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Title: John J Smyth, Castledamph to James A. Smyth, Ontario
ID2867
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FileSmyth, John James/54
Year1896
SenderSmyth, John James
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationfarmer
Sender Religionunknown
OriginCastledamph, Co. Tyrone, N.Ireland
DestinationEssex Co., Ontario, Canada
RecipientSmyth, James Alexander
Recipient Gendermale
Relationshipfather-son
SourceCopyright Retained by Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone, Castledamph@btinternet.com
ArchiveMr & Mrs J Smyth
Doc. No.604121
Date27/05/1896
Partial Date
Doc. TypeLTE
Logunknown
Word Count1384
Genre
Note
Transcript[Front of envelope]

Mr James A Smyth
Essex
Essex County
Ontario
Canada

[Stamped]
NEWTOWNSTEWART
PM
10 0
MY
28
96

[Postage Stamp]
Postage & Revenue
2 ½

[Back of envelope]

[Stamped]
ESSEX
JU 8
[96?]


[Stamped]
PLUMBRIDGE
[-?]
MY [28?]
[--?]

[Written sideways at top]
Ans [Answered?] - June 20 1896

[Page 1]
thursday
Castledamph May 27 96

My Dear James
We have just received
your letter of May 17 in time to answer
it By this post- Willie Gilky [William?]
[Gilkinson?] wrote last week and Bella the
week Before. I suppose you were Sorrow
[sorry?] when you heard of the cow - She
was ealing [ailing?] one week before she
calved and died one week after I sold her
calf in Strabane at £1.00 they are all sold
in Strabane now so her price was not all
lost we have Bought none in her place as yet
I think we will buy some young ones
as Butter is so cheap I only get 6 1/2 d
on tuesday- they [the?] 4 cows - and 4
calves is not able to keep down the grass
in the under fields we are keeping Shanes
field for mowing the 5 year olds has
all the other grass - as yet to themselves
the horses has not tasted grass yet

[Page 2]
We made 16 hundred of meal sometime go [ago?]
and we have one stack threshed and 2
to thresh yet we have not time to do
them and any amount of potatoes
I only sold 4 Barrl [Barrels?] at 7s per
Barrl [Barrel?] I sold 5 of the young pigs
litter on tuesday at 17s 6d each we kept
3 of them and one of the other litter we
have 4 young ones and the two old ones-
we have the acre in James land molded
[moulded?] and cleaned and they are
[there is?] the turff [turf?] today and
tomorrow thomas and William is Drawing
limestone yestardy [yesterday?] and today
and if well will be ready for the gravel Bed
on monday we were read out for all
the money this time - So we are dowing
[doing?] pretty well with the road if
we keep going to it we will Do verry
[very?] well - But the [there?] are
[sic] not much time to spare



[Page 3]
Well I suppose Willie gilky
[William Gilkinson?] has told
you something about the Burn
if you remember last summer we
Brought the watter [water?] in under
the Ditch above the Bridge - this
year Elkin lowered the Bed of the
Burn so that it would not come in on
Saturday 16th may when I went down
with the cows at about 6 o'clock I
saw Joe Elkin in the Burn he then went
home and I went Down no watter [water?]
was comming [coming?] in and the Burn
Sank I putt [put?] a little [Stopping?]
and the water come [came?] in again
on going to the fair it was open again
I stopped it and told them going past
not to enterfair [interfere?] with it again
- when William was going down Sarah was
at it with a spaid [spade?] him and her
had some words But he did not let her
open it when I come from the fair it was
open again I stoped [stopped?] it then
when Johny [Johnny?] and Sarah come they
come over without

[Page 4]
throwing of one Stick Bonnet and all
tomy [Tommy?] and John was comming [coming?]
at the Bridge and saw them they went up Sarah
was letting off the watter [water?] and Tom
would not let hir [her?] Tom give hir [her?]
a push Johny [Johnny?] then drew the stick a
very heavy one with a good head on it and putt
[put?] tomy [Tommy?] down in the Burn he caught
hold of the stick and got up he then nocked
[knocked?] Johny [Johnny?] down with his own
stick he never let him up till he give him a
good welton [welting?] and Drowing [drawing?]
John C. [Charles?] Kept Sarah against the Burn
They [there?] were any amount of people before
it was over - the police was going Down and
Elkin called on them so when they looked at
elkin the [they] jumped across the Burn and
had there [their?] hand nearly on tom and
said they would arrest him tom said they would
not and him and them up the field - Tom had
fine shoes and was all weet [wet?] and the
wire was before him up the field So he took
a turn By the Bridge and leeped [leaped?]
the [slap?] at the Bridge and johnstown
[Johnston?] fell


[Page 5]
and tomy [Tommy?] got into gilkys [Gilkinsons?]
-Elkin and they [the?] police went then to the
plumb [Plumbridge?] to the Doctor to get a
warrant but he would give them none – Doct
[Doctor?] [Connan?] has been with him 3 times
and a Doct [Doctor?] from Newtownstewart -
once so I think he will live after all William
and me went to Omagh on Monday to know what was
best to be down [doing?] Colictor [Councillor?]
Houston told us to turn in the watter [water?]
again and if tourned [turned?] off again to wire
in half of the Burn and if they would cutt [cut?]
the wire to turn the cows into the Burn and let
them go where the [they?] liked -Aleck Duncan
went to omagh I got a letter from [a c conar?] to
clear the burn and replace the mearing [a land
boundary?] fence the boundary mearing [a land boundary?]
betwin [between?] to [two?] townlands on or before
Saturday 23 [or?] a little Jurisdiction process
would be issued this is all up till the present
how it will turn out we dow [do?] not know we wired
in the half of the Burn and lifted the Ditch and its
not [moved?] as yet

[Page 6]
Dear James I am abledged [obliged?]
to give you the Death of Charles Gordon
he died at Midnight last night
your mother and me is going over to
the wake after I finish this letter
I was over once he was not long sick
that is more than his usualy [usual?]
weakness - Now the sheep they have 19
lambs and 3 to lamb yet 3 of the year
olds has lambed and 3 to lam [lamb?]
Bella I think told you how many they
lost they have a good many of them
clipped they only bought 16 they have
got some of the old money and has to
get some yet
But this roit [riot?] I supose [suppose?]
will take some before all is over -
But we will tray [try] and hold our
own with them if in our power I will
write every week till all is over to
give you all the news


[Page 7]
Dear James I hope this will not
putt [put?] you of your learning do not
trouble yourself about it as I think
it will not signify - We hope you
will come out well and if you fail
in some points you must try and do
better again - I supose [suppose?]
its hard But what is got without hard
work and trouble everything is low
now take good hart [heart?] and keep up
your spirits and there is no fail
[fault?] of you [sic]and we will do
our best to keep you going if in
our power
Dear James when you get your
vacation Do not join any work
with strangers you can improve
your time then as well as at school
and I hope we will be able to keep
you going you may give your uncle
Some days if you have any time

[Page 8]
John and [Mary?] is not getting to
school now as Turff [turf?] and
everything is to work with Willie Gordon
is in Dublin learning his exercise
for police Joseph Ballantine was at
home he said he would write to you
when he would git [get?] back- The
Band was gathered on friday last
tomorrow night they were going down
the road But now on account of C Gordon
we have fine warm weather now crops
looks well and potatoes growing
fast I had intended to write to
your uncle this time But now I have
not time give them our Best respects
you can tell them about the Burn if
you think well of it. I have sent you
know [no?] papers this long time But
I will we are all well thank God at
present this is a long letter and
some of it Badly spelt so good by
goodbye and may God be with you all
John James Smyth


Transcribed by Kyle Smith