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Title: William Gamble, Canada, to "Dear Brother," County Down.
ID1141
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FileGamble, William/14
Year1862
SenderGamble, William
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationlime burner
Sender Religionunknown
OriginSt George, N. Brunswick, Canada
DestinationCo. Down, N.Ireland
Recipientunknown
Recipient Gendermale
Relationshipbrothers
SourceD/3305/1/6: Deposited by Dr. K. A. Miller
ArchiveThe Public Record Office, Northern Ireland.
Doc. No.9805348
Date01/09/1862
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
LogDocument added by LT, 14:05:98.
Word Count803
Genre
Note
TranscriptSaint George, September 1st, 1862

Dear Brother

I received your letter of
the fifteenth of June, which gave us much pleasure to
hear that you and your family were all well and that
my Mother was with you. I was very glad to get a
letter from you and to hear that my Mother was well. I
wrote a letter to Abel in answer to one I got from him
directly after his wife died, and all I go [got?] since
was a news paper over 2 years ago. I expected my
Mother was living with him. I have have not heard from
James for over four years, I have written to him since
that but have never got any answer and for andrew I
never got a letter from him I was very sorry to hear
of My Brother Thomas' death. You did not mention
whether it was an accident in the pit or how he came
by his death, I did not hear of it until I got your
letter nor you did not mention how you got hurt
yourself. Dear Brother I have been employed burning lime
ever since I came here, except what time I am off working
on my own place, this spring I agreed to burn 4000 barrels
as I burn by the barrell [barrel?] and the man that lives
on the property is a yankee, he has lived on it for sixtee
[sixty?] years, what they call yankees here is people that
was born in the United states and I live about 15 miles by
water from the lines that divides the states from the
British Province I have had sixpence a barrel for burning
paid in goods, not much money , since I commenced, until
this year I have not got so much owing to the war, there
is not much work going on here this summer and very small
pay for what is to be done I could not live by lime
burning alone if I had not a small place of my own to
raise a little on. There is three kilns here that has been
always kept busy until this summer and now I burn all that
is wanted in one the rest is stopped for a while
Dear Brother I came near never burning any more, I got
hurt at the kilns last fall I fell about 10 feet and
struck on my shoulder on a barrel that was lying on the
floor below I was obliged to get the Doctor to set the
bones it was broke in three places, and I was laid up all
winter with it and I feel the effects of it yet. I have
25 acres of land part of it is cleared up and part not, I
cleared up about one half of it since I got it which is
hard to do, I worked it about as well as any I see here,
I am able to keep three cows and a horse and some calves
and a few sheep. There is an agricultural society here,
it was got up about four years ago, I am one of the
members of it, and last fall I received the most prizes
of any one in two parishes, I got the first prize for a
stud horse or stallion as we call them, and on oats both
black and white and on barley, on a 2 year old heifer
and on a peice [piece?] of cloth of our own manufacture
woolen [woollen ?]and cotton. I cannot command much money
but I can afford to live as well as the most of them that
lives by working. I kill a good pig every fall, pigs grow
equally as well here as they do in Ireland. if they are as
well fed the largest I killed here was 17 months old and
weighed 556 pounds it was the best one ever was killed of
the age round where I live. You mentioned about your
family now I must tell about mine. I have not got many
only a dozen. Thomas, William, John, James, Robert, Ann,
Margaret, Matilda, George, Catherine, Andrew, Agnes, and
Mary. the youngest is three months old and the furthest
that any of them is away from home is 2 miles and he gets
his washing done at home, that is Thomas. Provisions are
not very high here. Flour is 30 shillings per barrel of 2
cut Indian meal 10s per cwt oatmeal 15s per hundred pork
is 34s per hundred beef the same butter 10 per pound eggs
6 per dozen mutton 4d per pound potatoes 4d per bushel. My
wife and family Join with me in sending their love to my
mother and to you and your wife and family and ever
remember me as your Affectionate Brother
William Gamble