave [have?] not the smalles [smallest?] Right to dispise [depsise?] this Cuntry [Country?] but I know a great many wishes to be in Irland [Ireland?] agean [again?] So from this youl [you will?] be a gudge [judge?] yourself. Dear David I hope as soon as this comes to hand youl [you will?] Wright [write?] To me and give Me a full acount [account?] of Belfast and Lett [let?] me Know if your Treade [trade?] is as good as before I Left you and if its [it is?] Better I intend coming next faul [Fall?] if God spears [spares?] Mee [me?] health I Received your letter by Mr Irwin Which give [gave?] mee [me?] the Greatest Pleasure I Met with sins [since?] I came here to hear your [you are?] all well you Wright [write?] to mee [me?] about Thos [Thomas?] Steel amd sinse [since] I heave [have?] heard by Robert Longs [Long's?] Letter that he saw thomas [Thomas?] smyth [Smyth and Thomas Steel in Boltimore [Baltimore?] I amediately [immediately?] wrot [wrote?] to Robt [Robert?] Long to Lett [let?] thomas [Thomas?] steel [Steel?] Know that I Wished to see him not Mentioning any thing that would Provent [prevent?] him Remember Mee [me?] to all my old aquenteanses [acquaintances?] and lett [let?] Mr smyth [Smyth?] Know that Thomas Left Mee [me?] In New Castle in good health to go to his brother on acount [account?] getting no work he was intended going hom [home?] this faul [Fall?] after seeing his brother but I find he has stoped [stopped?] in Boltimore [Baltimore?] Remember me to Jack Mequillon and Peggy Rannin I am sinserly [sincerely?] your Afectnate [affectionate?] Brother Samuel Brown. |
