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Title: Fanny Broughton, Canada, to W. J. C. Allen, Belfast.
ID314
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FileBroughton, Fanny/2
Year1878
SenderBroughton, Fanny
Sender Genderfemale
Sender Occupationhousewife (in a wealthy household)
Sender Religionunknown
OriginOntario, Canada
DestinationBelfast, N.Ireland
RecipientCampbell Allen, William J.
Recipient Gendermale
Relationshipfriends
SourceD 1558/1/1/761: Papers of William John Campbell Allen Deposited by F.D.Campbell Allen.
ArchiveThe Public Record Office, N. Ireland.
Doc. No.9803090
Date14/01/1878
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
LogDocument added by LT, 26:02:98.
Word Count1181
Genre
Note
Transcript[Ingersoll?] House
Hamilton Ont [Ontario?]
14th Jany 1878
My Dear Jno Allen
I think one of life's greatest pleasures is
finding that old friends still remember you and on Christmas
day I got your kind letter and card, thank you much for
the kind wishes and believe they are fully reciprocated
for you and yours. In a quiet or semi-quiet way we had
a pleasant time both Xmas & New Year, I don't remember
for a long time having so little to worry [me?]
The children were all at home except Mary & Annie the
latter went home with Jessie Mr John Broughton's
daughter who came over with her uncle in June, they
went Allan line and enjoyed their trip except when
sick. Annie writes in very good spirits, she is to stay
as long as she wishes unless something turns up - I don't
know if she will go back to Ireland, she goes to Wales, Mr
[Childer's?] & Scotland. She is a very fine girl, the
Stewardess told her she never had a lady on board with such
a will - We have a quiet winter so far, not many parties
&c but with a large family like ours we are a party
every night when 3 or 4 young men come in. Mr & Mrs
[Childers?] & Mrs Hussey [Bircan?] were here in the
summer, Mr Bankworth a G.W. [Great Western?] Director
& a man & maidservant were here in Sept & October, they had
a splendid trip to California & were very delighted
with all they saw. I went to Chicago & Detroit, 5 times
to the Falls & that was enough Oh The Thousand Isles
too, such a house full besides entertaining every day
does even for me, but they were all so nice & quite
homely. Mr [Irvin?] sent me six Pheasant which arrived
last week in splendid condition. We have lots of game
but I like Pheasants best of all & [----?] to where Mr
[Irvin?] was here. We expect [Arthur?] shortly he has had
a most successful season in New York, he is one of the
nicest fellows in the [house?] [---?] & such good company.
We spent a week in the Russia House Hotel with him last
June & went to the theatre every evening. Dr. [Lyon?]
[Playfair?] and the M.P. for Paisley lunched with us one day.
We had great fun. It is wonderful what a number of people
from the old country we see during the summer and they are
all glad to meet their countrymen as we are to see them -
but girls are as lively as crickets and can hold their
own Lizzie came home head of her school and she goes back
till midsummer to try and win a gold bracelet which is given
by a Toronto gentleman to the head girl who must pass a
University examination in 23 subjects to win it, of course
she will be awfully cold if she loses it. She will be 18
in June & is her father's own daughter, I wish you could
take a peep at him just now, after a good early Sunday dinner,
he is in the drawing room with our young visitors Alec
Alexander on the couch by him as happy as is in his nature
to be - We have very good times here I can tell you only
one place in the world I like better & that is Belfast. My
heart is very warm to it. Mr. Broughton was sorry he did not
get over he was to have had a week in Belfast & one in
Scotland whilst Mr [Childers?] was in France at Whitsuntide
but some news he had from here about [----?] of lines
brought him home in a hurry. It is quite amusing to see
the other lines follow out his economic policy such as saving
up the old sleepers and burning them &c. Gradually from
calling him everything bad the people now begin to
understand that he really acts up and means to make them
do what he thinks is their duty, they say he is the
first manager or man [---?] Canada filling a Public
office who dare say Mr perhaps sometimes it might
be done more gracefully but one cannot have everything
he had broken up the rings and they had combined to
send him out of the country but have not done it and
about six firms here had to fail. I cannot tell you
how sorry I have been sometimes for him, he was so
worried and weary and he said it was such dispiriting
work but you know I am rather inclined to see a
silver lining to every cloud so I cheered him up as well
as I could & now I think he sees a little hope himself,
but that Vanderbilt has any amount of money
and power but you cannot trust his policy for anytime
he [---?] a friend of mine in the States that [----?]
was the cleverest railway man he had ever seen all the
same he would sell him tomorrow if it suited him to do so.
I wrote Mrs [Buryland?] some time ago but have not
heard from her My old housemaid Ann Graham from Killyleagh
came out to me last June & through her I keep up my
knowledge of my Irish friends. It is 15 years since she
first came to me & she is so proud of the children my
cook I have had nearly eight years the [-----?] Canadians,
last week the servants had a dance and my under
housemaid danced an Irish jig to which the Mistress and
family were invited & were furnished with seats of [----?]
we had great fun. I think I was the only lady in the city
called [Mistress?] & Irish Master they are American in this
and say Mr & Mrs [--?] & [--?] my servants have to wear
caps & little fancy [----?] their place it is good for
them to stand out & I wont give in, it isn't at all unusual
to see a housemaid with a sash a quarter of a yard wide
with ear-ring, rings, brooches & [P----?] hair. I must
not inflict any more on you - or not much - Mr [Winberg?]
gave Mr Broughton such a lovely water melon beautifully
flowered when he was in England
Wishing you many happy New Years and all your dear ones too
I remain
Yours Sincerely
Fanny Broughton

Glad to hear such good accounts from you of Mr [Coates?]
please remember me with every good wish to him & tell
him there are very few such happy women in the world as
I am at present. I have a lovely good family, old roomy
house with many [women?] for friends & will he come &
try one a good allowance & not bothered how I spend it,
so should I not be happy my young William [Coates?] is
turning out sharp & can row, fish, skate, canoe &
toboggan.
FB[Fanny Broughton?]

Kind regards to Mr & Mrs James [Case?]