Jamaican Family Search Genealogy Research Library
LETTERS TO AND FROM
____________________________________________________________________
Letter from the Colonial
Secretary
Colonial Secretary Office
Sir,
I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated
the 10th Ultimo for information in regard to an Estate left by the
late Mary Gregory, called Cedar penn in the parish of
St. Catherine and in reply I transmit herewith a copy of a report on the
subject, by the Crown Surveyor of this
Messrs. Harvey &
Bourke,
Messrs. Ceyblon & Garcia,
Messrs. Burke &
Gray,
En
Colonial Secretary.
A report by the Crown Secretary.
Cedar Grove pen in the parish of St. Catherine contains
180 acres and is situated near Gregory Park station on the
7.10.84
____________________________________________________________________
Dingwall Letters
Letter 1
|
Date |
12th Jul 1801 |
|
From |
John Dingwall,
|
|
To |
George Dingwall,
Millbank, |
|
Relationship |
Father |
|
Content |
A money order to pay him (via Roderick) £30 |
|
[Also] To |
Patrick Hay, Shop-keeper, Dingwall |
|
Relationship |
Informal Banker |
|
Content |
Cashing a money order for John’s
parents |
My Dearest
Parents Vere
At long last, I have to own receipt
of your much awaited letter under date 29th July 1800 I might no
doubt have answered it long ere now but
knowing its being attended with unnecessary expense on your part, I declined it
day after day till now and to the writer of your letter I return my most
sincere thanks for his friendly advice therein given, an answer to which I
wrote him in May last under cover to my brother at Glasgow and which I
sincerely hope will come safe to his hands. I am convinced of what you
mentioned respecting my writing too many letters to be [...] and from several
reasons hitherto understood, you may rely upon my writing to Great Britain as
few letters as possible, and from what you say you have paid William Macniel double postage for my letters the postage of a
single letter from Jamaica to Dingwall is only 2/10d
by which you will be henceforth regulated, and I must observe to you that you
should be more candid in your sentiments as from your present situation I am
well aware you need a little assistance and thank god I am happy to say that I
am able so to do, and you know very well that it was always my will and
intention bettering your circumstances if possible let me therefore after this
period have no such foolish hints from you. I have now to acquaint you that I
ordered my Brother Donald paying you on my account the sum of £10 sterling out
of the net proceeds of 250 gallons rum consignd to
him by me by the may fleet and annexd I ordered my
good friend Mr Hay to draw upon him for said amount
who will chearfully pay you the money am confident
out of which sum please give my sister Mary a Gown & Coat, and if she
behaves well to you in your old age she may rely upon being rewarded handsomely
from me if I am spared, and if possible keep the boys in school and I will
annually please god assist you I sincerely hope the whole of you pays all
attention to the means of Grace the which will no doubt increase your annual
allowance and I wish to know what benefit you reap from your attendance of the
Gospel its a blessing not enjoyed in Jamaica but I am glad to find that there
is now every appearance of it breaking forth in Kingston and other places, a
great number of Blacks and people of Colour desire to
be converted No people on earth are more affectionate than the Blacks if
treated well and I do believe that I will be soon fix'd
with a Black woman to which I hope youl not object as
in this dreadful country its the greatest blessing, to have one of these persons
the want of which cuts many thousands in Jamaica The [...] and the best nurses
on earth to a sick person. If I am spared, I will write word again respecting
this matter I am now sorry to inform you that my employer died in America the
29th of November last, and I am now conducting the business to a
brother of his, a very respectable Gentleman and of immense fortune including
his Brother's property by whom I am treated as his son, he commonly sends
himself 30 miles from the situation on account of the ?charge
Youl address me at William Rose Esq, Vere
With every good wish towards your
spiritual and temporal welfare my Dear Parents, yr most affct
son All blessings to my dear Brothers & sisters Jno
Dingwall
(I am enclosing some of the negros hair)
Mr Hay
Vere
Dear Sir
I wrote you under date the13th
of March last to which I refer (to his
Majesty's Cutter Sir Sidney Smith) as yet I have not heard of her arrival at
home and the Princes Charlotte packet which sailed seven days after her
departure is safe arrived However I still hope being a Cutter it will get safe
home, and conform to which I will in due time expect - I now begin on a
particular favour (being the only person I could
think of Applying) to draw upon Messr Ross of Dingwall at Messrs Miller & Ewing Glasgow for £10
sterling, Which please pay to my Father and Mother, advancing postage... and
