| Title: | Martha J. Wilson, Ontario to her aunts, [Co. Armagh?]. |
|---|---|
| ID | 3378 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Wilson, Martha J/1 |
| Year | 1861 |
| Sender | Wilson, Martha Jane |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | farming household |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Hope Township, Canada West (present-day Ontario) |
| Destination | Co. Armagh, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | unknown |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | niece-aunts |
| Source | Perry Town, Hope Township, Co Durham, Canada West, (Now Ontario, Canada) |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9102020 |
| Date | 03/01/1861 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by JM 09:02:1994 |
| Word Count | 951 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Perry Town Hope Canada West. January 3rd 1861 My Dear Aunts I presume by this time you have given me up for a careless, ungrateful, being, and whether to plead guilty or not is the querry [query?], I would fain plead innocent, althoughe [although?] I must say my actions speak the contrary, but I assure you I think a great deal about you left as you are, bereft of the only friend to whom you would confide your joys & sorrows he who was so careful & saving & capable of manging [managing?] so as to turn every thing [everything?] to the best advantage. your situation must be very lonely but I hope by this time you find your loss made up in some degree in my cousins, I have come so near losing track of them that I wish you would send me an account of their names & ages I mind some thing [something?] of the 3 eldest and that is all for you see it is now nearly 19 years since I left home. Where is Uncle John he might write me at least once or twice a year, I have not time to write as often as I would like there is more work to do in a small family here than at home, I am my own Millnier [Milliner?] dress-maker and I make all Joseph's clothes excepting his best and then I dare not commence with the children [about?] me, my health has been rather poor since our last baby was born she was 8 months old yesterday 5 of which I had a girl I am without at present but I find it very hard work but it is very hard to pay 10 s a month to a little girl not able to do near all my work our own are getting able to assist me some but John the oldest goes to school so he cannot help me so much Sarah was 4 years old in July and helps me a great deal, she is so willing to assist me, Ellen Marcella was 2 last March she is the most thoughtfull [thoughtful?] and carefull [careful?] of the 3, her Father hopes that someday he will have things done to his liking for he is very particular and you know I am rather inclined to be otherwise, but Joseph has wrought a great change on me for the better, I think you would say so if you were here. Anna Maria is the name of the youngest she seems very bright and is a great pet I assure you, but John would give her in exchange for a boy, he was 7 years old last August. Have you seen Martha Jane Feloon yet #PAGE 2 she was foolish to give up her nice situation, I hear that Loisa [Louisa?] Stoops is going home this winter too, but I think that they will yet return to Canada, it is one of the finest spots on earth, certainly we have some desperate cold weather in winter, and some scorching weather in summer, but it gives us the means of alleviating the suffering of either seasons. I hear by a neighbours letter that you have had a very wet season at home and that it is probable some may suffer from its effects, but I would fain hope that the Dispenser of all good has not seen fit to visit Ireland again as on a former occasion for I had dreadful accounts from eyewitnesses of that time. Write & let me know how you are situated this year, let me know is Jenny Cooper dead and Nancy Gillespie & if you know anything of Quaker Haddocks family, these are about all my acquaintances down there Uncle Samul's [Samuel's?] family I knew little or nothing about I might see one of them occasionally but that was all Where is Ruth & Anne Henson is W. Long alive yet. I have said nothing about how we are getting along in this world we move much as usual still increasing a little and of debt and has something ahead lumber for the last few yeas [years?] has brought little or nothing there seems to be a little [stir?] at present so we are in hopes of making something more this, year, those few years of hard times hurt Joseph very much but thanks be to God he braved the storm, but with many a loss. we have a nice Pony, 2 cows and perhaps 3 heifers coming in next spring Joseph saws all himself now and has no man Aunt I send you one and all the best heartfelt affection I am capable of and believe me ever your distant but not forgetful niece Martha Jane Wilson Cousin Henry a letter once a year and papers in between would be very acceptable to your cousin M.J.W. [Martha Jane Wilson?] Tell Thomas if he is not ashamed of himself I am neither a paper nor letter from one of them for more than one year, I am sure he might get time to write twice a year at least. James Boland was #PAGE 3 here the last of last winter he is getting on well his present wife has but 2 children the youngest I think will be 6 next Feb The 6th of Dec was a general thanksgiving for our bountiful harvest we were at W Boland's after church W. Bolands folks are all well so is N. [Nancy?] Gillespie & family. My Love to Uncle John tell him I want him to write me soon. Inclosed I send a scrap to Margat [Margaret?] Anne please send it to her. Wm [William?] Boland had a letter from sarah lately they are well. |
