| Title: | O'Connor, Peter to Carey, Mathew, 1798 |
|---|---|
| ID | 6682 |
| 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/100 |
| Year | 1798 |
| 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 | 572 |
| Genre | petition for assistance |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Peter O’Connor, Philadelphia Almshouse, to Mathew Carey, Philadelphia, 17 February 1798 alms House Feby 17th 1798 Worthy Sir— I Humbly Intreat you to Notice the following Lines, as my hopes are Entirely Centered in your Goodness to Comply with my Request — tho as yet I have Merited nothing of you — I would be far from Making Such an application as This — if my limbs would permit me to attend Journeywork at Binding — for if I am not Befriended by Such a Character as you I may Still Languish here from My Family, and in the Flower of my Days But to the Reverse may through you Become aUcefull Member to Society and Happy in Myself, and fall in to Some way to Recover the Natural Strength of my Knees Being Very healthy Otherways. Doctors here are No more than Matter of Form I Being Concious that my Intentions are Honest an<d> Honourable in Repaying any Small Sum that might be lent me through you, from those Gentlemen of the Hibernian Society who wish to Encourage Industry Virtue and Change wrechedness of Family into Happiness I am perswaded that in a Short time, you will Pronounce me a Deserving Object of your Notice God will Undoubtedly Reward Such aWork— I would Intimate that I Request no more than the Loan of 20 Dollars or less (Please Sir Excuse my Mentioning any Sum) to be paid at a Certain Time in Cash, or in pocket Books to you: to purchace Leather paper, and Some few Tools to Begin, you Shall have the preferance of the first Choice of Every thing I make viz. pocket Book<s> of all Descriptions, Ladys Etwee Cases, Genuine Slate paper port Folios, Surgical Instrument and Traveling Cases & and my pay in the Goods of your Store if the Money is Granted for Charity, I will prove my Self Deserving the Same by the United Industry of my wife and me. I am perswaded that you are pestered with applications of this Kind by Individuals, who Never Intend Doing Credit to your Bounty for which Reason, Permit me M r Carey to Solicit your Serious Concideration on the Matter, for your Complyance being the Result — will Bind me in Duty, to Ever Esteem you My Benefactor, to Dayly Offer up My prayers for your Prosperity in this Life and Felicity in the Next, and my Infants Shall Lisp the Name of Carey in their Prayers. I Call God to witness the purity of my Views in only Aspiring to Get an Honest living out of this Asylum for the Miserable and Wicked and have an Opportunity to Attend my Church Regular and lead a pious Life in future My Wife Has as Much Furniture as may answer a Small Room which we will Take on the 1st of March Before which time I will wait on you for your Reply perhaps Sir, your Shewing what I have made Bold to Write you — to Some of the Humane Gentlemen might prove Favorable — I beg pardon for Declaring myself so much at large, Beging that you l Concider My Cace, may God Strenghten you in Doing Good most Humbly Subscribed Peter Connor NB if I Should have a Good Call for My Business with God Help I may be Enabled to purchace Some Binders Tools next Fall, and Some Musical Instruments to Teach Music in the Winter Evenings — as I am Capable |
