| Title: | Nathaniel & Margaret Carrothers, Ontario to W.Carrothers, Farnaght, Fermanagh |
|---|---|
| ID | 556 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Carrothers, Margaret/136 |
| Year | 1839 |
| Sender | Carrothers, Nathaniel and Margaret |
| Sender Gender | male-female |
| Sender Occupation | farmer-seamstress |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Ontario, Canada |
| Destination | Co. Fermanagh, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Carrothers, William/Mrs. Carrothers/Mrs Kirke of Maguiresbri |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | siblings/daughter-mother |
| Source | T3734: Presented by Edward N. Carrothers, 3 University Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 9411005 |
| Date | 25/12/1839 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT/JW, 04:11:1994. |
| Word Count | 2430 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | London December 25th 1839 Dear Brother, I take this favour of writing to you leting [letting?] you know we are all well thank god for all his merces [mercies?]; with every expetation [expectation?] this may find you and Mrs and children and all my friends in like maner [manner?]; I received your letter brought out by Mr. Bredon for which I feel greatful [grateful?] to you for the information it contained both of your own circumstances and the many changes that has tacken [taken?] place in many of my old acquantances [aquaintances?] but I greatley [greatly?] fear that so large a some [sum?] of money as you have to make up yearley [yearly?] will be to many for you I pray the lord to prosper you in all your under tackings [undertakings?] We have had a fine summer and a plentyful [plentiful?] harvast [harvest?] provisions of all kinds in abundance flour is worth 15s per hundred pork from 25s to 30s per hundred beef much the same potates [potatoes?] 2s per bushel butter from 7d to 9d per pound all in your money hay is very Dear in this place it has been sold for 3 per ton this is owing to so many miletery [military?] been in this place we have the 73 and 85 Regments [Regiments?] each about 700 strong and a compeney [company?] of horse artillery of 60 men and 60 horses beside 100 volintere [volunteer?] Cavlery [Cavalry?] as I mentioned in my last letter that the goverment [government?] was bilding [building?] very large barrickes [barracks?] in London the are nearley [nearly?] complate [complete?] the bildings [buildings?] and yards occupy 20 acres of ground the are enclosed with a picket fence of ceder [cedar?] timber cut in 12 foot lenths [lengths?] each pice [piece?] from 6 to 10 inches in diamiter [diameter?] A trinch [trench?] being dug 4 foot deep the were sharpt [sharp?] at the top and set in the trinch [trench?] as close as the coud [could?] stand so the stood 8 foot above the surface this made a good fence I still am working at the bildings [Buildings?] Carpenters has 6s -3d per day in the summer and 5s in the winter or 10s Newyork [New York?] Corency [currency?] in the summer and 8s in the winter bisnes [business?] of every kind is good London is nearley [nearly?] as large again as when I came to it I still am well pleased with this country and with this part of it as I am sure there is no better in it the climate good and land of a most excellent quality and I may say I never wrote anything of this country but the truth and I am sorry at nothing so much as I did not come sooner to it Thomas and I has bought 200 acres there is not better land in the manner [manor?] of Carrick Thomas and Samuel is living on his farm they have above 20 acres cleared and stock in proporsion [proportion?] Mark and brothers has 200 acres more the are doing well the have cleared 50 acres the sowed 13 acres of wheat this harvest the are all well and is a bout [about?] writing home and will spake [sic] for them selves the manner of cleering [clearing?] the land you have hard [heard?] so often that I need not say anything of it I have got 5 acres cleared this harvast [harvest?] and sown in wheat the farmer is the most independent in this country as the can have everything with in them selves to make life comfertible [comfortable?] the make their own soap and candles and sugar in abundance Thomas made 400 weight of sugar last spring it was as good a quality as 8d or 9d sugar the mapel [maple?] from which this is extracted is in abundance in this part of the country; the make sugar trakel [treacle?] beer and vinegar out of the mapel [maple?] in abundance the make those in the spring from this tree and in the harvast [harvest?] cut it down and take out of it 