Moville October the 10th, 1838
Honourd Sir
Being conscious that you would be desirous of entertaining some information consorning us how we are situated I now inform you as it is with us at prasent. The Ship mooved down from Derry the Leath
(1) of Culmore on Saturday evening. And the weather being unfeavorable stopped there until Thursday morning and she is now down the Leath of Movill and internds going off the first opportunity this evening. It is serious to behold in all corns of the ship the are sick and women feanting but thank God we are all in good health as yet. The first and second day we went on board there was a great deal of complaints with the emigrants of their rashions being too small and many of them wishing to go ashore and return home but I endeavoured to please any I had any influence with nowing that it was impossible for two hundred and sixty four passengers to be all righted according to there wishes at once. The news reached Captain Ramsy's ears and he came on board at Culmore and called all the passingers on deck and gave free liberty to all that pleased to go ashore and there was one man from Newtown (2) that went home and this is the reason I write lest the word would be carried home that we are ill treated and if it does believe it not. For the hole passingers put into seventeen Messis (3)and there is appointed one man head over each mess and I am appointed over one and it is there business to see the meat eaquilly served out according to the number of the mess.We eat our breakfast about eight o' clock of good tea and one day pork with pea soop for our dinner and the next day beef with flour pudding mixed with suet. There is alsow rum wine figs and reasons for those that is sick and everything appears to be carried on in a very judicious manner. There is six men appointed with the doctor for forming Laws and if any is found pilfering from the other or giving insolence the one to the other or refusing to clean their births or scrubbing
(soiling?) upper or lower decks the are reported to the doctor and their names entered in the register book and when the arrive at Sidney the will be given up to the government and punished in proportion as their crime deserves. Therefore I expect good order will be carried on.Now Sir be pleased to give my kind love to my Master Mistress Miss
(or Mrs) Ann and Miss Mary and little Stewart and to all the men and let them know that there is no day that the are out of my thoughts let William Pollock know that I wish that he would take word to my people at Fishmills (Bushmills?) and tell them that we are all well. I now Sir remain your kind and affectionate servant til death.James Dempsey
Let William Polock
(sic) know that I forgot my reazor in the house and I wish him to go to John W Kelly as I think he must have it as he was the last I left in the house and keep it for my sake. Sir excuse the bad writing and rolling (spelling?) as the ship was heaving very hard the time I wrote it.Envelope Addressed to :
Postmark 1 : Derry OC20 1838
Postmark 2 : Balleymoney OC21 1838
Stamped : Moville
Transcriber's notes :
I have tried to keep to the original spelling and punctuation as much as possible to preserve the flavour of the letter. I have corrected capitalisation and punctuation occasionally to make it possible to read - there was no punctuation and little capitalisation in the original so sentences ran into each other very badly. From the notes above :
Places : Culmore is down-river from Derry at the entrance to Lough Foyle, and Moville is further north at the head of the Lough, the last provisioning place before the open sea. Ballydivity is presumable Captain Moore's house in Dervock, Co. Antrim.
It looks like James Dempsey worked for Captain Moore (a retired ship's captain?) in more than just some labouring capacity as he knew the family.
The original is held by the PRO Northern Ireland Ref T/1935
Transcribed by Alex Rogers 20/3/99
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