| Title: | Greeves, Jane to O'Brien (n. Greeves), Anne, 1823 |
|---|---|
| ID | 6008 |
| Collection | The Transatlantic Letters of an Irish Quaker Family_1818-1877 [B. Jackson] |
| File | quaker/54(1) |
| Year | 1823 |
| Sender | Greeves, Jane |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | helps in family business |
| Sender Religion | Quaker |
| Origin | Armagh, N.Ireland |
| Destination | Lake Erie, NY, USA |
| Recipient | O'Brien (n. Greeves), Anne |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | siblings |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 2170 |
| Genre | change of residence, attending the Dublin Meeting, family and friends, Anne's visit to T. Nicholson, visit from relative |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Armagh 1st day 20th of 7th mo 1823 According to thy request, my dear Sister, I take up my pen to address thee - and would have done so sooner but anything I had to communicate was of so little importance - thought it would not be worth paying postage for. I hope thee did not attribute it to want of affection or not thinking of you, for I can assure thee there is not a day passes but you are (some part of it) the subject of my thoughts. The last letter I wrote thee was before we left Dungannon240, which is exactly three years on 6th day last. I like Armagh very much - and would prefer living in it to Dungannon. We felt a little at a loss for society at first but since the Nicholsons came we find it much pleasanter, and we see a great many of our friends on Market days and passing on their way to Dublin. I was pleased to hear you had got a place you can call your own. I hope it may be an acquisition to you, for land in this country at present is quite the contrary. It is pleasant to have got beside agreeable neighbours which I believe is hard to be met with in America. It will be a great comfort if their children is such as you would like yours to associate with. Oh how often I wish I could see them and picture to myself thee learning them to repeat our names etc. etc. Who [knows?] perhaps they may one day see and am sorry we are so far separate, but try to be content as things are often disposed for our good when we are not aware of it, and everyone in this transitory stare has their own trials to undergo. I see by thy letter thee understood Thos. and I were to go to the Dublin Meeting. So we intended, but my Mother was so poorly I could not have left her, but that Thos. was so kind he let Susannah come in my place and stayd at home himself to let me go, which I did; and was greatly pleased with Dublin where I staid a week after the Meeting, and then proceeded to Carlow where I spent a month very agreeably. I think the country about it is beautiful. They have a horse and car [carriage] and we had a great many delightful jaunts. Mary took me to see Balitore and we staid a day and night in it. I liked it very much: the friends are so uncommonly kind and all seem like one family almost. On my return to Dublin I was present at the Marriage of Rebecca Webb and Samuel Eves (nephew to Saml Eves beside Carlow). He is about 10 years younger than herself I believe, and the people have had wonderful talk and run about it. They performed their parts very well, t thought. They are expected down in the North soon, I understand. I don't know of any relations Rebecca has that she can take him to see. I spent part of two days in his company and think him very agreeable. He has no property of his own and people are pleased to say it was to get a comfortable settlement he married her. However it is none of our business. My brother Wm. came home with me and spent a month with us. He is greatly improved, I think. He is nearly as rail as John and has left offal! the childish ways, I may say, but he is not very clever at business - however I expect he will improve. My Mother wished to have him for a while and they thought a pity nor to indulge her, though they thought it would unsettle him a good deal. I had a letter from him yesterday and he seems to be fretting a little - Margaret Sinton also came home with him but she has not returned home yet. She and Aunt Molly went to Moyallon on 6th day: I am not certain when they will return - she has been very little with us yet. She had so many to go to see in Tyrone, I expect when she comes from Moyallon she will spend the remainder with us. She is a good natured lively girl There is some talk of Elizabeth [Sinton] going to be married (but whether it will ever take place or not I believe no one can tell) to a young man whose name is John Walpole. He has been visiting them for these 12 months and more but never applied to any of her friends for her, but I blieve said plenty to herself. He is in partnership with a brother who is married and I suppose he does not like to propose openly for Elizabeth untill he gets a home of his own. He is not a bit handsome and scarce the height of Wm. Sinton, but very agreeable and quire the gentleman in his manners and that is what E. likes. It seemed a great undertaking for you to go so far as Thos Nicholsons on a visit. I think you must have suffered greatly from the cold - I wonder how thee is able to go through as much, that used to be so delicate. It was very pleasant to visit with so kind a reception as you rec'd from TW: he is what thee might call a genuine Irishman. How pleasant it would [be] for you to have him settled near you. I think he is greatly to be felt for on account of the treatment he met with - but when that was the kind she was, I think he had a good miss of her. We heard of it before through the Nicholsons but not any of the particulars. Thee speaks of some of the Simons going out upon speck [speculation] but they are too comfortably settled to leave it for an uncertainty. I was provoked to hear of the treatment thee met with from Aunt Polly. I think thee should have known her better: however it will leave thee more wit again. I would think worse of it on Thos Nicholsons account. It was a disappointment thee had so [little?