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Title: 46. From Elizabeth Prendergast to her children in Bostonand from Maurice Prendergast to his son James Maurice
ID5691
CollectionThe Prendergast Letters. Correspondence from Famine-era Ireland (1840-50) [S. Barber]
Fileprendergast/46
Year1850
SenderPrendergast, Elizabeth
Sender Genderfemale
Sender Occupationhousewife
Sender Religionunknown
OriginMilltown, Co. Kerry, Ireland
DestinationBoston, Mass., USA
RecipientPrendergast children
Recipient Gendermale-female
Relationshipmother-children
Source
Archive
Doc. No.
Date
Partial Date
Doc. Type
Logunknown
Word Count425
Genreeconomy, emigration, neighbours
Note
TranscriptMr Cornelius Riordan
72 Southstreet Boston
State of Massachusetts
N. America

Milltown 7th August 1850

My dear Children
I suppose ye have received the last letter I sent
about the 8th of July last and that ye will be very
much surprized at receiving this so soon. But when
I explain the reason you will understand. I hope that
I am right. The blight came on early this season and
it is thought the Potatoe crop is lost. In general
it is feared that this year will be worse than any
of the years past. Maurice had a large Garden
but is lost. What he and I laid out on it would buy
a great deal more than its produce. Now I
should be calling on ye always for relief and
after all I would not be the better for it as
I could make no reserve while any of my family
appeared distressed. So I will be much more
happy by living with ye, and it will cost ye less
to send me at once as much as will take me out
than to ^be^ always remitting me assistance. The
sooner ye send the better. I understand that
Mary Mahony (Timy Mahony's Widow) received
some Money from her daughters Judy and Nancy
who are in Boston, and that she, her young daugh
=ter, and her son are preparing to go out. In
that case I would be glad to be with
them, as I am sure they would take as
much care of me as any person could.
So the sooner you send for me the better. I
made the request in my last letter, therefore I will
only say now that it would come light between
ye. Maurice and his family are well. Michael's
Wife and family also. I am as well in health and
spirits, thank God, as I was within the last ten
years. I hope all my children and their families, as
well as if I named them individually, are happy and
in good health. Reply to this without delay
and let me how all of ye are. Do not forget Con or
Julia. I remain affectionately,
your Mother
Elizabeth Prendergast
P.S.
The enclosed note is from your Aunt Norry.
It contains the address of her son, according to
the last account she had from him. He is out
from Ireland for the last 4 or 5 years. If ye
can learn any thing of him say so in your next.