Digital Archive
John Murdoch, Jr., Pitt Township, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to his fiancee, Jane Robb, probably near Belfast, 8 November 1826
Cite this document IIIF Viewer
Collection Murdoch Letter
Title John Murdoch, Jr., Pitt Township, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to his fiancee, Jane Robb, probably near Belfast, 8 November 1826
Description Excellent letter, describing the emigration of the Murdoch family: their arrival in Baltimore; travel overland by wagon to Pittsburgh; searching for a suitable farm and the problems of purchasing farms with clear legal titles; the desirability of settling in a neighborhood with large numbers of Ulster immigrants, including kinsmen and former neighbors in Ireland, even if that means they have to settle for a smaller farm than they could afford to purchase. After much travel and searching, Murdoch's father purchased a 71-acre farm, four miles from Pittsburgh, with a log house, a barn, orchard, and over 50 acres already cleared of timber. The Murdochs are welcomed by friends who proclaim they have exchanged a "land of bondage" for "a free and happy country." Despite his initial homesickness, once the family purchases a farm and becomes settled and "independent, Murdoch praises the US and eulogizes its high living standards, even for laborers, and marvels at its rising manufactures. Much information about prices and wages. Murdoch's brother, Andrew, has engaged with the local (Presbyterian?) minister to teach school for $200 per year, plus board and washing. Murdoch's letter concludes by urging Jane Robb to emigrate and join him, but reassures her that her happiness is his principal concern.
Date 08/11/1826
Date Issued 27/03/2023
Resource Type Text
Archival Record Id p155/26/2
Publisher University of Galway
Extent 5pp
Topic Murdoch Letter
Geographic Pittsburgh (city),Allegheny (county),Pennsylvania,United States,Belfast,Antrim (county),Ireland
Temporal Nineteenth century,Eighteen twenties
Genre Transcript
Note Title and description by Professor Kerby Miller. Citation for letter transcript from a published source: Trimble, P.B. (January 1965) The Western Pennsylvania Historical Magazine, 48. Pittsburgh: The Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania, pp. 108-115.
Creator / Author Name John Murdoch