James J. Wright, Santiago de Cuba, to Martha Wright, No. 33, Seville Place, Circular Road, 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
4
Source
Historical Library of the Religious Society of Friends in Dublin
Creator
James Jenkinson Wright
Identifier
Portfolio 35X_L20
Date
1842-02-16
Surname
Wright
Firstname
James Jenkinson
Title
James J. Wright, Santiago de Cuba, to Martha Wright, No. 33, Seville Place, Circular Road, Dublin, Ireland
Translator
Kerby A. Miller, Patricia Miller
Description
James J. Wright, Santiago de Cuba, to Martha Wright, No. 33, Seville Place, Circular Road, Dublin, Ireland
Transcript
001
Santiago de Cuba, February 16, 1842
Martha Wright
My very dear aunt
Some short time since your truly acceptable letter of 29th of last November reached me, and really I was very glad to get it for I was extremely anxious about you, as you will have perceived by the tenor of mine of October 31, and although I fully accept your excuses, for having permitted that of May 7th to remain so long unanswered, I am sure that you would have replied earlier, if you had been aware of how very uneasy the delay made me.
I keep no copies of letters written other than on business, but I dare say that you were correct in saying, that the stile of mine last mentioned was different from my customary one, for we are to a certain extent affected by the circumstances in which we are placed, and I had then for several months, been thrown out of my general quiet course of life, but I presume that you will have found that when I last addressed you, I had got back to the old type.
What you say of novel reading, is generally speaking correct, but I think you will be willing to admit, that where there is not a family established who speak English, for a man of business, to fall back on for some relaxation, it may be found almost a necessity to relieve the mind by light reading.
002
I am much pleased to learn, that safety and tranquillity continue to reign with you, for I had some fear, that the change of ministry would have been followed by a high state of political excitement, and consequent uneasiness amongst the quiet orderly part of the community.
I am glad to be able to advise you that my brother Nehemiah says to me under date October 30th last past as follows,
“Father’s health is decidedly improved
“his legs are I may say well, though his rheumatic pains are not
“much ameliorated; yet from his general appearance not, I observe
“nothing to prevent his being spared to us many years.” “Uncle“William is able to be about and attend to his business, and manages
“very well, but his bodily strength, constitution and general appearance, does not promise as much as Fathers”
In financial and commercial affairs, they are very badly situated, all through the United States, they wanted to go ahead too fast and the usual result of that spirit has overtaken them, and Ohio suffers perhaps as much as any other State of the Union, and I think it quite probable from what Nehemiah writes, that disappointed expectations is the fate of many about Belmont and that my presence there, will not come amiss, for I shall do what I can for all the branches of the family, that consolation will be at least mine after so many years hard labour.
It is satisfactory to learn Uncle Nehemiah’s restoration to the blessings of health, and I should be pleased if Jonathan had given me a chance of replying to a letter from him, tell him so.
I think it will be satisfactory to you to know, that we believe the government for this Island, has at last determined to put a definite stop to the slave trade,
003
and it certainly is the wish of the great majority of our best people that it may be done, in consequence of which the Spanish vessels of war, have begun to capture vessels engaged in that traffic, and if they continue to do so, which we all expect, we shall soon have it completely put down.
The Royal East India Steam Packets, have commenced running and they calculate to reach this port the 25th day from Falmouth so that henceforward, our correspondence to and from Europe will be on a perfect footing, and it is pleasing to be able to say to you, that our firm has been appointed the agent for the company, as it is a proof of respectability of our standing in England, and we are also agents for an English mining concern that exports 12 @ 15.000 tons of copper ore yearly, being probably the second best copper mine in the world.
I continue firm in my determination of withdrawing from business, on the 1st of next October, at which time our association expires by original contract, the business will be continued by the other partners, and I have but little doubt, but what I can satisfactorily arrange for my interest with them, especially as I am disposed, to make very considerable sacrifices to effect my object, and having so done, I shall very soon after begin my travels by a visit to Ohio, my stop at which point must be governed much by circumstances, but must in some measure also yield, to my great desire to tread once more the soil of my native country, always dear to my heart.
