| Title: | Jane Ellen Orr, Portaferry, to John M. Orr, [Chicago?]. |
|---|---|
| ID | 2017 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Orr, Jane Ellen/98 |
| Year | 1847 |
| Sender | Orr, Jane Ellen |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | Prob. Protestant |
| Origin | Portaferry, Co. Down, N.Ireland |
| Destination | Chicago, Illinois, USA |
| Recipient | Orr, John M. |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | siblings |
| Source | Copyright Retained by John McCleery, 80 Circular Road, Belfast,BT4 2GD. |
| Archive | Ulster American Folk Park. |
| Doc. No. | 9702154 |
| Date | 27/11/1847 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LTE |
| Log | Document added by LT, 10:02:97. |
| Word Count | 1260 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Portaferry November 27th 1847 My Dear John On receipt of your letter of the 19th Oct we were all most delighted to find that you were regularly commenced business, and likely to succeed - I need scarcely say that you have the good wishes of all your friends. We are supposing that by the time you have received Dada's last epistle and surely the contents of it would put you in a good temper - that is, if at any time during the day you had been in a bad one. We were saying a few days since that it would be a very long time before we would know whether you had received it or not, as formerly during the winter months, the mail only came in once a month. however, we saw by yesterday's paper that arrangements had been made to despatch mails to and from America every fortnight, for the next four months, and once a month during summer. We are glad that such arrangements have been made for now that we have been accustomed to hear from you every fortnight, it would seem very long indeed did we not [sic] from you for a whole month. You might send us a paper now and again we would like very much to know what is going on in Chicago, and to see is your name in it yet, it would cut a great swell "Bentley & Orr." Is he - Mr Bentley - an American, or one of your own countrymen? I think the Chicago [sic] winter must have set in very soon in Chicago, as in your last letter you mentioned that there had been snow. Mama was wishing that you had some more warm stockings. The weather has been cold but no snow as yet. The Warnock's had a very long letter yesterday from Tom. I suppose he is in New Orleans by this time as he was to leave Cincinatti the 1st. November. he told them that he had to clean his own boots for some time as the servants would not do them, you never said whether you had that work to do or not. You will scarcely be able to read this writing, this pen I have won't write. You will I am certain be surprised to hear that Aunt Isabella Orr had an addition to her family about three weeks since. I am sure Uncle Malcolm and she will be quite proud of their little daughter - the young mountaineer, as Uncle styles her. Uncle Robert met with a severe accident about a week or two since, he was returning from Belfast one evening about [supper?] and the mare he was on threw him and cut his head and sprained his right arm. Dada had a letter from Uncle William yesterday, and he mentioned that he was better, and had been able to go to the garden the day before the letter was written. Grandmamma and all other friends in that quarter are quite well. Mrs R. McCleery has also got an addition to her family - a little boy - he is uncommonly like what William Henry was, when he was an infant - William Henry is growing very tall, he now wears a little Office coat, of which he is very proud. he is as full of conceit as ever he can be, and a great mimic. he can take off people before their face, and they never know. I believe he intends writing you a line or two to shew you how much improved his is in his writing penmanship, but whether he will settle to do so is another matter. The teacher that is here at present is a Mr. Johnston, he is a very nice looking young man, but has a stick leg, many a times the boys say among themselves, that if he is cross with them, they will tumble him. I suppose they imagine it would not be hard to do. What would you suppose to be the difference in the time between Chicago and Portaferry? we were thinking about 3 or four hours many a time, when we are sitting around the fire before going to bed, we talk of you and wonder what you are then doing. It is now more than six months since you left us, it appears to me more than a year. You said in your last letter that if all goes right you think it likely you would be able to pay us a visit in three years. Would you remain at home then? I suppose however by that time you would have become so much attached to the Chicago people, that you would not like to leave them. Very few after remaining for some years in America when [sic] to live in Ireland, and I suppose that will be the case with you. It is generally thought that there will be a much distress this year as what was last, the people are beginning to call out already. The murders that are committed daily in the south and west are really awful. Not a paper but is almost filled with them. Parliament has assembled, and some measures will be adopted to try and prevent so much blood being shed. I think we are very happy being in such a quiet corner. Have you had a letter from Robert Bowden yet? He wrote to me for your address some time ago. Since I wrote the foregoing, I have been walking, visiting &c &c. as the day has been very beautiful. We have had some very stormy days during the last fortnight, a great many shipwrecks. I suppose you will see in the papers an account of the wreck of the "Stephen Whitney" an American packet ship, off Cape Clear, there were ninety five lives lost, one of the mates is the son of Mr. Mackay's of Belfast. however he was saved I think you told me of having met the Miss Mackays in Mr Wm. [William?] Blow's. There was a vessel wrecked at the back shore, the crew with the exception of the Master and Mate - got into the longboat, and were picked up shortly after by the "Ignwald" steamer, the master was drowned but the mate got into Kearney - George Bowden left this, the week before last for Edinburgh where he intends remaining for nine months. Margretta has been in Belfast nearly all summer - she came home about a fortnight before George but I hear she goes back to Belfast to spend the winter. I have not heard from Mary Shaw or Mary Blow for a long time, I think they have quite forgotten me. Alexander McCullough was here, or rather his Uncles - for a few days not long since - he has grown very tall, and is greatly improved in his appearance. Papers come very often for you from Mr. J. Glass - I wonder does he not know that you are in America. I have heard Catherine is going to be married, but I don't know whether it is true or not. William Henry has written you an epistle - it is not nearly so well done as I had hoped it would be, indeed my own is none of the best, but you must excuse all blunders, as I am not in the mood for writing, having got a great headache. I must leave the next page for Maggy to write on. With love in which all join, I remain your affectionate sister Jane Ellen Orr |
