The following extracts are from letters written by the McPherson family who emigrated to Canada in the 1840's from Glenrisdale, Kintyre, to their relations in Skipness. Donald McPherson, his wife Sarah, and their children, Hugh, Sarah,Isabella and Duncan, settled in Delaware, Canada West, which was just west of Hamilton, Ontario, and not as far as one would expect now, in British Columbia. The letters are those sent to a sister, Janet, whose husband, Angus Taylor, was the overseer at Skipness Castle, but who afterwards farmed in Mull.
The first extract, dated 8 July, 1848, is from Sarah McPherson, snr. "Accept now of a few lines from me to inform you that thank God I continue in good health and happiness, but long day and night for you to come here, as I have no hope of seeing you there, knowing this to be a better future residence for us....I long to hear from you again as nothing gives me more pleasure than the receipt of your letter which I will expect if not sooner by Malm McKay who we anticipate will be here in the course of a month."
Sarah soon shakes off her melancholy and lets her wit take over. Of a fellow emigrant she comments: "He has not chopped any of consequence himself, but has got 26 acres cleared - you know that he was not accustomed to work much, and here wages are so high that unless one works himself there is not much cream left for the holder."
From a letter dated 8th July 1848: "The house we have is the same as what is common here - viz built of large ash logs 22 ft long and 18 feet broad, the ends of which is squared and laid on the top of one another and this is made as substantial and warm as Saddell Castle. A vent in every house here whatever the size may be. The house is floored with deal, and as they say here contains chambers or what you Scotch call garrets. Outhouses is more looked after than dwelling places, in which we are well supplied. So far we have built a barn which is uncommonly good and sufficient to hold all that we had any one year in old Glenrisdale. It is 54 ft long, 30 broad. The horses and wagons goes in one door and retires when emptied on the other. The general kind of barn is logs same as above described which is got up for a mere nothing but is not so convenient or safe for produce."
She has her deep freeze too: "Another house is what they call a cellar here, or what you would call a milk house. It is at the end of the dwelling-house, sunk 4 feet underground, and it is about the size of your little byre, a well dug dug in the centre of it, and it is for holding milk, meat, etc. during summer. They are covered all over with earth and grass sown all over it. Ours, of which we are very proud is just on the eve of being finished, and will be very neat." In a later letter: "Dwelling houses are kept extraordinarily neat here. If cattle or poultry is seen about the door, one is much exposed for it, but all is kept at the offices, which in every case is forty roods from the dwelling and inside everything must be neat and clean, even the dish for washing face and hands must not be used on any account for anything else......Down or at least feather beds with all who have been any length of time here. Everyone keeps innumerable geese, and they strip them of their feathers 3 times per year, viz, in May, Augt. & Sept. Some strip however 5 times. Our beds is low posted, the bottoms is corded like a herring net."
Fashions in 1848 are as important to women as they are today: "We wear no shortgowns here so when you come bring none with you. Drugget wrappers I think would suit winter well, but calico dresses for summer. Young and old here use their parasols - take one. Women dress very spicy, but you might there consider it gaudy - in prints, silks and delains.........We are very particular with regard to victuals. We must have preserves in their season, and out of it a substitute. A knife and fork is in every hand that can hold one." Standards must be kept up! Women's work on either side of the ocean was hard: "Dear sister, you always wish to be informed how we are getting along with the personal work. We have got all our wool spun, sent to the weavers and has got 50 yards home for shirts for the boys and winter dresses for ourselves. There will be as yet about 35 or 40 yards for the clothes for the boys. So you may conclude that women are not idle no more than there."
Ague, a type of low malarial fever is mentioned, suggesting that the land may be swampy, but little is said about illness and the weather. There is a reference to conditions on the emigrant ships in: "....any vessel that has come this year yet has been clear of all disease, and hope thay will continue so." The lack of complaints about the weather is surprising considering the contrast between the climate of Canada and Kintyre, and yet there is no reference to snow, wind or rain.
