James J. Wright, Santiago de Cuba, to Martha Wright, No. 33 Seville Place, Dublin, Ireland
Item
Rights
Permission to publish from the Historical Library of the Religious Society of Friends in Dublin
Publisher
University of Galway
Format
JPG
Type
Manuscript
Number of pages
3
Source
Historical Library of the Religious Society of Friends in Dublin
Creator
James Jenkinson Wright
Identifier
Portfolio 35X_L15
Date
1838-12-26
Surname
Wright
Firstname
James Jenkinson
Title
James J. Wright, Santiago de Cuba, to Martha Wright, No. 33 Seville Place, Dublin, Ireland
Translator
Kerby A. Miller, Patricia Miller
Description
James J. Wright, Santiago de Cuba, to Martha Wright, No. 33 Seville Place, Dublin, Ireland
Transcript
001
Santiago de Cuba, December 26, 1839
Martha Wright
My Dear Aunt,
I received yesterday thy very acceptable letter of 10 Mo 23rd and this being a Holyday I avail of it to reply, so you will give me credit however badly I may be of being more regular in correspondence than they are in Ohio.
I have had letters from there not long since Father is getting better of a violent inflammation of the legs, in the course of which, his life was at one time almost despaired of, and as I have received no thing subsequently, I take it for granted that he is reestablished, otherwise they would undoubtedly have again addressed me, still I am very anxious on account of his advanced age, and would feel much easier had I confirmation thereof by letter, and as they do not say much on other matters than Father’s illness in the two letters which I received. I consider that Uncle William and all other members of our Family there must be doing well.
I observe with much interest all you say of changes and events touching the several individuals and branches of our family treated of in your letter, isolated as I am such information is doubly satisfactory to me and I will thank you to continue it.
I have a friend an Amateur collector of Butterflies and I shall try to get a Box of them for you, our birds are free and not choice.
002
I am getting along very well in health, in business, and in the Consulate, I think I mentioned to you the approval of Lord Palmerston of my appointment and in my various occupations my time is fully employed.
I notice the reduction of postage to one penny this however is only on domestic not foreign letters pr. Packet, which remains at the former rates it is however in contemplation to diminish on Foreign also, by fixing it at 2/6 Stg. [Sterling] pr. half ounce, to tell you the truth although our correspondence is extensive it is only latterly that I have made myself acquainted with the extravagant rates charged, for our business is too heavy to feel it much, therefore although Postage is not of much consideration to me, it must be of some consequence to you, and it behoves me not to tax you therewith, in which view you will find under cover a Bank note if I can find one, if not an Order on Barings Brothers & Co. for £ 10 Stg. [Sterling] to be applied to cover the charge that your correspondence with me has and will entail on you begging you to receive it in the same friendly spirit that it is enclosed.
I am sorry to learn as well from the Papers as from your letter the deficiency of your Crops as it will fall severely on the Mass of the People, the working class here never suffer from want of food we have always enough and to spare and we have no such thing as Beggars, except now and then one, who as charity receive an offer of no thing under our small silver piece of about three pence Stg. [Sterling]
003
I believe that I may have to postpone my visit to you a few months longer that I expected as having given my Partner Mr. Brooks two years for a tour of pleasure, I have found myself compelled to call his attention to business there nearly 6 months say in England, and I have thought it only just to say to him to take in lieu of the months so employed by me an extra six months to himself and when he returns I believe now that I shall have to visit Ohio, and thus my arrival in Europe will be put off till the Autumn of 1841, and I assure you the months will seem long to me till then.
All affairs go on smoothly in this Island, indeed we seem to be under the special protection of divine Providence, great prosperity and continuing tranquillity has he [mached?] out to us, and we ought and I hope are fully sensible of it and grateful here the dispension thereof. No Country in the Word is advancing with more rapid strides in civilization and abundance of all things necessary.
I remain Dear Aunt
yr. Affect. Nephew
James J. Wright
Santiago de Cuba, December 26, 1839
Martha Wright
My Dear Aunt,
I received yesterday thy very acceptable letter of 10 Mo 23rd and this being a Holyday I avail of it to reply, so you will give me credit however badly I may be of being more regular in correspondence than they are in Ohio.
I have had letters from there not long since Father is getting better of a violent inflammation of the legs, in the course of which, his life was at one time almost despaired of, and as I have received no thing subsequently, I take it for granted that he is reestablished, otherwise they would undoubtedly have again addressed me, still I am very anxious on account of his advanced age, and would feel much easier had I confirmation thereof by letter, and as they do not say much on other matters than Father’s illness in the two letters which I received. I consider that Uncle William and all other members of our Family there must be doing well.
I observe with much interest all you say of changes and events touching the several individuals and branches of our family treated of in your letter, isolated as I am such information is doubly satisfactory to me and I will thank you to continue it.
I have a friend an Amateur collector of Butterflies and I shall try to get a Box of them for you, our birds are free and not choice.
002
I am getting along very well in health, in business, and in the Consulate, I think I mentioned to you the approval of Lord Palmerston of my appointment and in my various occupations my time is fully employed.
I notice the reduction of postage to one penny this however is only on domestic not foreign letters pr. Packet, which remains at the former rates it is however in contemplation to diminish on Foreign also, by fixing it at 2/6 Stg. [Sterling] pr. half ounce, to tell you the truth although our correspondence is extensive it is only latterly that I have made myself acquainted with the extravagant rates charged, for our business is too heavy to feel it much, therefore although Postage is not of much consideration to me, it must be of some consequence to you, and it behoves me not to tax you therewith, in which view you will find under cover a Bank note if I can find one, if not an Order on Barings Brothers & Co. for £ 10 Stg. [Sterling] to be applied to cover the charge that your correspondence with me has and will entail on you begging you to receive it in the same friendly spirit that it is enclosed.
I am sorry to learn as well from the Papers as from your letter the deficiency of your Crops as it will fall severely on the Mass of the People, the working class here never suffer from want of food we have always enough and to spare and we have no such thing as Beggars, except now and then one, who as charity receive an offer of no thing under our small silver piece of about three pence Stg. [Sterling]
003
I believe that I may have to postpone my visit to you a few months longer that I expected as having given my Partner Mr. Brooks two years for a tour of pleasure, I have found myself compelled to call his attention to business there nearly 6 months say in England, and I have thought it only just to say to him to take in lieu of the months so employed by me an extra six months to himself and when he returns I believe now that I shall have to visit Ohio, and thus my arrival in Europe will be put off till the Autumn of 1841, and I assure you the months will seem long to me till then.
All affairs go on smoothly in this Island, indeed we seem to be under the special protection of divine Providence, great prosperity and continuing tranquillity has he [mached?] out to us, and we ought and I hope are fully sensible of it and grateful here the dispension thereof. No Country in the Word is advancing with more rapid strides in civilization and abundance of all things necessary.
I remain Dear Aunt
yr. Affect. Nephew
James J. Wright
Language
English
List of contributors
Kerby A. Miller
Patricia Miller
Giselle Gonzalez Garcia
Margaret Brohony
Cristian Sanchez
People
James Jenkinson Wright
Martha Wright
Jonathan Wright
Location
Sophie Estate, Santiago de Cuba
New York City, United States
Dublin, Ireland