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Title: James Housten, Ireland, to, Mr James A Smyth, Ontario.
ID1482
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FileHouston, James/73
Year1897
SenderHouston, James
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationconstruction worker
Sender Religionunknown
OriginEden, Illinois, USA
DestinationEssex, Ontario, Canada
RecipientSmyth, James Alexander
Recipient Gendermale
Relationshipfriends
SourceCopyright Retained by Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone, castledamph@btinternet.com
ArchiveMr & Mrs J Smyth
Doc. No.503020
Date27/01/1897
Partial Date
Doc. TypeLTE
Logunknown
Word Count726
Genre
Note
Transcript[Front of Envelope]

Mr- James -A- Smyth
Essex
Essex County
Ontario
Canada

[Stamped 3 times]
NEWTOWNSTEWART
PM
10 0
JA 27
97

[Written on Front of Envelope]
Ans [Answered?]


[Back of Envelope]
[Stamped]
PLUMBRIDGE
JA 27
97

ESSEX
FE 5
97
ONT.




[Page 1]
Eden
January 27 1897
Dear James
After a long delay you must
excuise [excuse?] me for not
answering your kind letter I
was always going to write I had
to [too?] much to do and put it
off to [sic] knou [now?] I hope you
are well and in good health and that
you are getting along well with you
[your?] education I am at my old
trade Willie is staying at
home I have been very busy

[Page 2]
at my old trade plastering
and cementing Willie my
brother is doing midling
[middling?] the old [Smudling?]
Company above us is broke up the
year and that is a good thing
for it was not nice to see
it so near us he is working
well only he inclines Some
times [sometimes?] to the drink
and that spoils any body
[anybody?] that indulges in it
I be over in your father [sic]
regular [regularly?] We had a grand
Soiree I think we will have no more
ball danses [dances?] the Soirees
is [sic] far

[Page 3]
the best for the [there?] are no
Spirits and the [they?] are conducted
beeter [better?] without the drink
[We?] have got a fine young women
in Alex Houston [sic] I suppose you
heard that Willie of Lisnacraigh
[Lisnacreaght?] has got Married to
a Miss McCullough of [Colvehillion?]
Perhaps you know nothing about her
and poor big Eliza only got a days
warnig [warning?] and that was midling
[middling?] Sharp on her to leave
after been so long in it

[Page 4]
the [They?] are going to have a
Soiree in Gortin I am invited
over to take part in the Programme
I was speaking to your uncle
Charlie on Sunday and he told
me sure to be over he looks
well and in good health
Matilda Jane Duncan you
will be surprised [surprised?]
to hear of her death on the
nineteenth we are not sure of
our life in this world it is
like a vapour it is always [sic]
good to be prepared
as death come [sic] like a thief
in the night she could sit
up untill [until] the rear he [her?]
heart was infected and that caused
her death

[Page 5]
Dear James we have not
much snow this winter
Willie has thirty two head
of Sheep at Drumquim [Drumquin?]
he was up seeing them
at Christmas and the [they?] are
doing well as he had always
a great conceit in the
Sheep he has got a big
Sheep dog [sheepdog?] that can
kill rabbits and hares the dog
followed him out of the
July fair of Gortin and
we still have him yet

[Page 6]
I got ten rabbits in the time
of the snow the [there?] are
lots in Robert McFarland’s land
but I could not venture on it
Willie takes a [sic] odd shot
after night [nightfall?] but he
does not get many the [there?]
are [sic] no improvement on your
cousin Alex Duncan drinking plenty
of Wiskey [Whiskey?] and doing very
little work as for the rest the
[they?] are just the same as when
you left neither better nor
worse Alex has been out three
Sabbeths [Sabbaths] in the snow


[Page 7]
with his dog an [and?] gun so
us [you?] see that is Sinful to
be [lead?] at such a rate as to
go to desolation altogether as
the people that breaks Sunday at
such a rate What do the [they?]
expect at the end I send you a
newspaper to let you see some
news about the old Country
As Ireland is not improving
much Old Doctor [Connor?] is
just about to die he is
not expect [expected?] to mend
and he will be misted [missed?]
when he will go as the [there?] might
not

[Page 8]
be [sic] as good one as he was
how is you [your?] fried [friend?]
Sarah Ann getting along I suppose
she is earning a great Salary
again this time and Willie John
do you get any letters from him I
would like to know what time you
would be able to take a situation
as I would be glad to hear how well
you would be and that you will be
spared you [your?] health all ours
[sic] folks sends [sic] their best
respects to you and hops [hope?]
that you will come out right dont
forget to write as Soon as you can
I remain your
friend James Housten [Houston?]



Transcribed by Elizabeth Prentice