NL GenWebNotre Dame Bay Region ~ Twillingate DistrictHistorical InformationTwillingate - Richard Newman 55 Letters, 1816 - 1831
A few weeks ago Marcel Charpentier emailed me saying that a friend of his had an old book of letters by Richard Newman of Twillingate for the years 1816-1831. His friend found it in a used bookstore in Boston. How it got there, no one knows. He was looking for ancestors of Richard to give it to but had no luck and wondered where it should be donated for safe keeping. I advised him that the best place would be the Provincial Archives but that it could be a valuable document for our site. He was kind enough to send me photocopied pages of the entire book which I have transcribed for the Twillingate site. I have also made an index of every name mentioned in the letters and where the person lived and what their connection to Richard Newman was. The book was sent by courier to the PANL last week and I am happy to say the NL GenWeb Twillingate site will have a copy posted to the Internet. I would like to thank Marcel. All students of Newfoundland and Labrador history appreciate the trouble he went through to make sure that it ended up back in Newfoundland.
Transcribed by NATALIE HYDE, January 31, 2001. While I have endeavored to be as correct as humanly possible, there could be some typographical errors.
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I was much disappointed not receiving a few lines from you last fall more particularly as I desired you to write to inform me how things were carried on there and as I have so unfavourable account of Mr Every’s conduct I think you may have wrote a few lines to have informed me of Mr. Every or any others conduct if you at all had my interest at heart. I hope you will not omit doing it this fall and inform me candidly what you think of the conduct of all from Mr. Newman to Joseph Bartlett, Solomon Beadon and all others. Your father died this day (a) week and is to be buried this day. He has left your brother John executor and to you as to all the rest he has left ________________ each to be paid when you come of age. The times are very bad in England much so with the farmers. They are failing very much. Wishing you health I remain
I received you letter last summer and am sorry to find you are so displeased with my not writing before. Assuring you that my long silence did not proceed from any negligence of your interest but from a consciousness of my being unable to give you any true information of Mr. Every’s conduct and from a dislike to meddle with any person’s character. Whatever I knew of Mr. Every’s conduct (drunkenness excepted) was only by hearsay and I always like to have a good foundation for what I write concerning another person as I must be responsible for what I write. However I hope for the future there will be no necessity for writing on the conduct of others and for the present must refer you to your son as he will be better able to inform you than myself. I have sent home a keg of berries and a couple of bear’s skins for my sisters, and a keg of berries for my brother John, and should thank you to charge me with the duty as I would not wish to put them to any expence. I have sent home my watch to be repaired No 97476 which please send by return of the Dorset. Please to present my remembrance to Mrs Colbourne and Miss Charlotte and to all relations and friends concluding with the sincerest wishes for the prosperity of your trade your most obedient servant Richard Newman P.S. Please to send me by the return of the Dorset the following articles:
| 1 pr Nankeen trousers (lined) |