English settlement in the Illinois. : Reprints of three rare tracts on the Illinois country. With map and a view of a British colony house at Albion

Limited edition by The Torch press, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. "250 copies on small paper. 10 copies on large paper." The Torch Press was founded in Cedar Rapids, Iowa by Luther A. Brewer (1858-1933) in 1907. In 1909, Brewer also opened The Torch Press Book Shop. The shop was a natural outgrowth of Brewer's book collecting interests. By 1911 it was the biggest and most successful bookstore west of Chicago, offering new publications and some astonishing antiquarian pieces, including Abraham Lincoln ephemera. The Torch Press imprints varied widely, including a Christmas series, a nature series, histories, homespun philosophies, bibliographies, and book sales catalogs.AOR AP PRRAToo SAA ANRC Rae Pea : ©) 3 ; =o Peres RM Berane pee say Fee Meare Serio COE fo UUs Rate oe ee on eon Rea ek : Sea 5 os mae . te ; * OSS OORT e oe PSeamiie ete 2 SUPPLEMENTARY A FROM EXTRACTS LETTER FROM THE ILLINOIS. By MORRIS LIMITED 'T, «£ * EDITION. 250 copies on Small Paper. 10 copies on Large Paper. @- -_——+ — By Professor BIRKBECK. EDWIN ERLE SPARKS, Pu.D., of American History and Dean of University the University of Chicago. College in EXTRACIS FROM A SUPPLEMENT AR. LETTER FROM THE ILLINOIS. By LETTERS MORRIS FROM THE By THE LEXINGTON ILLINOIS. RICHARD LETIERS FROM 1820, By WITH RICHARD EDWIN ERLE AND FLOWER. THE ILLINOIS 1821. FLOWER. INTRODUCTION By Professor BIRKBECK. AND SPARKS, NOTES Pu.D., of American History and Dean of University the University of Chicago. College in THE ENGLISH SETTLEMENT IN THE PLLIN OTS. WITH MAP AT WITH EDWIN: AND A VIEW OF A BRITISH ALBION. AT EDITED INTRODUCTION BY - ERLE THE AND SPARKS, Professor of American History, University of Chicago. LONDON THE MUSEUM 43, MUSEUM : BOOK STREET, STORE, W.C., AND THE TOKCH PRESS, CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa. 1907. COLONY NOTES ENGLISH COLONY HOUSE REPRINTS OF RARE TRACTS ON ILLINOIS COUNTRY. HOUSE ALBION, ILLINOIS. THREE Pad. INTRODUCTION. Tus group of interesting pamphlets belongs to the reconstruction period of European history, when the nations were attempting to resume their normal economic relations, after twenty years of almost continuous war. it was hoped and cessation a freedom and ae a from that the of caging hostilities anxiety, general of Napoleon would bring a return happiness. precisely contrary. In England a of prosperity The result was In their ensuing unfortu- nate condition the people failed to appreciate the length of time necessary to resume former relations. They upon government, blamed and all their demanded miseries various re- forms. While the common classes formed mobs to protest against the price of bread, the better informed organized Hampden to secure a repeal of the Corn Laws Clubs and the v1 Introduction. Introduction. extension of manhood uncertain relation of suffrage. Even England to the to shoot the Fundholders Holy To attack by the reformers. ocean, where taxes would paid officials fewer, means of making to Cobbett, the one of many robbed reformer, who, of, and and, presumably, terrors. easier. In a of a Tour of America,” describes in William Hulme “having something wishing the robbed “Journal Countries beyond to preserve as to be it, and looking toward America as a place of refuge from the Borough-mongers and the Holy Alliance,” Hulme Same might alienated themselves to that himself ascribes his migration causes. be able ‘“I to saw that, give to of my Jand. to the whatever I children, as well as of what they might be able to earn, more than one-half would feed pensioned Lords and be taken Ladies, away had lent their to Soldiers the money to and of of its in fee transplanting many by the United States Government of the about two assured landlord tection a unite and New World, land of acre a on home, laws prevented For mutual families select adjacent acquired more cultivate, and desiring they land frequently the fertility of .climate of these various arose, at a pro- would some- lands in the thus forming a kind of colony. Having forth an emigrant system. number times dollars each restrictive foreign soon which offered while salubrity Between of blood and a lands terms, of institutions public price numbers, States The easy setting United a kinship of language the simple a emigrants presented similarity be lower, tithes un- a livelihood Hulme’s the Western ae home known, preface we LU) a new these America Under such disturbances many people conseeking who to persecute us, and be applied to purposes of enslaving us.” Alliance was made a subject of suspicion and templated at us, Parsons vil each taking than to they could augment their sent of home the their new colonies a every letters soil and homes. rivalry occasion to Introduction, Introduction. Vill Upon advantages against the disadEnglish colonies of the others. were planted in eastern Pennsylvania along the Susquehanna River; in Long Island, New York: in the southern portion of the its establish vantages of State made was great in Flower, George near twenty years his junior, son of a DisDesiring to senter named Richard Flower. escape the authority of the Established Church, Birkbeck sent out the younger Flower in 1816 to arrange of land some sixteen in what country.” Illinois. thousand was known In 1818 it One year later, for the acres as became purchase of “the the Birkbeck his