Letter, July 17, 1842

Newhope, July 17th, 1842.

Dear Mother, Brother, and Sisters, and all the rest of our friends, We was very happy to hear of all your welfare. We are all well at present. William has been very poorly this some time but is got well. Little John has had an attack of the ague but he has got well and is in good health. All the rest has had health all along. I have just been up to the Huron track and bought a 100 acres of land in the township of Downie on the banks of the river Theams 5 rniles from Stratfoord. It is a very healthy place and beautiful land. My lot goes within an 100 yards of the river and has a spring of water upon it as thick as ones arm. I have to pay 8 pence per acre the second year and. rises 2d pence per acre for 12 years and then I get a free Deed so you see that I have to pay nothing out the first year. I am going send both Johns up in the fall to underbrush 12 acres and I am going up with them in the spring to chop it down and build a house upon it. Magdalene and family is to stop here till the fall. It is 34 miles from here. We was in great expectation of your coming and was greatly disappointed. Mgdalene raIsed about 60 chickens that you might get a dozen a piece and I planted an acre and a half of potatoes and 1/2 an acre of peas and 1/2 an acre of oats and I have plenty of pork so that you would have plenty to eat. We have had the plentifullest and the happiest summer ever we had. Magdalen would not come to Paisley for the world, all that she is sorry for is that she was not here 18 years ago. The cow had a fine quey calf about 6 weeks ago which we are going to raise and I have bought 2 sheep, ewes, so that you see that we are getting on. l intend to get a yoke of oxen in the spring and if you will come and settle beside us the oxen will serve us both for 2 or 3 years so that you will have nothing to lay out till you rear them of your own. John has 8 dollars a month. He is a long fellow and very stout. Little John has 6 dollars. He is a. stout gurdie chappie. Jamie has 3 dollars and he is a proud. active little boy. Maggie milks the cow and feeds the pigs, Ann is a healthy and happy little girl. She talks about her grannie and Ann McCaig every day. William, is rather a little delicate but quite happy and is very proud of his book. Little John would be very glad if you would write about his little sisters and what they are like, also how his mother is coming on and Magdalene would like if her father would write how he and all the family is getting on. I received reeds from Andrew Cochran and Daniel Fulton, Elizabeth Gibson's husband from New York. They got them from George Brown in Hamilton. I have not seen him yet aliho! I have sent for him to come twice over. The reeds is all very good but 500 and the 6 1/4 they are to light. They ought to be stout for it is very heavy work. The shuttle is far to small, it should be one inch and one forth thick, one inch and three forths broad and 14 inches long. The nails is good if you had put a few glass eyes of the largest’ size and if you think of coming bring 2 or 3 1000 of the four thread meals for heddles. I made my heddles with the meals that I brought but they are to small, and plenty simpell and lash twine, but you will write to me before that. I will write to John Hutcheson next month and give him a full and particular account of my peregrinations in Canada . I have seen none of the Paisley folks. I got some of the papers but not so many.as you say but I would like if you would send. a paper some times. If you will tell James Gavin that Angus Campbell and familly is all well. I gave him his parcel. He is not going to write till he gets answer to a letter that is on the way. I have plenty of work. My neighbours is all Pensylvanian Dutch. They are a very quiet sort of folks and all rich so that I have very little correspondence altho’ very friendly. We get visits from them often altho’ they cannot speak English. They like a Scotchman but they hate the Irish. No more at present but remains,

Your affectionate brother

James Good and sister Magdalene.