| Title: | Anna Hay, Peterborough, Canada, to Uncle [Kirkpatrick, Craigs?] |
|---|---|
| ID | 1350 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Hay, Anna/8 |
| Year | 1877 |
| Sender | Hay, Anna |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | housewife |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Peterborough, Ontario, Canada |
| Destination | Craigs, Belfast, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Rev George Kirkpatrick |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | niece-uncle |
| Source | D 1424/11: Purchased From Mr John A. Gamble, 44 Taunton Avenue, Belfast 15. #TYPE EMG Letter From Anna Hay, Peterboro [Peterborough?], Canada, to Her Uncle [Reverend George Kirkpatrick, Hazelbank, Craigs, Co Antrim?], 1 May 1877. |
| Archive | Public Record Office Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9004028 |
| Date | 01/05/1877 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | 25:04:1990 JM created 21:08:1990 MC input 24:08:19 |
| Word Count | 1192 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | To Uncle [?] From: Peterboro [Peterborough?] May 1st 1877 My dear Uncle, I make a begining [beginning?] of a letter to you today tho [although?] I shall not Post it till the 3rd - But today always comes loaded with memories of the Past since childhood, tho not in general like your May days coming with flowers &c & though I can say we have flowers this year too not many garden flowers but since there is a wood still the dear little spring flowers are thick & bright. They are dying out I am sorry to say as the country is cleared up. Thank you dear Uncle for your kind letter of the 12th which I received on the 24th We were all delighted to get it as it was longer between the last and it than usual & we began to feel uneasy But were very happy to find that you & all belonging to you were well On the 3rd of April Tom complained of severe headache & looked so swollen in the veins of his forehead which made us very anxious about him for fear of any effects of the Sun stroke I got some medi[cine?] from the doctor for him, but he was in great pain all night next morning his face began to swell & it went on till he could not open his mouth more than to let in the smallest teaspoon & it went on for two days & then the Dr [doctor?] had to lance it in two places poor fellow & he suffered very much for some days & between pain & not being able to eat he got so thin at the end of two weeks the swelling had gone down enough to allow of his having a tooth extracted & that even then was no easy job as his mouth was so tender still Well the day after the tooth was drawn he had to start on the survey of the Ottawa & Toronto Railroad - And very glad he was to go though feeling weak for the work - They looked a nice party starting off that morning April 16th. George who is the Chief Engineer on the line, Henry & Tom Assistant Engineers & Walter George eldest son, Rolly Brown Bessys youngest son Arthur [Mullins?] a first cousins son & 2 laborers 8 in all They looked so happy going off But as George had some case at the assizes this week & next & had to bring the party home until he was ready to start again. Tom looks so much better since he has been away & had no hard work as he was [?] After the assizes are over they intend to go to Toronto & come this way & meet the work they have been at. But Tom will write & tell you better than I can 2d Indeed dear Uncle we all delight in your dear kind letters. It is so very very kind in you writing as you do to us. We have had a most lovely spring & not a common one for Canada & a very mild winter. Though we live in dread of frost yet - vegetation is very forward for so early & the farmers have got in under more spring wheat than usual as the Fall wheat had failed the last two years. And the dry weather of last summer burnt up much wheat last year so that when the farmers heard the first report that war had begun they raised the price of wheat to $2 two dollars a bushel - Potatoes are dear & bad too - So we all hope for good crops this year - Bessy & her party are well - Harriet has been staying with Carry & Henrys wife since he has been away. I had been 10 days with her before as she had a severe attack of rheumatism, but had to come home to see about Tom - Ellen & Charles [?] are well- They intend to go soon for a trip which will be pleasant for them & all going together makes it more so. Kate & her baby boy are very well she & it spent last Friday with me My party are all well now Anna & the children are recovering from heavy colds There is much scarlet fever of a mild kind in town now I hope our wee pets will escape it even though mild None of us had heard of Mr [Buttas?] death until your letter came- I think he was never a robust person - Mrs [Butta?] & her little girl will make a pleasant addition to her other sisters household I should think We seldom hear of the Bothwell party now nor of the Wall[aces?] either. Will they return to his sheep farming - They have not the same dislike it seems to cousins marrying as their grand parents had as I have hear[d?] dear Mamma say that Uncle Wallace used to preach to the young people about him (she amongst the rest) that none of his family should ever marry a cousin - Yes we heard of Charlottes 10th arriving - Charly wrote a few lines to Ellen telling of the event - on the 3d day - But have heard no more since - I have never had one line from either since Tom left them - though I have written twice to each in that time - I suppose they have not much time. El1en had one letter from Charlotte some time ago How dreadful so many countries now engaged in War. How many families will be called to mourn for some loved members of their family - We feel the effects here now in the rise of provisions - I am glad the winter was over before the rise took place as the poor would suffer so much but they will not have need of much firewood as the weather will soon be warm enough not to require more wood than to cook with - I gave your message about Mr Miller to Tom - How hard it is for young men to get on now I hope the War will not put a stop to our mailbag from want of money - Mrs. Stafford Kirkpatrick is still in Kingston with her nephew She is kept busy amongst her own family & was not looking well when I saw her before leaving - Mr James Dennistons have scarlet fever & are getting on very well some are over it & out of doors again Our old clergyman Mr Roger lost his youngest son about a month ago from scarlet fever first & then he took cold which fell on the lungs & carried him off in a few days- Tom often tells our Charly about his little cousins at Hazelbrook [Hazelbank?] & how they help their Grand Pa in the garden I have given you a very long letter dear Uncle Tom & the girls join with me in kind love to you & all our cousins Believe me ever you [your ?] affect [affectionate?] niece Anna Hay |