50 or an 100 wheight [weight?] of honey if it happens to be an hollow tree where bees can hive this is not an uncommon case as the are plenty in the woods bees do thrive and multiply in this country far better than with youes [you's?] I have counted 73 hives at a farmers place the honey is not so well tasted as with yous I think it is owing to the wild state of the country all is pace [peace?] and quitenes [quietness?] this winter as yet and there is every prospect of this country becoming far better than ever it was; there dos [does?] arong [a wrong?] nosion [notion?] of this country prevail with yous that is that a person coming to this country 15 or 20 years ago had a much beter [better?] chance of doing well than those coming now I say the had not near so good the had many dffulcultyes [difficulties?] to encounter which has pased [passed?] by I have had a slight tuch [touch?] of ague [argue?] in september last but is quite well this distemper alltho [although?] avery [a very?] bad one is looked on much as the tooth acke [ache?] for harley [hardly?] any dies with it James Stuart wrought in this place last spring and was macking [making?] money fast till June when he went to godrich and got maried [married?] to a doughter [daughter?] of Robert bacoms and I hear he is working in the same hous [house?] with him he could have saved money fast here; shomking [sic] is a good trade here and I fear he has ingered [angered?] his futuer [future?] prosperity like others of the fameley [family?] by to earley [early?] a marage [marriage?] I had a letter from Robert Carrothers he is still in the State of Ohio and spakes [speaks?] of coming here Mathew [Matthew?] is in this provence [province?] about 60 miles from here and I hear he has got maried [married?] to a girl the name of Dane from near Churchill I had a letter from Henerey [Henry?] Rutledge Toronto a few days ago he is in a store and the are all well and in afare [fair?] way of doing well he makes mention of Lettica Mason having got maried [married?] to John Watkin he is nevew [nephew?] to Frank of derybrusk she is his third wife the masons had gon [gone?] a year ago to the states and he went after hur [her?] and got maried [married?] and returned to toronto Alixander [Alexander?] was coming with hur [her?] flitting through the state of Ohio with the intension [intention?] of stoping [stopping?] and took ill in the City of Cleveland and died in a few dayes [days?] with out one he ever saw near him he died in the morning and thr beried [buried?] him in the after noon when he took sick he wrote to his brothers and James folowed [followed?] him but he was dead and beried [buried?] some dayes [days?] before he came on to Toronto with the doleful newes [news?]; Dear Brother Mrs Kerk [Kirk?] speakes [speaks?] of coming out to this country in the spring I want you to get me somegras [grass?] seed one kind I want which I dismember the name of but it is the softest and lightest of all the gras [grass?] kinds I remember us to have it sown on the narrow strip of meadow below the kill [church?] the have it in many parts of the country I think Andrew mongomery [Montgomery?] can eisley [easily?] get it for you only one pound of it I want let it be very Clean it is jenerly [generally?] sown on bottoms so you cant mistake it; it produces very soft and light hay I want you to try the seed shopes [shops?] in eniskilen [Enniskillen?] if the have got any of the Italian rye grass seed and if the have get me a pound of it likewise it is sown and cultivated in england and scotland and far preferible [preferable?] to any other gras [grass?]; gather me allso [also?] a pound of common gras [grass?] seed of your own stabel [stable?] loft letting it be clean possible marking the name of each kind on the enclouser [encloser?] we have the time [thyme?] they and rye gras [grass?] here grow well but I dont like them as they dont produce any after groth [growth?] and send them by hur [her?] and you will oblige me very much; give my best rispects [respects?] to my brother Josef [Joseph?] and famely [family?] and sisters and famely [family?] and all enquiring friends and neighbours and I remain Yours Nathaniel Carrothers Let me know if ever Nobel Carrothers wrote home and if he did send me the directions so I me rite [write?] to him and Robert wants to know so he may send for him to come to this part of the country so the may settle down together If you or any of my old acquantance [aquaintance?] wants any Information of this country let me know in your next and I shall gladly give it as far as my nollage [knowledge?] of it goes