| Title: | Greeves, Susanna to O'Brien (n. Greeves), Anne, 1837 |
|---|---|
| ID | 6065 |
| Collection | The Transatlantic Letters of an Irish Quaker Family_1818-1877 [B. Jackson] |
| File | quaker/93(2) |
| Year | 1837 |
| Sender | Greeves, Susanna |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | shop keeper |
| Sender Religion | Quaker |
| Origin | Lisburn, 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 | 2047 |
| Genre | their sister Jane's illness, news of family and friends, teetotalling |
| Note | |
| Transcript | My dear sister My father thinking that I can give thee more information than he can, has left me to fill up the remainder; but I feel as if I had but little to say, yet perhaps I may be able once I have begun to add more than I expect. At present die great trial we have is dear Janes continued illness. Yet we hope she is better and trust that k may yet please the almighty to restore her to us. At times her mind is more distressed, but when that wears off she gets out and exercises a good deal which is of much use. She is very comfortable and every attention is paid her. We are all better satisfied she is removed to the Retreat. It is a nice place and the friends who have the care and management of it seem well adapted to fill their situations. As I said before, in consequence of dear Janes illness much care or anxiety devolves on me and I should be thankful that I have been blessed with health to enable me to discharge the many things I have to attend to. I dont remember whether we mentioned before that brother Thomas & sister Mary Greeves had been to see dear Jane several times: but their visits to her did not seem to benefit her, as seeing them excited her a good deal (not but she always was glad to see them); & this reason has prevented me - besides I think seeing her would only help to make me more unhappy. Anna O'Brien and h[er?] ... f[ather?] go sec her when they are in Dublin. Their visits ... seem to have the bad effects that her near rela[tions do?]. Brother Dan has opened shop again a few months ago and seems ... [to] be doing as well as can be expected. Anna & George are with him and an assistant who they had before their failure - a niece of Cousin Anna McDonnalds. Mary Jane is still with Betsy Barrington, Margt and Lizzy here. Margt is a brave help to me. We have an apprentice besides - a young woman who is pretty smart. Lizzy goes to school & can read a little. She is a wonderful child: she has so much chat, she amuses my father and Aunt. Poor dear, she will know the loss of a mother yet if she lives. John is still in Youghal and likes the friends there very much: he has nice society. Ruben Fisher, with whom he is, sets him quite at liberty should a better situation offer. I wish he had a good one where he would likely make more than he is: I am sure he has good abilities and is very steady. Poor Anna like myself has much to think of; she and her farrier has been twice in England since they opened: the goods they purchased there are cheaper than what they could get them in Dublin, so that I hope they will be [able] to make out. Business in the North generally has been very Dull. We have had worse trade this last winter than we have had since we came to Lisburn and so far the spring offers little better. The poor weavers getting so little for their work and nor sufficient employment makes it continue so. We have had a very severe winter the like we have not had for years. Brother Thos was with us last week. It was our Quarterly Meeting: it was reckoned not quite so large as usual. Jacob Green got a certificate from your last M[onthly] Meeting and it has passed our Quarterly and has now to go before the Yearly to set him at liberty to visit America again: perhaps he may visit your part. I am sure it would delight thee to see one who knows us all and immediately from the neighbourhood. It is a great trial to his family to part with him and with us to lose such a worthy member. The only stranger we had was Richard Allen from Waterford; he did not seem to have much to communicate. John Richardson480 now and again drops us a word of instruction - he is not an acknowledged Minister, yet nor can I say he ever will. Thou wilt be sorry to hear that Sally Warring has and is in a delicate state of health. There is every symtom of her illness terminating in Consumption. She is for the last 4 or 5 weeks in town at her fathers to be under the immediate care of the Dr & from what Anna O'Brien says in her last letter she is declining fast. Poor John is greatly to be pitied, left with a young family, his own health being but middling; but in his sister Eliza the Children will find a second mother and good counselor. Abigail is at home. I think I mentioned before the death of her sister Mary, & since hers they have lost Elizabeth. These trials, my dear sister, are sent I believe in best wisdom to wean us from this world and, if it should please the wise disposer of events to afflict you by taking dear Thomas, I hope you will be both resigned to his will knowing whom he loveth he chasteneth. We all have our trials and we have drunk deep of the cup of affliction: may it prove a blessing to us and may we yet be able to say that it was well for us to be afflicted. Among the number of our old friends and acquaintances who have died since I wrote thee last I have to tell rhee of old Ellen Boardman. She was in her 84th year: she had her faculries to the last. Elenor & Sally are now left desolate enough. They are as yet