| Title: | Bella M Smyth, Castledamph to James A Smyth, Ontario |
|---|---|
| ID | 2592 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Smyth, Bella Maggie/88(2) |
| Year | 1900 |
| 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. | 0605023 |
| Date | 29/03/1900 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LTE |
| Log | |
| Word Count | 717 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [Front of Envelope] Mr James A Smyth Essex Box [234?] Ontario Canada [Stamped] [NEWTOWNSTEWART?] Mr 29 00 [Back of envelope] [Stamped] ESSEX AP 10 00 ONT [Stamped] PLUMBIDGE A MR [--?] [00?] [Page 1] Castledamph 29 . 3 . 1900 Dear Brother A few lines to let you know that we are all in good health again which we should be very thankfull [thankful?] for in times like these Its an awful time of sickness & deaths I think I told you about Wm [William?] Hay & Bell [Belle?] being ill in the last letter Well Wm [William?] died that night & was buried Sunday following Bell [Belle?] is recovering slowly she may survive a little longer James McKelvey Bradkeel took ill on Friday last while ploughing & he died yesterday evg [evening?] [Page 2] very, very sudden he had inflamation [inflammation?] of the lungs & other diseases I believe he suffered terribly. They could not keep him in bed. The doctor was there & put the needle in his wrist, he was quiet for a while but far worse when he came out of that He was much the same as Willie Smyth. you see what trouble Annie has got & she is far worse now than when George died as she has seven children instead of four& not a man to plough nor do anything else Its a great pity of her to be left again with such a handling none of us will get to the wake but they will attend the funeral Willie Gilkinson is not very well since his father died but he is not confined to bed [Page 3] he complains of a sore back & pains Its a great loss to be off work & so much to do at this time of the year but I hope he will soon be all right again I had a letter from Beck Dunbar & she was telling us that John Anderson was dead Uncle James Brother-in Law. It was a very rum wake some women out of town was [sic] singing orange songs & carrying on terribly she says it would vex one to see them Uncle Charles had a letter from T. [Tommy?] Hay last week he is all right for so far. I think he is only on garrison duty at some place he doesn't give very much news he is for sending Lizzie the box of chocolate [sic] at least he said so & I hope he won't forget as we would all like to see it [Page 4] A son of Sam Steels [Minaduff?] arrived home from the front on Friday last he received three or four bullets but none of them proved fatal as he is nearly ready for work again but he will have two months holidays first he got one in the hand another in the leg & one in the shoulder John C [Charles?] heard that the bullet was in his shoulder yet Im sure he could give some news about everything as he was apt to see some battles before he left We were expecting a letter from you this week but we may have a chance of getting it tomorrow as we all ways [always?] do You are apt to have some trouble with scholars now they will bother you as bad as if you were studying [Page 5] for yourself. Im sure you have too [to?] control your temper sometimes. But you should remember how you used to tempt Miss Dunne by jagging pins in Moses Warnock she would need to have strapped you often & others as well We had snow here every day this last while but yesterday & to day is pretty good it looks a little like spring trees are commencing to bud & birds to sing & build their nests, the crops will be late enough as no one is done ploughing yet but if the weather comes good [Page 6] they will soon get through with it Our people got twelve pound [sic] of road money this morning they wont get the remainder till August. All the byroads are put off now no contracts but main roads so how will the mountain people do, Im afraid the County Council wont last long if they make laws like these Beck Dunbar says Newtown .S [Newtownstewart?] Orange Hall will soon be finished so if you happen to come home about the twelfth it will be in all its grandeur at that time. I will close for this time so good Bye Your Sister Bella M Smyth Transcribed by Jim Buchanan |
