OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: Manx Settlers of Ohio -- Article 3 *********************************************************************** OHGENWEB NOTICE: All distribution rights to this electronic data are reserved by the submitter. Reproduction or re-presentation of copyrighted material will require the permission of the copyright owner. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. *********************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Darlene E. Kelley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 Aug 16, 2002. *********************************************** Historical Collections of Ohio And Then They Went West S.L. Kelly diaries Series of articles by Darlene E. Kelley Manx Settlers of Ohio -- Article 3 and 4. ********************************************* Manx Settlers of Ohio -- Article 3. Another Letter from Ohio. We willing insert this letter, as it contained much local information, and is written in a style that is likely to take to the writer's friends. He recommends his friend when he writes to employ a good scholar to write for him as the letters would run the gauntlet of the American village of Cleveland, and this privilege he appears to have taken himself. The language is very American, particularly the word " fetch" for bring and the scribe writes better then he composes. Some facts too, slip out, the climate is to be guarded against, for within a few months of his arrival he had lost a child, his friend Cannell, and his father was dying in this Garden of Eden. The truth is, intermitting fevers did preveil every spring and autumn over the whole of America,- and yet more, near the rivers. Liberty and Freedom United -- Concord Township County Geunga State of Ohio North America Jan 2nd., 1828. " Dear Friends; I have took my pen to write these few lines to you, hoping they will find all my friends in Kk.Lonan in good health, as I and my family are at present, excepting my father -- Thanks be to God for the same, and for many blessings he has bestowed upon us since we left our native land. We had a fine passage over the Atlantic of 6 weeks; We had two very severe storms but did not last very long. One morning at 4 o'clock we Manxmen were called up to help the sailors to furl and reef the sails, the first mate told us what rope to put our hand in; such wind I never felt, nor ever saw such high sea. I could not compare it to nothing but high mountains, we had no sail but the fore and main top sail, and these were closed reef,---one would think that the ship was sometimes thrown 100 yards by heavy seas; this wind was in our favour and blew from the N.E.; Our ship was good on the wind but very wet, she was a dull sailer before the winds, she was very tight, we had not to pump her but once in a 24 hours; we had very good officers and sailors; the ship 500 tons register, her name ANACREON of Liverpool, coppered and copper fastened, built in St. John's, New Brunswick, North America.Your father have sat many a time with a crooked stick under his arm, but what if he had got the spokes of our ship's steering wheel in his hand, that had given him another trial how to steer. We carried away our sliding jig-boom going down between Scotland and Ireland, by carrying too heavy sail, we were a week on the banks of Newfoundland in calm weather; there is a fog here still so you can get nothing dry. These banks are 300 miles long and 150 broad, the shallowest place is 18 fathoms deep, our soundings was from 30 to 90 fathoms water. with grey sand on the plumb of the lead; there is hundreds of fishing ships here, although it is 600 miles from land. Except the land of Newfoundland, the first we saw was Sable Island, 400 miles from New York, The first land was Long Island. We came to anchor at the quarantine ground Tuesday the 4th of September, anchored there till Saturday morning; this place is 9 miles from New York; we had the liberty to go on shore leave; we got liberty to go to the Sailors Hospital garden and eat as many apples and peaches as we had in mind to and pocket none. On Monday we hired two carts to carry our goods from the ANACREON to the boat tow inspector, a distance of one mile; On Wednesday at 10 o'clock we started for Albany; the towboat was 40 yards long and 9 yards wide, towed by steam boat Swiftsure. We arrived in Albany in 21 hours a distance of 160 miles, paying for our passage 1 dol; for children under 12, 1/2 dol. That day we started for Buffaloe in the canal boat Lawrence, Capt Jas Crowell, and arrived at Buffaloe in 6 days, paying 1 cent a mile for grown persons, half price for children under 12 years; length of the grand canal 363 miles. Next day we took our passage for Fairport on the schooner Andrew of Buffaloe, Capt Joseph Larby, and arrived there in 25 hours, and paid one dol for grown ups, and children under 12, half dol. On Saturday Sept 22nd we hired a team of oxen to carry our goods to the village of Painesville, a distance of three miles and paid 1 1/2 dol; rented a house with a cellar, 2 floor rooms, 2 fireplaces and a loft, for 2 1/2 dol. per month from David Hull, slept there that night, the first on land in America, after 80 days from my native place. This first night we were here there were 33 Manx people in our house at a time. Manx is spoken here in plenty but there is no Manx family here now but us; they have all bought land and are gone into the country, but owing to my father's sickness we can not leave this place. He has been sick now for 8 weeks and there is no prospects of him getting better--- when we came here he was pert and healthy as he was and lied this place well; the girls that came with us are all active at 2 dol per week; Christian Tear is in Orange Lyman the Presbyterian priest's house; Anne Quay is at John Beck's, a tailor, Isabelle Kelly, my sister, was at Dr. Storin Rose's house, but now is home nursing her father. Isabella Callister is a Avery Tracey's shopkeeper. Our Jane is in Col Stoor's house, the richest man un the village; This man's hired girl married last Friday and he gave her as portion 200 acres of land, and I hope that he will give Jane 200 too if she stops in. This gentlemen has 18,000 acres of land and hundreds of thousands of dollars and has a grand of house as any in Douglas; his girls all ride in carriages with their misses, and go to balls with them, and are thought of as if they were their own girls, They all eat at the same table. Here they scorn to be called a mistress or master, or eat in a parlour-- nothing is too good for a worker they say. The women here go very grand-- a great many of them wear veils but they have no pride. A poor man that behaves himself and keeps sober ( for they hates a drunkard ) is as much thought of as the richest; you do not want to put your hand in your hat and humble yourself to the dust when you speak to a gentleman here like you do on the island. A labouring man can earn as much in 2 days that will keep a family of 7 or 8 persons a week. The girls here do not work in dunghills like slaves as they do on the island. Christina Tear and Ann Quay have earned as much since they came here as they would in a year on the island. You that have boys come here, and you will get trades and school for nothing and those of you that have no boys but all girls be not discouraged, they will tae them from you too. I am hard enough to keep my girls from them.-- the more children you have the better as there is no cry for victuals here-- no begging, no man in rags, no man striving for work; there is plenty for all-- all is liberty, union, and love. Chynda; yn duillag iny vannanagh as jeegh chew eiley " ********************************************* ********************************************* ********************************************************************************************** to be continued.