I. Pemberton, Philadelphia, U.S.A., to [T.Greer?], Co. Tyrone.

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Document ID 9612193
Date 14-12-1771
Document Type Letters (Emigrants)
Archive Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
Citation I. Pemberton, Philadelphia, U.S.A., to [T.Greer?], Co. Tyrone.; PRONI D 1044/313; CMSIED 9612193
20953
12/14
1771 [14 December 1771?]           Philada [Philadelphia?]
                                        14.12mo:1771
                                        [14 December 1771?]
  Dear Friend
               I have intended writing to thee ever
since the receipt of thine with the Linnens [linens?],
but knowing my son acknowledgd. [acknowledged?] the
receipt of them was not so careful about doing it
immediately, as I should otherwise have been.
Had my letters to thee been sent as soon as we
determind [determined?] on writing for those Linnens
[linens?] it would have probably been much more for
my son's interest, as they might have been here at
a time they were very scarce & would sell for ready
money to some profit, but before thee arrivd.
[arrived?] such great quantity were imported & offerd
[offered?] at such low rate, that the sale hath been
& is very slow & the profits arising from them but
small, which hath prevented my son's sending for
more as intended. & poor Lad He is now in a very
declining state of health that  He is not capable
of attending much to business, & his tender wife
& mother, as well as myself are much affected
with concern for him, yeh I hope Desirous of
being resigned to the alwise dispensation of
Divine providence & that the visitation may
work for good both to him & us. Thy hints of
the state of Friends in your Kingdom were the
more acceptable as they conveyd [conveyed?]
some renewal of Hope, that the gracious
continuation of Divine Regard is receivd
[received?] & attended to by some of the
rising Youth. I hope the same may be said
truly of many in these Countries
& that a People will yet be [proved?] zealous
for promotion of the Cause of Youth & to bear
a faithful Testimony by their Examples & Conduct,
but alas! it is too evident that many even
of those who have long made a Profession of it,
& even qualify to appear in this noble Cause
lamentably decline & neglect the high
& holy calling they have had & thus become
stumbling blocks in the way of honest but
weak enquirers; our valuable friend Samuel
Neale hath visited most of the meetings in
the several provinces Southward & Eastward
- I expect he is now or will soon be in New
York province on his return from New England
& that he will spend the latter part of the
winter in this province & probably be ready
to embark in the spring - Joseph
Oxley in about two weeks expects to have
completed his service here & to return homewards
by the first suitable opportunity
-he makes more hast [haste?] than some of
us think quite safe & cannot be dissuaded from
attempting a winter passage - they
travelld [travelled?] while together in much
Love, in which they parted, as the courses they
were led were different yet both right. S.
Lightfoot was here lately on her return from a
visit to some meeting in this & the next
county - she is I hope in her place & that
she will continue to be of service among us.
Several valuable friends have been removed
by Death in the last & this year whose places
remain vacant & some who remain not likely to
continue long particularly our worthy fd
[friend?] Jos. [Joseph?] White whom thou knew
& I doubt not lovd [loved?] when there
- He hath been long afflicted with much sickness
& pain & seldom able to get to meetings. if our
friends Robert Willy & Wm. [William?] Hunt should
come soon to visit you I desire thee to give thine & my
dear wife's love to them. We fervently desire
their preservation & a blessing on their labours.
I must now request thy friendship for a poor man
who is unable to help himself - his name is Jack
or John Richardson he formerly livd [lived?] in
Newry with James McCammon, who I suppose was thy
neighbour, but is now dead - about 18 years since
He was brot [brought?] by Capt. [Captain?] Moses
Rankin into Maryland & sold to Exekl [Exekiel?]
Kane, who lives in thy province near the borders
& hath been retained as a slave.  as He contends
contrary to the intention of [P?] McCammon, who
was Kind to him, while there & from some proofs
made by some that came over with him; in sum
that he was only to be sold as a servant for seven
years  & as a confirmation of it He hath a letter
dated 27 Jun [June?] 1770 from James [Pake?] a son
in law of McCammon's expressing his Concern to hear
He was retained in slavery & that it was contrary
to the intention of J. McCammon - one Johnathan Hill
who knew him in Ireland declares He was in a Court
at or near Newry, where McCammon produced this man
then [alas?] as an Evidence ags [against?] a man who
had stole some Tobacco from him - that he being a
negro was at first refusd [refused?], but, on his
master's proving that he had been sprinkled -or as
they call it, baptisd [baptised?], his Testimony was
receivd [received?] & from thence it is contended He
was admitted to be free, at least not a slave - He
acknowledges He was privy to the stealing of the
Tobacco & says He was for that reason sent over
as a convict & apprehending that He has a right to
his Liberty, hath been striving to obtain it some
years past, but could never obtain a fair trial
He came hither lately being recommended by
some friends who knew him as a sober orderly
man worthy of assistance - I have been moved to
interest myself in his Cause so farr [far?] that
I expect He will obtain a fair Trial & if it
appears He was not a slave to McCammon or that
Rankin was not authorized to sell him as one,
no doubt He will be releasd [released?] from his
present master - if he fails I shall have
the Costs to pay & He will be fixd [fixed?] in
slavery & perhaps sold to some bad master, as often
is the Lott [lot?] of these injurd [injured?] afflicted
People - Therefore I request thee to obtain from James
[Pake?] or any other of McCammon's family
or from the records of the Court [House?] proof
as can be had in his favour - if he was receivd
[received?] as an Evidence or was tryd [tried?]
& convicted a Criminal or was sent by McCammon by
Rankin to be sold for a term of Years Testimony of
all or either of these matters made before a public
Notary will favour his purpose. Thy care in a speedy
answer in sending a Duplicate for fear of Miscarriage
will be an act of Charity to a poor Negro & will also
oblige me thy [apprized?] fr [friend?] [G?] Pemberton


if no ships are coming soon I desire thee to direct for me
to the care of Jno. [John?] Barclay of Lond. [London?] to
come by first despatch whatever expense arise I will repay
thee