living at Laurel Hill but would gladly, I believe, like to get rid of the farm and house if they could. I suppose it partly depends on what their uncle Tommy Greer advises; he has been in a delicate state of health for the last year but I hear is much in the old disposition. Elenor Whitfield is another of the old stock: she was die same age - she had been living with her daughter M Halliday near Lurgan. There has been numbers carried off here in fever which I find is very prevalent in most parts of Ireland. Thos was telling me Mary Bratton who thee may well remember died of it lately: there are many of our old acquaintances dropping off. It is a long time since I was in Tyrone: I feel as if I could not leave home: however perhaps in Sixth month I may get to the Q Meeting as the Moyallon one is to be held at Grange, the Lurgan one being held in the former place owing to some repairs being done to the latter. Consequently Grange Q Meeting which is in 3 month will be held in Lurgan. I sometimes hear from Jane Malcomson: she and I correspond now and again. Her sister Elizabeth is in a very delicate state of health: something the same way Jane was afflicted but much more nervous. She is a nice agreeable girl. I feel sorry about her: that family have had their trials as well as many others, but I hope they will be able now to get on again. It was owing to their Uncle Bells failure that they were embarrassed: I believe they had sufficient to meet their own debts. In what difficulty one man can involve many. Anne Greer who lived with her Uncle and Aunt Greer at Milton is now gone to live with her Mother, not having a daughter now to be with her. Het daughter Sally died Toy lately [February 2, 1838] with some inward complaint - the Dr seemed at a loss Co know what her complaint was. Mary made a foolish match and is in some part of America, I believe in or about New York. Her husband was a widower who remains behind her in Ireland, and, as thou art aware, Cousin Wm Greeves is married long since to Hannah. They have a fine son, I hear, and is likely soon to add more to the name. Sister Maty Greeves was with us duting the Meeting: she is very delicate and has to be particularly careful of getting cold, in fact she is completely asthmatical. Lizzy is now at the provincial school. She was there about font weeks before the Meeting. I think it will be of great use to her. particularly to her health - the regular diet and exercise, and she is a child that enjoys play very much. She seemed quite to like the idea of coming and does not fret at being from her mother. Poor woman, she feels her lonely situation even now more than ever. Lizzy was great company bur she would rather give up the gratification of having het, knowing it is for the childs good. We can have her now and again of a first day, which is pleasant for her and us. I should say something of brother Thos children. John his eldest is indeed a fine boy and shews a great taste for learning. Anna their second is by no means handsome but a smart child. Thos Malcomson their third, or Malcom as he is called, is a fine little fellow: his eyes like Johns are dark. And the Baby who is called for my dear Mother is a nice wee thing and quite admired. Mary Barcroft who was at the meeting was telling m[e?] ... [she?] is thought by some to be like Aunt Molly but when I saw het I did not s[ee the?] resemblance. Thos has to be very careful of himself through the winter: h ...d taking a cold shower bath which he thinks was the means of preventing ... him from taking colds. He looks thin and but very middling, but when he is well it is a great blessing. I have just returned from paying Sally Douglas a friendly visit: she was poorly and not at meeting today. She desired me give her love to thee. She cold me she had been thinking of thee a day or two before we recd your last letter; indeed we felt very anxious to hear from you, seeing by the newspapers the state they were in Canada and how near4S5 you seemed TO them. I hope before this reaches you that tranquillity will again reign in your borders. There is a great deal of party spirit kept up in Belfast and indeed every place almost. Every thing that is got up, no matter what, it is all carried by party feeling. Such doings often injures the good that would arise if no such feelings existed. Temperance is fast gaining ground in Ireland and we have had several Teetotal Meetings, which is abstainance from all intoxicating liquors; they also seem to be gaining ground. Thee wishes to know something of Mathew Jenkinson: he is still in the butter trade and Margt says he was busy with lime and morter, building she does not know what, when she left Carlow two years ago. Poor Abby Penrose has been left a widow about 2 months ago - George latterly took to drink and died in a state of intoxication. Poor little woman, she has had her own trials with him while living and now she cannot have any pleasing remembrance of his untimely death. She has 4 children living and I believe is carrying on the business. I have got John Wright's address which is as follows: John J Wright Auctioneer Fifth Street Between Vine and Race St Cincinnati State of Ohio I had nearly forgotten to say that Cousin Martha McMiken that was is married again & she is gone out with her husband to New Orleans, and from that they intend to proceed several hundred miles farther: I forget the name of the place. Father encloses ½ Sovergn joined by him & Aunt in dear love to thee. I am as ever thy afftt sister Susanna |
