| Title: | Ida Blackwood, Ireland to "My dear Mr Smyth" |
|---|---|
| ID | 218 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Blackwood, Ida/24 |
| Year | 1912 |
| Sender | Blackwood, Ida |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | schoolmistress |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Co. Monaghan, Ireland |
| Destination | Ontario, Canada |
| Recipient | Smyth, James Alexander |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | friends |
| Source | Copyright Retained by Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone, Castledamph@btinternet.com |
| Archive | Mr & Mrs J Smyth. |
| Doc. No. | 511090 |
| Date | 12/9/1912 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LTE |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 1130 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [Letter 1] Ballinarea [Ballynarea?] Altnamackan Castleblaney Co Monaghan 12th Sep : 12 My dear Mr Smyth, Many thanks for your long and interesting letters also the P. C's, I stayed a week longer in Saintfield than I intended, and just came home on last Sat. week. I thought I would wait until you landed before writing and then when I came home with the excitement and fuss of my sister’s wedding I could not get time to write. My sister was married on the 10th, The wedding was quiet but was very nice, The happy pair have gone to Wales and London for the honeymoon. They will live in Londonderry. I did not write to Lizzie since but I really must do so, as I am going down to Aughnacloy next week, and would like to see her while there, or at least meet in Omagh. [Page 2] When on holidays I never can settle down to anything and we have had visitors this last fortnight, so that makes letter- writing almost out of the question. Since your return I suppose you have done nothing but go around and see all your old friends, and renew acquaintances. Is the exhibition being held at Toronto now? I am sure you are glad to get back to Canada, the people in Ireland are so slow, that is one of their greatest faults in my eyes. Would it be too much trouble for you to send me particulars of the Canadian Training Colleges for Teachers? A friend of mine who at present is a J. A. W, and has not been to training, would like to try Canada, She would like to see some examination papers. What about Hospital nursing in Canada? would they take in certificated nurses having experience in fever and surgical nursing ? Is it well paid? In above sentence I meant to add nurses trained in Ireland and England. [Page 3] Most of the people here are of Scotch descent but at the present day are perfect types of bigoted Irish Protestants. They are very few Roman Catholics in the district and these are owing to their isolated position, harmless and inoffensive beings. About here there are a good many Liberals, some of them would like to convert or alter my views, but I did not spend my life up to two years ago among R.C's, for nothing. In the town land of Ballinarea [Ballynarea?] in which my father lives, we are the only Protestant family. On one side all are Protestants and on the other all R. C's. We get on well with the latter folks as all our fore fathers did, and work with them instead of with & our Presbyterian neighbours. All our work is done by R.C. [Roman Catholic?] hands. Strange to say that the Prot. [Protestant?] farmers living near us have rather small farms and a few of the others have much larger farms and I suppose that accounts for our having more to do with them in the farming line. they were never any thing only uncommonly [Page 4] decent and obliging with us and yet I am quite convinced that should we get Home Rule, which will be inevitably [inevitable?], Rome rule that we shall see a great change in our former good neighbours. The Hibernian association laws too must be obeyed, and in the last year or two about home this assoc: or order has has increased alarmingly, In the parish of Cully hanna [Cullyhanna?] it consists largely of the working class of men, the majority of these are totally uneducated, you would be suprised how many can neither read nor write, although in Cully hanna [Cullyhanna?] there are two splendid National schools. Among our working men it is seldom we have one who can read & write his own letters, some time ago one young chap, attempted to learn to read & write & was getting help from a younger brother of mine. For some time he got on all right, but when he joined the Hibernian's he was not permitted to receive instruction from such a dangerous person as a boy of eleven or twelve, Joe was quite disappointed [Page 5] over it, he thought he had Paddy progressing so favourably. Joe thought a pity of the fellow & was greatly pleased when he had got mothers permission to give him some assistance. You could have no idea what people of that class are like, you might not attempt to reason with them, They believe and do almost anything the priest tells them, and to them Home Rule is not a change of Parliament from Westminster to Dublin but a time when they can "loaf" about and get into lands now owned by Protestants. However, I don't profess to know very much about it, as I have never interested myself in The Home Rule question beyond what I can take from the pages of history and from what I see and hear when at home. If I can manage through two years, and coax a diploma from the commissioners, my friends shall then have all opportunity of standing on the shore and singing "Come back to Erin, [Mavourneeen?]", not that I [Page 6] have any fault to find with the country but I am anxious to travel. But enough of that topic, such a rigmarole as I [Letter 1] Ballinarea [Ballynarea?] Altnamackan Castleblaney Co Monaghan 12th Sep : 12 My dear Mr Smyth, Many thanks for your long and interesting letters also the P. C's, I stayed a week longer in Saintfield than I intended, and just came home on last Sat. week. I thought I