| Title: | Jane Ellen Orr, Portaferry, to John M. Orr, Chicago. |
|---|---|
| ID | 2018 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Orr, Jane Ellen/98(2) |
| Year | 1848 |
| 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. | 9702153 |
| Date | 28/06/1848 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LTE |
| Log | Document added by LT, 10:02:97. |
| Word Count | 1572 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Portaferry Wednesday 28th Jun 1848 My Dear John On last Friday when we heard the American mail had arrived and we had no letter from you we were extremely disappointed. I assure you we did not know what to think, it was five weeks since we received your last letter we had a paper however which prevented us from thinking you were dead altogether. We knew Tom Warnock must be with you, as his friends had two papers from him posted in Chicago but we could not account for neither of you writing. Yesterday morning however we got a very agreeable surprise, by receiving your letter of 3d June, we were not expecting it before Thursday at the very soonest, as it is generally on that day the mail reaches Portaferry, but the Niagara had an unusually quick passage, nine days I think (10 days & 8 hours). The Warnocks were delighted to receive Tom's letter, which came yesterday also - I am glad to hear you ever in the enjoyment of such good health, many a time we wonder if you ever take a cough now, I think the climate of Chicago must agree with you very well. I hope it may do so with Tom and that he will be able to remain with you during the winter, it would be so much pleasanter for both of you. You spoke of having had a great thunder storm, we had one also on Thursday night. It commenced between ten and eleven o'clock and lasted until after one, we were all greatly frightened. The thunder was awful, it was as loud as on the day Mr Johnston preached here the sermon before last. I don't think there was any damage done. I saw one flash of lightening with my eyes shut, and my head under the blankets, and then about a second after came an awful peal of thunder which made the bed shake. The weather ever since has been cold and unsettled. I think Maggy mentioned in her letter that there was to be a great wedding here, Margareta & Dr. Tom. Well they were married on the 8th of this month, and a wonderful turn out we had. I was one of the bridesmaids. I think there were twenty-four in the meeting house, and about twenty eight sat down to a splendid lunch at one o'clock, the marriage was at twelve o'c [o'clock?]. I wish you had seen the crowds of people that were in the meeting house, I am certain it never was so well filled before, some people were thinking it would have been a good plan to have made every one pay a halfpenny, and given the proceeds to the building of our school-house, which we are about commencing. There were four outside cars and two carriages taking the party to the meeting house. One of the carriages was Mr. Allan's of Mountpanther, the other was from Belfast, and took the Bride and Groom away after lunch. They went to the Giant's Causeway, & remained only a week. We visited them of course, I hear they have been visited by all the townspeople, - They were up here yesterday for a few minutes - George Bowden goes to Belfast on Monday, and intends commencing to practise there, his marriage is by all accounts to take place immediately. Isabella Dalzell of Glasgow was to have been married on Tuesday week to a Mr. [Menmine?], but was put off for a fortnight. It is a fine match for her I believe. Isabella Filson was reading me a long letter yesterday she had from Maria giving her a description of the dresses &c &c. I know you wouldn't care for hearing about the dresses, so it is useless for me taking up my time writing what would not be interesting. Marianne Seed is not to be married for some months yet. But sure Robert Greer is to be married in the course of a month, to a Miss Cooper an English lady, she is mistress of seven languages, and is heiress to some very wealthy gentleman !!! It is a sin to see so much money going to our family - Mr Nelson the waterguard, had some very bad distressing news yesterday from New York. His son John (I am sure you must remember him) had got second mate of an immense vessel called the "New World." He came here nearly three months since for his eldest sister to take her out with him to New York; after the vessel arrived there, John Nelson was sweeping out the deck and missed his foot, and fell overboard, and was drowned. His father is in a dreadful state, the shock came very unexpectedly indeed - Alexander Blow sailed about three weeks since for the Brazils. Henry intends going also whenever his time is out. Alexander told me, when I was in Belfast, that you had promised to write to him before you left, but had never done so. He had been looking for a letter every mail, and was very much disappointed that he never had received any. Will you thank Tom Warnock from me for the kind note which he wrote me, and say also that Eliza Ann McCleery and I have been talking of writing to him for some time, and that we must not talk any more but write, for talking will never write a letter. I wish I could write as good a letter as Tom, I'm a precious bad composer, I never take time to think what I am to say - Alexander McCullough has been nearly dead within this last month of inflammation, he is now I believe quite well again. He has dissolved partnership with his brothers. John and William have bought new starch works, and Sandy carries on the [broking?] business at the office in Waring Street. Robena and Miss [Gowen?] are to be down soon, and Mary Filson will be home from school this evening. I think I told you before that she had gone to school in Ardglass - Dada is anxious to know if there is any additional inland postage on your letters when they are in envelopes. We just pay 1/- what we always did when sending a letter, but Dada was thinking that perhaps there as some additional postage from New York to Chicago, if there is we would not put them in envelopes again. Don't forget to answer this question when you write - Is there much fruit in Chicago this year? We have immense quantities of gooseberries, but the caterpillars fastened on the bushes some time since, and destroyed the leaves, on some of the bushes there is scarcely a leaf to be seen but bad as they are with us I believe they are not half as bad as in Mr Warnock's garden. We never had so many gooseberries in my recollection - Mrs Hughes and four of her children are in town at present. Old Tom Hughes died very suddenly about a month ago, he was found dead. No will can be found and his daughter will of course get all the money œ250,000 she has œ48,000 independent of her Father's, which was left to her by an Uncle. I understand, she is just as penurious as her Father was - Dada goes to the Assembly on Tuesday. Mr Hamilton of York Street is to preach here on Sunday week on education. We are all as busy as nailers knitting quilts which we intend to dispose of to the best advantage for the benefit of the Sabbath school. we have been working at them since January, and they are not finished yet. I wish they were done for I'm heartily tired of them. Alexander McKibbin of Belfast is to be married on the 16th of July to a Miss [Cordukes?], she's just eighteen. Everybody is getting married nowadays - John Filson is going out to his Uncle Robert in Pittsburgh in September - There was a letter from Willy [William?] McCleery a week or two since, he is in [Trieste?] at present, and they must leave before the 15th of next month, or else the ports will be closed - I think there will be a great turn out in Mrs Donnans some night this week for the bride and groom. I wish Hugh would pluck up some spirit and send for Tommy Waterson, and let us go to the stores and have a dance, instead of playing cards all night. We have at last sent the [Farina?] away, it was shipped on Saturday in the Commodore, I think we won't get more than a pound a hundred for it there is just eight hundred of it altogether. I think you never saw such a size as what Archy [Archibald?] McMullan is growing, he will soon be as large as poor Tom Gelston was. William McMullan bought Hugh Boyds house, he intends giving up Purgatory - I do not think I have any thing more to say but I suppose you will be thinking by this time you have had quite enough of such stuff. Perhaps Dada or Maggy will think of something more to say - With love in which I am joined by all here Believe me yours very sincerely Jane Ellen Remember me to Tom Warnock. Do write to Wm. [William?] Henry or he will be huffed. |
