| Title: | Greeves, Susanna to O'Brien (n. Greeves), Anne, 1838 |
|---|---|
| ID | 6072 |
| Collection | The Transatlantic Letters of an Irish Quaker Family_1818-1877 [B. Jackson] |
| File | quaker/98(2) |
| Year | 1838 |
| 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 | 1805 |
| Genre | Jane's health improving, weather, news of family, friends and neighbours |
| Note | |
| Transcript | My Dear sister I need scarcely say how very anxious we are to hear from you again and often wonder you do not write more frequently. How delighted I would feel on receiving a letter from Maria or any of the childn, if thy time would not admit of thy doing so. I know, were I to guide by myself, it is not at all times I can sit down to write a letter: but thou might get Maria now & again to do so and add a little at once, until she would have a long one to send. Since I wrote thee last we think dear Jane rather improved. I see father has omitted telling you that brother Dan & Anna were in Manchester & Rochdale buying goods, and they took Jane with them, hoping change of scene and the voyage would be of use, which we hope it has in a degree. Her lamentations are not so frequent, which we think an improvement, & she rakes more interest in many things which before she did not seem to care about. The burthen of her mind principally is her own unworthiness and she thinks she has brought us ... ruin, but converse with her on any subject and she is as rational as ever she was. The main thing is to keep her occupied & to draw her attention from dwelling on her self. She does be a good deal excited at the idea of seeing anyone she knows - therefore she seldom sees anyone accept it is by chance, and it does not seem to have the same effect. Anna writes me accept that she [Jane] is much thinner, she looks at times when she is at all animated quite like herself. We feel pleased that she is in Carlow as we can hear more particulars about her than we could expect to do when she was at the Ret rear. Yet it is a very nice place and ever}' attention possible was paid her. The housekeeper was very kind & Jane was very fond of her, and used often to go out to ride or walk with her and a niece who resided with her aunt: they made her quite a companion. We do hope and trust we may still have better accounts to write thee, altho we must not build too much on the little improvement she has made, least our hopes might be too sanguine - but leave all to Him in whose merciful hands she is. Father has told you what a wet summer we have had - it has been much against business of all kinds and ours has suffered also. We hope it may improve if the harvest can be saved, but not until these last two weeks have we had much dry weather: I hope it augurs better with you. My father is still able to get out to walk altho he is much easier fatigued than he used; and on Market days when we require him he still helps us, but he does not feel so well afterwards for a day or two; on account of keeping him from the shop on that day we get a young woman to assist us, which is a great convenience. About 2 months ago he paid a visit to Dungannon, Armagh & Moyallon and saw all his friends or most of them; he had been long talking about it, but poor dear Janes illness seemed to be a great bar to his going: the continued accounts of her and the seemingly little improvement of her amendment quite discouraged him in going any place, not having spirits to enjoy it. His friends were glad to see him and he spent two weeks among them very agreeably - he was at Milton for two or three days. Cousin Wm [Greer] & Elizb were very kind and attentive, as was all the rest of them. Cousin Wm & Elizabeth are quite alone now, Anne Greer having to go live with her mother in consequence of her sister Sallys death which took place 8 or 9 months [Feb. 2, 1838]. Did I tell thee before of Mary being married to displease them, to a person not a friend, since which she went to America and left him. He turned out a bad husband; I believe she went to her sister Susan, who I think is living in or about New York. We had a quarterly meeting for the first in Belfast. It was held the first first day in this month instead of at Grange. The Moyailon Q. Meeting was held at Grange in 6 month & the Lurgan Q. Meeting in Moyailon in 12 month, in consequence of the Lurgan Meeting house being out of repair & few friends there to entertain friends. It is thought that they will be always held now in these places at these times, but if so there must be either a new Meeting house built or an addition to the old - as friends had to erect a temporary kind of tent for the occasion. Sister Rachel and her son John was at the meeting - it had been two