In a letter of October 1849 to relatives asking about emigrating: "I can hardly give you a direct answer in case of any reflection hereafter. It entirel depends on circumstances. To live in a decent and comfortable manner as you remarked is impossible for any one who has not got money or a strong family to help him along, but by labour and industry one will get along through time, and may be independent at last. I give you to know that the land is getting considerably higher here, in all covenient places to market."....."I will give you an idea how you can get along. For instance purchase of 100 acres wild land at 5 dollars per acre which is the honest price for good land in this locality, say one half paid ready cash and the other half by 5 half yearly instalments at 6 per cent. Now for 2 year and a half you cannot raise anything except potatoes and Indian corn and still you will for many years if you can raise what will maintain your family and keep yourself clear of debt - that is to say if you have no better means than above. On the contrary if you or anyone else have what will pay his land cash down, what will support the family for a year and a half, and what will pay for a yoke of oxen, a cow or two, then you have some hope of doing well in for the future. But further if anyone have what will pay 100 or 200 acres clear land with sufficient stock of all kinds then that man soon begins to reap the benefit of his money, and will be sure to live a decent, comfortable and independent life, by good management and industry."....."I have already stated the price of wild land, now 100 acres with about 20 acres clear a house and barn upon it cannot be purchased here of good quality under 800 dollars or £160 sterling."
There follows a long list list of prices: working oxen 30 to 40 dollars, cows 8 to 16 dollars and horses £8 to £25. Beef and mutton from 2 and a half to 3 and a half dollars per 100lb. Potatoes 9d. to 1sh. per bushel, Indian corn 1/6 to 2/- per bushel, oats 6d. to 1/-, wheat 2/6 to 3/- per bushel, while a bushel of wheat weighs 60lb. Butter 4d., maple sugar 3d., tea 1/6 to 3/- and tobacco 4d to 1/3 per lb. Eggs are 3d. per dozen, while whisky is 1/- to 1/6, and brandy and rum 6/- to 8/- per gallon.
In 1849 the stock consisted of 4 cows, 3 calfs, 2 year-old oxen, "or steers as they call them here", a yoke ( a pair ) of working oxen, and a recently bought addition of 12 sheep. In 1852 things are progressing: "Our stock of cattle is increasing tolerably. One yoke of working oxen, 1 yoke of four years old which will soon be put to work. Next summer if no misfortune happens we shall have 6 tidy cows, and 4 young heifers, upwards of 30 sheep and about 20 hogs, large and small ( pigs ). As for horses we have got none as yet, although our clearance are considerable which consists of about 80 acres. Horses will not do well until the stumps are pretty well decayed, however we very shortly intend to get one which will bve of essential service to us."
Education was a problem: "As you wish to know about Dun and Don'd if they are through their studies at school, I have to mention that they are not further on than when we left the Old Country. There are no schools in this locality nearer than 3 miles, consequently they had no opportunity of getting any education. There is one about to be established at present which will be of much importance to this neighbourhood."
From an Undated letter: "We have about, or rather less than an acre of Indian corn which has all the appearance of yielding a good return, and which we find in this country useful for mush as you do Oatmeal, and I think we will have sufficient of it. We have planted 12 bushels of Potatoes ( i.e. exactly your Kintyre Boll - 4 Barrels ) and has all the symptoms of being also plentiful. The land in which the above is planted in is our own chopping and clearing. We intend having our logging Bee next Thursday, i.e. an assembly of the neighbours with their oxen heaping the laid timber in large heaps ready for placing the fire in, and then it is ready for sowing our fall wheat in." And a piece of news: "You will have heard by the time this reaches you that Uncle Duncan has added 310 acres of cleared land to his former possessions which land comprises everything that a country Gentleman there inherits: Orchards containing Fruit Trees of all kinds. His purchase of land is now complete and his children all fixed in such a menner as he would never be able to do in the Old Country."
Finally a newspaper cutting of 1926/7 headed "Delaware Farmer leaves an Estate valued at $52,000 - Duncan McPherson remembers 25 relatives in Will." The farmer was Donald McPherson, but it is not clear who this man was, but whoever and whatever relation to the McPherson family who left "Old Glenrisdale", he had, by "good management and industry", made a success of life in Canada, and had not forgotten his roots as, among the 25 inheritors, some were living in Scotland.
It is unusual for so many family letters to have been preserved, and we thank those who kindly made the photostats available.
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