John Moore, Carrickfergus, on His Life in America
March 1 What great alterations do I find in this little Town. during my absence of 4 Years! O the changing Scenes & visisitudes [vicissitudes?] of Human Life. they that made a Bustle & a Noise & a figure in the World 100 Years agoe [ago?] where are they? & yet how absurdly do we Act. Temporal Concerns engage us as if they were Eternal & Eternal as if they were only Temporal. as Hervey say in the Character of a Dying Person _______ Ye Lying Vanitys of Life. [Vanities?] Ye ever Tempting Cheating Fram, [Frame?] where are ye now. and what is your amount. O God grant us thy Grace, to know & Act, by a Medium in all Things _________ 14 met with the Bowmans, in order to settle about the Farm in their possion [possession?], but find they will neither Hearken [Harken?] To Reason nor Justice altho [although?] they have made the Bleach House & improvements on it a perfect waste _____ 21 I planted 7 Ash Trees in the Garden being the first of my Planting, but I do not intend it shall be the last. as I look Planting to be a kind of a Half Virtue, for what is more Usefull [useful?] or ornamental that at the same Time requires so little trouble or expense ____ 20/. will Buy & plant as many Trees on ditches and other waste Grounds as in a few Years will sell for as many Pounds & even if one could not purpose to reap any Benefit by them themselves, yet their Children or a [at?] least their Country will ______ & the Scocietys [Societys?] for the good of the Publick [Public?] utility by the Premiums the [they?] offer to encourage it ______ But Indeed the Beauty & ornament which Trees give us I think a sufficient compensation for all the Trouble & expence [expence?] if it were twice as great ______ it really surprizes me to see so many People Neglect it _______________ April 4. went to Lisburn _______ what a different appearance does this part of the Country make from that about Carrickfergus &c by the Spirit of Planting & improving which is amongst the Farmers & Gentlemen hereabouts what a pleasing & delightfull [delightful?] Air does Trees & Hedges give a Place & to see the Houses tho' [though? mean yet neat & clean in & about them ____ it prepossesses a Stranger with a favourable Opinion of the Genius Taste and Industry of the inhabitants as they are I am told in England tho' [though?] to be sure it must be own'd that the Farmers in England have greater encouragement to make improvements May 1. got into Possession of The Farm But oblidged [obliged?] to settle with the Bowmans that had it upon their own unjust & unreasonable Terms rather than go to Law, which strange as it seems proves often a Remedy worse than the Disease especially for small matters _______ September ___ To my great grievance & uter [utter] disappointmt [disappointment?] my Domestic Uneasinesses are now greater than ever, so as to make me almost weary of my Life _____ good God remove them, or give me ability to bear them with becoming Fortitude & Patience, & forgive for Jesus sake whatever by my conduct I have or do against thy will, in this matter. & direct me in some measure how to remove the intolerable uneasyness [uneasiness?] which I at preasant [present?] labour under ________ October ___ no Account from my Uncle he having never so much as wrote to me, or to Mr Craige at New York who he was at least to send Crooks's Money to to remmit [remit?] to me long before this Time, Therefore, as I can't possibly begin to any Business till Crooks's Money be pay'd, I have concluded to go over again myself for I have no Reason to think my Uncle will do me Justice otherwise ____ unjust & Cruel he has used me already ______ also will take about œ120 Sterling worth of Linen with me which Mr James Craig has been so good as to let me have on 6 Months Time 2d I went to Larne to Embark for NYork [New York?] my Domestick [Domestic?] uneasynesses [uneasinesses?] as well as the above having great weight in my undertaking the Voyage ______ 7. Sail'd from Larne on board the Snow James & Mary ____ To Thy protection O God I commit myself _____ grant me Sucess in the purposes of my Voyage _______ 20. A Dangerous Storm ahead. Lay to for 30 Hours, when the Wind comes Fair from the Eastward, & continues so fresh & steady for 5 days, that we have made 8. or 900 Miles of our Course, which is a verry [very?] extraordinary thing when the Wind comes B from the Eastward. ________________________ November. 