the value of a Gown and Coat to my sister Mary, of this I wrote them annexd, and by the [...] late Packet informed my Brother send Mr
David Ross thereof to whom I have Consigned two puncheons of rum to be poinded On my
account, please [..] at 10/0l in the
event of them not being ready to pay at sight, Knowing too well your
inclination to oblige me I will defer saying more on the subject I am Sorry
to understand of Mrs
Mackenzie Hilltouns death, and the dreadful accident
happened at Inverness in March last, your late Copartner Kenneth Mackenzie is
now Captain and Paymaster of the 5th
West India Regiment stationed at the Bay [of Hon-]duras,
he was in this Island from whence he sailed [missing] poor unfortunate man
Please inform John Urquhart that his brother lately gone to America for the
benefit of his health is now returned and much better, In colour
And he wishes very much to better Jno's circumstances
being on no account [...]. Imagine he will send home a Bill soon. He seems very
anxious to relieve him. When you Write send John and
be as particular as you had been in your Last letter, as no doubt you'l be my only correspondent in
Yrs most sincerely,
Jno
Dingwall
______________________________________________________________________
Letter 4
|
Date |
25th Jul 1805 |
|
From |
John Dingwall,
|
|
To |
George Dingwall,
Millbank, |
|
Relationship |
Father |
|
Content |
Order to pay him (via Roderick)
£30 |
Duplicate
£30
6th
July 1805
Sir
Thirty days after syte (the Original not being presented), please pay to Mr Roderick Dingwall or to his
order the Sum of thirty pounds Sterling and place The same to account of Mr William Dallas, No 64 Hatton Garden, London
Yours & Siny
Jno Dingwall
Clarendon
Dearest Parents
In case of accidents I have annexd a copy of the order care of the Arabella
packet, which sailed the 8th instant and I make no doubt of its
being duly honoured as I The last fleet I send Mr Dallas Eighty odd
Pounds worth of produce to say Coffee, and the Fleet goes under Convoy
of the Vanguard of 74 guns By whom this letter will be sent and which sails The
27th instant conveys three hundred pounds worth Of coffee also for
the next fleet which sails the Commencement of October I send one hundred and
Eighty pounds worth off with her, and I only owe Mr
Dallas twenty eight pounds, a balance of goods To him and this year I am sorry
to say that Poor Donald has been disappointed in getting his little produce shipd by this fleet, as he sends to Glasgow and only one
ship boarding in this quarter for Leith, now he
cannot get it shipd until the Next fleet sails in
October, when he intends shipping by the ?Anchor Captain Richmond for Leith by which Ship I also intend sending you about a
hundred and twenty pounds of powderd Sugar And a keg
tamarinds, also one for Mrs MacKenzie
Miln Bank and others, after having them al ready some
days ago, the Lady Sinclair for Leith
being full, I was disappointed, I
send the packages to William Sibbald and Co. Leith who are the owners of the ship, and at same time I
ship powder to pay the expenses may be incurred in conveying them there – Mr Hay or Mr George Mackay who
has correspondants in Leith
will get them down to whom I will write when they are shipd,
and I will also thank Mr Sibbald
to forward them the Cromarty fleet Sloop, Sincerely hope this will find You and
old friends and acquaintances in the Land of the living and in fine health, you
no doubt must be ?happy [missing] in a Country where You can enjoy [missing]
precious sound of the gospel of salvation, which is Alas not the case With me
since I left Cromarty in December 1799 when I board home [?] Mr McAdam yet there Got no person
to blame but myself alone for I was fully bent upon quiting
my own country at that point tho the consequences be
what it will, and which rash act have often repented, but thank God it is
not worse I am still in the land of the
living, a very great blessing, and in full hopes of seeing my own Country once
more, and that soon, so long as Roderick is capable of doing any business, I
must therefore request and urge you getting him fully prepared against the
month of February or March next, as I am in expectation of getting a passage
for him in the Lady Sinclair from Leith next year and as [missing] ships are not by no means To
comfortable as English ships I will give him a Cabin passage however of all
this I give you timely information and as I don’t only believe I will write you
again until about Xmas I will beg of you to remember me most kindly to all
friends and acquaintances - still I may
write again with the packet when the Sugar is Shipd I
formerly mentioned Admiral Dacres on this Station had
dispatches from Lord Nelson three days ago saying that poor information he has
had he was within ten or twelve hours sail of the combined fleet of France and
Spain he certainly has a long hand after them, altho
his force is six sail of the line less than theirs, but his name among French
