| Title: | McIlrath (n. Atkinson), Eliza to McIlrath family, 1875 |
|---|---|
| ID | 4507 |
| Collection | The McIlrath Letters: A family history in letters from New Zealand to Ireland (1860-1915) [Bassett, McKee et al.] |
| File | mcilrath/26 |
| Year | 1875 |
| Sender | McIlrath (n. Atkinson), Eliza |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | housewife |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Kowai Pass, Canterbury, New Zealand |
| Destination | Killinchy, Co. Down, Northern Ireland |
| Recipient | McIlrath family |
| Recipient Gender | male-female |
| Relationship | daughter-in-law - parents-in-law |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 383 |
| Genre | birth, new wailway, garden, family |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Kowai Pass January 6th 1875 My Dear Father and Mother We received your very kind letter of the 30th September which brought us the good news of you all being well as this leaves us at present. Hamilton is delighted to see you both looking so well. In fact he did not expect to see his Mother looking as well and I think you both are looking young and fresh. We have been a long time about writing a reply to your letter but I hope you will excuse us when you hear we have an increase in our family. We have another young son he is two months and a fortnight old and we have called him Hamilton Thomas McIlrath. John Robert is growing a fine little fellow and very like his grandmama. I am sorry we have not got our portraits taken to send to you. But we live so far from Christchurch it is over thirty miles from our place but I hope it wont be long before we go and have them taken. As the railway line is opened from Christchurch to the Malvern so now we have only five miles to go to the railway station. And we expect it will be two or three miles nearer to us still. Our garden is looking very nice the fences and trees are growing very fast round our house is like a forest with all sorts of trees and shrubs. Hamilton devotes a great deal of his time to the garden. Dear Father and Mother many a time Hamilton and I sits down and has a good look at you and Mothers portrait and thinks how well you look you would laugh if you seen little Johnny looking at your portraits he laughs and kisses them and tries to run away with them. He is a very strong little fellow and very fond of his father. I am sure you are delighted with your little grandchildren, that is living with you. I must send you some of my two boys hair. Johnny is fair and babies is dark. Johnny sends his grandma and grandpa a lot of kisses. I must conclude with kind love from Hamilton and myself to you all. Believe me ever your affectionate Daughter Eliza Jane McIlrath |