four children to his purchase, and returned to England for his family. public Illinois State between rivers, He frame Birkbeck Great selected in a large prairie for described filled thirteen. the the building as with rooms brick, and two and con- cellars. Travellers who visited him called it a cabin. He intended it to be a manor house for a Morris Birkbeck was born at Wanborough, in Surrey, in 1763, of Quaker ancestry. him of taining printed. with Wabash his residence. From the latter were written the Illinois. pamphlets by Birkbeck and Flower herein Associated Little Illinois a bit of rising ground south-eastern in and Indiana, arriving at his tract of land, situated in south-eastern and ix of brought Flower estate, similar Surrey. Two to the one he had left miles to the eastward he laid out a village which he called Albion. Here were to be gathered the artisans and tradesmen necessary Very soon the prairie in which Wanborough and Albion locally as Birkbeck events of were ‘‘ English had his for his located establishment. became known Prairie.” kept careful migration, and notes these of he the sent back with Flower to England, where they appeared as ‘‘ Notes on a Journey in America from the Coast of Virginia to Illinois.” They were later supplemented by a collection of Introduction. Introduction. Xil two related by Flower, was not singular. and Birkbeck Differences arose between as Flower, George caused, two stores, Other the by said, it was the marriage of Flower to a ward of Birkbeck, whom the latter wished to make his second Vaux, Woods and other travellers spouse. mention this quarrel as growing into a feud between the settlements at Wanborough and Albion, and greatly injuring the growth of in (Chicago: cations, County, Edward’s 1862. described Wanborough containing twenty-five cabins, a In of five Albion, acres, each Woods saw laid about out prairie smith in single and were other returned cabins. to and artisans. scattered This about was England the Many disheartened. the English Birkbeck’s (population in 1900, 1,162), differing in from neighbouring villages along the line of railway which passes through very few descendants of the English are yet to be found. Occasionally a Publi- solid brick house survives to mark in 1822 as tavern, a in a village. twenty a settlers house, children left Illinois after his death. Wanborough has disappeared from the modern map. Albion is a _ small village store or two, and the shops of various craftsmen. To these settlers Birkbeck had sold lots with a market American settlers came in, and predominance was soon lost. X.) Woods church, English settlers Illinois.” Hist. Soc. Chicago a period of greatest English supremacy. In 1825 Birkbeck was drowned in each. crossing a stream while making a visit ‘to Robert Owen at his community of Harmony. Flower resided in Illinois until George 1862, leaving a “History of the English Settlements taverns, Xili cabins, nowise single it. A settlers square the Eng- lish occupancy. On the prairie, where games of played cricket were Catharine be seen to keep in Hill fair in old Guildford, only fields of corn fruit trees. Typical American houses scattered are over memory now or orchards can of farms and farm the old English Introduction. XIV prairie which Birkbeck an American manor. remains “No of man the man hoped to make into Scarcely a tradition of since Columbus towards peopling America whom Vaux has done as Mr. said, so much Birkbeck.” docky fills Decpwoods By, pes > oF ‘al a bya AOE Wy anit. 72 Albio mE “ "oe 7, ~ ike % aN Vv ° shill oP ye ee Sx 4iPalmavra Del tame) cam g Se, Mapord Os 4 ew White 7) Porte Island they, "tae oo ue 7 w > 2 ¥ Wkn F mecnn hy feartield 4 Ske ee t-Fi be Princliwn avord Aa MAP ENVIRONS of ILLINOIS. : ALBION English uy pVewhav ai Re NC Ok 913 English Miles & OF 1 lO 8|7 oz London, Published bv Longman, Buh hers, Orme i i i § 4 & Brown, Puternoster Row, March, 1822. al6 {SEMEL SAEED NILE BE 2 OREN 20 SIH ALN IROIE © go Miles. 60 80 als Sta! Hall, we Bury Sir’ Blooms: FATRAC Es FROM “A SUPPLEMENTARY FROM LEV Tee THE ILLINOIS; AN kododress to British Emigrants ; AND A REPLY THE REMARKS OF SeilLIAM COBBET?T @£.. BY MORRIS BIRKBECK. —_=— Second LBdition. LONDON: PRINTED FOR JAMES RIDGWAY, MDCCCXIX, PICCADILLY. EXTRACTS SURPLEMENTARY LEY le THE @ ILLINGIS, Sent to England for Publication, January THE interest which has been 31, 1819. excited by the voluntary expatriation of an _ obscure individual shows, that the thing itself is of importance, when considered in connection with its causes. The exposure of these causes has been imputed to me as an act of hostility to my native country, by those, who identify the government with the people. This imputation is unjust and extremely painful; for, though no _ longer a subject of the British Government, I am bound to my countrymen affection, to be broken by that by ties of stroke only, B 2 which must sever me from all the interests of mortality. But I make no apology. Hoping to do good, it became my duty to publish: and who apologises for the performance of a duty? In my _ solicitude for the well-being of our colony, I have deprecated the formalities practised in ew of Religion. Il have therefore been deemed a foe to Religion—that bond which connects the soul of man with the Supreme Intelligence, ‘in whom we live, and move, and have our mee. ot is the. love of God i creasing our good will toward each other. It is a principle of action aiding the moral sense: a divine sentiment, impelling