seamen is better than six sail of the line - I have only hinted that all Dingwall friends in Jamaica are well, and We have every
appearance of a very large crop of All kinds of produce the coming year I will
now conclude altho I feel much Pleasure while
Communicating with you Indeed I could say accompt but
the post is About departing then I must […] I may Any accounts of my old shop mate Mr Andrew Ross in America, if I Knew Where he is, I would
go home by America To see him, I wrote him once from this Island By a British
Frigate, but not I imagine Having his proper address it miscarried Or perhaps his
answer might be missing
?In a dash With sincere regards
B your [..]
to
My Dear Parents
[…] letter I fully Yr most affectionate
Expect and whither
I write you or not, If
Jno Dingwall
You stand in Want
Of any thing Command
Me at once
______________________________________________________________________
Letter 8
|
Date |
25th Mar 1806 |
|
From |
Donald Dingwall,
|
|
To |
George Dingwall,
Millbank, |
|
Relationship |
Father |
|
Content |
Sending money home |
Dear father & mother
Clarendon
I would have sent you the ten Pound
promised longo last year but John Informing me he has
sent you more than That he said I had better defere mine Till the beginning of this year. I [...........] You will Receve
an order on my freinds In Glasgow for ten pounds
sterling which Is drawn thirty days after sight You must then send it to them
for Acceptance when you receve it they Ar very respectable people in Glasgow I could not have
drawn it on sight As it might not be so agreeable to To
them. I am convinced it will Be paid whether they have property Or means in
their hands or not I must
imagine my father must be very unfit for work I therefore hope he
will Decline working any more if he has not already Done it if I live I will doubl the Sum Sent next year & if not there will be Ten
times that Sume coming to you at All events if
justice will be made & John is able to give a greate
[........] Than I am. At all events betwin it I Should supose we
might keep you hapyer than ever you have been I Think
about £35 a year might keep you Hapy all your days in
that quarter of The country & that would be no Object for us both, to say
John £20 & me £15 – I therefore hope you will retire Immediately from work
I expect writing Mr McKenzie Millbank
[crossed out] To that purpose who I am hapy to Here
is still your friend personaly I understand by a
letter from Mr Hay to John That Roderick is still in
his shop What is poor Kenneth doing. I must Send him something as soon as I can
again [.....] on my
correspondence in Glasgow Which cannot be the case un till I remitt Some produce to them – Mr
Hay I supose Will convey the inclosed
order on to each For you My fathers name must be wrote On the back of it which Roderick can do Or
any other person I hope you will acknowledge
the inclosed by [...] [.....] When you receve it as also when It will be paid – With my best
Respect to all enquiring friends Particular to Mr
McKenzie Millbank & all his family I remain Dear
Father your dutiful If in my power
Donald
Dingwall
______________________________________________________________________
Letter 11
|
Date |
13 May 1807 |
|
From |
Roderick Dingwall,
Alley, |
|
To |
Kenneth Dingwall,
Millbank, |
|
Relationship |
Brother |
|
Content |
Safe arrival of Roderick in |
Alley,
Dear Brother
At long last I am Exceedingly
glad to inform you of my Safe arrivel at
From
you Yr Rodk Dingwall
______________________________________________________________________
Letter 12
|
Date |
2nd Feb 1808 |
|
From |
Roderick Dingwall,
|
|
To |
George Dingwall,
Millbank, |
|
Relationship |
Father |
|
Content |
Death of Jamie McNeil, money
worries, fear of slaves |
Vere
Dear Parents
I received a letter from you as well
as one from Donald McDonald at Mr Hays on the 15 October 1807 under date July 1807
by which I was truly happy to understand that you and old friends and
acquaintances were there quite well acquaintances of which I sincerely wish, altho it has not been the case with me here since I wrote
you in May last, I have been very ill with the fever who is very severe on
young men just come to the country always in my bed almost but am extremely
happy to inform you that I am now getting better but still am very week indid I have sufered a great dill
of seekness but thak got am
still in the land of the living altho in a horid wild country without Gospel or any thing but this
world trying to make money, Sunday is the commonest day in this country for
Making Business and Sunday I am myself working in the shop as well as on Monday
its the case all over Jamaica, Some people goes to Church on Sunday the
Minister gives a Kind of prayers when they come out Some playing at Cards some
Drinking wine getting drunk some Dansing and the
Minister as wild as the reast, O how shocking a
Country this is. O happy you may be
living in a place that the Gospel in every quarter about you besides being in Clymate that is Grave to thousands but thank god for his merchy to all of us as yet.
