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Title: [James?] Banks Reford, New Jersey to Aunt [Reford, Antrim?].
ID124
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FileBanks Reford, James/65
Year1899
SenderBanks Reford, James
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationmerchant
Sender Religionunknown
OriginBloomfield, New Jersey, USA
DestinationCo. Antrim, N. Ireland
RecipientReford, Matilda
Recipient Genderfemale
Relationshipnephew-aunt
SourceT 3028: Permission to copy from W. Reford Esq., 81 Islandmagee Road, Whitehead, Co. Antrim.
ArchiveThe Public Record Office, Northern Ireland.
Doc. No.9405001
Date05/11/1899
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
LogDocument added by LT, 27:04:1994.
Word Count474
Genre
Note
TranscriptTo: His Aunt [Anne or Matilda Reford?],
[Antrim?],
[County Antrim?],
[Ireland?].

From: J. [James?] Banks Reford,
184 Midland Avenue,
N.J. [New Jersey?],
[U.S.A.?]


Nov 5 1899
Dear Aunt,

Your letter of
August 14th was duly
received, and I owe you
an apology for my long
delay in answering.
Time slips fast, and I
had no idea it was so
long. And being busy, and
sitting on the porch during
the fall evenings. I didn't
though often Eunice and I
have spoken of you and
my pleasant visit to you.
Eunice was quite desirous
I should [------?] my trip, but
I could not see my way
clear to do so. I was pleased
to hear from you, and that
you were keeping up, in
spite of your many years.
We are all well. I have
had very poor spells, during
the summer but am now
feeling quite myself again.
We have had peculiar
weather. It froze ice with
us the nights of Oct 1-2 & 3
We generally have a [slight?]
frost about the 5 to the 10th.
And then it comes fine
for 4 or 5 weeks. Before
the frost kills. But this
year all my flowers were
cut down. Since the 1st of
October, we have had very
pleasant - and at times hot
weather. To night [Tonight?] it looks
like snow. We can now
make up our minds for
winter weather.
No word from Belfast yet.
I had [Mr?] Wylie down to see
me. He came in to take in the
Yatch [Yacht?] race. Hoping to see
the Shamrock win, but the
day he went down there
was no race. Which was
on a Saturday, and he
could not wait until Sunday
so he went home.
I would have liked to have
seen the "Shamrock" make
a better showing. I can't say
I would have liked to have
seen her win. The action of Sir
Thomas Lipton has made me
many friends. And I told
the boys, (since his coming)
We Irish in this country are
judged by the masses of the
immigrants that have come
from Ireland the past 20 or
more years, and many of our
so called Americans had an
idea that they were a fair
type of all the dwellers of
the Green Isle. But Sir Thomas
Shewed [showed?] himself a true sport
and a Gentleman. When he
comes again he will be received,
with a warmth that
no one from your side, could
approximate, He caused as much
enthusiasm, as our hero,
Admiral Dewey.
I regret the war you have
on hand, may it speedily
end; and the lives of your brave
young men be spared, to their
country and familes. How bitter
we thought a year ago, that
England would be in war.
Our war drags along. But
from present indications this
Government will pusue [pursue?] a [vigorous?]
[campaign?] from now on. Trusting
this will find you in good health
and love from all. Your loving nephew.

J. [James?] Banks Reford.