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Title: M. Smyth, Ontario, to E. C. Smyth, Co Tyrone
ID2971
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FileSmyth, Mary/38(2)
Year1903
SenderSmyth, Mary
Sender Genderfemale
Sender Occupationstudent
Sender ReligionProtestant (Presbyterian)
OriginOntario, Canada
DestinationCastledamph, Co. Tyrone, N.Ireland
RecipientSmyth, Eliza C.
Recipient Genderfemale
Relationshipsisters
SourceCopyright Retained by Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone, castledamph@btinternet.com
ArchiveMr & Mrs J Smyth
Doc. No.0505578
Date19/11/1903
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
LogDocument added by LT, 07:04:2005.
Word Count953
Genre
Note
Transcript[Front of Envelope]

Miss E C Smyth,
Castledamph,
Plumbridge,
Co Tyrone,
Ireland.

[Stamped]
ST THOMAS
14
DE 7
03
ONT.

[Back of Envelope]

[Stamped]
NEWTOWNSTEWART
AM
10 0
DE 19
03

[Page 1]

Coll. Inst. St. Thomas.,
Nov. 19th 1903

Dear People All,
I suppose you will
wonder what has become of me when
you have not got a letter for so
long but I suppose by this time you
will know the cause as Jim told
me he wrote one or two letters.
Well I may begin and give you a
full account of all. I think it
was Thursday the 25 or
26 of Oct that I got a letter for
Annie at noon from Cassie telling
her of her mother being sick and
then that afternoon she got a telegram
to go home so when I got home from
school we had to prepare to go. and
got there by 9.30 o'clock. There were
quite a few people there as is usually [sic]
in such places. The next day I had to get
the work all done as Bell was

[Page 2]
was [sic] not in much humour of doing
anything. Some of the neighbors helped
with the work but I was the one who had
everything to look after I never knew
before that I could cook a meal
I surprised them all and I may
say myself too. Sarah came the next
day after we got there and Tillie
came the following Monday so she
and I did the most of the work then
From we went there were never
less than ten for meals and from
that to 22 we had twenty for dinner
several days and then they could
not all have dinner at once as some
had always to stay with Aunt so we
had always to have the second table
Joe came the Saturday before Aunt
died The doctors did not expect
that she would live as long as she did

[Page 3]
Friday night I will write a little more
tonight. continuing where I left off.
She died Sunday night just at 6.15 or so
I had everything on the table ready
for supper when she died so of course
there was no supper for quite awhile
[a while?] after. They all felt bad and
especially Bell she was a long time
before they could get her pacified
She suffered something awful. Those
that were around her were glad to
see her at rest. There were four and
five sat up every night with her
during the wake a few of the
neighbours came in nothing like at home.
The funeral was quite large. Service
In the church and a prayer in the house
and also at the graveyard. For the
mourners there were three carriages
Uncle, Bell, Charlie Annie and Leslie
in one and Cass & Fred & Howard & Glen

[Page 4]
and Sarah & Joe in the second and
Jim & Tillie and I and Mr & Mrs
Padden in the second. We were
all dressed in black I had to borrow
a jacket and a hat as I had
no black up with me. [Joe scored out]
and Tillie and Jim went away the night of
the funeral also Mrs & Mr Paddon
of Windsor. Joe and I left them down
at the station Joe went away the
next night and Sarah went Saturday
morning and we left the following
Tuesday night. Belle feels awful
bad she goes around and never
says a work [word?] unless you ask her
something. Everybody talks to her and
tells her that it is not right for her
to worry so much over Aunt. @@@@@@@@@but she
thinks she can never live without her.
She was conscious right to the last.

[Page 5]
and had them singing about two hours
before she died. When we went up that
night we all went up and spoke to her so
the next day as I was up and just looked
at her but she did not see me so about
night she was asking where I was and if
I had gone away again when I was not up
to speak to her. She asked several times
for me and I always hated to speak to her.
She always talked to us telling us to be
good and to prepare to meet her in heaven
and such like. She lived a good life and
was rewarded for it. But she suffered
something awful especially the two days
before. She moaned on Sat. night that
we [she?] could not sleep the pain was so
bad and they had to stand by her and
could do nothing for her but give her
morphine. Well I must stop about this
subject though I could write three more
pages on all that happened I suppose

[Page 6]
you will get a memoriam card as they have
got them for all.
Now as regards school I have got away behind
with being so long out but I will have to study
the harder. The weather is pretty cold here
now we had some snow a short while ago
Today is nice only a little chilly. Well I was
sorry to hear of the departure of W.J.
[Willie John?] I think I will write to him some
day. to hear what he has got to say for himself.
Got a paper from you the other day. I think you
are about as long in writing as I am. This is
Saturday I am trying to finish this up and post
it today. I suppose you will know the cause of
my delay by this time. I see the Orangemen still
gather. Well now I wonder if none [sic] of them
noticed me. I would like to see those [sic] all
again. How is Master James? Did Bella get nervous
when she was getting the baby christened I think
I would have.
I must quit now so Good Bye
M. Smyth. [Mary Smyth?]

Transcribed by Alan Houston