| Title: | Patrick FitzGerald, New York, to Michael Cahill, Quebec. |
|---|---|
| ID | 1056 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Fitzgerald, Patrick Jr/14 |
| Year | 1846 |
| Sender | Fitzgerald, Patrick |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Albion, New York, USA |
| Destination | Quebec, Canada |
| Recipient | Cahill, Michael |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers in law |
| Source | Emigrant Letters of the FitzGerald Family, Co. Tipperary, 1829-1907. Copyright Reserved by Edwina Goodard, 750 San Fernando St., San Diego, CA 92106, U.S.A. |
| Archive | The Ulster American Folk Park, Omagh. |
| Doc. No. | 9601014 |
| Date | 22/11/1846 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 20:12:95. |
| Word Count | 913 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | From: Patrick FitzGerald, Albion, Orleans Co., New York, 22 November 1846. To: his brother-in-law, Michael Cahill, Quebec, Lower Canada. Addressed: Mr. Michael Cahill, Quebec, Lower Canada. Postmarked: Albion, N.Y. Nov 23; [a large] X [10 cents?]; Quebec [Dec?] 1846. Cream paper, in fair condition, folded and creased, slight tearing, sealed with red sealing wax. Albion Nov 22/46 Dear Michael, I am happy to acknowledge even "at the eleventh hour" your kind but brief letter of Sept 25th. I have sent you some papers; whether you recd. [received?] them or not I do not know if you have and wish for any more let me know and I will send you them regularly. It is with sincere regret I learn that your father has been so long unwell. I am afraid the fall weather will not help him any; particularly if his complaint is any way consumptive. I am (I must confess) happy that Mary yourself and family are all well. Robt. [Robert?] I suppose has got to be quite a boy by this time; you tell me he goes to school; this is well, he cannot have too much the more he gets the more profit and pleasure he will derive from it hereafter and if properly directed will amply repay you for whatever labour and expense you may have to encounter while bestowing it on him. And while you have his mental faculties thus undergoing a cultivation which may yield an abundant harvest, his religious culture should also be made equally important for without the latter the former is worse than a barren desert yielding nothing but thorns and thistles which prick the arteries of a parents heart and bring to an untimely grave those who had given him life. Little however do I fear that Divine Providence would permit you thus to neglect a duty so paramount as the one I have been speaking of. I hoped to have a letter from Mrs. O Donnell by this time they certainly cannot be ignorant of my "whereabouts" since. They must have learned it of you. I should be very happy to hear from them. I hope you will express to them my wish to that effect and I will expect a letter by the time I ought to have one after I suppose you will receive this. I learn'd with much regret that Mr. Hynes was not happy and as prosperous as I would wish him to be. May Divine Providence grant him strength and fortitude to bear against any affliction which in his mercy he is pleased to send him. I expressed to Eliza your request and she being about to go back to New York thought she would not write to you till she got there. She had scarcely got there however before she wrote to me stating that she would be going to Mobile State of Alabama the next Thursday (29th of October) being the day on which I received her letter. She says she will get much better wages and the climate so very mild she thinks it will do her health much good. She wished me to say this to you lest you should think she had willfully neglected writing to you. I ought to have a letter from her by this time. It would take her 12 or 14 days to get there and she has been gone 24 or 25 days. I hope no accident has befallen her though I fear much for there has been a tremendous gale of wind in that direction lately. The line of packet ships however between N. [New?] York and Mobile are of the best kind and I can see of no disasters except to the lighter kind of brig and schooner. This my dear Michael is Sunday and I feel very sad and it is now about 7 oclock in the evening. This village contains about 2500 inhabitants. Here there are Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, and Episcopalians all having meeting houses but no Catholic Church and not any nearer than Rochester between 30 and 35 miles. I was down there about 6 weeks ago. I left here Saturday night and got back Monday morning about 5 oclock. There are 5 catholic churches in Rochester. The 5th is in course of finishing and will be a splendid edifice. It was built by the German Catholics. Two weeks ago today I was in Lockport about 30 miles west on the canal and heard mass there. So you see if I go to hear mass I have to go a long ways to hear it. I understood in Rochester that John Crotty ex soldier, and tailor was sent to states prison for stealing. You know Michael it is part of a tailors trade to "cabbage" a little but John stole more than once and consequently was sent to states prison. If any from our place hear of it they will not be surprised at it for he made himself notorious enough to home to have such a place as that meted for him since he was able to walk. I hope you will give my kindest remembrances to Mr and Mrs O Donnell, to Mr and Mrs Fox, to your father and brothers, to cousin James Burnet and if there are any other acquaintances give them my best wishes. I heard from home about a month ago. They are all well. I had a letter from Thomas Buckley not long ago. They are well and so is J. Doyle. Yours as ever P. FitzGerald [on reverse side] P.S. We have had no snow here yet but much wet weather. I suppose you have good sleighing now. I wish you much joy for any would be better than what we have had this fall. Write to me as soon as you receive this. P.F. [Patrick Fitzgerald?] |
