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DOCUMENTS99 DOCUMENTS Isabel Grubb, of Garrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary, Irish Free State, has contributed extracts from three letters, accompanied by some explanatory notes, throwing an interesting light on America or American Friends. The first letter, she writes, crediting her statements to information kindly supplied by Muriel Hicks, of the Friends Library, London, was written by Morris Birkbeck (1734-1816), who was born in Yorkshire. In 1762 he married Hannah Bradford, of Lancaster. She died in 1764 leaving one son, to whom he wrote this letter during a visit to America, undertaken in 1773-1774, with the purpose of inspecting his estate of 1,280 acres near New Garden, North Carolina. He did not, however, settle there but returned to England and in 1776 married Sarah Hall (the writer of the second extract), of Skipton, Yorkshire. The rest of his life seems to have been spent in or near London, where he was engaged in an insurance business . In his later years he made endeavors to procure a complete collection of books, pamphlets, etc., published by Friends. This he left by will to Yorkshire Quarterly Meeting and it still exists as the Birkbeck Library. He had, however, arranged that the Friends Library in London should have anything from the collection which they required before it went to York. He left the books "not only for the perusal of Friends that may incline to read them, but for the use of any who may be engaged in writing on subjects relating to the Society, and with its approbation." New Garden Settlement, North Carolina, limo. 28th, 1773. Dear Son, I know not that I have yet particularly answered thy letter, which tho' short was very acceptable, I received it with several in good time after their dates, but as it was ,so short a time after my departure I expect more are on the way if not arrived since I left Philadelphia with later intelligence. I left Philadelphia about three weeks ago & travelling by way of Baltimore Town, Anapolis, Bladensburgh, Hullsborough, &c I arrived at this place on fourth day last, on fifth day I went to the center, another settlement of Friends in wch my Purchase from Dr Fothergill is, on sixth day I viewed it accompanied by six of the kind neighbours, much to my satisfaction; thou mayst inform the curious that it is rich land the greatest part of it well watered by two creeks & about twenty 100 BULLETIN OF FRIENDS' HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION springs well timber'd with fine oak of various kinds, Ash, Maple, Poplar, Chesnut, Walnut, Hickary, &c but there is neither Pine, nor Cedar upon it these are generally an indication of a poor light sandy soil there are also Hazles wild roses, grape vines in abundance bearing fine Fruit of wch I partook with no small pleasure, variety of flowering shrubs, Plumb trees, sassafras & other aromatice & physicks, too tedious to enumerate, Wild deer, rabbits, partridge, Turkies &c &c I like it the best of any place I have yet seen & am pleased that I happened to secure it the Judges here who are many acknowledg it excels any hereabouts yet I chuse to see more before I determine on the place of my future residence which must be on this continent, I believe this I can dispose of to considerable advantage I have no doubt when so inclined I have a view to Potomack or St James River the latter seems most promising. Now let me inform thee I am still favor'd with good health, & ,satisfaction in my journey as much as I expected to meet with & more tho' much alone & in ye woods chusing ye highest or shortest roads rather than to follow settlements when round about of wch the country is much thicker than I had any idea of. Robert Walker came on 6th day to New Garden from ye back settlements of Virginia whither Saml Fisher accompanied him I shall proceed with him as far as he goes southward perhaps to Georgia at least I intend it—am now at the widow Hunts who with her Family is pretty well, also Thomas Thornburgh is bravely he lives with her & I believe is very helpful to her she seems to bear the loss of her valuable...