Every white man in this Country is at preasent
under heaviness for fear of the black people because they are trying to get the
better of us all in Different parts of this Island the Negros are Killing the
white people, a few Days ago there was a white man Killed his wife & 3 children
murdered by his own negros in the parish of Clarendon
where Donald my Brother lives the next parish John & I lives in the parish
of Vere there is nothing of this took place where we
are as yet thank Goad I trust the almighty will put a stop to this; I Suppose
before you will get this you will here of poor James MacNeils
Death he departed this life 15th November last at that time John wrote to Mr Cameron in Dingwall about it
in December I wrote to Don. McDonald who
would inform you of this melancholy news, he Dyed with John & I the Day of
15th November in Company with Some other gentlemen dined with Us in
tolerable good helth and foreby
Chereful during the
after noon he went to rest at night between the hours of 8 & 9 pm:
and truly Shocking to Relate found dead next morning his room It being so
sudden a death John immediately got an inquest held on the unfortunate body and
the verdick of course
was dead by the visitation of god the poor fellow no doubt died in fit, I am
sorry to inform you that his Estate won’t benifit his
freinds much he was very unfortunate like many others
in Jamaica;
Donald my Brother I understand has
wrote you in December last covering a small order in Glasgow which I hope was
come safe to you and I think there is no doubt of it being accepted, Poor
Donald is coming on prity Well now John has not wrote for some time now I think
but you must excuse him he of leat has bought another
place and not yet all paid for but he will be able in short time to pay all the
place he had in the parish of Clarendon he has left it to Donald to hire the
Carrier on his own bussiness as well as a part of
Johns
John did not like to write until
such time as he will be able to send you something. I wish I had it in my power
to send you some money you might Depend on it but how ever If am long in
Jamaica and enjoy my helth better than I have as yet
very like I may be able to pay you for what you lend out per me before I left
home I will ever remember it, your situation there I have to told both John and
Donald off, neither of them has forgot you altho they
had it not in their power to remitt you any money for
some time now, All of you in the north country thinks that money is to be had
in Jamaica like shells, no doubt there plenty of these but let me tell you
there is not a penny to be had for nothing now without working very hard for it
and grett many of these here even works out there
very life for the sake Of making plenty money but what of that what is all this
world to a man in comparison of his own Soul, this country is Excessively bad
and unwholesome there is plenty of every thing here although very Deer, Exceping His Gospel which I am extremely sorry to inform you is very scare throug all Jamaica, I am very happy to understand by your
letter this Miss Jane MacKenzie of Mill Bank is
married to Mr Bethune of Alness
I wish her well with all my hart, I wrote to Mr Alexr of Mill Bank I derected him
at Edinburgh I thought he was to remain there I suppose the people at Edinburgh
would send the letter to MillBank there he would get
it its was wrote in November last I am longing much to here from Him. you gow tell poor Betty and Anne MacNeil
that the things they sent with me to there poor Brother is still at Glasgow I whill write for them there the people will send them back,
if they will write for them. I carried a good many letters with me to this
