| Title: | The Province of New York |
|---|---|
| ID | 629 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Clark, Thomas/12 |
| Year | 1768 |
| Sender | Clark, Thomas |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | minister |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Co. Monaghan, Ireland |
| Destination | unknown |
| Recipient | unknown |
| Recipient Gender | unknown |
| Relationship | unknown |
| Source | The Belfast News-letter & General Advertiser, Friday, 1 July 1768 |
| Archive | The Central Library, Belfast |
| Doc. No. | 1200264 |
| Date | 01/07/1768 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 19:12:00. |
| Word Count | 1277 |
| Genre | |
| Note | N.B. the file includes a letter written in New York by a William Smith Jr. Where he gives an account of New York State, Pennsylvania, Canada and the European emigrants living there. |
| Transcript | The Province of New-York is one of the healthiest Countries in the World, and situate between 40 and 45 Degrees of North Latitude: The Inhabitants live to the Age of 80 and 90 Years. It was first discovered in 1609, and is so greatly increased and improved, that it contains many flourishing Towns, and two Cities; of which that called New-York, is so considerable, as to contain about 3000 Houses. The Inhabitants in the Province amount to about 120,000 Souls. The religious Denominations are various; - all are Protestants, and the greatest Proportion, Dutch, English, Scotch, and Irish Presbyterians. There are no Catholicks, there being a Law passed when the Earl of Bellamont was Governor, nearly 70 Years ago, that makes it Felony for a Popish Priest to be in the Colony 24 Hours. The Rights of Conscience are well secured. There is no provincial Establishment of any one Sect above the rest, nor any general Church Rates, or religious Taxes or Impositions; each Denomination supporting the Worship of God in their own Way, without Force or Penalties, but all by voluntary Contribution. Upon every Account, perhaps there is not a more eligible Country to be found. The New-England Provinces to the North-East, are already fully settled; and the same may be said of New-Jersey, to the South-West. As to Philadelphia, it is so over-run with Germans, and others, that the new Settlers are now obliged to set down so remote from the Sea Coasts, that the Carriage of their Produce to Market, renders the Profit of their Farms very inconsiderable. In New-York, we compute the Land Carriage, by the Help of navigable Rivers, at a Medium, but about Twelve Miles throughout the Colony in general. The more northern Colonies are too cold, and those more southern, too hot and unhealthy. On the Western and Eastern Sides of Hudson's River, which is navigable to the City of Albany, near 180 Miles up from the Sea, there are large Tracts of Land as yet but thinly settled, though fit for all the Purposes of good Husbandry. Innumerable Farms may be had at a very easy rate, either by purchase in Fee, or upon Leases. It may be a Matter of Surprise to many abroad, that these Lands remain still uncultivated: The Reason is this, while the French held Canada, these Tracts were an exposed Frontier. Now they are the safest part of the Continent. Canada being ours, these Lands are at present, as it were, covered; and those between Hudson's and Connecticut River, being surrounded on all Sides by improved Countries, cannot be affected by any Bickerings with the Savages. The Proprietors of these Tracts, or many of them, are willing to sell, or give Leases, for many 100,000 Acres, to loyal Protestants. Among these the Subscriber gives Notice, that he owns several 1000 Acres in Pitt's Town, Cambridge Town or Parish, Battleborough, Chester and Hertford. The two first of these are in the County of Albany, and the three last in the County of Cumberland, and all between Hudson's River and the River Connecticut. Pitt's Town has a few Settlers on it. The Lands pay a Quit-Rent to the Crown, of Two Shillings and Six Pence Sterling for every 100 Acres. The whole Town or Parish, is within 20 Miles North East of the City of Albany, and from 4 to 8 Miles from Hudson's River, which abounds with Fish of different Kinds; and among the rest, Sturgeon in such Plenty, that a Farmer may, by preserving Fish in one Form or another, subsist his Family on it, if he pleases, through the whole Course of the Year. The Parish by Charter, has the Privilege of chusing [choosing?] their Minister and School-Master, Constables, and other Officers for laying and collecting all necessary Assessments, by Majority of the Voices of the Inhabitants. Cambridge Parish has the same Privileges, and is situated higher up, between 25 and 35 Miles from Albany, and lays [lies?] between 6 and 9 Miles from Hudson's River. The Town Spot contains 3500 Acres, of which about 3000 Acres is already settled by Protestants from the North of Ireland, who have 500 Acres in the Center appropriated for the Use of the Minister of their Church, and a Parish School. Chester is in (sic) the County Town of Cumberland County, and Battleborough and Hertford are near it on Connecticut River, which is about 50 Miles from Hudson's River, and these three Towns have the same Immunities with Pitt's Town and Cambridge. These Tracts consist of Meadow, Interval and Up-land, and are fit for Farmers, who apply to the raising of Stock, Corn, Flax and Hemp. The Proprietor will fell the Whole, or such Farms or Parts in each of these Townships, as the Purchaser may elect. As there is a great Difference between one Farm and another, it is impossible to ascertain the Value of a single Farm. The best Land may be worth 30 or 40 Shillings Sterling, an Acre, and the worst but a Trifle. So that the Price will depend upon the Quality and Situation of the particular Farm pitched upon it. For general Information, the Whole might be bought for about 6 or 7 Shillings Sterling per Acre, and 500 or 1000 Acres together, perhaps at 8 Shillings. About a third or fourth Part of the Purchase Money will be expected on the Execution of the Deeds, and for the Rest, the Purchaser's own Bond and Mortgage will be accepted as sufficient Security. The Proprietor will give Deeds to convey a Fee simple Estate, with full Covenants and Warrantee, free from all Incumbrances, except the King's Quit-Rent. It is conceived that these Terms will suit many Farmers in England, Scotland, and Ireland, who live at a Rack Rent, and have some small Property to lay out for better Establishments than they now have in Europe. The European Emigrants in America, have heretofore too generally been very poor Persons, who being utterly destitute were exposed to insuperable Difficulties; for tho' [although?] this is allowed to be the best poor man's Country in the World, yet it has very little Advantage of others to such as are so necessitous as to depend upon mere Charity. It is to Farmers of some Substance that this is a Situation superior to other Countries. These are able to purchase much for a little, but none can expect to have the Lands given to them for nothing. If any are inclined to come over to New-York, and become Purchasers, they may apply to the Subscriber. Dated at the City of New-York, North-America, March, 20th, 1768. William SMITH, junr. The above Subscriber is one of his Majesty's Honourable Privy Counsellors in the Government, an Enemy to Vice, and a firm Friend to Religion and Liberty. The above Narrative is a very modest, genuine, and true one. The Land I know. Being often requested by the People of that Parish of Cambridge, I have visited, catechised, and preached to them at convenient Seasons for Two Years past. I reckon them in general a sober People; they are about 30 Families in Number, living about 10 Miles South from my House. They have a Saw-Mill built, and Grist-Mill near finished. I've seen their Land produce Oats, Peas, Rye, Wheat, Indian Corn, Hemp, Flax, and Potatoes, all very good, without Manure. They have Limestone Rocks in the Land, and plenty of Oak Pine, Hickery, Ash, Birch, Beech and Sugar Trees, from which a Man sometimes makes twenty Pounds of good Sugar in one Spring Day. Certified this 21st of March, 1768, by THOMAS CLARK, late Minister at Ballibay, County Monaghan, Ireland. |
