Robey Family

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Note: This letter was written in 1842 by William Young of Scioto County, Ohio to William and Mary Robey, who were still living in Stephenson County, Ill. The two men were brothers-in-law, being married to sisters Nancy Collins Young and Mary Collins Robey. William Young mentions "Father Collins" in the course of the letter. This is Judge John Collins, their father-in-law, who was well into his 80's by this time. I have endeavored to keep the original spelling, grammar, and punctuation. This letter is courtesy of Mrs. Jane King Fohn. R. Campbell, Ed.

William Young to William Robey, 1842

WM. & Nancy Young to WM. Robey

JAN. 30, 1842, PORTSMOUTH, OHIO.

DEAR BROTHER and SISTER:

I now take my pen in hand to write you a few lines. We are all well and earnestly hope these lines may find you all enjoying the same inestimable blessing. We are at this time living on Morses Run on what used to be called the Shafer place but we dont calculate to stay on it longer than the first of March. We think we will move down on the bank on the McArthur farm and if we do we shall stay two or three years. Times is very hard in reference to money but provision is plenty and very cheap corn is worth 22¢ per bushel wheat 62¢ potatoes 37¢ oats 20 flour $6 per barrell pork 1.50 to 2.50 per hundred. Cows is worth from about 10 to 14. The farmers along the scioto are holding on their corn for a higher price, but the general supposition is that corn will be sold in the spring for 12cts per bushell. Our currency is so bad that it is had to tell when money is offered to us whether it is a favor or an imposition. It is not safe to keep money on hand one day lest the bank break and you lose it. About onehalf of the money now in circulation amongst us is from 5 to 50 percent discount. The state banks of Indiana and Illinois are not safe here and especially for Illinois which will hardly pass for anything. Please give me the best information you can about the state bank of Illinois. I will give you a little sketch about your old friends. Joshua Nurse has been very sick this winter but he is pretty well recovered James Andrews and his old lady are both quite feeble the old man has had the ague for some time and is never very well John E. Smith Levi Moore (Amos?) Gunn and their families are all in good health. The people in general in this country are well except bac and some have the measles father Collins and David and Mariah their oldest girl has the measles as for the old lady, when I go to see her and ask her how she is she tells me she has had a very bad spell but she is quite fleshy and looks as well as she did the first time I ever saw her. Mariah has made some improvement on her but not mutch. Father Collins has been very sick two or three times since last spring but he is now quite well for a man of his age. Cousin Levi Jolliffe and his wife from down the river called to see us some time in November. Levi was sick when he came and he staid with us till he died which was on the 30th of December. He told us before he died that he was prepared to die and that his sins were pardoned and we have a strong hope that he is gone where his sun will no more go down nor his moon withdraw her shining where the Lord God will be his everlasting light and the days of his mourning will be ended. The widow is still with us he married her in new Orleans. Her name was Turlina ann Slade we all like her very much and think her a very fine woman. She talks of going to Clermont Co where she has some uncles living not far from Cincinnatti. The New York Company have come on and have commenced making their canal and have got it pretty well under way and they calculate to finish the canal and basin next summer. They have petitioned the legislature to continue their charter four years longer in which time they calculate to build a bridge and a dry dock for repairing of steamboats but the people of Portsmouth have remonstrated against them and we dont know yet whether their petition will be granted or not. Robert Buckles sold his land last spring for twelve hundred and fifty dollars and bought one hundred barrels of whiskey and got it on steamboats and took it to Florence in Alabama state & has not come home yet. He wrote to us in October that he was married and he would be home in November but we dont look for him till next spring. Josiah Morton was here last Friday he told us that sister Martha? and her family were all well Sarah Ware and Martha Smith has each of them a fine boy. I suppose Ware & Smith thinks they are very smart. Robert Laughlin & Juda has but the one little girl yet but Laughlin is getting more healthy than he used to be & we dont know what he may do we would say success to trade. As it respects our family we have no more than we had when we (Continue) William and Nancy Young January 30, 1842 Page 2 wrote to you before. Our youngest is as much like father Collins as any grandchild he has. He is one of the healthiest looking children we have in this country. Our children had the ague this fall very bad they got sick in August and did not get well till in November but they look now like they had never been sick. Nancy and myself had the chills and fever a few days but we soon got clear of it. It has been the most sickly season that has been for several years but there has been but few deaths till Adrain Lucas that I frequently see Wm.& Joseph Lucas and so far as I have heard his relations are all well. Wm.Lucas daughter Loiza was married last Thursday to David Pollock and the Widow Lucas was married last fall to Thomas Pollock Rebecca Cremer to Thomas Morgan. Enos Collins daughter Amelia was married to Wm Westfall. Enos and his family are all well and I believe are doing tolerable well. I would here mention that two of your old friends have died a few weeks since Loyd Howard and Richard MdDugal. I was told that Howard died in peace and I did not hear whether McDugal died happy or not. I heard today from Nancy McDaniels and her family they are all well. The old lady has joined the Methodist Church and her daughter Nancy has joined the United Brethren and I am informed that the old lady is quite reformed. There has been the greatest revival in Portsmouth among the Methodists that has ever been known and the Temperance Cause is gaining ground in a wonderful way. I would write more but it is now bedtime, and perhaps I may weary your patience as well. Write to us as soon as you get these lines for we are anxious to hear from you. N.B. we have had the warmest winter I have ever known. No more I remain

Yours affectionately

WM & NANCY YOUNG

WM. & MARY ROBEY

Address:
• MR WM ROBEY
• Ceder Mills
• Stephenson County
• Illinois

  Mailed: Portsmouth stamp a blue circle with Portsmouth inside

  Feb 1

  This letter showed no signs of Limited education except the capacity to organize the material into acceptable modern form. Sealed with WAX

  Writing very fair & legible.

  (Typed by Mrs. Jane King Fohn)