9 being by our Reconing [Reckoning?] withing [within?] a Days Sail of NYork [New York?], the Wind coming verry [very?] fresh ahead Oblidges [Obliges?] us to lye [lie?] To, & continues ahead tho' [though?] more moderate for 12 Days, having drove us as far to the Southd [Southward?] as South Carolina. ______ 23d in the Latitude of NYork [New York?] & at 12 at Night got Soundings 48 Fathom 24. at 3' in the Afternoon made the entrance of New York Harbour with a fair Gale. _____ But increasing to a Voilent [Violent?] Storm. oblidged [obliged?] to Hale of [Hail off?] the Land for Fear of being put ashore. The Storm continues most voilent [violent?] for 2 Days & drove us 2 Degrees to the Southd [Southward?] & out of Soundings, which makes us begin to be a good deal discouraged at our disappointments _____ 27. Soundings again 36. Fathom Water. _________ 30 made NYork [New York?] Harbour again ____ 31. got within Sandy Point ________________________________________ December. 3 got up to NYork [New York?] ___ To my verry [very?] great Surprize I find my Uncle has been so ungenerous, as not to Pay the small Draft I gave on him for œ18 ___ nor ever wrote the scrape of a pen to Mr Craige about my Affairs! shure [sure?] He must have lost all sense of Honour Justice or Equity _________5 Sail'd for Albany _____ 9 _______ arrived safe _____ find my Uncle Wife & Sister in Law well. his Mother in Law being Dead in may last February. finding that I cannot Possibly get Settling with my Uncle in Time to go Home with the Flaxseed Vessels, upon his Promising to deal Handsomely by me against May, I have concluded to stay here till that Time _____ 12. Mr. Neile of whome [whom?] I borrowed the œ18 last Year, having money to send Home to Andrew Crooks, for Linen of his which I left with him to sell last Year. he lets me know by a Letter that he is so straitned [straitened?] for Cash that He will be Oblidged [Obliged?] to stop the œ18 out of Crook's Money, which that should happen would be worse than all the rest, therefore as I have not rece'd [received?] but a Triffle [Trifle?] of money for Linen yet. I applyed [applied?] to my Uncle for to enable me to pay Neile setting forth in lively coulors [colours?] what a necessity I was in to send it. But to my utter astonishment he refused me in a verry [very?] unkind & even insulting manner! never did I meet with any Person so void of all discretion or Reason. _______ Money is scarce it's True but if he should Beg it I think he ought to give it to me at this juncture _____________ 13. Reson [Reason?] has wrought so far on him as To give me the money I asked Yesterday _______ March 19. went to Schenectady to endeavour to sell some of my Linen ______ Schenectady is about 2/3 as large as Albany. situated on the South Bank of the Mohawk River & on a fine Plain ____ there is a Dutch & English Church in ___ it is 18 Miles from Albany on the Road to Sir William Johnson's. The German Flatts, Oswego &c ___ unhappily the Land betwixt it & Albany, is intirely [entirely?] Barren, so that there is no Inhabitants betwixt the Two Places._________ 22. Return'd from Schenectady. __________ 28. my uncle Jno [John?] Cobham. & his little Son Jno [John?] arrived here from Scotland but last from Carrickfergus _____ my Uncle here wrote for him to come over, but if He Uses him no better than me, he had better stay'd in Scotland, where he was settled ______ He brings me News from Carrickfergus. my Mother, Sister, Freinds [Friends?], & acquaintance all verry [very?] well._______ April.4. Sail'd for New York. To transact some Business of my Uncle's._______ I have all allong [along?] purposed To my Uncle To send home a small Bill the Beginning of this month To Mr Craige along with Crook's Money, but what Money I have got for Linen I lent to my Uncle (like a blockhead as I was) to oblidge [oblige?) Him in his Necessity. But neither can I get a penny of That or Crook"s _____ so he has again disappointed me, how things will turn out , God only knows ____ my Uncle still continues to fix May for the Time of Settling with me. ______ 6. arrive at NYork [New York?] 12. A vessel being here to Sail for Dublin about 10. of May. I write a long Pathetick [Pathetic?] Letter To my Uncle, pressing by him all the Arguments I could possibly think of, to Settle with me, & let me go with this vessel in May, agreeable to his Solemn Promise, & that as he might not be able To raise Cash for what was coming to me on my own Account I would Take rum for it, which he could get on Time for me from his Creditors in New York ______ & that I waited impatiently for an answer ____ But upon second thought, I sail for Albany the 17 & on the 22d get to Albany, my Uncle having wrote an Answer to my letter some days before. ________ 23s. this Day, looking for a pair of Gloves, in a Drawer of an Escrutore [Escritoire?], where Combs. [Pomatum?] & other loose things are kept. I happened to find a letter from my Mother to my Uncle, & was Reading it, when my Uncle coming into the Room, flew into a most Voilent [Violent?] Passion, & declared he would have me laid in Jail, & Trounced me for looking over his papers, roundly Charging me with Burning & destroying his Papers in