Joseph Raynes letter 1838

Scans and Transcription

Joseph Raynes lived in Bonsall with 6 brothers and sisters until 1831, when he emigrated to Baltimore in Maryland, USA. He later moved to Cincinnati, Ohio because of riots in Baltimore. He wrote regular letters home to his family in Bonsall, describing life in America. Ten of these letters are held by University of Maryland. Another dated 1838 (not held by the University) is held by the webmaster and is described on this webpage. Joseph Raynes died in 1849 in America

The transcription puts the text into modern English, changing spelling, repeated words, and case where necessary. The single piece of parchment used by the letter is 397 x 324 mms, folding to 200 x 324 then 200 x 162 finally 85 x 162 for posting. A single blob of red wax was used to seal. Postage was 25 cents. The letter was probably posted after June 8 1838 and received at Bonsall on July 9 1838.

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direct as before Mr Joseph Raynes Saddler eighth Street between Elm & Plum Streets Cincinnati Ohio North America Cincinnati June 2 1838 My Dear Father & Mother Sisters Uncle & Aunt I hope you will excuse me not answering your letter sooner I have been waiting expecting a Gentleman going to England as he would favour me by taking those books safe but it is now uncertain if he goes to England for some time My Dear Sister I wil send you the books the first opportunity my sisters Ann & Harriet I am often thinking of you and offer my Prayers to Almighty God to defend & protect you through all your difficulties I am very sorry your money was not deposited in safer hands get all you can & don't let it trouble you you will get through the world without it if I had been in England Mr Chapman would not have trifled with you in the trifling manner in which he did Every one

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of the Raynes family depended on Mr Chapman acting the Part of Justice if I had been in England at the time Mr Chapman was acting the Rascal with you you should have sued Mr Topham & have made him Paid the money or given security, I am very much obliged to Mr Mills for the favour & kindness he has favoured you with I hope you have let the other Part of the mill by this time you did not send me word if you disposed of my late brothers machinery & working tools am very glad you manage very well with your farming Business I often think of my aged Parents & Uncle & Aunt I am very sorry Uncle has had so severe attack of the Influenza I hope you all are now enjoying the best of health at this time I thank God Mrs Raynes and myself is enjoying the Best of Health I think you never see me look better I am doing very

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very well in Business at Cincinnati considering the dullness of the times, I yet confine myself to a small business I am now employing two journeymen I have one apprentice I shall take another as soon as as times gets better I work very hard myself as I always did the Banks are not paying Specie for their own notes yet & its uncertain when they will do perhaps not until next Spring which causes great derangement in the Currency, I had the great pleasure of having a Verbal Intercourse with Mr John Burton & Miss Jane Burton they stayed but a few hours at Cincinnati Miss Jane Burton took breakfast with me & Mrs Raynes, she told me I had a nice Lady for my wife I took Miss Burton to see St Pauls Church & other fine buildings she thought Cincinnati a very fine city she observed of the streets being wide & regular & of the shops being very handsome

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& as fine & fashionable as in any town in England she told me she would like to live at Cincinnati, where Mr John Burton & Mr Robert Burton is living is fifteen hundred miles from Cincinnati a Gent told me Mr Robert Burton was What is become of Stevens? worth twenty thousand pounds if not more they have a steam boat running from Cincinnati to Galena Captain Robert Burton told me the boat cost them building about five thousand pounds the steam boats are constructed so as they carry a great deal of freight and many passengers Its Mr Robert Burton son Robert which is Captain of the boat he was married to a Lady at Cincinnati a few months ago If I had one of my late brothers boys I would raise him to my business its no more for one of them to leave their Mother than for me to leave mine My dear sisters The Revd Mr John our worthy minister lent me one of his books to read the title of it was

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The Rise & Progress of Religion in the Soul by Philip Doddridge DD since I commenced writing this letter I have seen Captain Robert Burton he told me that his Aunt Jane was married on the beginning of last month to a gentleman of the name of Bonsall he is a native of Yorkshire he has been in America about four years he is in the smelting business at Galena I told her when I saw her at Cincinnati that she would soon get married in America, Mr & Mrs Bonsall is going to reside about tenty miles from Mr John Burton Mr John & Thomas Burton is engaged in the smelting business at Dubuque that is about twenty miles from Galena Captain Robert Burton told me to send his love to his Grandmother & to all in Bonsall Friends one of the Mr Morliges call to see me last week they have a nice farm about seven miles from Cincinnati Old Mr Morligues is still living I am very much pleased you have such a worthy Minister

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Mr & Mrs Orange & me & Mrs Raynes has an invitation to go out & spend the day at Mr Morliges we all intend driving out in a carriage together in a few weeks the youngest of the Miss Morliges died about a year ago, Mr Orange that is Mrs Berresford daughter Elizabeth was confined of a fine boy about two months ago Mr Orange is a good customer of mine he bought about twenty pounds worth of saddlery of me week before last Mr samuel Berresford is a very good customer since I have been at Cincinnati I have sold more than Fifty pounds worth of sadlery to people from Baltimore that was customers to me at that city Mrs Beresford is seventy four years of age she was at my house last week she says she thinks so much of me because I came from Paewich we had a Grand Consert of Sacred Musick at St Pauls Church last week to assist in defraying the expense of the organ Mrs Raynes & me was there I paid nine shillings of English money for two tickets I wished you had been with me you would

Page 4 upper	have been quite delighted I have now some good news to send you I see in the Paper today the Banks are now in in a prosperous way for paying specie now we shall soon have good times in America I see in the Papers the young Queen will be crowned this month, give my kind respect to Mrs Flint & to Mrs Batement & Mr Frost & family Give my respects to Mrs Burton & tell her I beleive Jane has got a very good husband My respects to Mrs Marsh & family & to my Bonsall friends I hope you will write as soon as you can as I am anxious to know how you all are I suppose the boys are grown fine boys by this time if I had them here I could do better for them than Grace can do for them at Bonsall Give my Respects to Grace I must now conclude
Page 4 front	We received this welcomed letter July 9 1838 Paid 25 Miss Ann Raynes Bonsall Nr Wirksworth Derbyshire Old England By first packet ship From NY to Liverpool Haste
Page 4 lower	Friday evening June 8 Past nine tomorrow is the day the Bonsall Club People march my dear sisters you must keep up your spirits & you must write to me as soon as you can can make it convenient I will Pomise you I will not delay writing so long the next time Mrs Raynes joins me in love to you all I remain my dear sisters & parents your affectionate Joseph Raynes

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