23 December 1793
To David Brown, Mill Street,
Belfast, Ireland
by the brig Susanna
Philadelphia
Decr [December?] 23 1793
Dear Brother
I take this oportunity [opportunity?] of
Wrighting [writing?] you a few Lines to Lett [let?] you know
that I am in good health at Preasant [present?] thanks be to
God and hoping these Lines Will find you and My sister and
the children Injoying [enjoying?] the seam [same?] as is my
Ever sinsere [sincere?] wish - Dr [dear?] David I hope youl
[you will?] not think mee [me?] Ungreatfull [ungrateful?] not
Wrighting [wirting?] to you Sooner for the times has been so
very disagreeable sins [since?] I came here I [Desianed?] to
give you as full an acount [account?] of this Country as an
acount [account?] of this Country as possabl [possible?] - I
had a very Good passage of Eight Weeks and two days Without
the least sickness on the passage there was a feavour
[fever?] aboard but Not Mortal Wee [we?] Landed at New
Castle on the Eight [eighth?] Day of September
on account of a Feavour [fever?] that Prevealed [prevailed?]
in Philadelphia Thomas Stewart and Thos [Thomas?] Smyth and I
thought it better to Detain there for a few days to [till?]
Wee [we?] could Hear a better acount [account?] of the
sickness which I think was very fortunate for us only that I
took a Feavour [fever?] which continued for Near Four Weeks I
would seen More of this Country only on that acount
[account?] for the Feavour [fever?] was so shocking in
Philadelphia I stoped [stopped?] there for Eight Weeks Which
Cost Mee [me?] ten Guineas Without -
I came to this Sitty [city?] on the 7th of Novb. [November?]
which was Nearly the end of the sickness When I got the
acount [account?] of so many of my aquentanses
[acquaintances?] being dead shocked mee [me?] verry [very?]
much amongst these was Mr Faulkner and Andrew Sproule
Carpenter and Wm [William?] Campbell Stone Cutter & Medole
the Beaker [baker?]and Russel the Plummer [plumber?] and John
Monrow Cabinet Meaker [Maker?] and a great number too
numerous to Mention
the Number in Whole Died from the first of Agust [August?] to
the 15th of Nov. [November?] is concluded to be 6500 People
this sitty [city?] is verry [very?] Much [hurted?] by the
sickness and is thought by many it has a chanse [chance?] to
break out ageanst [against?] the Spring it has spoiled all
Kind of Treade [trade?] there has numbers Left the sitty
#PAGE 2
[city?] on acount [account?] and not coming back to [till?]
after Spring I should not come here only on the acount
[account?] of the Lead I brought on our arival [arrival?]
here put me to asinddy [uncertainty?] Whether to Leave the
sitty [city?] or stay to Sprig Wee [we?] took a Room and
shop But finding the Pay being so verry [very?] bad Wee [we?]
thought better to work for an Imployer [employer?] Where Wee
[we?] ar [are?] Paid Every Week the Room Wee [we?] Keep only
so that if sickness apears [appears?] Wee [we?] Intend to
Remove to New York.
This sitty [city?] I Like Midling [middling?] Well and has my
health as Well as I ever had thanks be to God our Weages
[wages?] is Five shilling and sixpence p. [per?] Day Each
Wee [we?] both Fell to Work In one shop the third Day after
our coming here Imployers [employer's?] prices here is Very
Good In Peanting [painting?] and Gleazing [glazing?] but Long
Trust Gleazing [glazing?] is Done here by the pean [pane?] or
Light acording [according?] to the size the General sizes is
10 I. [inches?] by 8 I. [inches?] which is one shilling and
10 I. [inches?] by 12 I. [inches?] is 2s [shillings?] and 9
I. [inches?] by 11 I. [inches?] is 1s. [shilling?] 6d. [pence?]
this corrensy [currency?] there is Larger Peans [panes?] so
Large as [10?] I. [inches?] by 20 I. [inches?] [these?] is
found by the owner of the Building. I am Gleazing [glazing?]
a Large hous [house?] at Preasent [present?] for the Imployer
[employer?] and for Priming and Putty and workmanship 1s.6d.
