|
Transcription from pages in Russell Genealogy compiled by my Grandfather, Rev. David Barton Russell
submitted by Cindy Vojnovic, November 18, 2007
NOTE: &c as seen in text of letter is an antiquated way of saying etc.
1836 LETTER, Thomas (14) to his Grand Newphew, Matthew, addressed, Long
Island or city of New York. (Verbatim and literatim)
My Dear Matthew I was in hopes to have a whiles converse with you
before you wint away &c but now as you are where you are still under
the eye of that providence that your forefathers ware & the ware
wonderfully preserved from the contagience of the times the lived in
as it is handed down to me &c. My Grandfather Matthew McClaughry was
a horseman which was called a grannadeear (grenadier) in the King
William service against the french & romaine trash & his fathers
family wint all to Scootlin for safety & left him and his sweetheart
Margaret Parkes to venter thire lives in the fields of batle &c
wonderfull was the loses croses & disapointments the wint through &
if you should live to my eage your history might be worth printing. I
pray you study your onw duty towards god & man & behave yourself in
such a manner as you can put your hand to your hart & act as Abraham
& Josha & Samuel did & then you will have a little heaven upon Earth
of your own & be trying to get what the world cant give nor take away
&c you have so much good scence as you know birds of a feather will
floock together & now is your time to loock to god for direction &
protection in all your undertakings & if you are a true feairer of
god and his laws & ordinances you will become a lover of his ways of
dailings with you & yours. I pray you remember the Sabath day study
to spend it in prayer & praise & joyne to some place of sollam
worship & do not be runing or riding abroade your under very grate
temtations to bracke that holy day in all your bargins have that day
to yourself & carry your bible every day and you may have time
unexpected & if you will but pray fervently to god for an
understanding hart & a true spirit to dissern good & eivel you may be
shure you will geet it for there is none turnt away empy but remember
you must wate his time as all the sincere seekers of true holiness
has done befoure us &c. I pray you dont fill your head with sinefull
history I know you can have the perusal of all sorts I pray keep
cleair of such vile stuff, study holiness for without it no man will
see the lord ther is a Mr. McCloude that praiches in the owld church
of Mr. Macesens (Mason's?) an Excellent man tell him I sent you to
him, tell him you are aquainted with Mrs. Christian Rose his nors &
tell him who is your minister here he can & will give you good advice
& deriction whare you might be well accomodated &c a number of sodent
deaths since you left hear & Bartley harkness & Robert McMurrays
daughter is thursday maried & feail for your perents you never will
know what the sufer till your foot is in shure & you may earn money
to put it in a bag with bowels what is goot over the divils back will
assurdly go under his bealy, a few days sickness will spoile all your
pleasure & if you are one of gods children you will assurdly have
your tryals in this world & hapy for us if we have it hear, O for
heaven hear after whare all our trobels will be at an end &c I am my
dear Matthew you much esteemed & respected Grand uncle & has hapy in
this world as I can always Expect.
Thos McClaughry
>
N.B. My best respect to Revd. Thos & Doct. Samuel & Matthew Samuel
McAulys your acquaintance with sum of them may be for your interest
both soul and body I advise you keep a book pen & ink & wright what
you are aboute every day with your name in your book & whare you did
belong your perents & ministor town & country &c that if any thing
should happen you your wrightings would give information. May 9th.
1826 Mount Pleasant in the town of Kortright County Delaware & State
of New York. Now I beg of you dont take me nor the best of men for
your fule for you know we ear & come short of our duty but take the
Savior of the world for the rule of your life & manners &c.
| 