| Title: | Kent, Daniel to Kent, William and Ann, 1789 |
|---|---|
| ID | 6622 |
| Collection | Irish Immigrants in the Land of Canaan. Letters and memoirs from colonial and revolutionary America (1675-1815) [K.A. Miller et al.] |
| File | caanan/29 |
| Year | 1789 |
| Sender | Kent, Daniel |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | farm labourer |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | East Caln Township, Chester Co., Penn, USA |
| Destination | Limerick, Ireland |
| Recipient | Kent, William and Ann |
| Recipient Gender | male-female |
| Relationship | son-parents |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 593 |
| Genre | latest events, prospects |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Daniel Kent, East Caln Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, to William and Ann Kent, St. John’s Gate, Limerick,1 October 1789 East Caln In Chester County Pennsylvania 10th Mo the 1st 1789 Dr Parents Ihave not heard from you these Two years which makes me very uneasy. I expect you wrote but your Letters has miscarried However Iam In daily Expectation of receiving one from you. Iwrote to you Last Eleventh Month by a country man of mine that was going to Ireland which I expect you have got, and Ishould have wrote sooner, but waiting for your Answer delayed me. Iam free Above Ayear and has left my Old Master. Iam hired for a year with a Man Named Isaac Coats about Miles 7 miles from my Old Master to work Plantation work, which time is nearly Expired Ibelieve with Care I may Keep myself as Decent here as ever Iwas Ihave more Cloaths now than Ever Ihad at Once Though there is not so many foolish fashions on them I Keep my self out of bad Company I work pretty constant but do not spend my Earnings foolishly yet Ido not deny myself of the Necessary’s of Life. Ihave not drank a pint of Spirits this 10 Months and hope IShall Keep myself so as Ibelieve they are very hurtful to the Constitution Iheard from my Uncle Richard About 3 Months Ago Which was as follows, He wrote to afriend of his In Philadelphia Named William Brown to Enquire After me which said Brown did and IReceived aletter from him With the letter my Uncle sent to him enclosed in it and Isent a letter to William Brown to Be forwarded to my Uncle He was then About Jamaica on Board the Cygnet & was In health this Country is very Peaceable at present Provisions Is Very Plenty and Cheap Mens wages has got much lower than they were when I come in the Country first Cloathing Keeps midling high Linnen of about 15 Cuts to the pound is 3 Shillings a Yard 1s -6d for Making A Shirt 4 or 5 shillings for Knitting a pair of Coarse yarn Stockings 10 Shillings for a pair of Shoes about 18s for making a suit of Cloaths from 30 to 40 Shillings for a good Hat a Common Wool hat about 7s -6d And Every thing Else InProportion So that a Man had need to be saving here, I enjoy my health very Well since I came to here Ihad not above two weeks sickness Since my Arrival In this Country, Ishall now Conclude with my love and Duty to my Grand Mother and Wishes for her Good health My love to my Aunt Deacon Cousin Mary & Cousin Nancy to Cousin Worrell and Wife & all that family, to my Brothers And Sisters, My love to my old Companions my desire for them is that they may Break off From the way of life the<y> Lived in Whilst Iwas With them & turn to a sober Virtuous way of Living, to turn to that Inward principle of Light in their hearts which giveth them Secret trouble and grief for their Evil ways and Which will give them Peace of mind and Comfort If they turn from those Evil ways and live a Virtuous Life, & this Ican say from my own Experience love to my Dr Parents In Particular And Rem n And My Your Dutiful and Affectionate Son, My love to All Enquiring Friends Daniel Kent Direct to me as Usual |
