The Chignecto Isthmus And Its First Settlers [39]
the goodness to write the first opportunity, and direct to me at "Harbour House, "Durham."
It is quite possible the above letter did not receive a reply. A good deal of trouble had been taken to send full information to the father, and five years were allowed to pass before any acknowledgement was made. At all events, there is no record of a letter being sent to the son, and it is certain he did not come to this country.
The subjoined communication helps to show the depressed condition in England at that period, and that many were looking to America in the hope of bettering their condition:
"May 14th, 1819. "DEAR COUSIN,--I hope these lines will find you all well, as they us at present. We thank God for it. "I intend to come over to America this spring If it should please God, For the state of England are very bad, Land has got so very dear that a livelihood cannot be got in England, and the taxes that Government lays on are very heavy, till they reduce so many to a lower class that the land will hardly support the poor. I hope you are in a better situation in America. "We understand in England that the States of America are very flourishing at present. I intend to set off to America the first of June. If it should please God that I should get over safe, I hope to get to your house as soon as I can. All your cousins are in good health at present. Thank God for it, and they wish to be remembered to you and all your family. "So I remain your most obedient cousin, "JAMES BOYES, "of Bilsdale. "N.B.--By the wishes of one of your cousins, of the name of Harman Wedgwood, a son of Benjamin Wedgwood, a tailor, he would like to hear from you. He thinks you will give him some information of your country. "He wants to come to live in your country, and if you please to give him some intelligence of tailors' wages in your country. "So he remains your most obedient cousin. "HARMAN WEDGWOOD, "Hawnby." "N.B.--If you please to write to him you must direct as follows: "'HARMAN WEDGWOOD, "'Hawnby, "'Near Helmsley, Blackmoor, "'Yorkshire, England.'"
There was no change in the family at Prospect after Sallie's marriage in 1808 until 1817. On Jan. 17th of the latter year Robert married Eunice Bent, of Fort Lawrence, a sister of Harmon's wife, and in October Amos married Susanna Ripley, a sister of Willie's wife.
Robert settled on a farm adjoining the homestead. His house was not built until the summer following his marriage. James, his eldest child, was born 30th October, 1817, in the Brick House at Prospect Farm. Amos settled at the head of Amherst (now called Truemanville). The following letter, written by his youngest daughter, Mrs. Sarah Patterson, is very interesting, as giving some idea of the experiences of that time:
"When my father first came to live in the place now called Truemanville it was a dense forest. In summer the only road was a bridle path. In winter, when the snow was on the ground, they could drive a pair of oxen and a sled along the road. "The winter my father was married, as soon as there was enough snow and frost, he and one of his brothers and another man set out to build a house. "They loaded a sled with boards, doors and windows, and provided themselves with bedding and provisions to last till the house was finished. They then hitched the oxen to the sled and started on their twenty-mile journey and most of the way on a trackless path. "When they arrived at their journey's end, they erected a rude hut to live in and commenced building a house. They did not have to go far for timber--it was standing all around the site chosen for the house. "They built a very nice log house, 15 ft. by 18 ft. Their greatest trouble in building was, the stones were so frosty they could not split them. They had to kindle a huge fire of brushwood and warm the stones through, when they split finely. "After they had built the house they returned home, having been absent about three weeks. "My father and mother then moved to their new home, and father began to build a saw mill and grist mill. "Their nearest neighbors were
It is quite possible the above letter did not receive a reply. A good deal of trouble had been taken to send full information to the father, and five years were allowed to pass before any acknowledgement was made. At all events, there is no record of a letter being sent to the son, and it is certain he did not come to this country.
The subjoined communication helps to show the depressed condition in England at that period, and that many were looking to America in the hope of bettering their condition:
"May 14th, 1819. "DEAR COUSIN,--I hope these lines will find you all well, as they us at present. We thank God for it. "I intend to come over to America this spring If it should please God, For the state of England are very bad, Land has got so very dear that a livelihood cannot be got in England, and the taxes that Government lays on are very heavy, till they reduce so many to a lower class that the land will hardly support the poor. I hope you are in a better situation in America. "We understand in England that the States of America are very flourishing at present. I intend to set off to America the first of June. If it should please God that I should get over safe, I hope to get to your house as soon as I can. All your cousins are in good health at present. Thank God for it, and they wish to be remembered to you and all your family. "So I remain your most obedient cousin, "JAMES BOYES, "of Bilsdale. "N.B.--By the wishes of one of your cousins, of the name of Harman Wedgwood, a son of Benjamin Wedgwood, a tailor, he would like to hear from you. He thinks you will give him some information of your country. "He wants to come to live in your country, and if you please to give him some intelligence of tailors' wages in your country. "So he remains your most obedient cousin. "HARMAN WEDGWOOD, "Hawnby." "N.B.--If you please to write to him you must direct as follows: "'HARMAN WEDGWOOD, "'Hawnby, "'Near Helmsley, Blackmoor, "'Yorkshire, England.'"
There was no change in the family at Prospect after Sallie's marriage in 1808 until 1817. On Jan. 17th of the latter year Robert married Eunice Bent, of Fort Lawrence, a sister of Harmon's wife, and in October Amos married Susanna Ripley, a sister of Willie's wife.
Robert settled on a farm adjoining the homestead. His house was not built until the summer following his marriage. James, his eldest child, was born 30th October, 1817, in the Brick House at Prospect Farm. Amos settled at the head of Amherst (now called Truemanville). The following letter, written by his youngest daughter, Mrs. Sarah Patterson, is very interesting, as giving some idea of the experiences of that time:
"When my father first came to live in the place now called Truemanville it was a dense forest. In summer the only road was a bridle path. In winter, when the snow was on the ground, they could drive a pair of oxen and a sled along the road. "The winter my father was married, as soon as there was enough snow and frost, he and one of his brothers and another man set out to build a house. "They loaded a sled with boards, doors and windows, and provided themselves with bedding and provisions to last till the house was finished. They then hitched the oxen to the sled and started on their twenty-mile journey and most of the way on a trackless path. "When they arrived at their journey's end, they erected a rude hut to live in and commenced building a house. They did not have to go far for timber--it was standing all around the site chosen for the house. "They built a very nice log house, 15 ft. by 18 ft. Their greatest trouble in building was, the stones were so frosty they could not split them. They had to kindle a huge fire of brushwood and warm the stones through, when they split finely. "After they had built the house they returned home, having been absent about three weeks. "My father and mother then moved to their new home, and father began to build a saw mill and grist mill. "Their nearest neighbors were