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Title: Reynolds, Mary Ann to Reynolds (n. Kavanagh), Mary Ann, 1893
ID4219
CollectionThe Reynolds Letters. An Irish Emigrant Family in Late Victorian Manchester [L.W. McBride]
Filereynolds/32
Year1893
SenderReynolds, Mary Ann
Sender Genderfemale
Sender Occupationlinen worker
Sender Religionunknown
OriginManchester, England
DestinationChicago, Illinois, USA
RecipientReynolds (n. Kavanagh), Mary Ann
Recipient Genderfemale
Relationshipsisters-in-law
Source
Archive
Doc. No.
Date
Partial Date
Doc. Type
Logunknown
Word Count720
Genreincident at workplace, family
Note
Transcript1 Dudley Place
Old Trafford
Manchester
Ap 6/93

Dear Sister and Brother and Family,
You will think it very unkind of me not answering your Letter Sooner
but when I tell you all die trouble we had sence die 20th of July you will
be Surprised to hear it all. After I wrote you in a week or two after one
of our places was burned out, not a bit of it Left. Where we don all the
dry cleaning. The Shock was So Great that we thought we would not gel
over it. William was very much troubled about it but thank god we are
over the worst now. The loss was about £1500 pounds and we wair very
Busy at the time. It was on ley insured for the one third of the Loss. The
dames for goods was about £250 and we Lost all the mashinary. One machine cost £100 to fit it up. So we have go[ne] through a Lot Sence
Last July but thank god we havenot done So bad after all. Our coustemers
wair very good, all the time Sent all their work. All the dyeing part was
Saved, So we Kept our work on all the time. We had to Send the dry
cleaning to an other dyer for Som weeks. The goods are cleaned with
Spirits and the[y] have to be very carfull Because when it corns to a Serton heat it will with the Least friction tak fire.
The Landlord of the place would not Rebuild it for us, So William
has been thinking about getting a new works for Som time as it was not
a Suitable place for dyein buisness. The countrary [county] is much better.
William got a Place that was to be Sold and I think it will all turn
out for the better. He Bought it off alltogather. Their is a Lot of Land
with it. He bought it Soon after the fire, he gave £700 for it. Their was
two or 3 buildings on it that he had Repaired along with building a larg
new building. It will be one of the Largest in England. It has cost a lot
of money. When finished it will take over £2000 pound befor it is cornplated.
We Started som machines in it last week drycleaning. The men
wair Employed at the new building about 6 months.
Last June a Son of cousin Mary Reynolds came over and William
Started him as bookkeeper. He isa very Stedy young man. He is about
27 years. He was 7 or 8 years with atorney Obrine but he could get
no money from him. He has been writon to William asking him to find
him Som Employment hear. When he came over William Started him
at once. We find him very usefull. We have So much corisponding, our
trade is increasin very much.
Dear Sister, If you ware living near us your Sons would be a great
help to the buisness as it is very heavy on William and myselfe.
Dear Sister, Mother is prety well considering. My health has been
bad this winter. I was 4 weeks confind to my Room. My breathing is
very short and weak action of my heart. William is prety well. I thought
he would break down, the Shock was So much for him. We are all
improving, thank God. John and his wife is very well.
William was thinking about going to Chicago, onley we hapned with
this loss. Nothing would please him better than to see the Worlds Shoe [World's Show]. It will be a grand thing to See it. It is all the talk over
heare, that and home Rule for Ireland.
Dear Sister, I hop by the time you get this letter that you and family will
be in the injoyment of good health. I got Thomases likeness. He is a fine
young man. We ware delighted with it. We would lik to See Marys next.
Dear Sister, 1 have nothing more to tell you in this Letter. I forgot to
tell you William had two Letter from Unkle('s) two daughters telling
us about their weddings but William was in So much trouble he could
not answer them. Now I finish
with Kindest wishes from
Mother William and myselfe
Mary Ann