To: Mr. Patt. Glenday
Messenger at Arms
New Rattray by
Blairgowrie
North Brittain
From: St. Charles Mo.
27th Oct, 1824
Dear Father
These few lines are to comply with your request that I should write
you with my own hand. however I am such a poor hand both to write
and to indite that nothing but the request of a kind and indulgent parent
would have induced me to comply. knowing that you will freely
overlook my blemishes which a stranger or even a companion would make
sport off. Suffer me than your unworthy daughter first to present
to you her most sincere regard and esteem, and than to Helen and Thom
and Andrew my love and best wishes for there welfare. O but I
would like to see you and be with you and them. But I think would
not like to live in Scotland I am happy at uncle Thomas suffer
me never the less to give to you Dear Father my most sincere thanks
for being so mindfull of me in providing so freely for my convenence
in money matters / before you left here.
We have had an uncomenly
wet spring and usumm[] and the general supposition was that it would
be very sickely but thanks be to the most high it has turened out otherwise
for we may freely say it has been very healthy. Dear Father I
have no doubt but that you like to live in Scotland better than in a
america as ever thing comes natural to you there, but to me who I may
say has been raised here ever every is natural to me here and if I have
my health in it as well as I allways have had I should not like to come
to Scotland where I think I should not like to live. But do make
Hellen write me and tell the History of life since she left here.
and she promised to write Eliza and aunt Lindsay too doo remind her
of her promise. I hope thomas and Andrew will write me too.
give my love to them all and to all inquiring frinds uncle and
aunt wishes to be remembred to you all.
with my love & sincere esteem
am Dear Father yours
Ann Glenday
St Charels October 26th 1824
Dear Father
I and my Sister Ann ar In tolerable helgth at present. Thanks
Be to the most high for It ann has Ben complaining Buyt she has
got over It measuably. I am at a loss to know how to sftrdd you.
I hav done wrong an In my errer before that It Is too late. I
colected my money and lett it out at a0 per ¢ with a neagrow for seventy.
the reason of me letting It out was I was not setteled In aney Business
and I though that getting It up By littels that it might squander
It away and never git the half of It. But in this way I lett out
all To one man and took his Bond. you know the dificultey of this
country that a person has To take 5 and 10 dollers as a man can git
It. I may lose my money for as carefull as I hav ben If my Security
dies I may be Bothered to get my money. But thare ar twelve neagrows
left. I think that I am tolerable Safe. I should lik To
Start the grocrey Busness this winter but I am afrad that I can not
accomplish my end on acount that of the last Payment was maid onley
In august that Payment was of one hundred dollers & on that account
I am put Back for one year I will have to work for as lettel had as
I mak of It. the reason of me Being So anceious to Starte the
grocreous Busness Is that mr Shaw died about a munth a go and his goods
Is to Be sold I dont know the terms of the sale at Present or I would
lt you know If thay giv 9 or 12 munths credit I will start If I can
get securety for then will Be Sum tolerabl Bargens gott at It.
from the letter that you Sent To mr Corvey I though a grat deal
of the advice that you gav to me. I though seareiousley on It
and every time that I read It causes me to refleck on the time that
I hav spent foolishley I sill treay to dow Better for the time
to cum. If I cannot git securety I will trey the lower countrey
If I can not git in to sum Busness that will recomend me to stay Ise
the want of you now But I never seen It Befor But now I want your advise
I would Pay atention to It now that I never don before Be so good
to advise me In the best of your knolledge for well do I know that you
ar able to giv advise and I will trey to emprove om It.
you Spok of Selling the house and fetching ann home
An is contented to live here and with regard to the house I dont think
that we could get $400 dollars for It at present It Is out of
the question to get money for aney thing here the house Is ful
at Present and If the house was fixed we could keep It ful always.
The chimples will have To Be taken down and maid so as thay wont smoak.
I will fenish one of them this fall If I have helgth and git don a Job
that I have on hands at Present alsow It will want a new roof Before
long for the son has turned them up so as thay ar a grat maney of them
that ar rotton and leaks In several places I fixed It sum time
ago that will dow for a while her after I will try and take care of
the Property for If you Please to tell me too live Into It I will Settel
my Self and stay In the house and dow the best that I can --- for a
living It Is time for a man to look for him Self when he arives
at the age of twentey tow how ever tell that stand. the land that
you left has to Be confirmed or we will luse It all together.
By an ack of congress that all Spanish grants has to Be confirmed or
thay fall to the united Stats I hav Ben as diligant as Possible
to find out the grant. I have maid a calculation that It will
cost about $20 dollars To git It don I would describe It
Better But I want records and Paten To describe Your frend HL Mills
Is high Sherif of this countey and hope will dow well. Mr.
Eckart Is a dowing tolerable well he was elected for Constable last
election. Thomas Lindsay and Familey In good helth at Present
and has there respects to you all and wonders of Hellens Silence
James Lindes and his familey Is well and has Ben well all sumer except
charlet she had a spe of the roometisoms she was varey bad uncle
Is doing tolerable well he Is got the start and out of det and what
he maks Is clean how ever he Is like the rest of the farmers dow the
Best that thay can you know the nature of the farmers in this cuntrey
Better then I can describe them blowing Blustring fellows
at the Best Give my respect to Hellen Thomas &
Andrew I hope that Thomas Is adoing well and a good workman
and stedey Be Saving and Take care of your self Be so good as
to write a time or two In my fathers next letter I hope that Andrew
Is a good scooler treay and make him a good scooler If Possible Hellen
I supose that she will soon be for changing her name Give
my respects to my uncles there and them them that they have my Best
wishes I supose that Bell Ogelye Is married before this time
Petter I hope Is a dowing well I supose that James is the darling of
the famley the last acount he was in Edenbuogh I hope he
Is there yett Provesions Is remarceble cheap here
Pork from 1½ To 2 per hundered wt Beef from 75¢ to 1 dollar
per hundred wt frowen from 2¢ to 2½ per lb corn from 20¢
to 25 per bushen Potatoes the same Butter and egs from 10¢ to
12 ? everey eateble Is so remarcable cheap that a man with lttel
industrey can live well
I remane your Afectionet Son
James Glenday
Note: James Glenday's hand is difficult to read,
not to mention his spelling, and I have probably gotten some of this
wrong.