| Title: | O'Connor, Peter to Carey, Mathew, 1797 |
|---|---|
| ID | 6681 |
| 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/99 |
| Year | 1797 |
| Sender | O'Connor, Peter |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | printer |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Philadelphia, USA |
| Destination | Philadelphia, USA |
| Recipient | Carey, Mathew |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | not acquainted |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 614 |
| Genre | petition for assistance |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Peter O’Connor, Philadelphia Almshouse, to Mathew Carey, Philadelphia, 4 November 1797 Novr 4.th 1797— Sir— Please Excuse the liberty I have taken in addressing you, to the following purport, but having been Encouraged by Some of (I presume) your well wishers and the Church to which I Belong, to lay my Case Before you in hopes (agreeable to the good Character you Bear) that you would Endeavour to make afamily happy by Geting me in Some way of Employment at my Business (Bookbinding) I have Tryed most, or all I Know of the Bookbinders in this City for work, but they Either are Slack in work have hands Enough or Many App<r>entices and no Room in Short Sir they all have Some obstacle or other, particularly the Great Scarcity of Money, to purchace Materials or pay any Wages Therefore Sir, most probably through your Interest, the Gentlemen Booksellers of my Nation Could furnish me with tools Enough to Make a Beginning as Doubtless they Could with work Enough my terms Shall be such as you may Reasonably please to Establish your Self, as I only Aspire to Make a living Barely for my family and Self I Require no Settlement before it may Suit my Employers, Except Sufficient for food fuel and Rent, in the Cource of one year also if it might Suit — in a Short time I Could pay for the tools I am a Native of, and Served my Apprenticeship in the City of Dublin, and have Been in the United States about Eight years. I have work, d in Several parts of the Union Since, with Credit and flatter Myself that I Could Please any Reasonable Person, Either with my Behaviour or performance in point of Business. my wife is an Excellent folder and sewer which would Contribute to Dispatch. I am acquainted with Making all Manner <of> Pocket Books, Etwee Cases, Traveling and Surgical Instrument Cases, Slate paper or any thing in that way, as good as any Imported, Specimens of which may be Seen at Mr. Thos Allens NYork as I made Several Dozens for him with Regard to my honesty, the Gentlemen for whom I have workd : I doubt not will Give me that Character in this City (Viz, Mr. Robt Aitkin, Mr. Wm Woodhouse and Mr Condy and you may not Doubt my Sobriety as I Drink no manner of Strong Liquors but have Some time Agoe Been Guilty of it at times, to my loss Only. Afew Days before this late Sickness I got a Small wound on my ankle, and being unable Either to work if I Could have got it, or Employ a Surgeon I was Oblidged to go into the Alms House and soon after got well — where I Since Remained on Account of the Bad times. I would not Object to labouring work, but Since I was Sick at Bush hill I have had a Debility in my left leg, which Occasions alameness — but hinders me not the least from my Own Business if you l please Sir to let the Bearer Thos. Wilkinson Know if I may wait on you Some Saturday if such a Circumstance would be worth your notice Between this and Spring I hope you l have no Reason to Repent Encouraging your Most Obedt Servant Humbly Subscribed Peter O Connor NB — if it wont Suit you yet Sir to trouble your Self about the Above My Wife would be glad to Accept of aplace of Service for the present She Can produce Excellent Recommendations from divers persons of Respectability She has lastly Nursed Twins for Mr Wm Patten Printer whose wife Died in Childbed |
