Adam Morning .....

[marilyn morning]

Hi Everyone,

I'm feeling a little nostalgic today, because it was one year ago
26 May 2006 that I spent my first full day in Scotland. On the
morning of the 26th, I had the pleasure of meeting my 4th cousin
Chris, her husband Alan and their daughter Kristy. Actually, Alan
and I met on the www one day in January of 2005 and joined our
efforts in pursuit of the Morning family. Chris's gg gf, John Morning
is the older brother of my gg gf, Matthew Morning and for those
of you who remember "Scozzie", its her gg gm, Mary that is the older sister
of John & Matthew. Mary and John lived their lives out in Scotland
but Matthew had wanderlust in his heart and sailed to the US in 1883. He did
return to Scotland for a visit, before his mother's death.

Between 2005 and my visit last year, Alan
purchased an original copy of Rev.. Hamilton's letters from a bookshop
here in the United States and swore me to secrecy that I would never
tell his wife how much he had paid for the copy. He described the book
to me and also commented that it smelt like rotting fish. You see the copy
he had purchased had survived many years on an old fishing boat, before
finding its way to that bookshop. So can you imagine my surprise when
Alan handed me my very own copy? (not the original of course) What
I'm about to share with you is a letter written about Adam Morning, who
is my ggggg gf.

Note: This letter has been translated into modern day English, by Alan.

Adam Morning of Aird
In 1784 the Rev. William Hamilton was making his way from Bushmills to Benane Head (the most northerly point in Ireland) when it began to rain. He took shelter with a local family in their farm. In 1786 he published an account of the farmer - Adam Morning. Here is the story

Note – this letter was published in ‘Letters concerning the Northern Coast of the County of Antrim in Ireland’ by the Rev. William Hamilton A. M., Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin. It was printed by G. Robinson and Co, Paternoster Row, London in 1786.

Coast of Antrim

Letter VI

Portrush, August 13, 1784

Dear Sir,

A few days ago, as I rode across the headland of Bengore, a sudden shower of rain falling very heavily, compelled me to take shelter in a little cabin, which stands on a wild spot in the middle of that promontory, on a piece of land called in the Irish language Aird, from the loftiness of its situation . A well looking young woman sat by the fireside spinning at her wheel, with a parcel of children playing round her; but, not withstanding her industrious employment, the house bore evident marks of poverty and distress about it .

As the rain still continued, I had an opportunity of asking several questions concerning the fortunes of this poor family, the history of which forms such a simple, melancholy tale, that I cannot help repeating it to you, yet methinks you will accuse me of having brought it forward very mal a-propos .

The original adventurer who settled in this solitary spot was called Adam Morning, a name which he got from some accidental circumstance, and is described by the peasants of the neighbouring hamlet, as a clever fellow, and an honest man . He held his little farm, which had never before been cultivated, at the small rent of five pounds per annum, hoping soon to render it a valuable tenure by the probable effects of his industry; and on this he built the cottage which I have just mentioned, suited to his infant powers, but so contrived as to admit of an addition, whenever his success in improving this barren soil should entitle him to increase his comforts .

By hard labour he soon reclaimed so much of the land as enabled him to sow a moderate quantity of grain; but when the toils of the year were almost over, and a plentiful harvest promised to reward his industry, a violent storm, which was severely felt over the whole Kingdom, blasted his golden hopes, and the entire produce of his farm was only sixteen barrels of oats, out of twenty-four which he had sowed .

This was a severe blow to our enterprising farmer, but his resolution was not thus hastily to be vanquished; means were found to pay his rent, a second crop was sown the ensuing year, and his land again presented the cheering prospect of approaching plenty. Once more an inclement season, bearing heavily on the unsheltered situation of his new fields, mocked his expectation, and the entire reward of the year’s labour amounted only to a small increase of grain, little exceeding what he had sowed .

