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Title: Margaret Black, Fairview to Isabella Allen, Belfast.
ID214
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FileBlack, Margaret/43
Year1848
SenderBlack, Margaret
Sender Genderfemale
Sender Occupationunknown
Sender Religionunknown
OriginFairview, USA?
DestinationBelfast, N.Ireland
RecipientAllen, Isabella
Recipient Genderfemale
Relationshipfriends
SourceD/1558/1/2/49: Presented by the late F.D. Campbell Allen, Esq., 15 London Road, Harrow-on-the-Hill, Middlesex, England
ArchiveThe Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
Doc. No.9804177
Date02/02/1848
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
LogDocument added by LT, 08:04:98.
Word Count743
Genre
Note
TranscriptFairview 2nd Februry [February?]
1848.

My dear Mrs Allen
I received your welcome letter of
the 29th Dec. upon the 25th of last month and I now
sit down to give you a few hasty lines as I know that
you & Mr Allen will be anxious to hear how poor Aphra
is, she is now entirely confined to her room and
almost always to her bed, for the last week she has
suffered from spasms in her throat which threatened
to bring her sufferings very soon to a close as they
prevented her from taking nourishment to any extent
even in a liquid form, her throat has been blistered
and today she is releived [relieved?] from the spasms,
up to this time she had not been suffering great pain,
but her fever has continued very high and her strength
constantly declining. I read her your letter and she
spoke of how much she continued to regret that she
had not seen you when she was in England, she said she
would like to write you a few lines in this letter but
I fear that she will not be able to hold the pen, she
is so feeble. I have just come from A's [Aphra's?]
room and I am sorry to have to say that her strength
is less today than it has yet been though she is not
now suffering from pain. She desires me to give her
love to you and to say that as her bodily strength deminishes
[diminishes?] her faith brightens and she dies in the
sure hope of eternal life through Christ who has been
with her in all her sickness and has made her willing
to leave Husband Child and friends and that she hoped
to be able to recognize all her dear friends in the
world of bliss, "she ends with her kind love to
yourself, baby & Mr Allen and an Adieu - until she
meets you all in Eternity".
You need not apologize for thinking of Aphra first she
is the only subject of thought and conversation to all
the family and we expect that others will think as we
do.
I have enjoyed exelant [excellent?] health ever
since I left the Channel the weather has been
delightfull [delightful?] just such as we had at
Ballynahinch and I have not been troubled with
headache since I arrived here. I am sorry that you
cannot give a better account of Mrs Porters & Miss
Marshall's health but I hope that they are long
e'er this M. [Month?] in the enjoyment of
renewed strength and that Miss Bella and yourself are
now invigorated after the wet winter and inabled
[enabled?] to exercise in the open air, I think you
need not despear [despair?] at hearing your little one
say a whole sentence some morning when you call her,
Aphra's boy, says, Dick, dinner, & book, but cannot
say Mamma or Papa he is fat & healthy, if he was not
a good Child he would be completely spoiled for every
one in the house pets him. I cannot say anything of
the gayeties [gaities?] of the town, of the Cottage
I can say very little as last Saturday was the first
time I have been there since my arrival. Mrs
Nickole's letter and parcel was delivered into Mr
Savages hand but as he did not say that Mrs S
[Savage?] would be glad to see me I did not feel
called upon to call at their house.
My being with Aphra in her severe illness brings in
the most lively colours to my mind the way in which
I was occupied this time last year and whilst my hands
are busy with her my thoughts often wander back to the
bedside of my poor Father, But I must close as this
letter is sufficiantly [sufficiently?] dull already.
I am glad that Mrs Allen has recovered so well from
the fracture of her arm please remember me to her also
Mrs N [Nickole?] if she is still with you. Aunt joins
me in kind regards to Mr Allen and yourself with many
kisses to Miss Toty dear little creature, and believe
me
Your Sincerely attached friend
Margaret Black

Please charge my account with the postage of [torn]
enclosed letter as it is the only way in which I can
send it without making the poor woman pay too dear for
the pleasure of hearing from me. - M. [Margaret?]
B. [Black?]