004
I have not been as well for the two or three past months as usual, I am now however getting better, and consider myself convalescent, but have to be very abstemious in diet, it is not perhaps amiss, to be occasionally brought to a recollection of our entire dependence upon Providence by some infliction.
You need not be afraid of my being so much a man of business, as not to be sensibly alive to the perusal of your communications.
I remain, my dear aunt
Yr Affecte nephew
James J. Wright
Santiago de Cuba, February 16, 1842
Martha Wright
My very dear aunt
Some short time since your truly acceptable letter of 29th of last November reached me, and really I was very glad to get it for I was extremely anxious about you, as you will have perceived by the tenor of mine of October 31, and although I fully accept your excuses, for having permitted that of May 7th to remain so long unanswered, I am sure that you would have replied earlier, if you had been aware of how very uneasy the delay made me.
I keep no copies of letters written other than on business, but I dare say that you were correct in saying, that the stile of mine last mentioned was different from my customary one, for we are to a certain extent affected by the circumstances in which we are placed, and I had then for several months, been thrown out of my general quiet course of life, but I presume that you will have found that when I last addressed you, I had got back to the old type.
What you say of novel reading, is generally speaking correct, but I think you will be willing to admit, that where there is not a family established who speak English, for a man of business, to fall back on for some relaxation, it may be found almost a necessity to relieve the mind by light reading.
002
I am much pleased to learn, that safety and tranquillity continue to reign with you, for I had some fear, that the change of ministry would have been followed by a high state of political excitement, and consequent uneasiness amongst the quiet orderly part of the community.
I am glad to be able to advise you that my brother Nehemiah says to me under date October 30th last past as follows,
“Father’s health is decidedly improved
“his legs are I may say well, though his rheumatic pains are not
“much ameliorated; yet from his general appearance not, I observe
“nothing to prevent his being spared to us many years.” “Uncle“William is able to be about and attend to his business, and manages
“very well, but his bodily strength, constitution and general appearance, does not promise as much as Fathers”
In financial and commercial affairs, they are very badly situated, all through the United States, they wanted to go ahead too fast and the usual result of that spirit has overtaken them, and Ohio suffers perhaps as much as any other State of the Union, and I think it quite probable from what Nehemiah writes, that disappointed expectations is the fate of many about Belmont and that my presence there, will not come amiss, for I shall do what I can for all the branches of the family, that consolation will be at least mine after so many years hard labour.
It is satisfactory to learn Uncle Nehemiah’s restoration to the blessings of health, and I should be pleased if Jonathan had given me a chance of replying to a letter from him, tell him so.
I think it will be satisfactory to you to know, that we believe the government for this Island, has at last determined to put a definite stop to the slave trade,
003
and it certainly is the wish of the great majority of our best people that it may be done, in consequence of which the Spanish vessels of war, have begun to capture vessels engaged in that traffic, and if they continue to do so, which we all expect, we shall soon have it completely put down.
The Royal East India Steam Packets, have commenced running and they calculate to reach this port the 25th day from Falmouth so that henceforward, our correspondence to and from Europe will be on a perfect footing, and it is pleasing to be able to say to you, that our firm has been appointed the agent for the company, as it is a proof of respectability of our standing in England, and we are also agents for an English mining concern that exports 12 @ 15.000 tons of copper ore yearly, being probably the second best copper mine in the world.
I continue firm in my determination of withdrawing from business, on the 1st of next October, at which time our association expires by original contract, the business will be continued by the other partners, and I have but little doubt, but what I can satisfactorily arrange for my interest with them, especially as I am disposed, to make very considerable sacrifices to effect my object, and having so done, I shall very soon after begin my travels by a visit to Ohio, my stop at which point must be governed much by circumstances, but must in some measure also yield, to my great desire to tread once more the soil of my native country, always dear to my heart.
004
I have not been as well for the two or three past months as usual, I am now however getting better, and consider myself convalescent, but have to be very abstemious in diet, it is not perhaps amiss, to be occasionally brought to a recollection of our entire dependence upon Providence by some infliction.
You need not be afraid of my being so much a man of business, as not to be sensibly alive to the perusal of your communications.
I remain, my dear aunt
Yr Affecte 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