Title: | Bryan, Samuel to Bryan, George, 1752 |
---|---|
ID | 6665 |
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/78 |
Year | 1752 |
Sender | Bryan, Samuel |
Sender Gender | male |
Sender Occupation | merchant |
Sender Religion | unknown |
Origin | Dublin, Ireland |
Destination | Philadelphia, USA |
Recipient | Bryan, George |
Recipient Gender | male |
Relationship | father-son |
Source | |
Archive | |
Doc. No. | |
Date | |
Partial Date | |
Doc. Type | |
Log | unknown |
Word Count | 820 |
Genre | advice |
Note | |
Transcript | Samuel Bryan, Dublin, to George Bryan, Philadelphia, 23 September 1752 Dublin Septr 23d 1752 Dear George I received yours of August last but so short a one does not please me. I am sure you knew of the Crawford’s sailing some days before she came out, and you by that had no right to plead your being in a hurry, these are idle excuses & Letters writ in a hurry are never well done, I expected a list of occurrences since yours by the Jenny & how the present Crops have proved both in Corn & flaxseed, very proper to be taken notice of at the time of your writing I am informed y r . Evenings are taken up in boating on the River & down to Mr. Bleakly, this can in no way improve you as a man coming into Life. I recommended to you the best of company to keep, Men in Business, Men of Conversation & good manners— that when I meet you again I may not meet with the Rustic or Tar, but the genteel pretty agreeable fellow as well as the compleat sensible Mercht, & this will never be the case if you proceed in your present Course, for you take the readiest method to lock yourself from what I have been recommending you to do. Mr. Bleakly is an honest man but he is not a man of all men I should choose for my companion, he never saw anything in his young days that could polish his person & manners & I am afraid he has not improved either by going to Philadelphia. I gave you long letters before recommending your going into all companies where men of manners, Sense & c were to be found, the Expence I valued not, & those as good or better than yourself. Low mean company are a Scandal & a disgrace & nothing can so effectually lessen you in the opinion of Mankind the amusements of Dancing, fencing, the use of the Small Sword taking a glass of wine or Punch with a few of Such <as> I am recommending at particular evenings, this wd. after business is over be shewing yourself to Mankind to be known & regarded. Away with boating & Let me never hear more of such a thing unless on business or on a party of pleasure with good company. Let not the carelessness of the world about you with respect to God & religion have any effect on you for if once you can lose sight of this you will be an easy prey to every vice which offers. I conjure to take my advice and directions if you <you> value & regard me as your tender affectionate father watchful of your happiness, willing & wishing you to be good & happy, could you but conceive my Joy in your attaining these happy ends you wd. not stop in yr pursuit ‘till they were made yr own. I am doing everything in my power to advance you in the world and establish you as my son. Do not defeat it in any one Instance but resolve & I am sure you have resolution enough to surmount everything I can find fault with. For news little is going, nothing new in my family or among your friends who are well. Your uncles & Aunt & Cousins Jenny & Matty are all well & join in love to you. Your Mother joins me in hearty prayers to God for your health & prosperity here & your happiness to all Eternity. I am your tender, affectionate & watchful Father, Saml Bryan P.S. Do not omit to send your mother 2 or 3 kegs of cranberries & some pickles both peaches & cucumbers, as well as other pickles that are green & pretty. Send no more Sturgeon, it is very bad, what you sent already is so full of salt & Spice, that it is not worth a penny It is not saved in the Danzick way. Send us some hickory sticks to make yards, & if next Summer any Ship of yours or ours was coming here I wish you would send us one of yr best Pads, one that is surefooted, goes well, fast & not rough & not old, perhaps such may be picked up some time before that it might please for a thing of that kind could not be got to Satisfaction if bought when the Ship is going, but take<s> time & Opportunity, we wrote about wax or Sperma cetti candles, the wetness of our season has spoiled all our bees, & wax next winter must be very dear so do not omit our order & let some candles be 2, 3, 4 or 5 to the pound some 6 & a few 8 but very few. Inclosed is Your Uncle, I. Dennis’s acct Currt for the balance of which press him immediately. |