A Journey to America in 1834

LETTERS -1-

Philadelphia, 17th June, 1834.

From Thos. Hulme to Pishey Thompson.

My Dear Sir,

Allow me to make you acquainted with our friend Mr. Robert Heywood, the bearer of this, who is a very respectable gentleman from our native town of Bolton and who was well acquainted with our old and much respected friend Dr. Taylor.

Mr. Heywood is now on a tour of pleasure for the purpose of seeing a portion of this great and good country; which needs nothing but great men to render it one of the greatest and most wealthy, "and when the moral, in place of the criminal passions shall prevail," one of the most happy nations in the world. As our friend may stop a few days in Washington, I thought he might spend a few hours pleasantly in your store, and if you can add anything to his pleasure and happiness by showing him anything worth seeing in your wicked city, or by giving him any sort of useful information you will, by so doing, very much oblige your

Sincere friend,
Thos. Hulme.

N.B. Please make Mr. Heywood acquainted with F. Taylor.

-2-

From Mr. Hulme to Mr. John Shackford,
Senate Chamber.

Philadelphia, 17th June, 1834.

My Dear Sir,

Allow me to introduce to you a friend and countryman, Mr. Robert Heywood, a very respectable gentleman from our native town of Bolton, who is on a tour of pleasure to see this great and good country, and who intends to visit an old countryman in Lexington, Kentucky, if he be still living there. Have the goodness to make Mr. Heywood acquainted with Mr. Clay who probably may know his friend in Lexington, and please introduce him to any other of our friends with whom he or you may wish him to be acquainted. These favours with any other kindnesses you may render to our friend will oblige very much your sincere friend

Thos. Hulme.

-3-

Philadelphia, 18th June, 1834.

To Mr. John Hulme.

Dear John,

The bearer, Mr. Robert Heywood, is from the town of Bolton, in our native county and is on a tour of pleasure to see this great and good country. Thee will show to him the L. & P. Canal and thee will give him some idea of the quantity of merchandise which now passes through it, compared with the merchandise on the river ten years since. Thee can make him acquainted with some of the good men in Louisville not forgetting our good old country folks Mr. & Mrs. Keats, to whom give my best respects. Thee will make him acquainted with some of the best offices, of the best steamboats on the river, so that he may be well treated. Thee will also give him good advice so as to enable him to avoid as much evil and to enjoy as much comfort and happiness as possible, and by so doing thee will oblige very much thy truly affectionate father

Thos. Hulme.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Liverpool.

[2] Richard Watson (1781-1833), Wesleyan Minister.

[3] Richard Lemon Lander (1804-1834) accompanied Hugh Clapperton the African explorer on his travels and wrote accounts of these.

[4] Adam Fergusson.

[5] Dead-lights = strong shutters made to fit the cabin window to prevent the water entering in a storm.

[6] A fish caught on the rocky shores of New England (Tautoga Americana).

[7] See a description of this phenomena in the Nautical Mag. Oct. 1832.

[8] Grampus, a fish similar to a whale, but carnivorous.

[9] Presumably Basil Hall (1788-1844) who wrote books of his travels.

[10] Frances Trollope (1780-1863) wife of Thomas Anthony Trollope, writer and novelist; visited America 1827-30.

[11] Founded in 1831 by Étienne Girard, a native of France, for the education of orphans.

[12] Richard Crook, a friend.

[13] Andrew Jackson, President, 1829-1837.

[14] William Tipping, a director of the L.N.W. railway in England.

[15] Pishey Thompson (1784-1862), historian of Boston.

[16] Alexander I, Tsar of Russia, 1801-1825.

[17] Since removed as unsafe.

[18] The Canal from the Rideau Lake connects the Ottawa River and Lake Ontario.

[19] John George Lambton, Earl of Durham (1792-1840), was High Commissioner in Canada. Author of "Report on the affairs of British North America."

[20] The boundary between Canada and the United States.

[21] Built in 1823-32.

[22] Built by the French in 1755.

[23] All three had recently been rebuilt.

[24] Died at Boston 1832.

[25] Erected 1825-42 to commemorate the battle of Bunker Hill 1775.

[26] Constitution, American ship in war of 1813.

[27] William Ellery Channing, D.D., 1780-1842, Unitarian Minister at Boston from 1803 until his death.

[28] The sunken reefs which made this dangerous to navigation were removed by nitro-glycerine explosions in 1876 and 1885.

[29] The Catskill Mountains rise abruptly from the Hudson 2000-3000 feet high.

[30] Dr. Priestley died at Northumberland, Pa., 1804.

[31] Botan. Conocarpus.

[32] A light four-wheeled carriage.

[33] Thomas Hamilton, 1789-1842.

[34] Two small islands south-west of Wexford.

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