| Title: | Bella Smyth, Castledamph, to James A Smyth, Ontario, |
|---|---|
| ID | 2575 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Smyth, Bella Maggie/60 |
| Year | 1896 |
| Sender | Smyth, Bella Maggie |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | farming household |
| Sender Religion | Presbyterian |
| Origin | Co. Tyrone, N.Ireland |
| Destination | Essex Co., Ontario, Canada |
| Recipient | Smyth, James Alexander |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | siblings |
| Source | Copyright Retained by Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone, castledamph@btinternet.com |
| Archive | Mr & Mrs J Smyth |
| Doc. No. | 0505028 |
| Date | 13/08/1896 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LTE |
| Log | Document added by LT, 25:05:2005. |
| Word Count | 838 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [Front of Envelope] Mr James A Smyth South Woodslee Essex County Ontario Canada [Stamped] NEWTOWNSTEWART PM 10 - 0 AU 14 96 [Back of Envelope] [Stamped] PLUMBRIDGE O AU 14 96 [SOUTHWOODSLEE] 24 [06?] ONT [Page 1] Castledamph August 13th 1896 Dear Brother In answer to your last letter which we received on Friday we were glad to hear that you are all well We heard that Uncle had got his ribs broken by a fall and we were astonished when you did not mention it in your letter but I suppose he was alright when you wrote You will have to wait another while for the law news there is nothing done this [Page 2] time either they all attended on friday, the case got another hearing Johnnie and Sarah was sworn, but none of our side, so when they were tired listening to the case they consulted what they would do Laughlin was for finishing it at Gortin another was for sending it to Omagh and Mr A Duncan would not interfere so at last they agreed to send it to the crown sessions to be held in October Tommy John and Uncle James is under bail: £10 each we had an attorney this time and Elkin had none, it was a small case at the start but it will turn out the contrary [Page 3] if all Sarah swears was true or if she was believed I’m afraid they [the?] three would get prison for a while Uncle James is returned for trial for doing nothing at all, only for what he said, and there is more sworn against John than Tommy and John struck neither of them he only held Sarah out of the road There will be some money spent anyway no matter how it will end, There was no talk about the twelfth of August here Yesterday but the Plum [Plumbridge?] band remembered it we heard them playing about five O’clock in the evening Its likely it was a big day in derry [Londonderry?] [Page 4] We have got all the hay up and we got the flax pulled on Tuesday they are putting it in the dams to day [today?] pulling flax is all the work that [sic] being done this last week there are six people pulling today Matthew Smyth is pulling and Tommy is with Willie Ballantine and there are four in the farside. There are two of Robert McFarland’s girls for America about the last of this month Maggie and Jane I suppose when Robert married [sic] he will scatter the house. “Well what do you think” he used to say that it was a fiddle scattered a house but there was no fiddle [Page 5] near him I dont know what he will blame for it, one of the McBride’s sold Glenrone [Glenroan?] started on Monday week for Philadelphia John Duffy was at home for about three weeks, and he started on Monday last he is married and has four children the wife will be home next summer she is from Barness [Barnes?] I suppose the poaching commenced yesterday you will hear a shot now and then but I dont think that there is many birds to fire at Laughlin the Magistrate has Glenrone [Glenroan?] and Castledamph and has McConnell for [Page 6] keeper he gets two pounds for doing the business, but if he makes too free he might get a shot of hail some time [sometime?] like what McFarland got I think if you were shooting rabbits now he would not annoy you I believe he is lying for death, speedy consumption he took and is not expected to get over it, I suppose by this time You know all about your examination I think you have done very well for so far it takes one to idle no time to learn all the subjects and some pretty [Page 7] hard questions in them Mary would learn some yet before she would know much about some of them it would not be in Castledamph she would learn them either Miss Dunbar will be up tomorrow evening so we will see about the papers that you want if she can get them you will be sure to not want them long Teachers and scholars will soon get their holidays now Miss Dunne will close some of those days there are a bad attendance so she will give them leave. Tillie [Matilda?] has left Omagh and is at home again there was no place [Page 8] like Andersons when Tillie went, and now nobody would stay in it for they are too much confined but we went in to see her when we were up and Im afraid she was too short in the temper to be in a shop she was cross looking while we were in Well I may tell you that James Houston [Huston?] is an Uncle at last Catherine has got a young daughter on Tuesday last Willie will stop in Eden but he will not give up the drink he will tell you “Im Will Houston [Huston?] the best man of the name” We have thirteen young pigs three days old the sow is not very well and we have to feed the lot she never gave them a suck yet No More Bella M [Mary?] Smyth Transcribed by Elizabeth Prentice |