[1 shilling and 6 pence?] Light or Pean [pane?] the Gleazers
[glazers?] here is but verry [very?] bad at the Buisness
[business?] for the [they?] Both Peant [paint?] and Gleaze
[glaze?] the man that I work for is verry [very?] Hapy
[happy?] he mett [met?] with mee [mee?] and I Beleive
[believe?] would find Me in Constant Imployment [employment?]
at the Gleazing [glazing?] only but the summer time the
Weages [wages?] Is better I beleive [believe?] a Doller
[dollar?] a Day is the higest [highest?]
Boarding is Very Dear from two dollers [dollars?] to three Pr
[per?] Week a doller [dollar?] is 7s.6d. [7 shilings and 6
pence?] this corensy [currency?] as for Carpenters Weages
[wages?] Jurneymen [journeymen?] has from six shillings to a
Doller [dollar?] pr [per?] Day from sun up to sun Down but by
Peise [piece?] Work the [they?] can meake [make?] 10
shillings p [per?] Day
there is three Months in the year that all Treades [trades?]
is bad from December to March - there is a Great Demand for
Labourers at a [Rinall?] thier [their?] weages [wages?] in
winter is 4s.6.d [4 shillings and 6 pence?] & 5s. [shillings?] p
[per?] Day Where yoyl. [you will?] find some of your verry
#PAGE 3
[very?] Respectfull [respectful?] Irish Men that you would be
sorry to see - [---ttling?] is Dear Beef is from 5d.
[pence?] to 8d. [pence?] pr [per?] Pound in Market Butter is
1s 10d. [one shilling and tenpence?] pr [per?] lb [pound?] &
potatoes 6 shillings P [per?] Bushel Mutton 5d to 6d [pence?] and
Milk by the Quart is 6d. [pence?] Beer by Do [ditto?] 8d.
[pence?] Porter by Do [ditto?] Bottled 1s. [shilling?]
Spirits by the Quart 1s.10d. [1 shilling 10 pence?] out of
the stores and taverins [taverns?] 16d. [pence?] pr [per?]
half pint oat meal here out of the stores is 11d. [pence?] P
[per?] Quart Shoes is from 8s. [shillings?] in the market to
11s.3d. [11 shillings 3 pence?] bespoke.
Meaking [making?] of Cloase [clothes?] is Dear a coat from 2
Dollers [dollars?] to 20s. [shillings?] Small close
[clothes?] is 12 shillings Each -
As for My Part I heave [have?] not the smalles [smallest?]
Right to dispise [depsise?] this Cuntry [Country?] but I know
a great many wishes to be in Irland [Ireland?] agean [again?]
So from this youl [you will?] be a gudge [judge?] yourself.
Dear David
I hope as soon as this comes to hand youl [you will?]
Wright [write?] To me and give Me a full acount [account?] of
Belfast and Lett [let?] me Know if your Treade [trade?] is as
good as before I Left you and if its [it is?] Better I intend
coming next faul [Fall?] if God spears [spares?] Mee [me?]
health I Received your letter by Mr Irwin Which give [gave?]
mee [me?] the Greatest Pleasure I Met with sins [since?] I
came here to hear your [you are?] all well you Wright
[write?] to mee [me?] about Thos [Thomas?] Steel amd sinse
[since] I heave [have?] heard by Robert Longs [Long's?] Letter
that he saw thomas [Thomas?] smyth [Smyth and Thomas Steel in
Boltimore [Baltimore?] I amediately [immediately?] wrot
[wrote?] to Robt [Robert?] Long to Lett [let?] thomas
[Thomas?] steel [Steel?] Know that I Wished to see him not
Mentioning any thing that would Provent [prevent?] him
Remember Mee [me?] to all my old aquenteanses
[acquaintances?] and lett [let?] Mr smyth [Smyth?] Know that
Thomas Left Mee [me?] In New Castle in good health to go to
his brother on acount [account?] getting no work he was
intended going hom [home?] this faul [Fall?] after seeing his
brother but I find he has stoped [stopped?] in Boltimore
[Baltimore?]
Remember me to Jack Mequillon and Peggy Rannin
I am sinserly [sincerely?] your Afectnate
[affectionate?] Brother
Samuel Brown.
