| Title: | McIlrath, James L to McIlrath family, 1877 |
|---|---|
| ID | 4513 |
| Collection | The McIlrath Letters: A family history in letters from New Zealand to Ireland (1860-1915) [Bassett, McKee et al.] |
| File | mcilrath/32 |
| Year | 1877 |
| Sender | McIlrath, James L |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | farmer |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Southbridge, Canterbury, New Zealand |
| Destination | Killinchy, Co. Down, Northern Ireland |
| Recipient | McIlrath family |
| Recipient Gender | male-female |
| Relationship | son-parents |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 462 |
| Genre | family, acquaintances, weather, local economy |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Southbridge April 30th 1877 Father Mother and Brother, You will I hope excuse for not writing before this, but we were every week for the past three months expecting Mr. Robt Matthews back again when I intended to write to them after his arrival but we are all beginning to think that he must be enjoying himself to perfection, and has forgot New Zealand altogether. His friends all arrived safe here one of his sisters Mrs Patterson was very ill on the voyage but is now pretty nearly recovered the other sister Mrs Wallace was confined on the voyage but arrived here in good health about as broad as she was tall. Mr Robt. Anderson and Mrs. Anderson is well, we enjoyed ourselves very much the first night they arrived here we almost felt as if we were roaming over Irish soil again and forgot for the time that there is distance between. Old Mrs. Matthews was very ill about Christmas and was at Christchurch, when her friends arrived, for medical attendance. She is not quite well yet and thinks a good deal about Robert. I hope you are all well Father, Mother and yourself, Mrs and family not forgetting John, Mrs and family you may tell John that I received the portraits for which I return thanks I shall write to him as soon as Robt Matthews arrives but perhaps he has made up his mind to stop in Ireland. Maggie Auld is still living with us and in good health she can name a good many people about Killinchy that I must have forgot or else they are newcomers - if you see her Father or Mother tell them they must write to her oftener as she is always looking for a letter from them her brother David comes to see her regular he is living with Hans McClure and Robt is living with George McClure. We have had one of the wettest summers and especially the harvest that was ever known here. Some of the crop had to be left uncut as the land was too soft for the reaper others was cut but not tied and was growing to the ground so badly that people turned pigs into the fields sooner than pay for binding it up. The result is that fat pigs is plentiful and therefore cheap. I had all my grain in stook but then it is a deal sprouted. Butter is a good price being a shilling per pound we sold £60 worth and has on hand about f30 worth more, besides feeding 16 calves. I hear David Osborne is left for home I never saw him only at the diggings. I forgot to mention that we are all well, and remains yours J.L. McIlrath |
