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From the PAC Film A-1689, Transcribed by Gary Carroll - [email protected].
Charlottie Town July 9th 1818
Dear brother I recived your letter informing me of my fathers death which I confes greaves me beond what I can express for I always had the hops of seing him again but I am disapointed in that and indead I did not think that aney thing would have trobeld me so much as his death sems to do after what I sufferd in my mind at hom ocaisned by Alexr Wilson but I belive that thair will always be som thing to trobel us whil on earth which I hop will serve to ? over our hearts and minds of earth and the pereching enjoy ments to things of eternal valew So that if we be separt on earth we may again met in glorey through the mercy of God and the mearets of Christ which is my earnest wish--- You also inform me that my hows was sold to pay John Fleming som money that He is payd but I am sorey that my hows is sold but as it is so it must be and you tell me that it was sold for 95 bound Strg and and you tell me what is over paying John Fleming is in your hand waiting my direction and as Alexr Wilson has got a wife with money I hop that he will pay Mr. Philp and Mr Key as he was the person who contracted the debt and I hop that you will try to get him to pay to you the amount of John Flemings also as it is onley him that should pay the whol but you may try what you can make of ? ? bill first and if Alexr Wilson will not pay thoes things you will have the goodness to learn if he is worth aney thing inform me and if I should com hom for that purpos I shall have it from him but if he will pay what I have mentioned I shall not troubel him for aney mor although he got upwards of 40� from me besides what I have spoken of thes things that I have required at your hand will be som troubel to you but I hop that you will do that much for me at least I would for you and I think also that you will for me also but do not run yourself in aney ? and be showr to keep hold of Watsons bill till you se you can make of it and for the money that is in your hand you will send it to me with Andrew my brother as it is my intention to purchas som property and that will be a grait help to me although I would ben better please without that help but since it is the ceas I may as well have it for money makes money hear as well as aney other whear and rather mor so but you will buy a good blew coat to me and a pair of Blak Pantlowns to answer yourself and send them with Andrew for I have advised him to com to me for I think it would be hard for him to make a living at hom neow when he is lickly to have a famley and not a man of Grait out reach for he is not a good scholer and just a middling work man and I hop that you will be kind to him and asist him in getting away and I am serten that if he stays at hom that he will consewm all that my father has left him and be nothin but a poor drudge in oldage
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Dear Brother in the letter Andrew compleans of not being satisfied with his portion left him by my father and he asks my advice in the matter and I have advise him not to enter into aney dispute with you for I think if he does it will only be giving the lawer's all his portion and part of yours and he also compleans that you will not Sow my fathers will to him which thing you are obliged to do peacebiley or he can fors you at your own expense as you are obliged to but the will on Record if he chouses but I think you should give him all the satisfaction that the will afords without going into aney quarel at least it will be more brotherly lick and I hop that I shall hear of aney quarel between you You are not ? now and God knowes how short time even that smal nomber may be in existance which shoes that we ought to spend our time hear in harmony and brotherly love and not in enmity which I hope shall be the keace and although our father is gon that we shal kep up a corespondence one with another whil we live and our children after us and although Andrew Com to me as I expect that he will do not let him sell his Land but leave it in Your Charge and he may draw the rent hear from you if he chuses and if he has not money to bring him out you may give him so much and pay your self of the Rents of his land and I hop that you will asift him in aney thing that he neads and I intend to writ to him imedtly and give my advice to him how to behave as one sheat of paper is not fit to contain all that I nead to say I hop that you will writ me as soon as this coms to your hand I received your letter 2 months and one after it was wrot which will make me look for Andrew in four months from this deat but tell him to take a good Ship for it was a bad ship that made me suffer so much damage in what lageg I had but thanks be to God who provided a way for the saving our lives which thing I might never for get I am happy to hear that you have hard from our sister Cathron and that they are all well and dowing well but there is great opertuinety of well dowing here if pepel be carful and if they be not carful they will not do good hear mor nor at hom onley money is easier earned hear nor what it is at hom and the onley Expensive thing hear is cloas for cloath of all kinds ? and som things sells verey well hear and they reas good Croaps of pattets wheat and barley ? oats verey poor.
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But the onley draw back hear is the long winter for the frost come on about the midel of desember and continues till about the first of May and they only begin to Sow thair coren about the letter end of May and from the time that the grain is soen to the time of Shearing is onley 10 or 12 weeks so that the summer is verey short which does not answer my busnes so well as I could wish and for that reason I do not mean to stop hear as the summer is much longer and the Country much better further to the South money mor plentiful but I will stop hear until Andrew Com or send me word that he is not Coming but if he be his own friend he will com and when I do remove I will writ you but I am sorow that you have so much posteg to pay for I se that you have to pay 2/6 1/2 but I hop that you will not grudge it have wrot to John Admson 3 tims since I came hear but I have not heard from them yet but I am going writ this weak to him with a man that is going to the place whair he is but thair is a grait distance between him and me nearley ? miles but it is not hard to travel to that place onley that about ? mile of sea along the Coast of America will coast about 3L for each person and from that we can have a passage in waggens almost for nothing as they come down that way with the produice of ther land and goes home empty and had it not been to wait on Andrew I would have gon of in the cours of 2 monts to wher John Admson is but I will wait now for Andrew or an answer from him which I hop to receve in about 3 months this will also serve to inforem you that I and my famley are all well at present thanks be to God for it and non of us hase had so much as a soar head nor a sick heart since we cam hear --- if you pleas to send my black coat and britches as my father is served of them and they are no yous to you being tow small and they will be yousful to som of my famley my famley all sem to grow uncomenly fast for I do not think that you would know them already for the short time they have ben out of your sight wether it is the Climat or the change of food I do not know but it is verey holsom her.
I am Dear Brother your affectnet brother and wel wisher
Thomas Wilson
when you writ to me direct
Thomas Wilson, Mason
Charlottie Town
Prince Edwards Island
North Amirica--
Note: The writer of this letter Thomas Wilson, was born in Fifeshire, Scotland. He was baptized at Carnbee, Fife 6 Oct., 1780, one of at least 7 children of James Wilson and Agnes Forgan. Thomas Wilson married Margaret Ness 18 Nov., 1805 at Carnbee, Fife and their first child James was baptized there 14 Sept., 1806. They also had Esther bapt. 31 Jan., 1808 at Carnbee; Alexander bapt. 14 Dec., 1809 at Carnbee; Thomas bapt. 29 Dec., 1811 at St. Andrew's and St. Leonard's, Fife; Martha bapt. 13 Mar., 1814 at same; David bapt. 9 June, 1816 at same; Margaret bapt. at St. Paul's, Charlottetown, 25 Aug., 1819, and her twin William Duckendorff, bapt. Same day. Some time later the Thomas Wilson family left PEI and went to USA. Thomas' sister Catherine who is mentioned in the letter married John Adamson 8 Feb., 1800 at St. Andrews and St. Leonards, Fife. Thomas's brother Alex was bapt. 8 Nov., 1776 in Fife; his brother James, to whom the letter was written was bapt. 9 March, 1788 and the young brother Andrew was bapt. 20 Dec., 1795 in Fife.