Robert Smyth, Philadelphia, to James Smyth, Moycraig, County Antrim, 17 June
1838
Philadelphia June 17th 1838
Dear Parents, Broathers & Sisters,--I transmit these few lines to you
hoping to find you in as good helth as I am at present, thanks be to God, Pleas to give
my love to all inquring friends. especially to those of the female sex I have been in
good health ever Since I left you, and indeed have no cause to complain upon my fortune
acording to the times as they are very bad here & has no appearance of Getting better
although we have a very pleasant spring as ever was experience in this country,
I
intend if business does not get better here to go to the West and if James Montgomery on
his return from Europe comes by the way of Philadelphia I think I shall go back with him
as you stated in your letter that he was going to pay Irland a visit I never want any of
my Brothers to come to this country
please at my reques send Jonathan to a trade
master if it suits him to go and he will be happier with the worst master in Irland nor with
the best in this country
I onely wish that I had been sent to a trade while in Irland
it
would [have] saved both soul and body from Danger
& again I say that it is good for
them both Soul and body that never saw America, As the cheapness of grog and the
numereness of bad woman are both bad snares for a Irishman
but I myself, through
strict attention to my business together with the fear of God cept me out of these snares
which this country is subject to
but the difference of my countrymens stations from the
report that returns to Irland renders me to say that if the[y] had stayed in Irland the[y]
would led a happier life although some of them has acquired riches but if yealds no
comfort to them Dear Father I want for if possible to move farther south and get a
Robert Smyth, Philadelphia, to James Smyth, Moycraig, County Antrim, 17 June 1838
Description
Robert Smyth sends his love home to all his inquiring friends "especially to those of the female sex" and because of the bad times "in this country" he does not want his brothers to come out — indeed he is comtempating returning home and laments not learning a trade while in Ireland. He observes that the "cheapness of grog and the numereness of bad women are both bad snares for a Irishman". Smyth intends to earn enough to return and purchase a large farm "farther south". He expects a war between the Canadians and the British and also comments that the "negrews [negroes]" in the city were becoming increasingly violent with "so much liberty by the Quakers". He mentions a near-accident that he and his uncle William Smyth had when they were distilling 'liquor' and a still caught fire, burning the stillhouse down.
Date
17/06/1838
Date Issued
27/03/2023
Resource Type
Text
Archival Record Id
p155/1/3/2
Publisher
University of Galway
Extent
3pp
Topic
Smith/ Smyth Letters
Geographic
Philadelphia (city),Philadelphia (county),Pennsylvania,United States,Moycraig Hamilton (townland) Antrim (county),Ireland
Temporal
Nineteenth century,Eighteen thirties
Genre
Letter,Transcription
Note
Title and transcript provided by Professor Kerby Miller. This transcript includes handwritten corrections to transcript from PRONI, made with reference to original letters. Letter description provided by University of Galway. The names Smith and Smyth are used interchangeably in this series so both are quoted.