or three years since she was to see us. She looks very well and to all appearance will after some time add another to the name. Her mother [Anne Malcomson nee Bell] with her sisters Jane, Elizabeth & Susanna are now again m Ireland & is likely to settle in the neighbourhood of Dung- but as yet is not fixed on where; it will be pleasant for Rachel & Anna Barcroft [her sister, wife of John Pim Barcroft] to have them near them: Anna has now two sons. I nearly forgot to tell thee that Joseph Barcroft is married a few months ago to a niece of Anne Alexanders of Belfast. She is much younger than he is; they reside in a house which he built near to where his mother lives situated between Hawthorn Lodge and Laurel Hill. Anna Hogg & her two daughters Jane & Sally with her son John still reside in Caledon. Cousin Martha is married again and gone out to live 4 or 5 hundred miles above New Orleans: I dont remember the name of the place There has been no account lately from Cousin Wm Sinton or his family but I hope they will be able to make out like; it will seem strange to Wm for a while, the change. Sister Maty still keeps but delicate - she had Lizzy with her, who is here at the provincial school' she seems stouter for being there. I had been but poorly myself in spring and I got with her part of the time, which did me much good. Margt [O'Brien] is a great help to me. She is grown very much since she came to us. We have also her sister Lizzy: she is a chatty little thing but often amuses us. I tell Aunt she spoils her but she will not admit that she does. Aunt gets out to meeting during the summer and Mary got her for a couple of weeks to the sea as it was so convent, 4 or 5 miles below Belfast at Holywood. She took a few warm baths but she said she did not find any benefit from them. She still stirs about and amuses herself through the house at one thing or other. She desires me give her dear love to thee & Wm. We have had the company of Cousin Mgt Pike for the last 3 days: she left us this eveng. She has been in the North this good while & was at the Q Meeting. I think I never saw her look better - she desired me ... [give] her dear love to dice and that she often thought of thee. She still resides with Betsy Barrington. Cousin Molly Phelps died in 6th month last: she was ailing for some time. If I recollect right she was upwards of 80 years of age. Her death will no doubt be a great loss to the family as at her decease her jointure drops, which was £400 a year; the place she has left to Sally but, poor thing, she has not been in a state of health to attend or mind anything. Her mind has been in a melancholy state this good while, but she appears much better this last 2 months. Bess is very delicate, subject to severe spasams in her stomach, which is beyond all description what she suffers when attacked: which is often, say some days once or twice & then a few days may elapse before she has a return. I think I mentioned before John having died at John Aliens Retreat: it is a cause of thankfulness he was taken before his mother. Uncle & Aunt Sinton are going on in the old way. I saw Mary Uprichard at the meeting. She keeps her looks well for her years. Her niece Anna Maria is newly settled in Belfast: she has no family. Her sister Susan spends most of her time with her. James N. Richardson eldest daughter Sarah was married about a month ago to David Malcomson, 5 son of D Malcomson, Clonmell; and his second eldest 8 or 9 months before that to Frederick Clibborn, formerly of Moate but now lives in Liverpool; and his third son Joshua about 4 months ago to a step daughter of Ben Haughtons by his last wife. This letter I am sending by his son Thomas Richardson who is going to reside in Philadelphia & to commence with a partner in the Linen business. They are doing a great deal of business in this trade: they have many advantages of most people - they manufacture themselves. Poor Abby Penrose did not long survive her husband - she was in Dublin with some of her relations on acct. of her health & died there. You will also be sorry to hear of Sally Waring's removal - she died of Consumption. John is much to be pitied but her sister Eliza is a great comfort to him. I believe I have written thee most of the news I can think of and I forget but I have written thee some of these things before. Joshua Haughtons daughter Jane Taylor paid him a visit lately. She & her husband had come to N York to purchase goods & she came over in one of the new steam boats. He was to remain in N York til her return. With dear love to Win & the chiln I am, dear Anne, thy affectionate sister Susanna William OBrien Anne Evans near Collins Post Office County of Erie State of New York |
