| Title: | 41. From Elizabeth Prendergast to her children in Boston |
|---|---|
| ID | 5686 |
| Collection | The Prendergast Letters. Correspondence from Famine-era Ireland (1840-50) [S. Barber] |
| File | prendergast/41 |
| Year | 1848 |
| Sender | Prendergast, Elizabeth |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | housewife |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Milltown, Co. Kerry, Ireland |
| Destination | Boston, Mass., USA |
| Recipient | Prendergast children |
| Recipient Gender | male-female |
| Relationship | mother-children |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 506 |
| Genre | decease, family |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Mr Thomas Prendergast No. 16 pearplace Boston State of Massachusetts N. America prepaid My Mother Milltown 24th Decr 1848 My dear Children This is the first letter I ever addressed ye. I am sorry to be the only person now able to address ye but the will of God must done. We ought to be obedient ^to^ his orders at all times. My dear Children consider that all powers must submit to God, and without his blessing nothing can prosper. We must bear our portion of Adversity, as well as we enjoy our comforts, blessed be God. I have my own share of troubles tho I had a good deal of comfort hitherto. The sole cause of my trouble is the painful duty of announcing to ye the death of your father. He died on the evening of Monday the 18th Instant. Tho he had a long sickness It was not painful. Nature only wasted gradually. I was as well able to attend him as when at the age 20. He wanted no care. His daughterinlaw Michael's Wife nursed ^him^ as carefully as any daughter could. Her own father could expect no more. I had not a single shilling to bury him but Nelly said she had plenty and that she would see ^him^ as respectably interred as if her Husband were at home, and she fulfilled her Word. He was interred in Keel alongside his son John. Not a farmer in the parishes here was attended to the grave with greater respect, nor with greater decency than his daughterinlaw sent him to his long home. Ye should never forget her attention to him nor will I during my life. She and her children are well. The children are well tho after a long fit of illness. Your Aunt Norry and her daughter Mrs Webb were here a few days before his death and came secondly the Evening before his death. They asked me to go out with them, but your father desired I would keep my own little house during my life and I intend doing as he desired me. Maurice attended him regularly. He was here on the 15th (Milltown fair day) when your father sent ye a letter with his blessing which I am sorry to say he truly to be his last. I now send every one of ye [...] he did my blessing. I suppose tho I am strong yet I cannot hold long. Time wears every thing. I know I need not state that I am now dependant on ye. I know ye will [not] neglect repaying Nelly for what she laid out for your father's funeral. She deserves every attention. Maurice desires to be remembered to ye. Poor fellow is in grief. He begs of me to request that ye will keep Julia ignorant of her father's death as long as possible. I am My dear Children affectionately your Mother Elizabeth Prendgast Your Aunt Norry and family live at Feanit. |
