LL-L: "Language varieties" LOWLANDS-L, 17.FEB.2000 (01) [E]

Thu Feb 17 15:30:25 UTC 2000

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 17.FEB.2000 (01) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Family Lindley [john at lindley-york.freeserve.co.uk]
Subject: Ulster Scots

Hi

The text below appeared firstly on the Scotch-Irish genealogy list and
was forwarded there to the OEL (Old English) list which generally focuses
on archaic forms of English which genealogists have to face from time
to time.  However, when you have waded through the preamble, you may
be interested in James Muray's letter - especially the vowel shifts.

Best wishes

John Lindley
Wigginton
York.

" Here is something that appeared on the Scotch-Irish list at RootsWeb:

 Dear Listers,

 I am trying to discover anything about a James Murray, who wrote an
early letter (copied below) from New York City to a Reverend
Baptist Boyd of county Tyrone.  The letter, in exaggerated
language (a good example of Ulster-Scots), was published in several
colonial newspapers, including Benjamin Franklin's _Pennsylvania
Gazette_, in 1737, and has been occasionally reprinted.  There is
evidence that the Reverend Boyd was alive and apparently preaching
in Aughnacloy at the time, according to _A History of Congregations
in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland 1610-1982, at the entry under
his name:

During the ministry . . . of Rev. Baptist Boyd, Aghalow begins to
break up, and the name disappears from the records.  He had been
born at Carrickfergus and was ordained on 19 Apr. 1698.  During his
career he is referred to as the minister of "Aghaloo", of
"Aughnacloy", and of "Aughnacloy and Ballygawley".  By the time of
his death on 25 Nov. 1749, both the name and the old church ceased
to be used.

James Murray does not appear in the volume, nor has a researcher at
the Presbyterian Historical Society in Philadelphia been able to
find him in early records of American Presbyterians.  So he was
probably not a clergyman.

Can anyone give me a lead or offer a suggestion?  I'd like to
discover as much about the writer of this absolutely fascinating
letter as possible.  Thanks.

Michael Montgomery

 ******************************************************************
Preface and Text of James Murray of New York to Rev. Baptist Boyd
of County Tyrone, Ireland (Published in _The Pennsylvania Gazette_,
1737)

The following Letter is said to have been sent from a Person
settled in New-York, to his Countrymen, to encourage them to come
over thither; which, that it might have the better Effect on the
People, was printed and dispers'd in Ireland.  A Copy of which
being brought over, in one of the late Ships, We present our
Readers with it.
A L E T T E R from James Murray, Thus directed; For the Kingdom
of Ereland, in the North of Ereland, near to Aughnacloy, in the
County of Tyrone, To Baptist Boyd, the Reverend Minister of the
Gospel, in the Parish of Aughelow.  Let aw Persons that see this,
tak Care to send it to the Reverend Baptist Boyd, Minister of the
Gospel, in the Parish of Aughelow, in the County of Tyrone, living
near Aughnacloy.  With Care.

