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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: jamielogue414 on Friday 10 January 25 21:46 GMT (UK)
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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.
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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.
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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
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I would appreciate some guidance; some words aren't easy to make out...
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... 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.
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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 ;D, 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
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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. :D
I think it's "... Mr Patton"
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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? Mcpatrick [not sure about this name] he was going to
the ship but we told him she was not in and we went on
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to see reeds friends we saw some of them and came
back to the vessel and Samuel and Wm Martin had
been in her and away and the came back in the
evening and took us to Wm 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 Mchatin and Bidy and Margret Reed and William
Borland and David Jameson and Thomas McQuiston 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.
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Note -by "meat" is meant the [first] mate.
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Yes, quite a few interesting spelling choices. :D
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Yes, quite a few interesting spelling choices. :D
And I positively gasp for want of a full stop. :P
However, a very interesting and precious document.
Sue
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I'm pretty sure it's Sal Kpatrick on the second page.
The same K can be seen in Kind higher on that page.
Presumably the father would have known if it were Kilpatrick or Kirkpatrick.
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I've gathered all partial transcripts and suggestions and made a full transcript.
Thank you Sparrett, maddys52, Wexflyer & horselydown86.
I've also added and changed things when I thought them necessary. Luckily some lovely fairies came along and left some punctuation ;D
I didn't change the spelling, because that's what makes this letter authentic.
September 3rd 1849
Dear Father, I now write to you for the first
time. I may let you know something of the pass-
age. We left Derry on 16th July at one o’clock and
was at Movill half past 3; left Movill on the 18th at 10
o'clock and at 12 turned the head and at 2 o'clock put out to sea
to the noreast Drumore Bay. It was cold and wet and
all were sick for 2 days. I could done any thing I had
need of but Mister Patton cooked for many a ons.
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 the 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 biscot was bad. We
took the meal. 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
+++++
the ship carpenter, was drink. He said he knew 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 ma..
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 for some. 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 was against us and it was cold wether all the time.
The wind changed 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 weekes
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 Samuel K..patrick. He was for going to
the ship but we told him she was not in and we went on
+++++
to see Reeds friends. We saw some of them and came
back to the vessel, and Samuel and William Martin had
been in her and away and the came back in the
evening and took us to William 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 beng. I saw
William McHotin and Bidy and Margret Reed and William
Borland and David Jameson and Thomas McQuiston. 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 safty, that
he will be with us still and that he will allways
be before our eyes.
Your affectionate son John Wilson
[I hope all the friends are well.]
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I managed to get the letter transcribed, and I think it is pretty accurate. There is only one word I couldn't get. I'll attach my attempt.
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There is one thing. Drumore Bay doesn't make much sense.
I think he intended Dunree, on Lough Swilly. Lough Swilly is a famous safe harbor.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunree (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunree)
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According to the letter and the translation (reply #14), it was Dunmore Bay.
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According to the letter and the translation (reply #14), it was Dunmore Bay.
The transcription (not translation!) in reply #13 says Drumore.
But that is beside the point. Neither Drumore nor Dunmore make much sense - especially the latter.
But Dunree would.
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According to the letter and the translation (reply #14), it was Dunmore Bay.
The transcription (not translation!) in reply #13 says Drumore.
But that is beside the point. Neither Drumore nor Dunmore make much sense - especially the latter.
But Dunree would.
Did you read the transcription in reply #14?
Have you looked at the letter closely?
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Did you read the transcription in reply #14?
Have you looked at the letter closely?
Yes I have actually. Thanks for your concern.
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In the transcription I posted (Reply #13), I wrote Drumore Bay, because that's what I read in the letter.
Whether this refers to Drummore Bay, Dunree or another place is something worth investigating, but it won't be me. I'll stick to making transcriptions ;)
If you think I misread this place, please feel free to post your suggestion of what John Wilson wrote.
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Drumore Bay seems likely, whether they were in bay for shelter until fine weather allowed them to set sail directly into the North Atlantic, or whether the shipping route included Liverpool port before heading out. Even the captain's death at the beginning of the voyage may have required the ship to port at Drumore.
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Drumore Bay seems likely, whether they were in bay for shelter until fine weather allowed them to set sail directly into the North Atlantic, or whether the shipping route included Liverpool port before
The ship sailed from Derry to North America. That Drumore is the opposite direction.
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Took forever to find the passenger list, but it led to this snippet, which you might want to keep with your letter!
Earlier ads for the bark Creole show "Clark" as Captain James Clarke.
No need to subscribe to view:
https://www.newspapers.com/article/public-ledger-bark-creole/162845782/
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The arrival passenger list of the Barque Creole into Philadelphia dated August 18, 1849.
Has John Wilson as 24 yrs and Mrs Wilson as 22.
It appears Dall replaced Clark as captain
https://www.immigrantships.net/v12/1800v12/creole18490818.html
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Just found some information about the Barque ‘Creole’.
https://www.immigrantships.net/1800/creole18500718.html
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Sorry Wayneort, just realised I sent a link to a different part of the same source you found.
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Sorry Wayneort, just realised I sent a link to a different part of the same source you found.
All good :)
There were a few voyages of the ship/s called Barque Creole with the arrival date in Philadelphia circa 1849
https://www.immigrantships.net/v12/shipsv12/creolev12.html
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John's wife was Jenny Kirkpatrick and they married in January 1849. I have his date of birth as April 30th 1821. I have no idea where they ended up after their arrival in Philadelphia.