| Title: | Bella M Smyth, Castledamph to James A Smyth, Canada |
|---|---|
| ID | 2579 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Smyth, Bella Maggie/67 |
| 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. | 0604057 |
| Date | 26/11/1896 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LTE |
| Log | |
| Word Count | 1004 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [Front of envelope] Mr James A Smyth Essex Essex Co Ontario Canada [Stamped] [NEWTOWNSTEWART PM 10 0 NO [Postage Stamp Postage & Revenue [Back of envelope] PLUMBRIDGE C NO 26 96 ESSEX DE 8 96 ONT [Written at top] Ans [Answered?] Dec 13 96 J.a.s. [James Alexander Smyth?] [Page 1] Castledamph Nove [November?] 26th 1896 Dear Brother In answer to your letter which we received Friday Oct 20 we are glad to know that you are all well we were expecting your letter long before we got it we thought there was some thing wrong when we got none for so long time, we have sent none for a good while either but Willie Gilkison sent one so that was as good::: There is a marriage to tell you about this time and one that made a great change. Willie Houston Lisnacreagh [Lisnacreaght?] to a Miss McCullagh [Colvahill?]. [Page 2] He is bringing her to back [back to?] Eden to day, Big Eliza as we call her, was not told about it till Wednesday 11th the day before Strabane fair. William and Alex was afraid to tell her too soon. For the [they?] knew what would happen when she would hear it, so they only gave her one evening to bundle up for the fair the next day after 28 years service she is hired now near Donemanagh [Donemana?] so she will find a change she will not have so much of her own will now. William is not sorry that he is rid of her anyway, he can go in before the supper is ready if he likes now he never could stop in [Page 3 afternight [after night?]nor go in to [too?] early at bedtime so its no wonder they were afraid to tell her about the marriage. There is a wedding party away up the road just now. There is any amount of shots, the bride is Ann "Pat Owen", and the groom is Gormely [Gormley?] from [Glenchu-?] Peter "Pat Own" came home from America on Monday last I think by appearance he did not do so well while away his wife is living in Mrs Nelson's house Plumbridge and has a milliner's shop so perhaps he will do better at home. I think this is all the marriages but there is also a birth and a death Willie Glass's wife was buried yesterday [Page 4] she leaves four children the baby only a week old Father and William was at the funeral it was a pretty large one the youngest all but the baby is in Gordon's its likely they will keep it for a while I suppose you have not heard about the murder near Plumbridge yet, we are sending papers today so you will see the investigations the prisoners are in Omagh yet, it is feared they will be found guilty and I suppose so they are, the tongs was got hid and they are sent away to the analyis [analysis?], it is said there were hair on them Its the whole talk round here since it happened because its so near, and as [Page 5] the journal says "all Presbyterians” we would sent papers before now but we never could get them till other people read them." We were keeping a paper for the old man that was murdered: he had asked father about it, the plum [Plumbridge?] fair before so now Willie Houston is getting it. William is in [Donemana?] fair to day with the old horse he had him in Strabane and he could get six pounds for him he bought a foal from Sam Dunn [Dunne?] Aughlane about a month ago, its a black one but not too big, the juice was £9-10s and six months credit:: so he thinks that two is enough to feed without a third one. I see by your letter you have not much spare time for fun nor anything [Page 6] else, there is no fun here this winter yet, except whatever the boys has [sic] in other houses from night to bed time there is always a throng in Gilkison's [Gilkinsons?] but I think not so much arguing as was when you were here, perhaps they have no one to start it, They make a fool of Matthew Smyth sometimes but I think its easy done They fooled him last night buying tickets from him for a soiree in Droit when he thought he had them sold they would not take them. Daniel is a water keeper this year again no chance of getting a fish as long as he is about he does not come in here now not since the commencement of Elkins law but we always see him going down Eden [Page 7] John C [Charles?] Mary and W [Willie?] John is at school now Mary will have up her days but John will not W [Willie?]John was trying to write a letter but it would be as ill to know as French he can't do much at writing yet, but he would put any amount in it, everything he would think of would go down he says he always knows when father is angry for the girns [gurns?] goes up till his nose so he would put that in the letter, he is very uneasy to get a watch and Jamey Houston told him one night that his would have young ones, so he always wants to know if she had them he can act James about the best he'll say "Oh great O" "Oh man Dear" you would think it was him speaking [Page 8] I cant tell you whether Miss Dunbar got those Papers or not yet I have not seen her this last fortnight. They are not coming up as often as they did last year but they are oftener [more often?] in Campbell's and they get their milk in Mrs Dunnes She took some of your papers down with her to work them after they come [came?] There is some talk that the band and Orangemen will meet on the 18th of December and have a night's fun but I'm not sure yet whether they will all agree or not but its likely they will They have not met since the twelfth I think this will do now we will write next week again You can give those papers to the Woodslee People (Good Bye Bella M Smyth Transcribed by Greg Floyd |
