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Title: Bella M Smyth, Castledamph, to James A Smyth, Ontario
ID2598
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FileSmyth, Bella Maggie/92(2)
Year1900
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.0604132
Date27/07/1900
Partial Date
Doc. TypeLTE
Log
Word Count852
Genre
Note
Transcript[Front of Envelope]
Mr. James A. Smyth
South Woodslee,
Essex Co.
Ontario
Canada

[Stamped]
NEWTOWNSTERWART
PM
[--?]
[--?]

[Back of envelope]

[Stamped]
PLUMBRIDGE
A
JY 27
00

[Stamped]
SOUTHWOODSLEE
[?]
[?]

Castledamph
July 27th 1900

Dear Brother,
Liza rec- [received?]
a letter from you today but she
is out in the hay so she would
not have time to answer and
I see that you are still wanting
more news so its best to not keep
you waiting. Tommy Hay went
away yesterday we are sorry
that he was gone before your
letter came as he was all ways
glad to see one from you He got
a letter from you in South Africa
and brought it here with him
he told us that he answered
it immediately so it appears
you have not got it, it must

[Page 2]
have gone astray
He was very sorry leaving
here yesterday morning & I
tell you it was a lonely day for
the rest of us, we miss him
badly; Mary came home on Wed- evg
[evening?] & went down with them on
the trap. Wm [William?] left him in
[Newtownstewart?] He had got to be
a favourite of every one who saw him,,
he was highly respected about Gortin
all the quality came there to see
him & Master Myles was very
sorry when he couldnt go there for
a day or two. He said himself
that he would need to stop for a
year to visit everyone: one thing
he is sure of that he has got
no enemies in Ireland anyway
& he speaks well of the place for
he could live his lifetime here
He hates to even talk of Sth
[South?] Africa he did not like it at
all he would chance India before

[Page 3]
it any day. He suffered so much
that he dreads to hear it named
He says no one should be sorry
for the volunteers for they should
no [know?] better than to go there.
Its enough for those who have to
suffer without volunteering. He says
he had his shirt on nine weeks without
being washed & they were destroyed
by vermin.- or ticks as he calls them
they come out of the ground & they
are as big as sheep lice & you cant
get rid of them. Then their clothes
was all [torn?]. The khaki suit he
had on was held together by
leather, only for it he says he
would have been bare.
They would be unwashed &
unshaven for months,. They were
in perfect misery & I suppose they
are as bad yet... Anything at all
for Tommy but the war in
South Africa he hopes to never
be in such a place
And we trust he never will

[Page 4]
Belle is not back here yet
nor we dont expect her for a
while. she is apt to be in
Crowhill or [Lesliey?] or some
place down there. I think she
is well pleased with Ireland
she is sorry that Annie & Cassie
did not visit it before they
married but perhaps the husband was
the best.
Its too bad that you feel
tired of the holidays & the people
here all so sorry when the [they?]
are up but I suppose its lonely
about Woodslee besides Castledamph
or Plumbridge & its even worse
by Belle being away, but you may
do the best you can till next
year & we might help you over
& it may be a better time for
fun than now.
Catherine McKelvey of this
town is home today. came
unexpected, her master & mistress

[Page 5]
is in London. so she got
a few days to come this length
Im sure her mother will not
be content to see her start on
Tuesday again, the visit will
be short; but she will get a sight
of home
The worst news I have to
day. is that Old Shepherd is
dead & buried I need not say that
he died, for Tommy Hay shot him
on Wednesday., we were sorry to
see him go but it was hard to
keep him any longer as his ear
was very bad & a smell of it
none of our own people would
kill him so Tommy said he
would do it before [he’d?] go
so we gave him liberty, Willie
John & he took him down to the
second field

[Page 6]
at the top of the [brey?] & shot
him there, when Mary came home she
was sorry because she did not
get the last look at him but I
think she was better away
Tommy Hay told her to put a
tombstone on, but without fun
Old shepherd was worth one
Belle got a sight of him while
she was here so she can tell you
Im sure you would liked [sic] to have
seen him but we never could
keep him alive till then so you
may forgive us
Warm weather to-day, we are
busy at the hay so we will write
next week & give more news
Tommy is away for a sheep to
Tamnagh I dont know where
that place is so you may guess
So Good Bye for the present
and we may write oftener
B M S [Bella Maggie Smyth?]

[Written upside down at top left
of page 5]
someone commenced
here & forgot the
date so you may
excuse
them.

Transcribed by Mohamed Souissy