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Title: Bella Smyth, Castledamph, to J A Smyth, Ontario
ID2581
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FileSmyth, Bella Maggie/70
Year1897
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.0505566
Date07/01/1897
Partial Date
Doc. TypeLTE
LogDocument added by LT, 07:04:2005.
Word Count749
Genre
Note
TranscriptMr James A Smyth
Essex
Essex County
Ontario
Canada

[Stamped]
NEWTOWNSTEWART
JA
97

[Written on Front]
Ans [Answered?] Jan 28
Violin String

[Back of Envelope]
[Stamped]
[PLUMBRIDGE?]
B
JA 7
[-7]

[Stamped]
ESS
JA 18
97
ONT





[Page 1]

Castledamph
January 7th 1897


Dear Brother
In answer
to your last letter which
we received Xmas morning
we are glad to know that
you are all well We are all
in good health at present
William is alright again
and Mother never had better
health,, she had a
bad cold for a fortnight
before the soiree but she
was rid of it before that night--
There is another
soiree on the 20th inst at
plumbridge

[Page 2]
or rather Lisnascreagh [Lisnacreaght?]
in Samuel Dunn [sic] barn
Proceeds to repair Lodge
room. They expect to have
a good night but Im afraid
they will change [far?] if they
keep [sic] from quarrelling---
We have not seen that
McFarlane that came home
yet he was in the Plum. [Plumbridge]
fair but was not talking to
any of our ones I dont
think he knew them---
Robert McFarland’s ones
had a letter from Elizabeth
C Ballantyne and she
wants your address; Bella
sent her letter up here for

[Page 3]
us to write to her and give your
address but we thought that
it was better for her to answer
the letter when she got it, so we
did'nt bother, she said that
they had wrote [written?] to three or
four colleges and couldn’t find
you, and Maggie was not able
to give them the name of the
place,, I think you should
have their address Maggie
McFarland gave it to you
before you left if you did'nt
lose [loose?] it--
We had a paper [newspaper?]
on Saturday from T=Y [Tommy?] Duncan
Australia he is a [sic] M-P
and his speech is in it
it is a pretty long one there
is an election going on there

[Page 4]
now, and he is one of the
candidates. he addressed
the electors in different
places for a whole week
every evg [evening?], about
seven o’clock---
Miss Dunbar got your
letter when she came up
after her Xmas holidays,
she says that its not so
bad when you wrote at all
I suppose she need not
thank you for writing now
after a whole year has passed.
They are doing very well
in Eden now they dont
think as much long as they
did last year but I believe
if she would get a better

[Place 5]
place she would soon
leave: she will be apt to
try an examination if she
had this year in, she
must teach two years in
a school like Eden. before
she can get to be a first Class
Teacher..
Joseph Gilkinson
is going to Strabane next
week to Donnell’s, he
will get 16s per week for a
start and if he pleases
them he will get up to 24
but he has to board himself
out of that. it would
do very well if he would
spend none. he did’nt

[Page 6]
want to leave Gortin
but Uncle Charles
would like him to go
for a while, and learn
something that he has’nt
and it would make him
smarter... He is a far
better carpenter than John
as he is, and it appears
he will be better yet
John is working about
home and if he is kept
busy its alright and if
not its no matter: but he
never would work as
constant as Joe, nor he’ll
never make as much money

[Page 7]
Joseph Ballantine was
at home at Xmas, he did not
come here this time either
but his time was short
and I suppose he was
kept busy visiting--
Andy is not coming [Jo?]
Gilkinson now, there was
something said that
offendid [offended?] him so
he will not come back till he
forgets it, and he will be
badly missed, Matthew
Smyth attends regular---
I think he must have been
offended one night too: for
there was one day he did
nothing but scowl about

[Page 8]
sheep, eating on him and
he would stand it
no longer Tommy thought
he was going to have a
troublesome winter, but
he never was cross only
the one day he told Tom
that he would have to wire
for the [they?] never was
[sic?] off him---

William has commenced
to plough the upper land
they have none to work
with the [this?] year only
their own so they are for
doing some of the bad thing
We are sending a paper today
with the Soiree in [it?] so you will
see it, Rev Willoughby sent it in

No more at present
Good Bye

Bella M Smyth
[Written across Pages 6 & 7]
We are sending Violin strings along with this letter

[Written at top of Page 1]
I hope you got the £4 all right




Transcribed by Elizabeth Prentice