| Title: | J. Scott, England, to Mrs. A. Scott, Londonderry, Ireland |
|---|---|
| ID | 2403 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Scott, Jane/165 |
| Year | 1833 |
| Sender | Scott, Jane |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Bristol, England |
| Destination | Derry, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Scott, Anne |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | sisters |
| Source | T 2609/9: Copied by Permission of Mrs J.F. Hodges, Glenravel House, Glenravel, County Antrim. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 9701202 |
| Date | 15/02/1833 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LET |
| Log | Document added by LT, 15:01:97. |
| Word Count | 1625 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | I open this to put in the enclosed which our dear Mother had sealed, thinking a [frank?] wd. [would?] have been sent here - Mrs Scott Willsborough L: Derry [Londonderry?] Ireland 11 Hope Square - Clifton - Bristol Feby 15 I think I shall write you a letter today My dearest Anne to tell how all comes on here - our dear Mothers letter would assure you of her entire recovery & I am happy to be able to give a continued good account of her health she is going on in her usual course, & her spirits are recovering for she did feel the shock very much she often speaks of almost all her cotemparies [contemporaries?] being gone the last taken from that world was Mrs Anstey last Wednesday - Mrs Hollyburton had promised to pay a visit in that Crescent but wrote to say that as her Aunt had got a cold she wd. [would?] defer her visit till she was quite well but wd. [would?] drive over for a few hours on Wednesday - however on that morning on going to her bedside a little after eight they found only the poor [remains?] - the spirit gone to its appointed place - she was far advanced in life so that the event was [not?] surprising but our dear Mother felt a good deal shocked on hearing it & it naturally brought back many recollections of former times, but she seems to look forward with pleasure to a longer visit from [Thos.?] [--?] who speaks of coming the end of the week - there is hope of Frank arriving today or tomorrow for you in which there is to have a place - old [Mr?] [Maxwell?] of Bath has also been removed within the last ten days - for all go on here in our usual way - our dear [Martha?] is in better spirits than when Thos. [Thomas?] was here indeed I thought she wd. [would?], I [most?] likely find this winter more comfortable than the last & it has [toward?] so [Jas.?] [Kellys?] [visit?] [was?] you may suppose a great pleasure to [her?] - & she occupies herself in reading & religious ways - going twice in the week besides on Sunday to teach at the national school where Jane accompanies her - I have many comfortable visits from her when we often read something together politics lately have frequently had a place in our discussions - since her Mothers illness she seems to have given up the thought of visiting Ireland in spring - thinking she ought not to leave her for so long - it seems most probable there will be no change of place in May tho' [though?] there may be of the house if all are spared - our dear Mother sometimes talks over the different advantages of a whole house or lodging & seems to look forward either to the [fol---?]] [as?] continuing on where she is - Jas. [James?] [O'Gilly?] spoke to Martha of returning again at Easter - it is very pleasing to see the strong affection he evidently has for her, & there does appear to be much that is interesting & exultant in his mind - [Alex.?]] is they suppose in London, but they have not heard from him - as [for?] my own cousins Charlotte & I try to get on as regularly as we can & I must say she is a pleasant child to me - she is growing very tall & large so that people seem nearly to believe her age when they ask it & I find the external training of shoulders & elbows & head & feet, more difficult to manage than the internal part for so far that is a happy order of things where we think of their relative importance - however it is far from my own wish to encourage afterwards or mar the straight proportions of the natural form I & wd. [would?] gladly use any lawful means of keeping the members in their right shape & place - [dancing?] I am the [more?] decidedly averse to the [offence?] I think of it & after turning the thought on different sides have entirely rejected it - so I believe I must only try what watching & care will do - [her?] English Master gives me great satisfaction, & I have only [to?] see that she learns her lessons well for him - She takes great pleasure in her scripture reading with me in the mornings in the old & New testament, & [Bichisteth?] "Scripture Help" which we are going regularly thro' [through?] - & I feel it cause for thankfully that with all her gaiety & occasional thoughtlessness she scarcely ever comes to serious reading as a task but a pleasure - she is often inclined in play hours to anticipate the delight of visiting Ireland again, & seems to think at times I must feel but coldly on it, from discouraging dwelling much on future pleasure, which must be uncertain - I find myself very comfortably fixed - My Landlady is the same George placed me with, & I think the longer we know each other the better we get on, for I think there is much estimable in her - [Martha's?] young husband is still at Cheltenham but is beginning to look about [for?] [torn] an opportunity to return home, & wrote last [torn] week to ask if I wd. [would?] procure her a bed near me [torn] [she?] might possibly go home by this way, & it happened very comfortably that I wd. [would?] promise her a bed in the same house, now to spare, so that I think it likely she will be here in the course of a week - in all probability as spring advances I shall be arranging to visit my dear Father & Mother - it seems plainly the way of duty - & I have no doubt the minor circumstances of time & manner will by various circumstances be pointed out in good time when wd. [would?] [---?] thought of going over, I hoped it wd. [would?] be arranged that she wd. [would?] go first, as various circumstances may render the time of my return uncertain - now - as far as I can see my intention is to return here after a visit to my dr. [dear?] family allowing myself the indulgence of being a little while at [Willises?] & seeing dear George & Bessy also - this is my own intention - but what our heavenly Father may in condescension to my weakness point out, I cannot know - only this that whatever it may be, it must be [wisest?] - kindest, & best - I rejoiced to hear so good an account of your health, but cannot divest myself of fears of failure of strength unless you give up [nursing?] - will as I wish little Master Jas [James?] to [thrice?], I wd. [would?] grudge doing at yr [your?] expense - I can well think how happily you wd. [would?] see Thos.s [Thomas's?] appointment done away - but what increasing comfort in meditating on the attributes of Him into whose tender hands you commend him & all dear to you - I am happy to see by the last acct. [account?] that the state of the Co. [County?] Donegall [Donegal?] is not so bad as was at first represented - the state of the country altogether seems most fearful & critical both in Ireland & England - & the living instruments at the head of Govt. [Government?] affair more than usually undeserving of confidence - but there is comfort in keeping present to the mind that they are but instruments & that eventually all will work together for the Glory of God - it was quite a gratification to me reading the address of the Clergy of Derry to the Archbishop - it seemed dictated by such a firm of christian spirit - it is often painful to read the mixture of religious & party feeling in the speeches in the Papers - Georges little flock are highly favoured in these days of darkness - it is cheering to look forward to the period when "all the ends of the world shall remember & turn unto the Lord, & all the kindreds of the nations shall worship" - but [here?] losing sight of the present blessings also promised - that this God is our God - ever present to sanity - to comfort, to protect & guide if we look to him for it, which I think seems often too much lost sight of in anticipation by many writers of the present day - tho' [though?] it does seem surprising that the losing of our Lord so often referred to by the Apostles, shd. [should?] not be more brought forward by the Church than it often is - I never remarked till the other day that it is mentioned in every Chap. [Chapter?] of the Epistle to the Thessalonians - but I am writing a letter that will try your eyes & your patience - do write to me dearest Anne & tell me [how?] you come on - I was very glad to hear so pleasing an account of Willy Campbell & do hope it may be the will of God that he may in reality be as a [son?] to you [&?] [that?] & [---?] to be a blessing - tell me of him when you write & of your own dear [babes?] - & give my ever affect. [affectionate?] remembrance to Thos. [Thomas?] [tho'?] I do hope will not be ordered much away from you - God bless you dearest Anne - my ever attached sister - J Scott |