would wait until you landed before writing and then when I came home with the excitement and fuss of my sister’s wedding I could not get time to write. My sister was married on the 10th, The wedding was quiet but was very nice, The happy pair have gone to Wales and London for the honeymoon. They will live in Londonderry. I did not write to Lizzie since but I really must do so, as I am going down to Aughnacloy next week, and would like to see her while there, or at least meet in Omagh. [Page 2] When on holidays I never can settle down to anything and we have had visitors this last fortnight, so that makes letter- writing almost out of the question. Since your return I suppose you have done nothing but go around and see all your old friends, and renew acquaintances. Is the exhibition being held at Toronto now? I am sure you are glad to get back to Canada, the people in Ireland are so slow, that is one of their greatest faults in my eyes. Would it be too much trouble for you to send me particulars of the Canadian Training Colleges for Teachers? A friend of mine who at present is a J. A. W, and has not been to training, would like to try Canada, She would like to see some examination papers. What about Hospital nursing in Canada? would they take in certificated nurses having experience in fever and surgical nursing ? Is it well paid? In above sentence I meant to add nurses trained in Ireland and England. [Page 3] Most of the people here are of Scotch descent but at the present day are perfect types of bigoted Irish Protestants. They are very few Roman Catholics in the district and these are owing to their isolated position, harmless and inoffensive beings. About here there are a good many Liberals, some of them would like to convert or alter my views, but I did not spend my life up to two years ago among R.C's, for nothing. In the town land of Ballinarea [Ballynarea?] in which my father lives, we are the only Protestant family. On one side all are Protestants and on the other all R. C's. We get on well with the latter folks as all our fore fathers did, and work with them instead of with & our Presbyterian neighbours. All our work is done by R.C. [Roman Catholic?] hands. Strange to say that the Prot. [Protestant?] farmers living near us have rather small farms and a few of the others have much larger farms and I suppose that accounts for our having more to do with them in the farming line. they were never any thing only uncommonly [Page 4] decent and obliging with us and yet I am quite convinced that should we get Home Rule, which will be inevitably [inevitable?], Rome rule that we shall see a great change in our former good neighbours. The Hibernian association laws too must be obeyed, and in the last year or two about home this assoc: or order has has increased alarmingly, In the parish of Cully hanna [Cullyhanna?] it consists largely of the working class of men, the majority of these are totally uneducated, you would be suprised how many can neither read nor write, although in Cully hanna [Cullyhanna?] there are two splendid National schools. Among our working men it is seldom we have one who can read & write his own letters, some time ago one young chap, attempted to learn to read & write & was getting help from a younger brother of mine. For some time he got on all right, but when he joined the Hibernian's he was not permitted to receive instruction from such a dangerous person as a boy of eleven or twelve, Joe was quite disappointed [Page 5] over it, he thought he had Paddy progressing so favourably. Joe thought a pity of the fellow & was greatly pleased when he had got mothers permission to give him some assistance. You could have no idea what people of that class are like, you might not attempt to reason with them, They believe and do almost anything the priest tells them, and to them Home Rule is not a change of Parliament from Westminster to Dublin but a time when they can "loaf" about and get into lands now owned by Protestants. However, I don't profess to know very much about it, as I have never interested myself in The Home Rule question beyond what I can take from the pages of history and from what I see and hear when at home. If I can manage through two years, and coax a diploma from the commissioners, my friends shall then have all opportunity of standing on the shore and singing "Come back to Erin, [Mavourneeen?]", not that I [Page 6] have any fault to find with the country but I am anxious to travel. But enough of that topic, such a rigmarole as I have written & not a sensible sentence in the lot, You will feel inclined to laugh at it, I heard that you had some strong views on the Irish political question. I am sure you spent a splendid evening in Belfast, of course you all felt a bit sad, but I think you were foolish, Canada is just a matter of a short weeks journey, and I feel confident that before long your friends will have you back again. Naturally, partings are always sad, but this is not nearly so bad as going off the first time. I would liked very much to have stayed all night, but I knew you three would like being alone for the last night. You won't meet many girls like Lizzie any where, She was a great favourite in Training and a good friend to me, she had a good influence over me, which I must confess I badly needed, I hope she keeps her [Page 7] promise and pays a visit to Aughnacloy when I am there. I hope to leave here on Mon next. In a way I won't be sorry. I hope to have a good holiday before taking up work. It is almost post time, and must draw to a close. This epistle is more paper & scrawl than any thing else. Write soon or send a card after Mon. the following add [address?] finds me. Ballinarea [Ballynarea?], Altnamackan Castleblaney, Co Monaghan, With very good wish, I rem [remain?], Yrs [Yours?] V. [Very?] Sincerely, Ida Blackwood. [letter signed Ida B, lackwood added in different hand and ink] |