us to pursuits which reason approves, and ree straining us from evil. If I have written in disparagement of this principle, I plead guilty. It has been reported in the Eastern States, that all our bright prospects have vanished, and that we have been visited by every calamity, physical and moral: by famine, disease, and strife: that the sound have been too few to nurse the sick, and the living scarcely able to bury the 3 dead: and that we are an immoral and licentious crew, tearing each other by incessant broils and _ contention. On _ the contrary, we have had an abundant supply of all the experienced of disease tions and former is On gard no to the the my of life, and extraordinary have visitations or mortality. And as to dissenimmorality, if instances of the have latter beyond necessaries occurred, object whole, it of is our we because are prosperous, own expectations. his operations, pecuniary commencing the abhorrence. success, the With far capitalist or re- is looking around him undecided as to the course he shall pursue, but the labourer has made an establishment. It is not with him as with the capitalist, a state of hope merely, from good prospects; but of enjoyment, from good possessions. Numbers of | this class, and of mechanics, have already building realized cabins their little for themselves. of labour are not their freeholds, and are The squandered fruits in dis- sipation and excess, because they have higher objects, and considering their former depressed condition, it is astonishing 5 4 to me, as it is honourable to them, that they betray no arrogance in their advance to independence. domestic early for the Unfortunately female the classes, all of arrangements “2 for vacant remain must departments rehave We time, or scantily supplied. ceived large importations of British goods by way of New Orleans. (4) This our natural channel of intercourse with Europe is at present greatly obstructed by the irregularities and impositions attending the navigation, arising from the steam boat One hundred want of due competition. and ten dollars are paid for a passage from New Orleans to Shawnee Town (c), and from four and a half to six cents per pound for merchandize. But a steam boat of seven hundred tons burthen is building at Louisville, to ply between that place and New Orleans, besides numbers of smaller burthen now on the stocks, to the amount I understand of nearly a hundred; this constitutes an unprecedented demand for ship carpenters; and it is expected with confidence, that the rates of freight on the Mississipi and Ohio will be reduced one half the next summer. Packages sent from England should be strong, if possible water tight, and of moderate weight, say two hundred pounds. The weight of each package should be fairly marked on _ it. And it should be especially remembered by all, who make shipments to this country, that unless an invoice accompanies the goods, specifying the contents and _ value of each package, enormous expense and damage will be incurred. New articles, although not designed for sale, are liable to a duty of from sixteen and a half to thirty-three per cent. on the original cost, but articles which have been used are admitted duty free. In general, I think it better to bring letters of credit, funds, than parel, kitchen things which are on arrival, should An erroneous’ prevailed, both are, fact, States, that less of the in or other utensils and _ merchandize. in convertible Bedding, ap- other _ tools, in immediate requisition accompany the settler. opinion has _ generally England and the Eastern all prairies partake more or nature of swamps: that they morasses too wet for the 6 growth of 7 in Whereas, timber. this coun- should have been misconstrued by neither surprises nor offends me. substantial good, that has already try, prairies frequently occupy the highest, the driest, and generally the most fertile portions of the surface, river bottoms exWhy one portion of the Earth's cepted. when surface, in nature, of a state effected, not campis producing yet to be arbor tree solved. e@estiva recreatur is forest or shrub, Or, the is should innumerable inseparable new aura, that peculiarly have them my adapted countrymen to their will habits, a more find it and | therefore taken pains to lay before That my motives its advantages. country. delays compensation. from A and _ new year unproductive exertion the debtor side of a problem turf? the green than covering natural The 4apLet that point be first decided. prest for man is a due proportion of each, as is the case in the country we _ have It is only of late that this dechosen. scription of land has attracted the notice of the Americans, and its value is as yet perI am_ imperfectly appreciated. but suaded, ample In the statements I have published, I see little to correct, as far as my _ observation and experience have now proceeded, excepting, that, in my view of the profits of cultivation to early settlers, I have not made sufficient allowance zz teme for the be covered with trees, and another porprairies why only: herbage tion with should prevail from the Wabush westward, and Dup forests to the east: why in the south-east of Europe and in South Amevast regions, dz be rica there should nulla affords some, The been outset. I Our precursors anticipated, good earnest: provements,’ are of selling and undertakings of preparatory in a and should be added to the account at the the now disappointments hunting “clearing their moving tribe, little