| Title: | Martha J. Wilson, Ontario to George Reid, [Belfast?]. |
|---|---|
| ID | 3381 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Wilson, Martha J/7 |
| Year | 1865 |
| Sender | Wilson, Martha Jane |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | farming household |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Hope Township, Canada West (present-day Ontario) |
| Destination | Belfast, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Reid, George |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | siblings |
| Source | D 3014/3/2/9: Deposited by H. F. W. Reid. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9102025 |
| Date | 01/04/1865 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by JM 09:02:1994 |
| Word Count | 1881 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Perry Town, Good Friday 1865 My Dear Brother & Sister I am always thinking that you have more time to write than I have, but at the last I have to sit down and do it myself, I believe I am Paddy enough, to wish you would write both ways, at any rate I hope this scratch will find you all enjoying the great boon, good health, we are all in good health at present, thanks be to the Giver of all good. we ought to be thankful, we are married over 12 years and there has not been a Dr [Doctor?] in the house during that time but 2 twice, untill [until?] 2 or 3 years ago when we wanted one we had to go to Port Hope 10 miles distant for one. We receive your very welcome Papers regularly, I suppose you think you might have more returns well, I will tell you something, that for the past 2 years owing to hard times we have denied ourselves the pleasure of a weekly newspaper, times have not improved much but we were got so lonesome that we concluded to subscribe for one this year, so you shall have a share. You must be having terrible times in Belfast, my opinion is that if a Rebellion should break out in Ireland there would be an immense number of traitors found in Belfast, not a few of them amongst your leading men. I am perfectly ashamed to read, and have read, the accounts of the rascally conduct of men in authority, which we receive from time to time, it is shameful, where do they leave their oaths, when they are called out for duty. my country!!!! my country!!. (With all thy faults I love thee still.) James Boland is still in the west and doing well his oldest boy Thomas was 20 years old last Dec. and I am told remarkably like his mother, the other 3 children are more like their father the 2 girls very good looking, James has 200 acres paid for a long time ago, as he has another son I presume he will be for providing himself with another hundred at least for property is his motto, at the risk of nearly every personal comfort. The Irelands I hear very little about lately John & Margt [Margaret?] are married, John has sold his property here, and went to the states, I have heard nothing from him since Margt [Margaret?] lives up west, I have not had a letter from her since she was married, but I believe they are doing well I hear that Sam has bought a farm up west too, They neglect to write to me and I have not any of their addresses. Times here are extremely hard I assure you, the past winter has been one of extreme severity such as is very rare even in this cold country, the scarcity of the straw crop last summer and the severity of the winter has been severily [severely?] felt by the farmer, with regard to his cattle many have suffered very much, some have died, not just here but out back and we hear that some up west shot a part to save the rest. But much to the agreeable disappointment of thousands the spring has opened extra early, some whose #PAGE 2 land will admit have sowed, and before I forget I must tell you I want you to send me some wallflower seed and a few others if you like it is a rare flower here and inclined to be delicate, and I want you to write if possible the day you receive this in order that I may write immediately to Margt [Margaret?] Anne, I got a letter from her some time ago but Joseph says I had better wait untill [until?] I hear from you afraid that they might be moved away from Auckland since she wrote. do write immediately and let me know when you last heard from her and how they were getting on. Joseph has been sawing some all winter but between the severity of the winter and the mill dam been broke away twice he has not prospered according to his expectation, if we are not going on very fast we are going on pretty steady, we are not trembling if we see the constable in the distance. we had a fine cow which Joseph bought at 25 Dollars last May, broke her neck that day month, which was a draw back [drawback?] to us, we have 2 yet, but not like her. we have 2 horses and a colt besides which is too much stock for us, he intends selling 2 horses soon reserving one for our own use as we have not much land. I have not had a line from Thomas since I had his likeness nearly 3 years ago, I am going to tell you a little something that happened a year ago last June, Joseph had a chance offered him of purchasing 100 acres of land the wood on it by his own