| My father
was a Scotch Seceder Minister and came over when very young to
Ireland, where he was placed in Roseyards and Ballderstrean (Ballyrashane*).
Soon after he married my mother in the County of Londonderry -
called Nancy Patton - and brought her over to Ballaghmore, where
my sister Isabella and brother William, sister Nancy, brother
Robert and sister Peggy - who died young and whom I never knew
- and sister Peggy and myself was born, I being the last who was
born Ballaghmore, from whence we went to Ballylough, where brother
James was born. (This Ballylough was near Bushmills)
We lived
there a few years, during which time William and Robert was
at their grandfather’s at Newton at school. (Newtown is Limavady)
Peggy and me went to Billey to school with Mr. McKeown, with
whom I first learned the rudiments of reading. To the best of
my remembrance I was very proud of all the little accomplishments
I was master of, and when I could excell or say a lesson properly
I was as happy and happier than a king. My mind, I may say,
is clouded. It is impossible to convey an adequate idea of my
mind when a child; this much is certain, that even men at that
time would be very far from discovering by my outward actions
my inward feelings. However, what a child wants in knowledge
is made up by the little knowledge they have of the cares and
anxieties attendant on human life, and it is very happy for
them that they are ignorant of the different vicissitudes of
fortune they have to encounter in a future period. (impressive
prose from a young apprentice)
In Ballylough
we had some disputes with a family of the name of Miller, which
in the end occasioned us to leave it (it not suiting my father's
profession to have disputes with any persons) and go to a town
(he means townland) in the parish of Ballymoney called
Ballyrobin, which my father took a farm in it from James Leslie
Esq. Did not get a lease, and set that part of Ballylough which
he held to John Caskie and others. When we came to Ballyrobin
my father had to build a new house. From our first coming to
Ballyrobin, though I was very young, I conceived very bad ideas
of our new neighbours, for the boy that brought Peggy and me
to it (Hugh Robinson) took a cock of ours, and fought him with
some of the people in that town and although he was a stranger,
began and fought with him, from whence a bad opinion of them
, which was partly verified afterwards, for it seemed to be
still our fortune to have, some bad neighbours wherever we went.
Before we went to Ballyrobin, William had gone to Scotland to
a friend of my father's called John Simpson, with whom he stayed
a long while. During the time he was with him, Mr Simpson met
with many heavy losses, which occasioned him to fail, and then
my brother William came home, and went to Drogheda, from whence
he came to Belfast.
After we
came to Ballyrobin Bell (Isabella) married John Shaw,
without her parents' consent. Robert, intending to be a doctor,
was bound to Joseph Walker of Ballymoney for two years. During
the time we were there I was at school with Mr Richard
along with Peggy. Mr, McMullan having a school in Roseyards
Robert and me was sent to it, where I began to learn the Latin
first and went as far as Ovid's Metamorphoses The time I was
there, I think, was the happiest time of my whole life, for
with Robert to take care of me and learn me, and I was learning
faster than any in the same class, I think was enough to make
me quite happy. But I did not know the value of my opportunities
till they were gone. Then indeed I knew it - but too late :
all the advices my father and mother gave me to improve my time
and of the inestimableness of learning, I considered all calculated
to keep me from play, and to follow them, I could not conceive
the use they would be to me. But Robert going to Ballymoney,
I soon found the want of him, for there was nobody to show me
lessons, which was the first real sorrow I ever knew, although
at that time no one would have thought I was sorry, because
children cannot express their own feelings.
During
the time Robert was at Ballymoney I was sometimes at one school,
and sometimes another. I went frequently with a horse to bring
him out. After his time was out, he stayed for some time at
home, and the time he was at home, I was at school with a Mr.
Ford. Going one day to school found Mr. Ford was sick, so when
I came home, Robert learned me for a while, and I received more
good from him than from Ford. Soon afterwards, Robert, intending
to go to Scotland, I accompanied him as far as Belfast, where
I left him, and came home with heartfelt sorrow, for I loved
him above all my brothers. Nancy and me went to Belfast, where
we stayed about a fortnight. Before Robert went to Scotland,
Samuel was born, who is the youngest child my father has.
Robert
came home after staying about a year, but only to go further
away, for in this country he would not stay. After some fruitless
trials to get into the navy, he determined on going to Jamaica
where he did go. I went again with him to Belfast, where he
sailed to Scotland, a ship being to sail from thence to Jamaica.
In her he went and arrived safe in Kingston and went to Doctor
Fullerton' s where he had a severe fit of sickness, but recovered,
and is now living in Jamaica . When I left him last at Belfast
I could not bid him farewell, my grief having stopped my utterance.
After he
was gone, my father, wishing to put me to some business, gave
me my choice, which profession I should follow not knowing what
would be truthfully the best, he wrote to William, but got no
certain answer, and I, being too forward, desired to be sent
to Coleraine and be made a grocer. My father not taking time
or pains to enquire into the business he was going to place
me in bound me to S. Givin of Coleraine
On July
12th, 1786 my father agreed with Samuel Givin that I might serve
him four years and 10 guineas [fee paid]. Samuel Taylor bought
the indentures from H. Newton. Cost six shillings with liability
to go to school.
In the
diary John tells us that on Saturday 25th October
1788 - This day I am 16 years of age, and I perceive myself
growing wiser and better than I have been for this long time.
(This means that he was born in 1772).
He also
mentions that on the 13th of October 1788 Mrs Leslie wife
of James Leslie of Ballymoney died. She was buried in Coleraine.
By her death Archdeacon Hutchinson comes to a very handsome
esatae. She possessed the land my father occupies at present.
(This
explains why John's father held his farm from Leslie when he
first came to Ballyrobin and why his father's name appears in
the list of tenants for Ballyrobin in the Hutchinson estate
maps of 1805).
The
last entry in the diary was Ballyrobin July 13th 1790. Yesterday
I left Coleraine. Before I came away S.G. got another apprentice
of the name of Hamilton from Dungiven. He got four years of
him and £20 of a fee. On Monday I intend going up to Belfast,
as I cannot get away rightly before that time.
* My thanks
to Alex Blair for this information.
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