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Title: Bella M Smyth, Castledamph to James A Smyth, Ontario
ID2572
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FileSmyth, Bella Maggie/53
Year1896
SenderSmyth, Bella Maggie
Sender Genderfemale
Sender Occupationfarming household
Sender ReligionPresbyterian
OriginCo. Tyrone, N.Ireland
DestinationEssex Co., Ontario, Canada
RecipientSmyth, James Alexander
Recipient Gendermale
Relationshipsiblings
SourceCopyright Retained by Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone, Castledamph@btinternet.com
ArchiveMr & Mrs J Smyth.
Doc. No.0604066
Date07/05/1896
Partial Date
Doc. TypeLTE
Log
Word Count786
Genre
Note
Transcript[Front of Envelope]

Mr James A Smyth
Essex
Essex County
Ontario
Canada

[Stamped]

NEWTOWNSTEWART
[PM?]
[---?]
MY [--?]
96

[Postage Stamp]
[Postage & Revenue?]
2 ½ d

[Back of Envelope]

[Stamped]
ESSEX
MY [25?]
96
ONT

[Stamped]
PLUMBRIDGE
[--?]
MY [?]
96

[Page 1]
Castledamph

May 7th 1896

Dear Brother

We received a
letter from you about two weeks
ago we are glad to hear that you
are all well. We are all in good
health at present.
We have very nice weather
here now the potatoes are nearly
all in except some people that
is very slow workers.
William Duncan’s people is away
to the Moss this morning and
Gilkey’s [Gilkinsons?] ones is
going to morrow. we will be ready
on Monday we are changing the
[pits?] of

[Page 2]
potatoes today there is no end
to potatoes this year and no
sale for them. We sold two
barrel [sic] to Jamey McKelvey
at 7s each and that is all we
can get rid off.
Joseph Ballantine is home
now, he left Belfast on Sunday
morning at 9 o’clock and was in
Robert McFarland [sic] Barness
at three, came the whole way on
the Bicicle [Bicycle?] he told
Tommy he would be up some evening
before he would leave he is a
smart looking gentleman, dressed
in light grey. he went to Gortin
fair yesterday on the bicicle
[Bicycle?] and all the road
contractors took him for the

[Page 3]
overseer, and some of them wanted
him to look at a pipe he had built,
he told them to do such a thing and
he would be round on Friday again,
and he would get a drink out of a
bottle if he had took it, so now he
can make fun how simple they were.
Mr [Steen?] is visiting to day we
will expect him in about an hour
but he will not stop long for he
is on horse back.
I suppose you have not answered any
of those letters yet. Uncle Charles
was here one day last week he had got
none at that time nor Willie

[Page 4]
Gilkinson has got none yet either.

May 14th
This letter might have been half way
over since I commenced it. Mr Steen
came in before I got it finished and
since I spent my time carrying meat to
the hill but I expect to finish it
to day but the ink is very pale.
Willie Gilkison [Gilkinson?] got a
letter on Friday morning it’s not
likely he will answer this week we
will be done cutting turf tomorrow,
and Saturday will be an idle day.
They will be all in the [fair?]
at them have an [cash?] or not.
We had a cow

[Page 5]
Died on Friday last. Uncle John's
as we called her she was ailing about
three weeks and a week calved before
she died. We went to Steele twice
but he said there was no use in
giving her medicine for she had
the big gall he could cured her
for a year before she calved but
no use after. I think they will
try and buy another again Saturday.
A Duncan has not give up the
stilling yet he run a brewing on
Monday last in the March [marsh?]
betwixt him and Houston. There were
six police round this town

[Page 6]
and Glensass in the morning, and
only for Elkin sending up word they
would all been caught they were ready
to commence work early so then they
had to wait till after dinnertime
till the police went out of sight
there is [sic] no informers idle now
or they would not still so much.
James Joe Duncan is away to a shop
in Strabane to serve his time.
on Monday last I think he is in
Whites the hardware. John Alex is
in Cohouns Strabane and John Joe is
in Strabane so there are [sic] a
good share of Duncan’s in Srabane
at present.

[Page 7]
Mrs Nelson has to leave plumbridge
now she has a cheap sale this last
month or more. Maggie Nicholas or
Peter Pat Given wife or whatever
they call her, made her leave the
house on the first of May so she
had to take all her goods into
McMackin’s so now Nicholas would
let her in again if she would pay
her £20 of rent instead of £13 but
Mrs Nelson will not give it, when
she gave her so much trouble changing
her goods, but she is very sorry to
leave, all the time she

[Page 8]
always asks us how you are doing.
Willie Gordon has got an order to
go to Dublin to stand an examination
but I’m afraid he will not be
successful for he has a crooked
finger. They call him nothing but
Constable Gordon at Gortin and they
put his name in the papers for
arresting a boy with a watch
belonging to Lizzie Dunbar
Letterbratt and no truth in it
at all.

No More at Present

Bella M Smyth

Tomorrow five years
you started first.

Transcribed by Elizabeth Prentice