Letter to Alice (Marsh) Moore from her brother, William R. Marsh 1837
“Such Failures in N. York and all over the country you could not believe. Thousands of People out of work …” William R. Marsh, Paterson, New Jersey, 3 July 1837
Letter to Alice (Marsh) Moore from her brother, William R. Marsh, who was living in Paterson, New Jersey, 3 July 1837.
Dear Sister & Brother
I duly recd your last letter and should have answered it long ago but Joe Woods came down the week after I got it and borrowed it and I have not seen him since—–
I received a letter from Philip writ on the 14th May times are very bad in England the mills working time and provisions very dear Potatoes 13 ro 16 shillings a Load most of the hand weavers out of employ. Betty has been very poorly all winter they had to keep Fire steady all night as she could not breath laying and she does not seem to get much better now the spring is come the winter as been very severe and the spring late. Mary (William and Alice’s sister-in-law) has not been to our house for 2 years and where she is or what doing I cannot tell—.
My health is but very delicate I have had a great deal of trouble with my foot or else I should have gone to York to find her out. I don’t know what the reason she has not been up—- writ to us we always used her well and paid her expenses down—-I am still at the same place but we have Miserable times since the first wk in march the Mills in paterson have all but two been stopped 3 months we lost 9 weeks but are got a going again 3 weeks ago.
Such Failures in N. York and all over the country you could not believe. Thousands of People out of work I am sure two thirds of the working folks—and Mony seems to be all vanquished there is none but eastern money Passes 1243 & 5 & Bills silver you must pay 1 Dolla 20 cent for 2 half dollar for there are shinn plasters from 6 cents 12 18 3/4 and so on to 1 Doll and this is most_____is passing now Times are very bad in a____ Frontier settlements provisions quite high Flour 14 Dolls a Barrele Butter 2/ a pound____
I hope you are making a comfortable living you are fortunate if you can raise as much as will support you all___I should like to hear from you to know how you are getting along when you receive this___ I have writ back Philip___ our Family are all very well except one and send their kind love to you.
Your Affectionate Brother, Wm. R. Marsh
P.S. I am apt to think Land will come down in the west these dull times____Old Aaron Platt is dead and Wm Bulloughs wife. N.B. There 2 or 3 Irish Families from Paterson settled not far from the Arsenal in Wayne County__have been there 2 years.
Read the MOORE letters:Letter 1: 1836 Eng to Michigan ~ Letter 2: 1826 England to Michigan ~ Letter 3: 1837 NJ to Michigan