Few men in his lowly sphere of life would have borne up against such rude and repeated shocks of adverse fortune; but the spirit of our humble adventurer disdained to yield to misfortunes which were merely casual, and to which no degree of prudence could have guarded against. His perseverance was still unshaken, his health continued vigorous and the land yet promised to repay him would Providence but smile on his endeavours. New ways were therefore devised to save his sinking credit; every nerve was exerted to pay his rent, and try the fortunes of another year .

There is a small bay in the promontory of Bengore, called Port Na Spania, from the wreck of one of the celebrated Spanish Armada, which was here dashed to pieces .

It is entirely surrounded by a monstrous precipice between three and four hundred feet high and is accessible only by one narrow approach, which is far the most frightful of all the hazardous paths on this whole coast.

By the tenure of his farm the possessor was entitled to a quarter of this little bay, amounting to about twenty or thirty square yards of wild and inhospitable rock .

Here Adam and his family, struggling against their distresses laboured hard to supply their wants by cutting the seaweed from the rocks, and manufactured it into kelp which the linen bleachers of the country bought up at a good price; while in the meantime the farm was rising fast and Ceres began to smile propitious .

One morning, as Adam and his wife were descending down the dangerous path, to pursue their daily toil , while they were yet talking of their growing hopes, even while the cheerful prospect was smiling in their view, a sudden slip tumbled him headlong from the precipice, and dashed him to pieces on the rocks below.

His son David, the heir of his humble fortunes, had just then returned from the West Indies, still crippled under a wound which he received in the service of his country on board a man of war, but prepared to assist the distresses of his father with the little prize money which had fallen to his share during his voyages .

The Tar had married a pretty young woman before he went to sea, (the same whom I saw busied in spinning) but instead of returning to a quiet happy family, he found nothing at home but misery and distress, and saw himself almost entirely adrift in the world, with a mother , a wife and children to maintain . The death of his father had brought all the hungry creditors forward, so that he became heir only to the poor cottage itself, and the naked land which surrounded it. However, it was his inheritance, and as such he would not part with it .

The prize money which he had got on his cruise was for the convenience of carriage (as his wife told me) mostly converted into plate; that is, he returned home with a silver watch, a large pair of silver knee and shoe buckles, and such other little matters of ornament as the vanity of a sailor, who pays a visit to his old friends after a long absence, commonly delights to exhibit. With these David set out for the first fair that happened in the neighbourhood to buy a horse, which was absolutely necessary for the cultivation of his farm. But he was not in his own element. A jockey soon fell in with him, and the Tar gave his silver watch, the chief fortune of the family , for a jaded horse whom he afterwards found, on enquiry, old enough to have seen the days of Lord Hawke and Conflans, being upward of twenty years of age.

Our young farmer, alarmed at the marks of debility which too manifestly showed themselves in his new horse, and terrified least he might hastily give him the slip, and die in his hands, set out with all expedition to try his fortune at market once more; where, with the assistance of another piece of plate, he soon bartered his antiquated steed, and, under the influence of his late misfortune, purchased a colt almost as unserviceable from his youth, as the former had been from old age.

These calamities of the son were little less ruinous than those of his father, but with this difference, that the misfortunes of the latter being such as no human foresight could have prevented, he was universally esteemed and pitied by the neighbourhood; while everybody laughed at the simplicity which involved poor David in his distresses.

However, some peasants of the next village, pitying his situation, admitted him into what is here called a neighbour dealing, that is he was allowed to join his colt in the team with three of their horses, and the plough was alternately employed on each man’s farm; by this means David has been enabled to till his inheritance, and this year a harvest of rich hope seems to promise a reward – whether it shall or not rest with Providence.

Such is the simple unadorned history of this poor family, affording an artless affecting picture of the accidents and distresses of humble life, which I am sure will interest your feelings, and make you forget the tediousness of this digression from my main subject.

[paddyscar]

What a wonderful find Marilyn! The story has certainly raised goose bumps on me, and it's not even my family. It brings home what strong characters these ancestors were and how our lives are so easy in comparison.

