| Title: | William Gilkison, Castledamph to James A Smyth, Ontario |
|---|---|
| ID | 1188 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Gilkinson, William/104 |
| Year | 1899 |
| Sender | Gilkinson, William |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | farmer |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Castledamph, Co. Tyrone, N.Ireland |
| Destination | Essex, Ontario, Canada |
| Recipient | Smyth, James Alexander |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | cousins |
| Source | Copyright Retained by Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone, castledamph@btinternet.com |
| Archive | Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge. |
| Doc. No. | 410038 |
| Date | 19/04/1899 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LTE |
| Log | Document added by LT, 26:10:2004. |
| Word Count | 786 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [Front of envelope] Mr James A Smyth Essex Essex Co Ontario Canada [Stamped] NEWTOWNSTEWART PM 10 0 AP 19 99 [Postage Stamp] [Postage and Inland revenue] One Penny [Back of envelope] [Stamped] PLUMBRIDGE AP 19 99 [Stamped] HAMILTON APL 27 10 0 1899 [Stamped] ESSEX AP 28 99 ONT. [Page 1] Castledamph April 19th 1899 Dear Cousin In answer to your letter which I received a few days ago was glad to hear from you once more. We are all well here at present Your father is able to go about and do a little work now but he could not make a big race yet as his leg is very stiff but he will be allright [alright?] after a while [Page 2] We have a very bad spring here this year it is raining constantly the land is ready to swim The corn is not all sowed yet and it is as bad today as ever the Potatoes will be very late if it does not soon dry up we have none in yet I see by your letter you dont run about much on Sunday but I do not wonder much at that some of us dont run much here now either as we have very few places to go to [Page 3] Thomas and me used to go Pretty often to Plumbridge but the nights is got to [too?] short now and its not a very good place to go on a Sunday evening we were not in Gordons this long time William and John Charles goes a [sic] odd time John seems to be getting along well with Tilda I think he will beat all of us at courting he can coax them very well I was telling Mary Jane that you were asking about them she said [Page 4] hir [her?] Father always liked you better than any of the rest and wonders you did not forget about them like myself William is very often in [N----?] [-o--?] now and here [there?] is some good fun abut [about?] then old Cathrine [Catherine?] says that him and Mary Jane is [Clippers?] You say you are not much of a favourite among the ladies over there well I think they must be very hard to Please for they are not such beauties themselves I see it is the fashion for the boys to keep their hair long well you may keep yours long [Page 5] while you are there but when you come home you must get it cut as it is not the fashion hire [here?] You will not have to ask me to speak to any of the girls here for you unless you are greatly changed since you lift [left?] I think when they see you there will be very little left for me to do but we will see all about that after you get back I hope you will get through all right again July [Page 6] The stillers got it pretty sharp this time They were fined in [sic] £6 each so that will put a stop to such work and I think it is time it is a shame to see Protestants going on in such a way I wish you were hire [here?] to help me to put an end to the Cards They are at them every night when they are not in our house they are at them in your house I have told them twenty times if they would not quit them [Page 7] I will burn them but there is too many of them against me. Miss Dunne is getting along very well with the school they all passed this year She has been very ill this last month they did not expect her to get better but she is allright [alright?] now We get no word from Miss Dunbar at all now Beck was up in Mrs Dunnes for two weeks and she never came up [Page 8] only about an hour one evening They think the People are not big enough quality The Miss McFarlands are getting on well in New York if you would think of writing to them I could send you their directions I am sure they would be glad to hear from you I dont think any of us will go to Paris it would [sic] to [too?] expensive We will be done with the road in another year and you may be sure we will not bother with it again unless the County Council makes a change for the [better?] but am afraid it will be worse No more at Present But remains You [Your?] Cousin Willie Gilkison [Written at top of Page 1] There is not much news in this letter but I will writ [write?] soon again and tell you all the news I can. excuse this scribble as I am in a Hurry [Written on seperate note] Aunt Matilda is dead she was only lying about four days it was very sudden I was up ploughing about two weeks before she died and she was looking quite well but it is in a short time that death comes |