country at that time I thought I will see all the people they were for myself
but saw non excepting George Hay Duncan McLea and
poor McNeil who now is gone to his long home, G Hay & McLea
is quite well in helth they live not long from us,
them mentioned is all the Acquaintances that is in this side of the Country I
have not found any more of them out as yet,
Now Kenneth I make my [missing] as
that you coud be at loss to make [missing] and I hope
the next letter you will [missing] dond write so Clos as you did in you[missing] large sheet of paper and
make your write fine [missing] you and at last […] sheet of paper I have so
much more to communicate to you at this time but John and Donalds
[….] to you all as well as all freinds and
acquaintances in your place particular the MillBank
Family, You will remember me most affectionately to all my sincere freinds and acquaintances in all quarters particulary about MillBank to Mr & Mrs Mackenzie and Mr Alexr if he is there his
family, and Mack & John & famly
[missing] my best wishes to them Isobella Dingwall [missing] MacNeils Liby McKenzie and all
the rest let[missing] [missing]if they
are all still at Mill Bank I suppose [missing] of them il
be married by this time I had a letter from a person in Dingwall
by last packet who told me that there was two girls married in Mill Bank since
my departure from there when you will write again let me know of all the news you can Deaths and marriages and so on. Remember me to Mary & husband neither
John or Donald says nothing about her indeed both of them appears to me not to
care for her at attal remember me to the […] family Pray how does my Poor Ant
at Strath Peffer do now we
so [missing] that saild [missing] in November last
was [..] and carried in to [missing]sh Island I
expected some letters by her from Glasgow [missing] are gon
to the bottom they were concerning that things of Betty McNeils,
I must now be concluding as paper is getting short, with offering you all my
warmest regaird from the bottom of my heart and
wishing you al helth and happiness in time of Need
and eternity,
And I remain with Sincere
regaird my Dear Parnts,
Your very affectionate
Rodk Dingwall
[inset] Let
me know if you heard my old friend Mr Hay saying some
thing about the […] […] my dependence ?brother Poor
Donald […] [..] at Dingwall. Mr
Hay has it in his possession, he maid me make Out another acct in the name of
John Dingwall of Jamaica for his Brother Rodk Bought of P. Hay That one I carried it to this country
with me to Show my brothers, Mr Hay took very good
care he Would be the […], he did this in case of John or I would Dye and he
would be at you then per this, but Should that be the case its not in his power
to maKe you responsible per it and thank God he will
Be fair I think by next [….] from John Excuse this [..]cless I understand has it -----that Is not able to do
as a single order in
My experience since I left your part
of Scotland comes indeed very ?Extravagance but I
could not help it, in the first place John Had to advance it per me but If I
live be it short and enjoy My health better than I have done as yet in this
cursed Country John will adv me more than what he has Already advanced; my […] account with my old friend Mr Hay in Dingwall £12 there in a very short time be paid to Him. I
having nothing more to say at this time, but am Always your sincere affectionate Ro Dingwall You need not be any ways uneasy about Mr Hays account Should neither John or me be over able to
pay him he Cannot m[missing] it, altho before I left
his shop He himself [missing] out an account of the things I got He said George
Dingwall in Mill Bank for his son Rodk
Bought of Patrick Hay [……………….]
