To
John Conville, Limerick, Ireland. 16th
February 1831. Dear John, Several
steam ferry boats ply from hence across the East river to Long Island a
distance of 1200 yards in about 10 Minutes, and across the Hudson to
Jersey, about 2000 yards, in fifteen minutes. They are so continuous
that Coaches, Wagons, &c with all their company, and loading, drive on
an inclined plane from the wharves upon their decks, and out again upon
the same. The wharves are generally built with Timber. There are
also many Timber houses in the principal streets, this City is about two
thirds the size of Dublin and contains one Hundred and eighty thousand
inhabitants about ten thousand of whom are black or people of colour, it
increases prodigiously every year, the number of new houses built last
year exceeded three thousand, and the population encrease in the ratio
of five to each house, it must in a few years be much larger than
Dublin, the streets are generally wide and straight, intersecting each
other at right angles, but the houses are very irregular in the Old
parts of the town and the Middle of the streets are kept in the worst
areas, here are no fine green squares such as Stephens Green, nor are
there any Buildings that can be called elegant, Many ranges of houses in
New Streets are very handsome and uniform, but not to be compared to the
leading Streets in Dublin or London or even Georges Street in Limerick,
with the exception of Broadway, which is the principal one, with a
flagged footway at either side twelve to fourteen feet wide, the Shops,
which are here called Stores, are not so well stocked, nor are their
proprietors so wealthy as those of Dublin or Cork. Rents are
enormously high, a house much inferior to yours, Situated in one of the
leading Streets of business would let for two to three thousands Dollars
a year. Landlords do not usually grant leases of houses but let them to
tenants at will from year to year, this practice produces the greatest
inconvenience to people of business, whose rent if they have formed an
establishment, and thus enhance the value of Premises the Landlord will
raise at pleasure, and if they do not submit, he will let their houses
over their heads and turn them into the Street. Here are no
religious distinctions, all men of good character are eligible to every
public office without exception, the laws are mild but rigorously
executed, thefts are not so frequent as in Ireland, perhaps because the
people are not so poor, the shop doors to the Streets are half Glazed,
and constantly shut, large quantities of Goods of every description lay
outside the different shops and warehouses; notwithstanding. Very few
instances of petty larceny occur, the people in general are civil, but
disgustingly free in their manners, in their dealings they are very
sharp, and usually disposed to take every advantage, honesty and
integrity appear to me to be at a low ebb; and if a stranger be not very
cautious and circumspect, he will be soon shorn of any wool he may have,
and must then turn to shearing himself. Our
Countrymen here are very numerous, reckoned at about fifteen thousand,
no common beggars prowl the Streets, any industrious person can get work
and may soon become independent; Carpenters, Masons, Smiths and other
tradesmen have constant employment and can earn from 1 1/2 to 2 dollars
a day. Labourers
one dollar a day, the Sawyers of fire wood who are in general Irishmen
and blacks are computed at One thousand, they go about with a whip saw
and a cross to lay the wood in and they earn from one to two dollars a
day. Several respectable merchants and traders in this city are
Irishmen, but our countrymen here, as in every other place, are
generally employed in the most laborious occupations, as digging Canals,
attending brick layers, loading and unloading Ships, carrying burthens
etc, the exceptions are few; Several Irishmen who are not able or
willing to work hawk oranges, Lemons, apples &c about the Streets - and
about two hundred of them are employed driving hackney coaches. I have
observed that the low Irish are the worst conditioned people in this
country - on their first landing they are extremely meek and Servile,
after mixing a short time with their Countrymen and hearing that all men
are here free and equal in respect to their rights, they think that
freedom consists in being at liberty to do as they please, and they
become intolerably insolent, but at length after receiving repeated
chastisements, they in two or three years become tollerably well
conducted; Brandy is so very cheap and the climate so much in extremes
of heat and cold that excessive drinking, even amongst the better
classes, is not unfrequent. I was much
surprized to see many respectable Merchants drinking Punch in Public
houses betwixt Breakfast and dinner, an act which, you know, would
destroy any mans character forever in Ireland. Many
Irishmen who scraped together a little money, commenced selling grog,
and by such beginnings, several have realized considerable fortunes, you
seldom see a person in a state of inebriety in the Streets, the laws
against drunkeness are severe and rigourously enforced.
