James J. Wright, Santiago de Cuba, to Martha Wright, No. 108 Thomas Street, Dublin , Ireland (via Swansea)
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_L25
Date
1843-06-05
Surname
Wright
Firstname
James Jenkinson
Title
James J. Wright, Santiago de Cuba, to Martha Wright, No. 108 Thomas Street, Dublin , Ireland (via Swansea)
Translator
Kerby A. Miller, Patricia Miller
Description
James J. Wright, Santiago de Cuba, to Martha Wright, No. 108 Thomas Street, Dublin , Ireland (via Swansea)
Transcript
001
Santiago de Cuba June 5, 1843
Martha Wright
My dear Aunt,
I had the pleasure of writing you last on the 25th of March, and since then, I am in receipt of your very acceptable letter of April 6th, having annexed a very pretty view of your Post Office which I was well pleased to get. I cannot refuse to admit your excuse for letting such a long period elapse without writing to me, for I am often myself to avail of apologies to palliate like lapses, but I cannot admit your being "a poor uninteresting correspondent" and I wouldn’t permit anyone to say it but yourself, for few come up to you in my opinion either in style or handwriting, at all events it gladdens my heart to have the breaking of a seal from you, so don't forget me. I suppose I have bothered Jonathan so, with my genealogical requisitions, that he thinks he had better drop corresponding with me altogether, for he hasn't written me a line since I posed him with that subject, tell him if he can't make head or tail of it, to let it drop, and I shall rest satisfied to drop anchor for good and all at Ballinclay, what say you, isn't well enough to do so, and content our enquiries with John and Abigail Wright of that homestead, and their twelve sons and daughters. I have now on the desk before me to be answered, this is a catholic holyday, a letter from father of 3 mo 16th when all were very well in Ohio, and he states his own health was then better than it had been for some time, and that he weighs 230 lbs., and Nehemiah about 220, these are high weights, too much for prime health and capability, I keep at about 185 by diet, and think that too much,
002
in fine, I have said to Nehemiah today that I can cut my own toe nails and cut them well, and recommend to keep himself in a state to be able to do so likewise, don't you think he ought? Father says that he had a letter from you dated 9 mo 2nd 1842, and continues thus “which
" I wanted to answer before I wrote thee, knowing it would please thee,
"to find I had done so, but if nothing happens me, I expect a week
"won't go over my head until it's accomplished" but you know as well as I do, how much he procrastinates in letter-writing, so that you won't be surprised or over anxious after all, if you don't get an answer although promised, unless you write him again. I shall be gratified to learn that you have done, for he likes to receive letters although so dilatory in replying. Poor Shelton was as you state one of my first partners, and had he followed my advice, and let business alone in the United States, all would have been well, he was worth at least 200.000 dollars and wasn't satisfied and poor fellow he could not bear up against the losses he made in Boston, his mind gave way altogether, and coming out here, he threw himself overboard and was drowned leaving after all, as you will no doubt be surprised to learn after such a melancholy catastrophe, not less than 100.000 after all claims are paid up. I am very sorry indeed to learn the unfortunate position of Abby Lamb, for I do not forget that Aunt Watson's was my house of refuge after father's misfortunes. My health is much better than it was, I am slowly but
gradually recovering, indeed my heart complaint, which I suffered most from, has almost entirely disappeared. let me recommend you my dear Aunt to look well to your own health, and if you find
it to suffer from living in the city, you ought at almost
003
any inconvenience and sacrifice, get to pure air and exercise again, for health is the best gift of the Almighty, for even a contented mind is to a certain extent dependent upon it, as the body influences us
mentally, very often indeed when we are not at all aware of it, I get up myself almost regularly at three o'clock every morning, and my occupation is not much at the desk, I am the director of the business
of the house, and am generally occupied out of doors, it is on holidays principally that I am a fixture pen in hand, iit is pleasing to me, to be able to say to you, that I believe the severe bad times for commerce has passed away, and that although we suffered much in our last years, that nevertheless, as we got our business within snug limits in good time, that we stood the storm a great deal better than any of our fellow labourers in this city, so much so, that we are now incomparably ahead of any house here, in extent of capability and credit both at home and abroad, and I tell you this because I know it will gratify you.