by Packet - The Duke of
______________________________________________________________________
Letter 13
|
Date |
8th Jul 1808 |
|
From |
Donald Dingwall,
|
|
To |
George Dingwall,
Millbank, |
|
Relationship |
Father |
|
Content |
New business, will send money |
Dear Parents
I received yours & observe What
you say I will endeavour To find you ten pounds more
In all this years at least when Ever I will hear from Glasgow You may
Rely, I have Entered In to business on a
large scale Which will free some time
Mother its hard for me drawing For any money in
D McDonald For a small sume
will never Be Refused payment of it & You may expect in course Of two month
after this Of hearing from me I have no doubt had you Must be in want, John
& Roderick is all well when I saw them last. So is George
Hay & Duncan McLea. Make my best respects to MillBank
& his family & all other Enquiring
friends
do you Know good young man In that quarter of
the Country who wished coming to Jamaica who is a good clark
I could give a good recommendation in every way I could give him a liberall encouragement Who is Roderick ?Hils
children coming on I understood one of
them wished Coming to this country
I remain very sincerely yours Mt faithfully
D
Dingwall
______________________________________________________________________
Letter 14
|
Date |
12th Jun 1809 |
|
From |
Roderick Dingwall,
|
|
To |
Kenneth Dingwall,
Millbank, Dingwall |
|
Relationship |
Brother |
|
Content |
Health, friends & family,
money |
Dear Kenneth,
A few days ago I had The satisfaction and pleasure of receiving a letter From my
old Companion Mr Donald McDonald At Mr Hays under date the 21st of March last. By
which I was truly happy to understand That all friends and acquaintances were
at that Point enjoying very good health a Continuance of which is my first
wish, I would had Wrote you before now, but being expecting To have heard from
you since I received your last letter as I think you said some thing like that
in your last letter to me, some time last year, however I am very happy that it
is in my power to inform you at this time, that I myself enjoy very good Bodily
health since I wrote you last year, and indeed I certainly have much cause to
Bless and thank the wise disposer of all things and wants for I got quit of all my Sickness and
?fever [....] which indeed Continued with me all together for the space of a whol 12 month a long speal of it
indeed, and I have now to thank god for it, for I am now very well and able to
turn to Business again, I am happy to understand by Mr
Donald McDonald’s letter that you are all Geting
better times now in poor Ross Shire than What you had of late years, he says
that you Had a very rich and plentiful crop last year Of all descriptions, and
every prospects of the next Crops to prove well also, and indeed that is a very
Great Blessing no doubt. My Brother Donald Informs me that he has remitted £20
back to our ?parents some time last year, at two different times the which I
hope is by this time [....] to them, and indeed I wish that it was In my power
to send them less or more, for their advance on my account before I left Home,
but I am truly sorry that I cannot Help them in the money way, If I could It
certainly would give me the greatest pleasure
to do it, however I hope while John And Donald has any thing and enjoy
health Surely they must want for any thing, I don’t Suppose that my Brother
John has wrot To any of you Since I left him, let me
Know in your next letter, whether or not John has wrote to you or to our
parents Since my departure from Scotland, I suppose You would hear before this
time that my Brother John has sent some money to poor Sandy Dingwall
in Dingwall for the first time, of his late Brothers
Small property in this Country, I am very sure That Sandy Dingwall
is much in want of Money, like plenty others, and I think John is To send him
another remittance by this packet or Very likely by the packet that sails after
this one.
Donald McDonald informs me also that
our little Brother Sandy is doing very well in the School,
He says that he can write and figures tolerably Well. I have no doubt but Sandy
will be a Complete Scholar if he lives, and provided he is Kept Constantly at
the School; and It is since I come To Jamaica I become to know my own folly and
Regret bitterly the many idle days I spent about MillBank,
when I ought to be at my school Learning my education, and indeed I have no
Person to blame for it, just myself and my own foolishness [....] The days of
my youth, however I cant help it now Its already by far to late, therefore I
must fight through this world the best way I can; but I will hope That little
Sandy wont be allowed to spend so much of his time in idleness as I did, and I
could never See it myself until it was to late for me to help My ?papa in geting [.....], I beg to Remember me Most affectionately to
friends and Acquaintances, and I must conclude with offering You my warmest
Regard and wishing you all means Of happiness and prosperity in time of now,
and Eternity. And I am Dear Kenneth yours very Truly
while I am Rodk Dingwall
P.S Inform Donald MacDonald that I
will write to him by the very First packet after this, Say in some time in
July, I have nothing More particular to say at present, but you will write to
me On your receiving this, and give me all the news you can Duncan MacRea Geo Hay Wm Stoddard who you know left Here along
with me, and Colin Mackenzie who we used to Call in the School Colin Roagie, Both my Brothers and Myself, are all very well in helth, Remember me to my cousin Jn
Dingwall and to Janet MacNeil
and all other acquaintances in And about that place, and all those in ?Ferandonal. Address
to Me parish of Clarendon, and I always Dear Kenneth
Your very affectionate which I truly am
Roderick
Dingwall
Pray can you inform me whether or
not Betty MacNeil ever Received that small box which
was detained in Glasgow because On my arrival in Jamaica I wrote to the
Gentleman in Glasgow To send it back to Dingwall to
the care of Mr P____ Hay their
R.