his absence in particular when he was at New York in Jany [January?] last. _______ which must be a Callumny [Calumny?] of my Aunt's, & is the first Instance that I could be sure of her prejudicing my Uncle against me. But from which I may Learn it has not been the first Time, Tho' [Though?] so Cunningly done that I never could Possibly find it out before _________ May. 1. having my Uncle's answer to my Letter return'd from New York, I find it is no Ansr [Answer?] at all only for me to come to Albany. That he had not Cash to send me for Crooks or Craige's Money. & not a word of my proposal to take Rum for what's coming on my own Account. _____ my Uncle's going to NYork [New York?] To Day & never making the Least Apology about the Affairs betwixt us. I Reason'd the Case A little with him _____ how my Credit was suffering, by not sending Mr Craige his Money now a Month due ___ & Crooks his Ballance [Balance?] not 2 years due _____ also how my Interest would Suffer by the Loss of my Time, & of [if?] I did not get home now in Time, it will be too late to Finish the Buildings & Repairs, necessary to put the Bleach Green in readiness for Bleaching the next Spring, & of consequence my not getting him in Time to get it ready this Season, will be very loseing [losing?] of a whole Year. _____ likewise several verry [very?] necessary improvements of Mason Work to be done about the Farm, Viz Building Pillars for Gates, repairing & rebuilding the Office Houses &c which all must be done Early in the Summer or deffer'd [deferred?] till next Season ____ To all which my Uncle in a careless way Answer'd that as for Craige's Money. he might think himself well of [off?], if he got his Money a good while hence! ____ & that Crooks may think the same for many a One has been Bankrupt since the Time he bought his Linen & their Creditors got little or nothing! ______ & as for my other disappointments & Troubles that I complain of he thinks nothing of them, & wishes I may never have more cause of Complaints, whilst I live in the World! verry [very?] Reasonable, & Just Answers to be sure!_____ O Reason, Justice & Equity! _______ O Tempores! O Mores! also if I hold my Tongue, keep myself quiet & Behave myself he will do me the greatest Justice but I Fear it will be great injustice ______ & must I just stay here & dream away my Youth, in Idleness till my Wordly Interest is intirely [entirely?] Ruin'd, it cannot be. I must call on the Laws of my Country to do me Justice & will in a verry [very?] short Time, if I see not more Sign of having Justice done me._____________________ May 30 went for Crownpoint slept my Uncle John Cobham who is lately come Over from Scotland & my Uncle James has let him have Goods to set up shop at Crownpoint at Night Slept at Still Water 31. at Fort Edwd [Edward?] June 1st. at Fort George 2d at Sabbath Day Point 3 Saw Mill ____ remain'd till 7 at Putnam's Point 8 Crownpoint 29 went for Albany got to Sabbath Day Point 30 Fort Edwd [Edward?] July 1st safe to Albany _____ my Uncle's House almost Burned since I was at Crownpoint Augt [August?] 14 went for New York could get nothing done with my Uncle except getting Crooks' Money & even had much difficulty [difficulty?] to get what money I lent him of the Linen I might go to Law but his Affairs is in so bad a way that he must give up to his Creditors _____ & of [if?] I should push him he might say that my severity Obliged him to shut up _____ & it might also make the rest of his Creditors more Severe upon him when it would be known how he was using me & it would expose him sadly ____ For all which Reasons I have quit thoughts of Obliging him to pay me _____ he still promises but indeed I put no dependence on them I was deceived too long by them 17th Arrived at New York where I find great disappointment about Bills that I had got in payment for my Linen being just perplexed about them at last got them settled & there being no Vessell [Vessel?] here at present for Ireland September 2d went for Philadelphea [Philadelphia?] to take my Passage from that I arrived there __________ Bought Flower [Flour?] with all my Money & Shipped it on Board a Brig called the Munster Lass Abraham Russell Master NB left Money with the Owner of this Brigg [Brig?] for Bristol in Company October in a gale of Wind parted Company & in a Day or Two got in Company ____ & the 9 parted for good ____________________ 29 made the Old Head of Kinsale in the evening of Corke [Cork?] Harbour _____ 30 of [off?] Waterford 31 at 4 Afternoon made St Davids Head in Wales & stood St George Channel with a fair Wind for Dublin expecting to be there next morning _______ But at 9 o'clock came to Blow ahead & increased to such a Terrible Storm that the Vessell [Vessel?] was laid too [to?] not being able to carry Sail _____ by lying We Drifted on the Welsh Shore _____ & expected in Morning to be all lost the Storm continued 24 Hours _____ Novr [November?] 