} of Uncle Joe's company: I think it a pity he is so far overseen in Aunt['s?] - he has been drudging for that family all his life, and what is he the better for it. Is there any talk of Phoebe going to get married? I think she may soon begin to despair by all accounts Eliza and Mary Hogg are two fine dashing girls now. They were at the Dublin Meeting this time and were greatly admired. Eliza made a hole in one swains anyhow: he has been down to ask for her already. I suppose thee knows him - he is brother to Thos. Haughtons wife of Carlow and his name is James Pim. There is no doubt but he will be accepted of, though the Nicholsons tell me he is 12 years older than herself, they believe: but he has plenty of money and that is all-sufficient now-a-days. John says he wont send me to another fair as I did no execution [at] this one, but I tell him when I go for; that purpose he may despair of getting leave to keep me Jong There does be a great many friends still making enquiry for thee and when we heard from thee, but none more than the [Sh]aws. We do all be glad to get a letter from thee. It makes us feel as if conversing with thee for the moment, and lessens the pain of absence but is certainly a poor substitute. I often dream of you but always wake disappointed. It is time for me to say something about my dear Mothers health - which I am sorry to inform thee is but very middling. That lump on her tongue is increased greatly and she suffers a great deal of pain. It affects the whole side of her head and goes down into her throat and breast. It sometimes goes into her stomach and then she takes one of her old reaching fits in a light degree. Then her jaw and tongue get easier and when she gets better of the sickness the pain returns to her jaw. We are a good deal alarmed about her, but she has got some medicine lately to rake which we are in hopes will be of use. We cant tell for some time as it is very slow in its effects. Some days she is a good [deal] easier than others, and thee would be surprised how cheerful she is then. She is wonderfully patient, which is a great blessing as it would be very distressing to both herself and us. I hope the next account thee gets from us will be more favourable. As thee is not acquainted with many of the people here [Armagh], anything I could tell thee of them would not be interesting. But I blieve thee knew some to the Boltons: Thea often speaks of thee - she used to meet with thee at J. Hoggs. We visit with them sometimes and find them friendly and agreeable. Thee wishes to know how the Nicholsons are getting on: I blieve very well. They sell a great deal of tea, on commission for a house in Dublin - also a great many bonnets. They sell things in our way besides: I dont blieve they have taken much of our customers, for we seldom or ever hear of them and so far we have had no reason to complain of business. We get our share of what is going but indeed it is bad everywhere. Thos generaly comes over on market days to visit us and John goes to him, which makes us feel quite near each other. I think [no more?] of setting off for Dungannon than I used from Berna, but it is not often I get. I have to attend the shop pretty constantly - I cant be spared. Susannah and I dont be much together which we both regret, but it cant be avoided as she is equally confined to business. I often wish Thos was married, for tis likely we would get her here then: but there does not seem any chance of such a thing taking place soon - and as for John, he says he does not expect ever to be married. My Father makes fun sometimes and says if they go on at this rate the name of Greeves may be extinct after a while. My Father is finely and looks fir and well. He is greatly admired here - indeed thee would not see a handsomer old man any place. He is a right good shopkeeper now. He seldom feels any pain in his back, except he gets cold and then he has a slight touch of it. Tho’ Sinton, son of Uncle John of Cork, came to see his friends in the North on his way from Scotland where he is studying for a Doctor. We were greatly pleased with him. He is a very well informed agreeable young man. He has been in America and at Wilks Bury and knows what kind of a woman Aunt Polly is right well: I blieve he got enough of het. He was very well pleased with his trip to the North. He had not known what kind of friends he had ... and I blieve was agreeably disappointed. Aunt Debby Joyce came to Dublin the ... before I left it, on the way to Cock to see Uncle John, who she found very ill with ... in his legs. They were apprehensive of mortification but he was considered out of ... [danger when?] she left that - she spent a few days in Catlow on her return and [km not been to see?] us yet, but expect her soon. She liked Uncles family very well I understand. They seemed glad to see her but Uncle John did not remember a feature in her face, it was so long since he saw her before. My Father and John went to Richill meeting co-day and I staid at home to write to thee: I have so little time other days of the week. I am affraid there is some of it thee will scarce be able to make out, it is so badly written and composed etc. etc. However thee must excuse me as I write very few letters. I expect Susannah will write thee all the Tyrone news, so will conclude [with] dear love to my dear Brother Wm. and the children, in which my Father, Mother and John unite and blieve me dear Annie to be as ever thy sincere and truly affectionate sister Jane Greeves |
