| Title: | Anna Hay, Peterborough to C. Kirkpatrick, Cullybackey |
|---|---|
| ID | 1349 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Hay, Anna/1 |
| Year | 1874 |
| Sender | Hay, Anna |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | housewife |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Peterborough, Ontario, Canada |
| Destination | Craigs, Belfast, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Kirkpatrick, Catherine |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | niece-aunt |
| Source | D 1604/278: Presented by Rev. Robert Kirkpatrick, Breezemount, The Roddens, Larne, County Antrim. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 9012042 |
| Date | 07/01/1874 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Action By Date Document added by B.W. 20:12:1993 |
| Word Count | 1651 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | To: Mrs Kirkpatrick Hazelbank Craigs [Cullybackey?] Belfast Ireland [Postmarks front & back] KINGSTON [Canada?] AM JA [January?] [?] --75 [1875?] PAID DERRY JA [January?] 27 18-- [1875?] COL [Colonial?] PACKET E 4 S BELFAST JA [January?] 28 --75 [1875?] CULLYBACKEY A JA [January?] [?] --75 [1875?] From: Peterboro [Peterborough?] Jan---y [January?] 7th 1874 - My dearest Aunt I received your nice kind & welcome letter on the 2 day of the New Year, thank you very much for it - I was very happy to find you were all well when you wrote - for I was just beginning to wish to hear of or from you - as I think it has been more unhealthy in the old country, than usual this year the newspapers spoke of part of November & Dec being very sickly & it was during that time that poor dear Charley has been so ill - tho' [though?] untill [until?] he was able to write himself & tell of it we did not know of his illness at all - though Charlotte had written to her sister they never mentioned it to any of us till danger was passed - very timid of them - Poor Charlotte has a most terrible time, as when Charly [Charley?] was so ill they telegraphed to her that her Aunt was dying & to go quick - she could not leave Charley without someone to look after him as the children took all the care of the others - then she got one of the Beauforts to come to Charly [Charley?] untill [until?] she should return She could not have been long away But after that the children all #PAGE 2 took heavy colds & one took chicken pox so poor dear she has her hands full - Charlotte must be one of the very best managers in the world - This is a lovely bright Canadian day - I hope it is a [as?] bright in Edinh [Edinburgh?] as here, tho [though?] not so cold as it is the wedding day of a first cousin of Franny & Annas - She is an only child (Bessy Hay) her father is a Rear Admiral - I knew him slightly as he came out Many years before my dear husband came - he was then only Capt [Captain?] he never had any other child Fanny knew her very well & likes her exceedingly - I believe the young couple will live here her parents poor Frans time of waiting is not over yet - Money is made much more slowly now than it was a few years ago - Tom too has to wait - tho [though?] I hope he will soon get employment, I would wish it to be in a better & more safe place than working on the Railroad bridge on Rice Lake It will be bitter cold & very much exposed as the lake is 2 - 3 miles across where he works - and much longer - the wind sweeps down & across it - he had been there the summer before last - but the Company being nearly all Americans & of course drew their money from the States, and when the failures took place lost much & had to stop the work - Tom was thrown nearly out of employment for many months getting only small jobs - which in many cases hardly kept him but had not a cent to put by for himself - he has passed through some trying times - in that way and I hope now he will be able to make a good start - tho' [though?] they do not pay such a high Salary by #PAGE 3 any means as one their lives still it is better far then nothing & is in the way of hearing of better - One good thing his lady love is young only 19 in Dec. & very useful at home & of happy disposition she does not feel at things that cannot be helped - She Sent me such a pretty basket made by the Indians - of sweet grass - birds [---?] & porcupine quills & 3 table mats made of the same materials all so pretty & sweet I never saw mats made by them before, the basket is very pretty, has a lid - Cecilia worked Tom such a pretty Shaving case of green velvet & white frosty looking beads - Xmas [Christmas?] & new year are great times here for near friends making presents to each other & there is such a wee fuss in every family for some weeks before making & getting what they can - that the excitement before the time for a few days is so great with the young people & they have to do so much in secret which adds to the fun - some of the elders send more substantial things - just as they think a person needs such & such things - such as fowl - roasts or beef - fruit or cakes - vegetables - butter, fresh eggs - or some nice useful warm piece of dress - gloves or shawls & such like - some [books?] & sweeties for old & young - & there receiving parcels & not opening any until Xmas [Christmas?] morning - Is so exciting that one is quite relieved & rested when those days are over - Here every ones parcel is put on the breakfast plate or beside it when each person sits & when all are by the opening & rustling of paper goes on - the name of each is written on the parcel & who is it from - some give a set #PAGE 4 of China to their parents or [vice versa?] we generally give useful things as our money is too little to allow of spending on useless thing - We generally find out what each wants - & do not like to spend on themselves to get & at these times get them - Poor dear Bessy has been suffering from her liver again & has come into town to see the Dr & stay for a day or two - her right arm has been almost useless for some days - she is staying with Kate & was here this morning & says from the Dr remedies she is better today - She is too lonely at Goodwood no neighbours within walking distance of her & she frets [I fear?] a good deal, but she has promised to come to us after her visit to Kate - Kate is very well & I hope no fear of another baby all her young people are well Louisa too - She Louisa I mean spent last evening here & looks better - I think poor dear she works too hard - dear Ellen is better She has not been quite well the beginning of the winter - Last week Franny was quite ill & Tom too from heavy feverish colds - Now our wee man has taken it - Anna pretty well - tho [though?] looking [dowsey?] there may be a cause for it but say nothing yet for she lost two when as far as advanced - I hope you dear Geraldine will get on well this time - Katey is a forward wee body - It is so healthy for the wee things to play in the fresh snow - when not soft and damp - [---?] not every day - except one day the Thr [Thermometer?] was 24 below zero - he is often out when zero or 2 or 3 below - when calm & rolls over in the snow drifts & calls some one to look at him - he has not been out since to took [sic] such a bad cold - tho [though?] not from going out but it is going about - I think Geraldine must be an excellent manager & good wife & Mother - What a pity #PAGE 5 poor Alicia has no family when they are both so fond of children, her health might be better, too - Fanny always feels a great fondness for her as she met her at your house - Thank you for telling me so much about the wee bodies we like to hear all we can about other children - Charly left off his rollers at 6 months old & I knit little warm shirts for him - I never used them longer than 6 or 8 months - but put flannel next the skin when I took off the rollers - It is such a pleasant way of spending the long winter evenings all sitting round the table sewing, or knitting & some one reading - one does not notice the melancholy sound of the wind going round the house - It always has been a very sad sound to me by night or day - and this time of year is sad and brings sad remembrances of former years - My dear James was born on a Xmas [Christmas?] morning my darling kind and gentle Son & always I began a letter to him on that day - Thank you for so kindly saying you would draw the plan of Alexr [Alexander's?] new house for Tom he is quite pleased to hear of it too - Have you dear Aunt any of your own pretty drawings of old times - If you have one to spare I would very much like to have one - An uncle of Joss's a doctor Collins is staying at Malone the last 10 days - he came in here one day & seems a very pleasant old gentleman I had hoped to have had them all in for an evening while he was there - but Charles has not been able to get another horse yet & his useful old one died very suddenly about 4 weeks ago so they are greatly #PAGE 6 shut up till they do get one - all my parts send loves & kind wishes of the season to you dearest Aunt Uncle & cousins in which I join Believe me ever your affect [affectionate?] niece Anna Hay Jany [January?] 7th 1875 |