There
are several fine converted Markets in every part of the City, all well
supplied, Beef is good, Mutton much inferior to ours, Turkeys 30 lbs.
weight. Poultry in general not so well flavored as the Irish, Potatoes
abundant, but very bad. Fish must be
brought alive to market; it is neither so good, nor in so great variety
as in Ireland, Oysters are plenty and good. the prices of provisions
about the same as with you, but clothing is dearer, with the exception
of house rent, you can live as cheap in New York as in Limerick, as an
instance I am boarded and lodged in a highly respectable family for four
Dollars per week. the climate of New York is unhealthy, deaths average
one hundred per week, consumption is the most common disease. I fear
your patience will be worn out, therefore I will bring this long
desultory letter to an end. Write soon, George.
Note from Michael Purcell - Unthank family in Carlow, Queens
County & Limerick. Re. Letter from George Unthank living in New York 1831. The Unthank family were associated with the Society of Friends
(Quakers). Thebious [ ? ] Unthank witnessed the purchase of land in Fenagh by
Samuel Watson in 1656. Unthank had come to Ireland under the command of Robert Browne as a
soldier in Cromwell's Army, some of the soldiers were granted land in
Ireland in lieu of pay.
Samuel Watson and two of his
brothers bought some of the "granted land" from soldiers who wished to
return to England as did Robert Browne also bought land from the
soldiers and he later settled in the Pollerton area, renaming the
acquired land "Brownes Hill". Browne also purchased property in Tullow Street, Cuckoo Lane (now Browne
Street) in Carlow town and land in Graigue (now Graiguecullen) and
Sleaty. The Unthanks became involved with the Watson family of Kilconnor,
Carlow, in the Milling business and farming interests. I think they are
also recorded as witnesses to some Watson marriages. In the Pat Purcell Papers it is recorded that Abel Unthank gave a
declaration before Benjamin Bunbury on 24th November, 1797, with Unthank
refusing to swear on the Holy Evangelists because he was a "member of
the Sect commonly called Quakers", but he "Declared" information
regarding- "persons not having the love and fear of God before their
eyes assembling nightly in a Evil and riotous manner in the vicinity of
New Gardens, Carlow, which Informant truly believes and Declares to be a
Party of Rebels under the influence of France in readiness for War
against the Crown and Dignity of our Sovereign Lord George, King,
Defender of the Faith and so forth and His Majesties Forces in His
Kingdom of Ireland" -. Bunbury noted that despite the fact that Unthank was reluctant to swear
under Oath his "examination should be presented as a true Testament
before the Magistrates sitting in Carlow.". The Carlow family later established a branch in Ballyfin, Queen's
County. There is a record of
Samuel
and Mathilda Unthank buried in the Burial ground in Oak Park. The following is extracted from - "The Onthank Family: Its History and Genealogy" by Arthur Heath Onthank. The Origin of the Unthank or Onthank Family in Ireland is obscure. The
only reliable explanation thus far has come from Herbert William
Unthank, of Exeter, England. Mr. Unthank, a University Lecturer at the University of Exeter, came
from the Limerick branch of the Unthank family in Ireland, and has his
family genealogy among the Irish Unthanks accurately recorded for seven
generations past. He believed that the earliest Unthank to settle in Ireland was one of
the soldiers of Oliver Cromwell, who invaded Ireland in 1650, and
subsequently settled many of his soldiers, and others from England, on
land in Ireland. Herbert William Unthank's forebears were Quakers and they settled in and
near Limerick, Ireland. A branch of the Onthank's from Ballyfin Queens County, Ireland
immigrated to in or around the Baltimore, Maryland area around 1850
until 1890. They then moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming and Later Pocatello,
Idaho. Further spread includes Butte, Montana, Spokane Washington,
Portland Oregon along with possibly California. In the Pat Purcell Papers it is recorded that Abel Unthank gave a
declaration before Benjamin Bunbury on 24th November, 1797, with Unthank
declining to swear on the Holy Evangelists because he was a "member of
the Sect commonly called Quakers", but he "Declared" information
regarding- "persons not having the love and fear of God before their
eyes assembling nightly in an Evil and riotous manner in the vicinity of
New Gardens, Carlow, which Informant truly believes and Declares to be a
Party of Rebels under the influence of France in readiness for War
against the Crown and Dignity of our Sovereign Lord George, King,
Defender of the Faith and so forth and His Majesties Forces in His
Kingdom of Ireland" -.
Bunbury noted that despite the fact that Unthank was reluctant to swear
under Oath his "examination should be presented as a true Testament
before the Magistrates sitting in Carlow."
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