Do not my dear Aunt omit regularly writing me, and remain, I beg of you in the entire conviction that your letters are ever highly pleasing and when I need consolation consolatory to me. I remain
your affect nephew
James J. Wright
P.S. I have taken to writing with steel pens, and this paper, and this paper is too rough for them my next I think will be on smoother for I have ordered some. yr. J.J.W.
Santiago de Cuba June 5, 1843
Martha Wright
My dear Aunt,
I had the pleasure of writing you last on the 25th of March, and since then, I am in receipt of your very acceptable letter of April 6th, having annexed a very pretty view of your Post Office which I was well pleased to get. I cannot refuse to admit your excuse for letting such a long period elapse without writing to me, for I am often myself to avail of apologies to palliate like lapses, but I cannot admit your being "a poor uninteresting correspondent" and I wouldn’t permit anyone to say it but yourself, for few come up to you in my opinion either in style or handwriting, at all events it gladdens my heart to have the breaking of a seal from you, so don't forget me. I suppose I have bothered Jonathan so, with my genealogical requisitions, that he thinks he had better drop corresponding with me altogether, for he hasn't written me a line since I posed him with that subject, tell him if he can't make head or tail of it, to let it drop, and I shall rest satisfied to drop anchor for good and all at Ballinclay, what say you, isn't well enough to do so, and content our enquiries with John and Abigail Wright of that homestead, and their twelve sons and daughters. I have now on the desk before me to be answered, this is a catholic holyday, a letter from father of 3 mo 16th when all were very well in Ohio, and he states his own health was then better than it had been for some time, and that he weighs 230 lbs., and Nehemiah about 220, these are high weights, too much for prime health and capability, I keep at about 185 by diet, and think that too much,
002
in fine, I have said to Nehemiah today that I can cut my own toe nails and cut them well, and recommend to keep himself in a state to be able to do so likewise, don't you think he ought? Father says that he had a letter from you dated 9 mo 2nd 1842, and continues thus “which
" I wanted to answer before I wrote thee, knowing it would please thee,
"to find I had done so, but if nothing happens me, I expect a week
"won't go over my head until it's accomplished" but you know as well as I do, how much he procrastinates in letter-writing, so that you won't be surprised or over anxious after all, if you don't get an answer although promised, unless you write him again. I shall be gratified to learn that you have done, for he likes to receive letters although so dilatory in replying. Poor Shelton was as you state one of my first partners, and had he followed my advice, and let business alone in the United States, all would have been well, he was worth at least 200.000 dollars and wasn't satisfied and poor fellow he could not bear up against the losses he made in Boston, his mind gave way altogether, and coming out here, he threw himself overboard and was drowned leaving after all, as you will no doubt be surprised to learn after such a melancholy catastrophe, not less than 100.000 after all claims are paid up. I am very sorry indeed to learn the unfortunate position of Abby Lamb, for I do not forget that Aunt Watson's was my house of refuge after father's misfortunes. My health is much better than it was, I am slowly but
gradually recovering, indeed my heart complaint, which I suffered most from, has almost entirely disappeared. let me recommend you my dear Aunt to look well to your own health, and if you find
it to suffer from living in the city, you ought at almost
003
any inconvenience and sacrifice, get to pure air and exercise again, for health is the best gift of the Almighty, for even a contented mind is to a certain extent dependent upon it, as the body influences us
mentally, very often indeed when we are not at all aware of it, I get up myself almost regularly at three o'clock every morning, and my occupation is not much at the desk, I am the director of the business
of the house, and am generally occupied out of doors, it is on holidays principally that I am a fixture pen in hand, iit is pleasing to me, to be able to say to you, that I believe the severe bad times for commerce has passed away, and that although we suffered much in our last years, that nevertheless, as we got our business within snug limits in good time, that we stood the storm a great deal better than any of our fellow labourers in this city, so much so, that we are now incomparably ahead of any house here, in extent of capability and credit both at home and abroad, and I tell you this because I know it will gratify you.
Do not my dear Aunt omit regularly writing me, and remain, I beg of you in the entire conviction that your letters are ever highly pleasing and when I need consolation consolatory to me. I remain
your affect nephew
James J. Wright
P.S. I have taken to writing with steel pens, and this paper, and this paper is too rough for them my next I think will be on smoother for I have ordered some. yr. J.J.W.
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