1st moderated something so that we got some Sail set to draw us of [off?] the land 2d a Storm again lay too [to?] 3 more moderate in the afternoon ran into a Little Bay when a Boat came of [off?] & to our verry [very?] great surprise told us that we were in a Bay called Cloughey 2 Miles to the Northward of Portaferry 70 or 80 miles to the Nd [Northward?] of Dublin, we expected that we had got past Dublin but did not imagine to be nigh so far down the Channel ______ Calm this evening came to an Anchor 4th. at 6 in the morning came on a Tempest & in a little Time we drove with our best Anchor out ___ let go the other which quickly parted & the Vessell [Vessel?] was so nigh the Rocks that if She had not Sheered the right way we Should have been on them _____ Sail'd for a Mile along shore. & having no Anchor aboard the Vessell [Vessel?] verry [very?] Leaky & the men wore out & all of us impatient ______ by the advice of the Pilot we run the Vessel into a little Bay call'd the milling Bay. but it being but half Tide She Struck in the Entrance & beat Violently & expecting her to go to pieces imediately [immediately?] hoist'd out the Boat & all in her got safe on Shore in the Afternoon it Moderated when we went of [off?] to the Vessel & got our Chest & Bedding on Shore found them full of Water _____ next Day part of her Cargoe [Cargo?] being got out & the Leakes Stoped [Leakes Stopped?] the Vessel was got into the Bay _______ Novr [November?] 7 I went for Carrickfergus 30 Miles of [off?] & at [------?] arrived safe find my Mother and Sister well 9 went for Portaferry ___ the Vessell [Vessel?] brought round there _______ 10 Mr Edwd [Edward?] Moore to whom the Vessell [Vessel?] is Consign'd arrived from Dublin & concludes to repair the Vessell [Vessel?] & reship the Cargoe [Cargo?] for Dublin ______ 14 I returned to Carrickfergus February began to have my Land plowed & to Farm March rece'd [received?] a Letter from my Factor Mr Moore B at Dublin ____by which I learn that my Insurance affair is likely to be verry [very?] Tedious ____ it has been a great Loss to me the Vesell [Vessel?] being Stranded & my Flouer [Flour?] Damaged _______ It has pleased God to make my Worldly Affairs as yet unsuccessful _____ I thank him I have been enabled to bear uo with Christian Patience and Fortitude _______ having Food & Raiment I am therewith Content in Patience possessing my Lord _______ June I went with my Mother for Dublin from Carrickfergus, a most Ancient Wall'd Town, with a Castle Built 2000 Years agoe [ago?] the Town Walls are about One Mile round, the Houses within & without about 500 _____ it is Situated on the NW [Northwest?] Side of a Bay of the same Name, with a Key [Quay?] for small Vessels ________ this Town is a County of itself & is incorporated by a verry [very?] ample Charter _____ Governed by a Mayor 16 Aldermen & 24 Burgesses send 2 Members to Parliament who are chose by the Foremen [Freemen?] formerly there was 1500 Acres of common belonging to the Town by the Charter but the Gentlemen who have Land ajoining [adjoining?] have from Time to Time got Deeds for & encroached upon 5 or 600 Acres of it, & there yet remains upwards 900 this Place also formerly enjoyed by the Charter a Right to one Third of the Customs & Dutys [Duties?] of all Goods Landed within the Bay _____ but this Priveledge [Privilege?] was thought too great for them to enjoy long. For when the Earl of Strafford was Lord Lieutenant in Charles the 1st Reign he Threatened to bring a Quo Warranto against the Charter & have it Broke as this of the Duty & Customs was too great a Priviledge [Privilege?] for any Subjects to have ____ but if they would Surrender up that Clause of the Charter the [they?] should have 3000 given them & the rest of the Charter to stand good _____ which proposal was accepted but the Persons who were entrusted to receive Money Cheated the Corporation out of the whole ______ in this Town is the Ruins of a verry [very?] Grand House belonging to the Earl of Donegal, indeed the Walls is also in Ruins & the Town much on the decline ________ 8 miles from this Town is Belfast a Handsome Seaport about 2 or 300 Houses Situated at the Head of Carrickfergus Bay & on the West side of the River Lagan Over which there is a Bridge of 21 Arches & Qr [Quarter?] of a Mile long _______ it is a Town of good Trade & improves verry [very?] Fast incorporated as a Borrough [Borough?] with a Sovereign & 12 Burgesses sends 2 members to Parliament who are chose by these 12 Burgesses only ______ & as The Town belongs entirely to Lord Donegal, they return whoever he chuses [chooses?] to Nominate this is the very worst kind of Burroughs [Boroughs?], & are verry [very?] justlty called the