| Title: | John Henry, Kansas USA, to Mrs John Henry, Coole, Coleraine. |
|---|---|
| ID | 1422 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Henry, John/24 |
| Year | 1867 |
| Sender | Henry, John |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | farmer |
| Sender Religion | Presbyterian |
| Origin | Clay Center, Kansas, USA |
| Destination | Co. Derry, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Mrs John Henry |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | son-mother |
| Source | T 1480/2: Copied by Permission of J Henry, Esq., Coleraine, County Londonderry #TYPE EMG John Henry, Kansas, [America?], to His Mother, Mrs. John Henry, Coole, Coleraine Post Office, County Londonderry, Ireland, 15 November 1867. |
| Archive | Public Record Office Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9006116 |
| Date | 15/11/1867 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | 20:06:1990 SS created 30:10:1991 PKS input 30:10:1 |
| Word Count | 759 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | To: Mother [Mrs. John Henry, Coole, Coleraine Post Office, County Derry, Ireland?] From: Kansas, November 15th 1867 My Dear Mother, I now take up my pen to write to you a few lines to let yo[u?] know that I am still in the land or the living and able to move around on th[is?] side of the Globe in perfect health I have been sick and well [many a time since I?] last heard from you [but we?] and all the rest of the family are in good health at present, I have long since given up hope of hearing from any of my friends on tha[t?] side of the Atlantic, but thinking that the affaction [affection?] of a mother was still living in your breast and that you would like to hear from your Son I thought I would write to you [?] [?] [?] [?] were get[t?]ing along, you are aware I [presume?] that we sold out in Illinois and move[d?] to Kansas, we came here last spring and has [have?] been very busy on our New far[m?] ever since, we have got one hundred and sixty acres of land and as the[re?] were [was?] no house on it I have been kept hard at work all summer building houses and breaking prairie I have now more land than I expect to work my self but when you take into cons ideration [consideration?] the fact that we have now seven children and six of them Boys you will perhaps come to the conclusion that it will be none to[o?] much some future day, I like this country as well as any other part of America we have ever lived in I believe it is a very healthy country and our land is much better than it was in Illinois, it is a very nice farming country and I think with the Blessing of God upon our labours we shall get along very well, we moved out here in our own wagon it took us four weeks to get here you will think this a pretty long Journey but we dont think much about it in this western world, there is several of our old neighbours from Illinois living here and we have formed a good many acquaintance[s?] since we came here so you see we are not entirely without some friends in our new location, we are located in a very good christian neighbourhood but unfortunately the Presbyterians have not any Church yet, there is six or seven familys [families?] of Reformed Presbyterians here but the[y?] are not able to build any Church yet, we have sabbath school every day and we are in hopes to have a church as soon as we get a little abler to build, I often think of those days when we used to all be going to church together but those days are past & gone never to return it is a true saying that God moves in a mysterious way his wounders [wonders?] to perform father used to be going to the church here below now he is gone to the church above to mingle his voice in the song of Moses amongest [amongst?] the Redeemed in heaven, I hope we shall all meet him there in that happy place where friends meet to part no more and join in the chorous [chorus?] worthy is the Lamb that was Slain, I often think of you when I am hard at work, how lonly [lonely?] you must be since father was taken from you and I most deeply sympathise with you in your bereaved condition and I think we may draw some consolation from the fact that God has promised to be a Husband to the widow and a father to the fatherless, I would like very much to have a letter from you and to hear how you are getting along if you are comfortably fixed and living happy and content, I wrote to Sarah a long time ago she has never answered it, I supose [suppose?] she has got so rapt [wrapped?] up in her own selfishness that she has forgotten she has any kindred in a distant land that would like to hear from her once in a while, this is all that my paper will alow [allow?] me room for at present but I will indeavour [endeavour?] to write to you occasional[l?]y as long as I can hear of your being in the land of the living, give my best respects to all my friends and realitaves [relatives?], and with Love to all my Sisters & Brothers I remain your- Affectionate Son John Henry |