manufacture would do more than pay for it, it was so near that he with a little help in capital could have brought it to his own mill and prepared it for market, the fact is we wanted to buy it unknown to his folks so we thought that according to the economical way in which you all had been living and times pretty good at home that there would be no difficulty in borrowing £50 amongst you you see interest is so very high here, that is soon eats up the principal and when he would have good security I thought that we might as well have the benefit of it as any person else, I wrote to him, waited a [torn] length of time fearing he had not had the letter or [tore] liking the suspense, I wrote again requiring an answer one way or other immediately, in order that we might know how to act, whether he received the letters or not I know not, but this I do know if he received one or both of them he behaved unworthy his Fathers son, and what his wife thinks of the silence which exists between us I know not you can hardly tell how my feelings were harrowed up to think that I had a brother who was capable of such unprincipled conduct towards me mortified me extremely. Had the secret been solely my own I might have borne it better, but there was another knew it whom I had taught to believe one of you incapable of doing a mean action. If he thinks I will write first, I think he will be mistaken Let me know how Robert John & family are propering [prospering?] send them #PAGE 3 my kind love, how is Joseph getting on is Mamma his only housekeeper yet how is her eyes are they still closed do you hear from Ballynick friends how is Henry getting on, how does Mr Gilmour enjoy his health I hope he is well, Likewise all my old neighbours Oh for one month in ould [old?] Ireland I think I have not written yo [to?] you since Joseph's brother returned from England he staid [stayed?] almost a year his invitations were very numerous here and there round his native place besides places at a distance whither friends had changed their residence too, he said it would take him two years more to go round the remander [remainder?] of them all so being an eccentric being anyhow he concluded to come home so he did without any one [anyone?] knowing till [until?] he stepped in and he said he would go back sometime and finish off, he had his place rented but for one year at any rate, but I was so disappointed I could have cried, he has taken up Bachelors hall again, and thinks it is a fine thing to have no incumbrances. I would not give him one of my incumbrances for his whole farm, lock, stock, and barrel, would you, no no Our oldest boy is 11 1/2 years and only wants a few inches of being as tall as me that is 5 feet nothing all but an inch you do not remember me but I am but 4 ft 11 in the three girls come next they are rather small of their age, our baby Robert Reid (he get but Reid) he is 2 yrs [years?] 5 ms [months?] old and is a remarkably tall strong boy he is such a pet but I hope we will not spoil him what is your boy's name, I know the girls' and so does my girls know them when they begin to number up their cousins, Our children are not as smart to learn as either their father or I were, so I can boast none of their progress at school. Tell Joseph I. [Ireland?] we are all well I want him to write to me next Fall and send me a dozen or so of Leburnam [Laburnum?] seeds off that tree in the door yard at the Schoolhouse, that is if it is still in existence. I suppose you see we are threatened with a visit from our friends 'tother side the lake, my opinion is it will be a dear visit to them I hardly think they will be foolish enough to provoke John Bull indeed if they should it will only be in accordance with their conduct the past 3 years. I am a northerner Joseph is a Southerner. I think we will win the day not from strength but the justice of the cause, but I never read a column of the war news. With kind love to Annie, Lizzie, Maria Sidney, and baby, & yourself I am Dear George your affectionate sister, Martha Jane Wilson. Joseph says in 2 or 3 years I will be able to write an illegible letter that common sense is the scarcest thing in it. I think it is so very like a scrap book that it will be quite amusing The fact is I have been poorly and my brain is none too clear but if I wait I would not get time to write for I have too much to do alone. Perhaps you might be writing home on receipt of this if so tell some #PAGE 4 of them to ask Henry if there is nothing like Leather that I must never see the scratch of his pen all well I intend writing to Ballynick in June. Tell me in your next what wages you have, how many hours you are employed and if you are able to lay up anything for a rainy day I do not like the idea of living up to the last shilling. Busy Body. Joseph say you do not know where the west is it is above Toronto James is 150 miles from here and when I say out back I mean Townships [?] for we consider ourselves on the Frontier altho' [although?] 10 miles from our Market Town. I fear your patience will be exhausted reading my nonsensical Epistle. [?] in Belfast is it our [Ross?] if so where is Sarah. |
