Digital Archive
James Richey, Hopkinsville, Kentucky, to his parents, Ireland, 12 November 1822
Cite this document IIIF Viewer
Collection Richey Letters
Title James Richey, Hopkinsville, Kentucky, to his parents, Ireland, 12 November 1822
Description Writing at midnight "when I ought to have been a sleep in my bed" and with "nothing new or interesting about anybody" James Richey writes to his parents that "times [the economy] are very dull here as ever they were seen and I see by the Public prints that they are generally so all over Europe". He informs them that he is happy here "as a free born Son of America [...] where people can & makes & sanctions their own laws & government" and thus glad not to be living under "Kings and governors". He wishes his family a "merry Hollieve" which is not celebrated by Americans so he spent it in the company of the sole Irish family in town, natives of Derry. They were joined by some others and celebrated the event with "all the tricks and fortunes that are common for that day". Richey relates that according local custom, girls get married "about 14" if they can and are "called old maids" if instead "they get to the shady side of twenty". He expresses his surprise that locally girls even "begin to primp and Keeps company at 10 years old" and that a girl of fourteen here looks as old as a 22-year-old in Ireland. He concludes that the "Public Papers describes the south of Ireland to be in a desperate state of starvation" and requests further particulars of it from home.
Date 12/11/1822
Date Issued 27/03/2023
Resource Type Text
Archival Record Id p155/2/1/1, p155/2/1/2
Publisher University of Galway
Extent 6pp
Topic Richey Letters
Geographic Hopkinsville,Christian (county),Kentucky,United States,Lisburn,Antrim (county),Ireland
Temporal Nineteenth century,Eighteen twenties
Genre Transcript,Reproduction
Note Title and transcript by Professor Kerby Miller. This transcript includes handwritten corrections to original transcript from PRONI, made with reference to original letters. Letter description by University of Galway.
Creator / Author Name James Richey