 Reverend Baptist Boyd,
Read this Letter, and look, and tell aw the poor Folk of your
Place, that God has open'd a Door for their Deliverance; for here
is ne Scant of Breed here, and if your Sons Samuel and James Boyd
wad but come here, they wad get mere Money in ane Year for teechin
a Letin Skulle, nor ye yer sell wad get for Three Years Preeching
whar ye are.  Reverend Baptist Boyd, there ged ane wee me in the
Shep, that now gets ane Hundred Punds for ane Year for teechin a
Letin Skulle, and God kens, little he is skill'd in Learning, and
yet they think him a high learned Man: Ye ken I had but sma
Learning when I left ye, and now wad ye think it, I hea 20 Pund a
Year for being a Clark to York Meeting-House, and I keep a Skulle
for wee Weans: Ah dear Sir, there is braw Living in this same York
for high learned Men: The young Foke in Ereland are aw but a Pack
of Couards, for I will tell ye in short, this is a bonny Country,
and aw Things grows here that ever I did see grow in Ereland; and
wee hea Cows and Sheep, and Horses plenty here, and Goats, and
Deers, and Racoons, and Moles, and Bevers, and Fish, and Fouls of
aw Sorts: Trades are aw gud here, a Wabster gets 12 Pence a Yeard,
a Labourer gets 4 Shillings and 6 Pence a Day, a Lass gets 4
Shillings and 6 Pence a Week for spinning on the wee Wheel, a
Carpenter gets 6 Shillings a Day, and a Tailor gets 20 Shillings
for making a Suit of Cleaths, a Wheel-wright gets 16 Shillings for
making Lint Wheels a piece, Indian Corn, a Man wull get a Bushell
of it for his Day's Work here; Rye grows here, and Oats, and Wheet,
and Winter Barley, and Summer Barley; Buck Wheet grows here, na
every Thing grows here. -----Now I beg of ye aw to come our here,
and bring our wee ye aw the Cleaths ye can of every Sort, beth
o'Linen and Woollen, and Guns, and Pooder, and Shot, and aw Sorts
of Weers that is made of Iron and Steel, and aw Tradesmen that
comes here, let them bring their Tools wee them, and Farmers their
Plough Erons; a Mason gets 6 Shillings a Day; fetch Whapsaws here,
and Hatchets, and Augers, and Axes, and Spades, and Shovels, and
Bibles, and Hammers, and Psalm Bukes, and Pots, and Seafaring
Bukes, and fetch aw Sorts of Garden Seeds, Parsneps, Onions, and
Carrots; and Potatoes grows here very big, red and white beth,
fetch aw the Bukes here you can get, fetch a Spade, wee a Hoe made
like a stubbing Ax, for ye may clear as muckle Grund for to plant
Indian Corn, in ane Month, as will maintain Ten Folk for a Year.
Dear Reverend Baptist Boyd, I hea been 120 Miles inn the
Wolderness, and there I saw a Plain of Grund 120 Miles lang, and 15
Bred, and there never grew nor Tree upon it, and I hea see as gud
Meadow grow upon it, as ever I see in Ereland.  There is a great
wheen of the Native Folks of this Country turn'd Christians, and
will sing the Psalms bonily, and appear to be Religious, that gee
Ministers plenty of Skins for his Steepend, and he gets Siller
plenty for the Skins again; Deer Skins and Bear Skins: Ye may get
Lan here for 10 L a Hundred Acres for ever, and Ten Years Time tell
ye get the Money, before they wull ask ye for it; and it is within
40 Miles of this York upon a River Side, that this Lan lies, as
that ye may carry aw the Guds in Boat to this York to sell, if ony
of you comes here.  It is a very strong Lan, rich Grund, plenty of
aw Sorts of Fruits in it, and Swin plenty enough; There are Cay,
and Stirks, and Horses that are aw wild in the Wolderness, that are
aw yer ean when ye can grip them: desire my Fether and my Mether
too, and my Three Sisters to come here, and ye may acquant them,
there are Leds enugh here; and bid my Brether come, and I wull pay
their Passage: Desire James Gibson to sell aw he has and come, and
I weel help him too; for here aw that a Man warks for is his ane,
there are ne ravenus Hunds to rive it fre us here, ne sick Word as
Herbingers is kend here, but every yen enjoys his ane, there is ne
yen to tak awa yer Corn, yer Potatoes, yer Lint or Eggs: na, na,
blessed be his Name, ne yen gees Bans for his ane here.
I bless the Lord for my safe Journey here, I was Cook till the
Ship aw the Voyage, we war Ten Weeks and Four Days on the See
before we landed; this York is as big as twa of Armagh; I desire to
be remembred to aw my Friends and Acquaintance, my Love to your sel
Reverend Baptist Boyd, and aw yer femily; I do desire you to send
this Letter to James Broon, of Drumern, and he kens my Brether
James Gibson, and he weel gee him this Letter: It shall be my
earnest Request yence mere, to beg of ye aw to come here, I did
value the See ne mere then dry Lan: Let aw that comes here put in
a gud Store of Otes Meel, and Butter, and Brandy, and Cheese, and
Viniger, but above aw have a Writing under the Han of the Capden of
the Ship ye come in; if I was now in Ereland, I wad ne stay there,
yet I think to gang there as Factor for a Gentleman of this City of
York, he is my Relation by my Father, he is Returney of the Law
here.  There is Servants comes here out of Ereland, and have serv'd
their Time here, wha are now Justices of the Piece; I will come to
Ereland gin the Lord spare me about Twa Years after this, and I
wull bring Rum, and Staves for Barrals, and Firkins, and Tanners
Bark for to sell, and mony other Things for this Gentlemen, and my
sel, for I wull gang Super Cargo of the Ship, so that if none of ye
come I wull bring ye aw wee my sel, by the Help of the Lord.
Now I have geen you a true Description of this York, luke the 8th
Chapter of Deuteronomy, and what it saith of the Lan there, this is
far better: Now this is the last of 6 Sheets I hea writt to you on
this Heed, I hope that you Fether wull be stoor and come, and aw
that I have named, fear ne the See, trust in God, and he wull bring
ye safe to shore, gin ye plees him, now the Lord make ye so to do.
Ne more fre me, but my Duty till my Fether and Mether, and Sisters
and Brether, and yence mere my kind Love till yer sel, Reverend Mr.
Baptist Boyd; if any yen sends me a Letter, direct till Mr. John
Pemberton, Minister of the Gospel in New-York, send it we ony Body
comin till ony of these Parts, and let it be given to the Post
Hoose in America, and I will get it fre John Pemberton, and now my
Love till ye aw.
                                    James Murray"

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