Rotten part of the Constitution _______ Lisburn 7 Miles from Belfast a verry [very?] handsome Town of about 1000 Houses the river Lagan runs by it & is made Navigable from Belfast by a Canal which is carrying on from this Town to Lough Neagh 16 Miles distant ______ this is a Borrough [Borough?] Town returns 2 Members to Part [Parliament?] everry [every?] Householder has a vote in chusing [choosing?] them which is the fairest & most agreeable to a free Constitution of any Method that the Wit of Man could invent _______ For can any thing be more consistent with a free State than everry [every?] Man to have a Vote in chusing [choosing?] the Persons who are to make laws by which he is to Govern himself _______ & Yet as this Town as well as many others belong all to one Landlord, whoever they Nominate is chose [chosen?], but this is what can never be helped Whilst Men will Vote for Interest or to lease their Landlords ___________________ June 9 past Hillsborough 3 Miles from Lisburn a verry [very?] small Borough Town & one of the rotten Kind sending 2 Members to Parliament Nominated by lord Hillsborough a Bishops See _____ Banbridge 6 Miles from Dromore a small town but improving the River Ban [Bann?] runs by this Town over which the [there?] is a wretched bad Bridge ______ Loughbrickland 2 Miles from Banbridge ______ Newry 8 miles from Loughbrickland a large Town with a good Trade a Seaport situated on the East Side of the River Black Water 4 Miles from the Sea & communicates with Lough Neagh & the Inland Country by fine Canal ____ it is a Borought [Borough?] Town sends 2 Members to Parliament chose by the House Holders Jonesborough 5 miles from Newry a small Village June 10 past Dundalk 4 Miles from Jonesborough a long handsome Town about 7 or 800 Houses _____ a Seaport for Small Vessells [Vessels?] situated at the Bottom of a Bay of the same Name a Borough Town sends 2 Members to parliament chose by Lurgan Green 4 Miles from Dundalk a small Village _____ Castle Bellingham 4 Miles from Lurgan Green a small Village ______ Dunleer 4 Miles from Castle Bellingham a small Borough sends 2 Member to Parliament _____ Drogheda 6 Miles from Dunleer a Large Handsome & verry [very?] Ancient Walled Town about 1500 Houses & County of itself incorporated & Governed by a Mayor Alderman & Burgesses sends 2 Member to Parliament chose by the Freemen it is a Seaport with a good Trade situated on the North side of the River Boyne 1 Mile from a large Bay of the same Name ____ 2 Miles above this Town King William 3 of Glorious Memory in 1790 [sic] crossed the Boyne River & defeated the Forces of King James _____ Balrothery 9 Miles from Drogheda a small Village _________ June 11 past Swords a verry [very?] Ancient but small Burough [Borough?] Town sends 2 Members to Parliament chose by the House Holders _________ Dublin 6 Miles from Swords _______ which is upon the whole a Handsome Elegant City with the River Liffey runing [running?] through it the harbour is but indifferent great Sums of Money have been expended in improving it ____ the last Numbering of the Houses they were 14000 but much increased since the Parliament House Colledge [College?] & one or Two Churches & Several Hospitals are verry [very?] fine Buildings but the most of the Churches make but a Poor appearance in the outside & have no Steeple but like Pigeon Houses this is verry [very?] disagreeable when at the same time there is so many Handsome Streets & private Houses _______ the Market Places is small & inconvenient the Courts of Justice make a poor appearance both inside & out, situated in a Dirty narrow Lane ______ however there is Money raising to Build a Grand Exchange & they talk of Building Steeples to the Churches & making many alterations to improve the Streets & Publick [public?] Buildings _______ There is in this City _____ Churches of England 6 Presbyterian Meeting Houses the Congregations of which are more Numerous than all the Protestants together ____ some say 2 for one ____ June 24 left Dublin & 28 get safe home July 1st my Mother & Sister fall out & my Sister leaves the House 14 I take her to Larne for some Time Augt [August?] 12 She returns with evident signs of Lunacy upon her ______ Good God thou hast been pleased to Afflict her now more than onst [once?] with the worst of all Maladys [Maladies?] to the great Grieve [Grief?] & perplexity of us her Relations. but thy will be done shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right September 1st We are obliged to confine her close _____ Novr [November?] her disorder still increasing we have with great Difficulty got an Order for her Admission into Dean Swifts Hospital in Dublin & the 17th set of [off?] with her & on the 21 arrive without any accident but much perplexity on the Road 24th leave Dublin & got safe home on the 28 -Close