out” forward as i “im- into the wilderness. There is nothing congenial in their habits with those of our people; yet, greatly to the honour of both, no quarrels of any importance have occurred (@). Tn! AN ADDER ESS TO BRITISH EMIGRANTS ARRIVING THE IN EASTERN STATES. Published in New English My bited, Friends in and two York. Prairie (e), July 13, 1819. Countrymen; For your service publications, an I exhi- outline of the process of emigration, from its commencement up to the final settlement. My first opinion of this, the spot of our choice, and the reasoning on which that choice was grounded, are before you, and sufficient time has elapsed to try those opinions by the test of experience, by 12 cation on this subject who, by misapplication and show dishonest that comments, this country 13 by a Dr. Johnson, of partial extracts is has not laboured such have stated it to be: but that | chosen a bad situation, and described as to | have it as a good one. This gives me a mean opinion of Dr. Johnson. But it is the zztevest of these speculators to fix you on their lands, and their proposals may be worth your attention; therefore, as the distance is comparatively small from the eastern ports, I advise you to examine the thing for yourselves, or at least to obtain an account of it through honest hands. If you are poor, I would recommend you to find out some of the Susquehannah proprietors, who may _possibly undertake to pay the charges of a journey thither, should you find Dr. John- son's favourable report as false as I know his unfavourable to be, I hear of adver- tisements in settlers; but the daily papers, inviting why do annual thousands of New York and Pennsylvanian farmers pass these eligible settlements at their own doors, and make their way into the west, even as far as this placc’ [1 feel Ga anxiety as to the peopling of this neighbourhood; our prosperity is out of the reach of Mr. Cobbett or Dr. folnson, tut | think it right to offer these hints to your attention. It would be well for you to inform yourselves what the Emigrant Society consists of, which professes so much good will towards you. The Preface to Dr. Johnson's book is called an address to you from this Society, but it is not authenticated either by signature or date. It is probable, that the owners of the lands in question are the ‘Emigrant Society;” if so, you will understand the whole affair. M. BIRKBECK. 16 17 my veracity seems to be the point at issue, I should not have considered any reply needful. You, Sir, are an eminent caricaturist, and have exercised your talent on this occasion, as you have on others innumerable, with considerable effect. But your success is not to be envied; for the mo- ment the exaggeration is discovered, the effect ceases, and your credit as an _ honest writer suffers in proportion. You have given the Public your first years history, and I have described things as I went along, to the best of my judgment. In your mode you have the advantage of following your experience, and are good of course hold however, cipations important of much perfectly your to if repret, I “as have proved correct particular, with one and that is in regard and safe, pen. disappointments to at time.” the you keep my ang have not, in every exception, The delays commence- ment of a settlement, remote from all old establishments, consume more time than had entered into my calculations. Of this error I have taken due care to apprise the Public through various channels: but with the general correctness of the result, in other respects, I am quite satisfied. I shall now recal your attention to some paragraphs in your Letters, placing the numbers in the margin. 591. You have seen prairies in Canada, and you have seen Joyalists from Connecticut (g) well settled on those prairies. They were surrounded by British soldiers, who were “by no means shy;” who But since ‘drank their coffee and grog by gallons, and ate their fowls, pigs, sausages, and sweetmeats by wheelbarrow loads,’ and ‘still they sighed for Connecticut.” They had “beautiful corn fields,’ and were as ‘happy as people could be as to ease and plenty;” still they were dissatisfied, notwithstanding the efforts of yourself and your comrades to console them. you have seen my publications you have discovered, that they were wretched because it was on frazries they were settled. And it is thus that you “write down” the prairies of Illinois, But, Sir, the prairies of rich, Illinois are beautiful, as I have healthy; and described we, who them, C are 18 settled on them, 19 are not dissatisfied, or sighing even for Old England: on _ the contrary, contented ourselves, we are anxious to induce those whom we _ love best to follow our example. 576 to 579. declaimer dissuatle Far from being a general in favour of emigration, I would persons, whose dispositions or circumstances unfit them for fact; and it; and al- most in the words which you have unconsciously adopted. Emigration you allow to be good for some; of this your own example is an evidence. I thought it good for me, and published my case, because I knew many, who were in a similar condition, and I wished for society. The dangers and difficulties, which we overcame so easily in theory, have not proved more in formidable possession of in those dows,” which were to reward our “fine freehold domain” around us. ceeded. 580, ace, with in its as the Thus the The context, of as th i are now mea- our toil, and lies smiling experiment quotation first we “beau