| Title: | J. Anderson, Jamestown to a Brother, Co. Derry. |
|---|---|
| ID | 51 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Anderson, John/7 |
| Year | 1855 |
| Sender | Anderson, John |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | farmer |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Jamestown, Virginia, USA |
| Destination | Co. Derry, N. Ireland |
| Recipient | Anderson brother (prob. William) |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | D 1859/15: Presentd by Dr. J. T. Anderson, 16 Ashley Gardens, Banbridge, County Down, Ireland |
| Archive | Public record Office Northern Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 9012087 |
| Date | 15/03/1855 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Action By Date Document added by B.W, 28:01:1994. |
| Word Count | 1175 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Green Township March the 15 1855 Dear Brother when you glance at those few lines you will no doubt be amazed as there has been so many years elapsed since I wrote to you I acknowledge that I have been very ungratefull [ungrateful?] and dillitary [dilatory?] about writeing [writing?]to you so I Came to the Conclusion I would write you a few lines to let you know of our wellfair [welfare?] we are all in good health at present thanks Be to god for his mercies towards us hopeing [hoping?] when these lines reaches your length the [they?] will find you all enjoying the same Blessing I design giveing [giving?] you a brief scetch [sketch?] of our business for the last six or seven years we sold our farm in Champion to Brother David at forteen [fourteen?] dollars per acre we then sarched [searched?] round to find a farm to buy but could not get suited so we rented a farm for four years at a hundred dollars per year we bought twenty milch Cows of our own and indid [indeed?] Chees [Cheese?] or Cept [?] dearry [dairy?] as the [they?] Call it here after two years had expired we bought a farm Containing one hundred and nine acres we occupied both farms untill [until?] our lease was out we then moved to our own farm and lived on it for one year then there was a man that owned a large farm and cept [kept?] fifty cows came to me and wanted me to rent his farm for two years at six hundred dollars per year to weich [which?] I agreed I then rented my own farm and moved on to his and has had two years hard work but we had good wages for our work no doubt you will be ancious [anxious?] to hear how much we made in adition [addition?] to six hundred for rent we had to pay one hundred for hired help in harvest we had eighty acres of grass to [too?] but so you Can understand what our expences [expenses?] was the price of Chees [Cheese?] the first year was seven Cents per pound the first year we sold nine hundred dollars worth of Chees [Cheese?] two hundred and fifty dollars worth of Butter raised twentyfour Calves which we sold at one hundred and twenty dollars forty dollars worth of Cream fifty dollars worth of pork when the whole is aded [added?] up you will preceive [perceive?] we had six hundred and fifty dollars a year for our labour we had a verry [very?] dry time here last summer there was four months here during that time we had little or no rain not more than three or four hours rain during that time and scarcly [scarcely?] any dews at night all the time of harvest we never had to shake out any grass Just Cut it down and rake it up ohio [Ohio?] was far wors [worse?] than Pensylvennia #PAGE 2 [Pennsylvania?] altho [although?] it was as dry here as in Ohio in Ohio the [they?] had to drive there [their?] Cattle some places three or four miles to water on account of the drought provender for man and beast is very scarce hay is fifteen dollars a ton and some has to hall [haul?] it twenty miles oats is fifty Cents per bushel butter sixteen Cents per pound we expect when navigation opens [-?] provisions will be Cheaper so as it Can be imported from other parts I am informed that in large Cities like new york [New York?] or Philadelpia [Philadelphia?] there is large numbers that has to be suported [supported?] by the Charity of the Citisens [Citizens?] we have had a severe winter here deep snow and keen freesing [freezing?] Brother David paid us a visit a few weeks ago the [they?] are all well we live thirty miles apart Joseph has bought a farm in Champion Convenient to David Containing one hundred acres he would like to sell it and buy a smaller farm as his health is not good aliza [Eliza?] and me enjoy good health ever since we left irels [Ireland's?] isle altho [although?] we begin to feel a little older our eyesight begin to get dim we are under the necessity of wearing spectacles our Childer all enjoy good health only Mary has been a good deal sick in her time but has good health at present we heard of the death of John Mearns shortly after his decese [decease?] in a newspaper Called the presbyterian Banner which I subscribed for the newspaper gave me all the news how he was liked as a preacher when in good health he was alwas [always?] reddy [ready?] and willing to do his duty as a minister he preached at a place Called longrun [Longrun?] twenty miles from Pitsburgh [Pittsburgh?] and a hundred and ten miles from us if he had lived I had resolved to go and see him aliza [Eliza?] would like you to write to us if you know any thing about her Brother John or Nancy where the [they?] are I would like to know if the [they?] are listing or drafting the young men of [off?] to Russia to help to take sebastipol [Sebastipol?] I supose [suppose?] Ireland has becum [become?] a fine Cuntry [Country?] since it got so depopulated there is large farms low rents and high wadges [wages?] for labouring men so much so that we will have to sell out and go back there to live I dont mean what I have been writeing [writing?] last is so but I mean when you write give me every item you can think of from a Codfish down to a herren [herring?] altho [although?] my letter dont Contain such news as I requist [request?] but I hope you will receive it as it is and excuse me for not writeing [writing?] oftener and not much of a letter when I do write I neglected when writeing [writing?] the other pages to #PAGE 3 mention that Joseph had been to Indianne [Indiana?] this winter after the money of his farm that he sold Robert and his family were all well he has bought eighty acres more land he now owns two hundred and forty acres all together we intend if spared health to move to our farm about the first of april [April?] and take the world a little easier than we have done when I bought I agreed to pay one thousand dollars for one hundred and nine acres which I have done and has got my deed for it we have two fine bay horses which I bought from David worth two hundred and fifty dollars four fours three head of young Cattle thirteen sheep I dont write this as a brag but to let you know our Circumstance as it has been so long since I wrote to you give our love to all our old acquaintance and to all enquireing [enquiring?] friends no more at present but remains your Brother to death John Anderson when you write direct For John Anderson Green Township Jamestown Postoffice Mecer [Mercer?] County Pennsylvenia [Pennsylvania?] |
