old family letter from 1849

[jamielogue414]

I managed to get this old family letter from 1849. The letter was written by my 3rd great-uncle John Wilson to his father, also named John, about his journey from the North of Ireland to Philadelphia, USA. The letter seems to mention the dates he left and some of his experiences on the vessel that he was travelling on.

[Zefiro]

This is not a difficult handwriting. The only small problem I see, for inexperienced readers, is the use of long S. The last word on the second line is split over 2 lines: pass- age, with the first S of pass suspiciously looking like an F. That's just a way of writing double S. Other than this, I think everything is easy to read.

[sparrett]

It should be noted that the writer was not great at spelling.
Unless of course his style reflects a localised mode that I do not know of.

Are you not able to read it and are asking for a transcription ?

Sue

[jamielogue414]

I would appreciate some guidance; some words aren't easy to make out...

[Neale1961]

... some words aren't easy to make out...

It will be easier to help if you post what you have transcribed already, and mark the places where you have the few words you can't make out.

[sparrett]

a full transcription might  be a good while's work for one person but perhaps as a team we might share it out if you need that

Stating again, punctuation and spelling are not good , but here is a bit of a rough start on the first page.

Dear Father I now write to you for the first time I may let you know something of the first stage we left Derry on 16th July at one o’clock and was at Movill? half past 3 left movill on the 18th at 10 and at 12 turned the head and at 2 put out to sea to the noreast (……?) it was cold and wet and all were sick for 2 days I could done any thing I had need of but Ab Patton cooked for many a one we were sick only for 2 days but some was sick all the time the first meat gave him charge of all the low deck he had to get it cleaned out every morning and he had to serve out watter every day we got more than the allowance we were never in want of watter we got provison but 3 times and all the gave was meal rice and biscet the meal was good the rice was midling and the biscet was bad .

Sue

[maddys52]

Dear Father I now write to you for the first time I may let you know something of the first stage we left Derry on 16th July at one o’clock and was at Movill? half past 3 left movill on the 18th

Most likely Moville, coastal town approx 30km from Derry. 

I think it's "... Mr Patton"

[maddys52]

Going on from Sue's transcription:

we
told the meat I could tell what every day was like
but I think I need not be so verry particular I expect
you heard of the captins death which alarmed us a little
when we were but 4 days out but the first meat took
his place he was a captin once himself and we got on
very well the cause of his death as I was told by

[next page]
the ship carpenter was drink he said he know him for
17 days that he never was on deck and that there was no vess
-el had a better name and none deserved a worse the
first meat would take drink from any person he got
some from Thomas Reed that was in the first birth and
and he was kind enough to us he came to us every mor
-ning when the captin was living but when dead he
never came to us till the pilot came on board at the
mouth of the river going up to Philadelphia and he
came to us that morning he done his dutty as captin
verry well it was allowed if the captin had been living
we would been 8 days longer at sea the first 2 weeks
the wind chaged in our favour and we went at the rate
of 9 mils per hour for many a day it was 28 days from
we left sight of land to we saw it again we were 5 weeks
in the vessel we were 4 days getting up the river we were
lying out in the river on the sabath and Thomas Reed was going
out in a small boat to find some of his friends and I went
with him and on our way we came to John Renolds store
and I spoke and saw Sa^? M^cpatrick [not sure about this name] he was going to
the ship but we told him she was not in and we went on

[maddys52]

to see reeds friends we saw some of them and came
back to the vessel and Samuel and W^m Martin had
been in her and away and the came back in the
evening and took us to W^m Martins and we were there all
night and Sam alowed me to take the boxes to his store
I got them up on monday and he told me to go back
with William next morning and he would find me
something to keep me from thinking long I saw
William M^chatin and Bidy and Margret Reed and William
Borland and David Jameson and Thomas M^cQuiston I saw
them all in the Citty the are all in good health I posted
all the letters John Carr and Hanna was in
our house but I was not in he wonders if Ax
Fullertin has no thoughts of coming I saw
the porpoise or sea hog it was all the fish I
saw save some small ons that the were trying to catch
with lins the largest was like hogs of from 2 till
3 weight I have little more to say but hops these
lins will find you all in good health as the
now leave us we cannot be thankful enough to
god for his mercies to us the are more than we deserve
and I hope as he has brought us here in safety that
he will be with us still and that he will allways
             I hope all the friends are well
be before our eyes your affectionate son John Wilson


Not entirely sure of all the names mentioned - another pair of eyes would be good.