| Title: | J A Smyth, South Woodslee, to Miss Mary Smyth, Castledamph |
|---|---|
| ID | 2685 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Smyth, James Alexander/2 |
| Year | 1898 |
| Sender | Smyth, James Alexander |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | school teacher |
| Sender Religion | Protestant (Methodist) |
| Origin | Essex Co., Ontario, Canada |
| Destination | Co. Tyrone, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Smyth, Mary |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | siblings |
| Source | Copyright Retained by Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone, castledamph@btinternet.com |
| Archive | Mr & Mrs J Smyth |
| Doc. No. | 0505030 |
| Date | 01/01/1898 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 25:05:2005. |
| Word Count | 1171 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [Front of Envelope] Envelope addressed to:- Miss Mary Smyth Castledamph Plumbridge Co Tyrone Ireland [Postmarked] SOUTH WOODSLEE [?] [?] [Back of Envelope] [Postmarked] HAMILTON JAN 2 23-0 1898 [Postmarked] NEWTOWNSTEWART 6M 3.10 JA 13 98 [ ?] JA 1st 98 [Written on Left Side] Arrived Friday January 14th 1898 [Written atTop] Arrived 13/1/97 [Page 1] South Woodslee January 1st 1898 Dear Sister I received Your letter last Tuesday, and the present I Must thank You for taking the trouble of sending it. I received several Kind present [sic], and of course there were none very costly, I got a very nice almanac from Miss Ballantyne [Ballantine?], She did not get comming [coming?] [sic] as she could not get any holidays. I also got a [sic] Xmas card from W.J. [Willie John?] Duncan he usually send [sic] us all ones [sic] at Xmas, [Page 2] Sara Duncan was here at Xmas also Annie and family, Chas [Charles?] could not get away from work Aunt had been down visiting Annie for the past month and she came back with Annie, I was looking for a letter from you for a few days before it did arrive, W J [Willie John?] Duncan told me in his letter [that?] WM, [William?] was sick so I was anxious to know what was the matter with him, I am sorry to know that he is sick I suppose his joints are swollen and should be pretty painful. Another name for it, I think, is inflammatory Rheutism [Rheumatism?] [Page 3] He was always quite a hand at working in wet weather so that is usually one of the result [sic] that follow, However that fever is not very often fatal, I hope he is better by this time, I was wondering why you did not let me know sooner than you did. Have you no doctor at Plumbridge now? I think it is always a good plan to call in a doctor whenever any serious sickness takes place, This is the last holiday school opens first of next week, No more holidays now [Page 4] untill [until?] Easter, However I am always tired with holidays as it is more dull than attending school, Of course if I was home in holidays I could have some fun and it would [not?] seem so long, But here at present there is not very much to interest one, I have changed my boarding house this term, I am just paying the same $2.25 or a little over nine shilling per week, My room at Hall’s (where I have been) was too cold and I always studied down stairs so I thought I would [Page 5] do better by studying where no body [nobody?] was talking, The name of the house now is Monteers. My room is much nicer than at Halls, I did not want to pay any more than $2.25 although that is very cheap. We have good wintery [wintry?] weather here now. Quite cold, not very much snow hardly enough to make sleighing. There has been very little skating here yet, I have had none on yet. I did not skate any last winter, if the shoe [sic] I have now [Page 6] are heavy enough I will skate some if the ice is good I like the skating for the exercise in it especially when one is not doing anything all day. I have not got that newspaper yet. It may be in the post office this morning, I am going down to post this letter as soon as I am through. I have got my suit made of the cloth same as I sent you, What do you think of it, I think this will do at present I remain Your Brother J A [James Alexander?] Smyth [Written at top of Page 4] I am sending you a paper to day, You will see all the marks, Some are old piece [sic] which I forgot to send You will see the total marks for the exam, [Also Enclosed 3 Notes on Paper] [Page 7] [1st Note] Here is the total marks for the term taken by the whole class, Only those over 50% are given in the paper, Chas [Charles?] E Kunster 590 *Miss Flossie Arnold 579 James A [Alexander?]Smyth 529 *Miss [Tule?] Wigle 529 *J.J. [Battie?] 515 M. Walton 456 *Stanley Wightman 450 *J.J Tully 428 *Miss Thibedean 419 Miss M. Rorke 406 *Miss Wightman 395 *Miss [Cummerford?] 378 *Miss L Thibedean 376 Miss MacRae 367 All those marked * are on their second year in this form, The rest of us came in [Page 8] this Year, The maximum marks was 900 Flossie Arnold and myself are the only ones that got above 33% on all subjects, That is all the other [sic] failed on a Subject. Kunster although he has the highest total got only 29% on algebra paper, J.A.S [James Alexander Smyth?] P.S I Made a Speech last [Lyceum?] [on?] Xmas in Ireland [Note 2] [Page 9] Private Dear Parents I would have liked very much if you had let me know of WM, [William?] [sic] sickness sooner, If You had done so I would not have spent $21 in a suit of clothes, as I am sure it will take quite a lot of money to pay back Bills and do [sic], That $21 would have paid my board up to March and saved you the expense, I could have got along with a pair of pants, I have two pair now the one [of?] the new suit and the pair belonging to that strabane suit. [Page 10] These I wear every day, I am very hard on pants going to school, Now after paying for my suit I have $3 left to start on this Year, If you think I have spent any which I should not, dont be afraid to say so, I am afraid that you may not be very plentiful just now, This money question is about the only thing that bothers me going to school, If You cant Sent [Send?] £3 at at [Sic] a time just send what you are able, James A [Alexander?] Smyth [Note 3] [Page 11] PRIVATE I though [thought?] perhaps it might be well for me to let you know I am getting along financially I suppice [suppose?] I have told you everything else In the first place I spent $3 of the money for a pair of shoes and the $2 I spent in the appeal made $5 or £1.0.8 I spent $1 for picture and at Essex fare $1 so that was 2 more shilling and I had quite a few books [sic] to buy, I sold some of my old one [sic] so I did pay out as much that way as I otherwise would However I have enough to do until the end of this week [Page 12] So that is about £2.10 per month and that = 10 (2-10) = £25 per year, In one way it is not very much but in another way it is a good deal, I suppose you wont be very well fixed for money. Does it put you people to a [sic] disadvantage by sending me money, I did not get any from Uncle Yet If I do I intend buying a suit of clothes with it as the ones I have are well worn, If I had worked for some stranger during holiday [sic] I would earned [sic] £7 or £8 but of course I am getting washing free etc, so it is not all lost. I think this is all J A [James Alexander?] Smyth John James Smyth Castledamph Transcribed by Elizabeth Prentice |
