| Title: | L Smyth, Co Tyrone to J A Smyth, Ontario |
|---|---|
| ID | 2643 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Smyth, Eliza Catherine/34 |
| Year | 1905 |
| Sender | Smyth, Eliza Catherine |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | farmer |
| Sender Religion | Protestant |
| Origin | Castledamph, 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. | 0505045 |
| Date | 14/02/1905 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LTE |
| Log | Document added by LT, 25:05:2005. |
| Word Count | 1674 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [Front of envelope] Mr J A Smyth Essex Essex Co Ontario Canada [Stamped] NEWTOWNSTEWART FE 15 05 [Back of envelope] [Postmarked] PLUMBRIDGE FE 15 O5 ESSEX FE 27 05 ONT. Castledamph Feby 14th, 1905 Dear Brother After a very long delay I will try and write you some today Mary has got to do so much running she has hardly any time during the day to write its now eleven oclock: and so she has started to Lisnacraigh [Lisnacreaght?] and going down to Plumbridge to pay the Dr [Doctor?] so I expect it will be might [night?] ere[?] she come [comes?] here. Yest [yesterday?] she was at Stewarts came home at 2 oclock to attend a singing class came home again and at [6 30?] Tom John Wm [William?] and her went to a meeting in John Mc Farland's a young girl preacher Miss Palmer and doing good work lots of young men are leading a better life and John Chas [Charles?] has changed all for the better. Well I suppose Mary told you about my illness I have got to be around again but not better I could hardly describe the pain that is constant [constantly?] troubling me. the Dr thought I would get alright without an operation but it does'nt seem that way yet it will soon be a year since it started first I though [thought?] I had overreached my arm and stressed myself it was not so sore before as it is now. I got the cold and I suppose that was the reason I was so ill. We had a letter from you some time last week and I may say we all think you are doing well at speaking and in getting the money, you have quite a good penny now that $10 should bring you home and you wont miss it I suppose you are saving now that you have not Mary I have told her she should thought shame to spend so much money as what she done I had a letter from Annie she said Bell told her you had done well at speaking in Woodslee. she also mentioned your raise in salary and that you had got to be so fat Case [Cassie?] had not been well I suppose she is improving again Mary was writing to Bell the day of mothers auction so she said to let you know we had got the farm at £380 what say you to that. Jamey Gilkie was against Tom bidding. We have to borrow the money but I suppose he will make it pay grazing is nearly all it is fit for. Matthew and Ellen is for Australia and Sara J is going to live with Tilda Anne nothing but changes around here. We had quite a lot of deaths around this place during the winter I think you did not understand who that Jas A Smyth (sic) he is a son of John Smyth of Litterbralt [Letterbrat?] the youngest one. The Duncans has got Willie John's money we hear he had £3 per week. I can hardly think it is possible he is gone. We had Uncle Chas [Charles?] and Aunt over Sunday week also Bella Davie and Madge and John Gilkison gave in he was down for the day Madge can say a few words pup and she calls Annie Anty [Auntie?] I was down for a week brought her up with me we had some fun with her and a little dog that Mary has got, she has a great liking for Father. Davie has not been very well his constitution is run down he was with the Dr two weeks ago at both side [sides?] of the neck the glands became enlarged about the size of an egg one side was worse than the other he is taking cod liver oil and a tonic for the stomach and plenty of eggs and good meat so he will soon improve again Mary forgot to tell you to send on the papers again we certainly get them every week and enjoy reading them we saw your name for the raise two was for you and two against its still the way saw an account of a burning Mary said she knew the place. alright We had Liza Houston here today so Mary read your last letter to her she pray [prays?] that you will come out the best Smyth of the name Tom Wm [William?] and John were glad to hear how well you spoke but the [they?] laughed first time you mentioned going into parliament I was saying it was the only laugh we had in all your letter. We are going to build new byres (so give your views) at least they are talking about it as we are for having more cows and calves about her [here?] if we had the money we would need another wing to the house as we have not room enough they are talking about putting back the shade and such lots of changes as we could make now that we have got Matthews land we could make lots of improvements if time and money could be got as easy as to talk of it. any way [anyway?] we are going to put up a scullery and open a back door and have the water come in if we get the byres up we will have the one under the barn for potatoes and turnips cutter etc. and if times prosperous well. I was saying we could have a boiler and do all the boiling out there. another thing I see we would need a road from the upper gate in by the barn but perhaps you may be here long before anything is touched. Father is rooting all the trees where the old road used to be at the head of the garden he has a very sore foot at present broken chilblain or bunion Mother is just as well as ever. William is done ploughing at Stewarts today they will have to plough some of Matthews but not very much John is working at Andy Ballantines this last while Andy is making the dwelling house larger I believe by (Mrs Davis) his sister advice she came up yest [yesterday?] again I suppose every one [everyone?] thinks you are loosing [losing?] your time teaching school Andy Ballantine says the same. but I suppose you will make a jump yet Liza Houston said you may be president yet - hear hear Mary and I laughed at such fun. If you get much higher I suppose we made [may?] bid you fare well [farewell?] in this world as its not likely you would own any of us so we may pray you to be kept where you are for fear of such happenings Willie John Hay was in the other night so Mary and he danced not for the style it was done but for old times sake. Oh I nearly forgot to tell you Mary Scott (Mrs McInerney) is no more, And last Thursday in Gortin she came up from Derry about two weeks ago as she was in consumption but her father would'nt allow her in so she stayed with Willie George the brother but her time was short she was outside talking to some one [someone?] about an hour before she died she leaves a baby 8 months old she had that thing around her neck that the Catholic [Catholics?] wear I cant name it right Willie George's wife wanted to burn it but some other woman was there and would'nt allow it so when her husband arrived it was the first thing he asked if it was still on The funeral was on Saturday hearse to Newtown [Newtownstewart?] and by rail to Derry about 100 Policemen and District Inspector met him at the station so I suppose the priest said mass for her I am sure her Father was sorry to see her remains being removed so far from her Mother. Rev Willoughby[?] went to see her in Gortin Master James and Bob Campbell were here just the night that she did [died?] but at that time we did not know so the talk came round about her Master James asked if we knew where she was before she came to Gortin well we never heard I forgot where he said but anyway he said it was not for her good deeds she was sent there Bob Campbell said it was a pity of the poor devil that got her no one [no-one?] asked them what the [they?] meant but every one [everyone?] had their own notions. Do you remember the night she was here before you left her and Saidie [Sadie?] Saide [Sadie?] has gone to America last Sept I wonder did Mary tell you about Mary Nicholas being dead she was married to a McNamee from Newtownstewart but were living in Omagh she had typhoid fever did'nt last very long. I suppose that is the first of John Nicholas family gone the funeral came to Plumbridge James Jack had another young son born last Friday but it was dead John C made the coffin I am sure it was the first ever he made or ever I saw Jas [James?] Campbell was in the day of Matthew [Matthew's?] auction he pretends he is uneasy to hear how you are doing but if he cares as little for you as he does for Mary its not of much account he calls her all sorts of names she is so big Madge was here so he said she was very wee for her age so Mary told him that surely she pleased him being so small. I think Matthew's corn stack and hay pikes fooled all that got them James got a stack they took it away yest [yesterday?] two small load [loads?] for £1 17s 6d I am sure Matthew will get hot ears from Jame [James?] when he saw his bargin [bargain?] Matthew had everything built for sale. he has one cow & horse now that (sic) all he has got I will close now hoping to not be so long in writing again Liza. Transcribed by Greg Floyd |