You're blessed with strong ancestors and generous relatives.

Frances

[nancy]

Hi Marilyn,what a wonderful story.

I think you have a bit of that Morning determination in you.

Nancy

[sheilajim]

Hi Marilyn,

What a wonderful find you got in that book, yet so tragic. It certainly brings your relatives to life, not just some names on a certificate or census. It was fascinating reading. I guess that you have to read something like this to appreciate all that we have today.

Thank you for sharing that with us.

Regards

[marilyn morning]

Frances wrote

What a wonderful find Marilyn! The story has certainly raised goose bumps on me, and it's not even my family. It brings home what strong characters these ancestors were and how our lives are so easy in comparison.

You're blessed with strong ancestors and generous relatives.

Hello Frances,

It truly is an amazing discovery and every time I read it I shed a few

I'm extremely proud of my ancestors true grit and mine of course. Yes, Chris & Alan were very generous to have the book copied and rebound. But on the otherhand, I hauled a suitcase full of cookies, cakes, pies, and candy 3,000 miles through 3 airports.

Regards
Marilyn

[marilyn morning]

Nancy wrote

Hi Marilyn,what a wonderful story.

I think you have a bit of that Morning determination in you.

Hi Nancy,

I'm happy you enjoyed the letter, I've been meaning to share it for a while now. Yes, I did inherit the Morning determination and the older I get the more my chin is beginning to take the shape of my grandmother, Margaret Morning and her Dad, John Morning. I can't believe my eyes

Regards
Marilyn

[Helen G]

Hi Marilyn,

What a gem of a find, it really does keep my spirits up that I will come across a snipet of information on my family in Ireland pre 1860. I enjoyed reading it and thank you for sharing it with us.

Helen

[marilyn morning]

Sheila wrote

What a wonderful find you got in that book, yet so tragic. It certainly brings your relatives to life, not just some names on a certificate or census. It was fascinating reading. I guess that you have to read something like this to appreciate all that we have today.

Thank you for sharing that with us.

Hi Sheila,

I agree its a very tragic story, but a true gift at the same time. After reading this letter for the first time, I look at my life in a much different light. There are several other letters in my book and I could scan them to post, if anyone is interested in reading them?

Regards
Marilyn

[marilyn morning]

Helen wrote

Hi Marilyn,

What a gem of a find, it really does keep my spirits up that I will come across a snipet of information on my family in Ireland pre 1860. I enjoyed reading it and thank you for sharing it with us.

Helen

Hi Helen,

It is indeed a gem of a find and never give up hope of finding your family. I've been searching for a picture of my gg gf Matthew Morning for the past 5 years and I'm still hopeful.

Here's a link to the Giant Causeway, which shows a map of the area. I understand that rental cottages stand on the land that Adam once farmed, so I'll need to rent one someday and retrace his steps, just not the ones down the cliff, that is.

http://www.giantscausewayofficialguide.com/home.htm

Regards
Marilyn

[Helen G]

Hi Marylin,
A number of years ago my husband and I travelled to Ireland with another couple we drove down to Stranrae and boarded the ferry (2 and a bit hours crossing) we stayed at the causeway cottages which were very clean and the people were very welcoming.

Sadly it was pre my quest for the Murray's. If I knew then what I know now I would have spent my time touring gravesites and churches. We Kissed the Blarney Stone and travelled all over. On the morning that we were leaving I dropped a parcel and bent to pick it up, I retrieved the parcel and where the indent of the parcel was I bent down again because something caugt my eye. I came home with a 4 leaf clover.....

That 4 leaf clover was wrapped in cotton wool kept in a jewlery box. .....

I know it has taken us away from your truly wonderful find and I would be very interested in reading more.

I am planning a return trip to Ireland myself mid week round about July in an effort to trace my family roots. Firstly I have to find out where in Londonderry they originated

Helen