Dingwall
______________________________________________________________________
Letter 17
|
Date |
4th Dec 1830 |
|
From |
Roderick Dingwall,
|
|
To |
Alexander Mackenzie Esq, Millbank, |
|
Relationship |
Patron |
|
Content |
Asking him to find Roderick a post
with Colin Mackenzie of Mountgerald |
Parish of Vere
Dear Sir,
Its now some years past Since I had
the pleasure of taking up My pen to address you, But which I have Done several
times since in this Country But whether or not any of them came To your hand I
know not, only I Regret much my never having the pleasure Of receiving a letter
from your hand Such I can assure you would afford me The greatest pleasure,
however I trust You are in good health as well as your Good sisters my kind
respects to them If you please when you see or hear From them, I am not aware
if either of my Brothers ever wrote you or not When I first came here I lived
with both Of them as Clerk for more than 3 years They disagreed among themselves
and parted Each for himself, I then left them And turned Planter without any
person To Back me but my own conduct
A Planter in this Country let his
abilities Ever be so great without a friend he won’t
Succeed. John some years back was in Good business doing well indeed but He
failed, Donald is very well off he has a fair Sum of business and I am glad to
say doing well At present and likely to continue , but I Must say he is very
near with it. He had And has it now in his power to help me But such I believe
never entered his heart He certainly has been fortunate much more So than John
& myself, his trade has been A good thing from at first starting off In
business, in 1823 I sent him the sum of £16 sterling after the death of our
poor Mother by a Mr Munro from Ferintosh
Since which I never heard a word from Ross-shire, nor do I know if either of my
Brothers has sent him any thing Both had it much more in their power Than ever
I had this time of life allowed Them to sit down in their house where as I have
been since 1810 toiling in the hot sun All day and the most of the nights too
Keeping watch making Sugar & Rum During crop time which is 6 months in The
year, I fear am introdding on your Goodness with such
stuff as this but trust You will excuse me - I am almost sure You must know
Colin McKenzie of Mount Gerald, who is now in england
And to [...] in Ross-shire for all I know When he came to Jamaica I think it
Was in 1821 or 1822. I was as the Overseer Over Coley Estate St Thos in East
the property Of the late Henry Davidson, his attorney Then; and my employer,
was a Mr James Laing a great man here of in years
butt he died and another person got The power and of course he had his own
friends to service and of course I left however I got Employed and in a Situation
until July 1829 when I was forced from a severe fit Of sickness to give up my
situation and was Obliged to quit this island for the benefit Of my health, I
went to America where I have been several months in care ?Mr
Mack But I have reason to thank god I recovered my health Pretty well but will
never be the man I Was when I was with Mr Laing it
was Then I first saw Mr McKenzie shortly after Mr Laings death he[?Mackenzie] got to be concerned for
Davidson Barclay & Co Estates with many others I understand , [.....] says
that he is bringing Out several other powers besides, If so, then one [.......]
[....] deserves a better, I understand he has done great s[.....] to the charge
he had, he is well liked [by all] classes of people in this quarter [I ...] Mr Sir,
to request the favour of [you] To use your interest with him in my
behalf and In person if possible or by letter to him in Spanish Town Jamaica,
he will have much in his Power as a
planter; should I succeed with him Through your recommendation rest assured I
will try every means in my power to give Every satisfaction , I trust you will
excuse me For this liberty am taking with you and for Such a scrawl as this is
but you will Know I never was a good hand as this pen Nor never will; in regard
to my own poor Family If its of no use to me to write them As I am not able to
help them, I wish they Will look to again excuse such liberty and
I
remain Dear Sir yours most truly
[.......] Rdk Dingwall
______________________________________________________________________
Some of the letters written by the Dingwall
brothers have been preserved in the family in
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