and that truly; one thing I can tell you that this is a better country for to emigrate to than the united States I am glad that I did not stop in them I have had an opportunity of conversing every week for the last three years either with English Irsh [Irish?] or Scosh [Scotch?] who had been in the states and the all prefer Canada to them; and another strong proof of it is that a great number of the inhabetants [inhabihants?] of this part of the country is americans many of them sold large possessions in the united states and came to Canada and the are coming fast thes [these?] last six months more espasialy [especially?] old country peopel [people?] who has tired of their republick [republic?] goverment [government?] The goverment [Government?] here has reduced the price of land you can by [buy?] yield land for eight shillings per acre and the are about macking [making?] it cheaper to encourage emigrasion [emigration?] and all who come can do well if it is not their own faults. To Mrs Kirk of Maguiresbridge - I take this opportunity of letting you know that I sent you the sum of 11 this money we gave to a merchant that was going to Newyork [New York?] to get a check [cheque?] on the bank of Ireland but he got one on the bank of england which he enclosed in a letter we sent with him directed to you in september last but he shoud [should?] have got 2 checkes [cheques?] so that we might have had two chances of sending it to you but hoping that you have received it; and thinkes [thinks?] well of coming out to this country in the spring by quebeck [Quebec?] is the cheapest way it cost Eliza 6 to come to London for sea store plenty of oaten bread well harned and plenty of mail [meal?] to make gruel; some bacon butter and eggs and a few herrings on sea is very good you need by [buy?] no biscuit and for cooking you tensils [utensils?] you can buy them at any of the sea ports Eliza had plenty of provisions you have aquantance [aquaintance?] in nearley [nearly?] all the towns you pass trough [through?] in Canada who will give you free quarters for a night and when you come to Toronto there you will have Mrs Rutledge from thence to hammilton [Hamilton?] that is 80 miles from London and land carrage [carriage?] there you will have to look out for the cheapest way 0f travling [traveling?] as by stage is very dear and as I am determined to bild [build?] on my ground aframe hous [house?] earley [early?] in the spring it is on the upper end of king street as you come in to London there you will find us; and may the lord god who has been our kind protecter acros [across?] the reaging [raging?] sea be Yours amen.. Dear Mother I am just returned from the post office and there is no letter yet as I am every day expecting an answer to my letter I feel verry [very?] uneasy about it for fear that it should be lost or delayed so as to prevent you of coming out this spring as we are verry [very?] anxious for you to come I think we shall send to New York and get another check [cheque?] and forward it to you as soon as possible, if you come this Spring I should like you to bring me some patterns of the newest fashion Capes and Sleevs [sleeves?] and Cloaks and Silk Bonnet pattern if you can bring some straw plat with you let it be the best Dunstable as it is verry [very?] dear here I have seen fine Straw Bonnets sold as high as 7 Dollars and Tuscan for 12 Dollars Dress of every kind is worn the same here as with you only much richer and gayer you have always the first of the fashions as the come out from England here this has become a verry [very?] fashionable place you would see more silks worn here in one day than you would see in Maguiresbridge in your lifetime and could not tell the difference between the Lady and the Servant Girl as it is not uncommon for her to wear a Silk Cloak and Boa and Muff on her hands and her Bonnet ornamented with artificial flowers and vail [veil?] and can well afford it wages is so good. I have nothing more to say to you except if you come the worst thing you have is good enough to wear on sea Mr. Oliver and Eliza is well she has got another daughter 28th of October last she sends their love to you and Mary Jane and the children Little John is getting a fine boy he speaks quite plain Nathaniel and I desire to be remembered to all freinds and aquaintance in the kindest manner particularly to Sister Mary Jane and my Brothers when you come to Montreal enquire in some of the Straw Manufactory [Manufactury?] how plat could be bought and also in Toronto no more at present but remains your affectionate Daughter M. [Margaret?] Carrothers |
