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Title: Greeves, Susanna to O'Brien, Joseph Sinton, 1842
ID6124
CollectionThe Transatlantic Letters of an Irish Quaker Family_1818-1877 [B. Jackson]
Filequaker/134
Year1842
SenderGreeves, Susanna
Sender Genderfemale
Sender Occupationunknown
Sender ReligionQuaker
OriginLisburn, N.Ireland
DestinationCollins, Lake Erie, NY, USA
RecipientO'Brien, Joseph Sinton
Recipient Gendermale
Relationshipaunt-nephew
Source
Archive
Doc. No.
Date
Partial Date
Doc. Type
Logunknown
Word Count1563
Genrecorrespondence, family, weather
Note
TranscriptLisburn 9 Month 4th 1842

My dear Nephew
By a letter I had some time ago from thy dear Mother, I learned that she was anxious I should commince a
correspondence with thee & by doing so we might hear more frequently through thee of them, which certainly
would be very desirous. And now that I have complied with her wish, I hope there will be nothing wanting on
thy pact to convey to us how they get along, not forgetting at the sametime to say how thou art thyself and how
thou art getting on in thy new employment. For new it must be to thee and every thing relating thereto from what
thou has become accustomed to. I learned long since thou had a taste for something of the kind & when this is
the case those that have a willing mind can do a great deal born for themselves & for their employers. I hope this
wilt he the case with thee, my dear nephew, and from that little I know of thy disposition (through thy Sister Maria)
I am persuaded thou wilt do thy best.
Thy Cousin Anna O'Brien sent me a long letter she had from Maria, the persual of which was very gratifying,
particularly as it gave minute details of each member of your family, besides the manners & customs of your
country - principally that part where you reside. Since I had the reading of it, I wrote to thy Mother a joint letter
with Grandfather. 1 am sure she will be glad to see a letter from him; it may be the last, as of late he is much
declining: yet it is wonderful to see a man of his years write so well and so clear on every subject - he is now in
his 82 year and a nicer old man thou would not see any where. About a week ago he sent a box with some things
in it to Lpool to be forwarded to A Bells care for thy Mother. I hope it will arrive safe & thou wilt take the necessary
precaution in having it sent as soon as opportunity will allow after its landing. I expect J.&D. Malcomson will write
their Uncle about it.
Well, my dear Joseph, as thou an not personaly acquainted with any one in this side, I feel at a loss to
communicate any thing that would be interesting. I am no politician, lam only a mere matter of fact kind of person
who has a round about way of telling any thing; and if thou can put up with such a homespun correspondent I will
be quite satisfied to write to thee once & a while as you Americans say; with this proviso, that thou wilt write me two letters for every one I write thee; is not this fair - and I think thou must allow it is when I tell thee how much
I have to look after and to attend to myself, viz Housekeeping, shopkeeping, purchasing goods, writing business
letters and besides all this and more I have a good many letters of friendship to write to my friends and acquaintance.
My father & Aunt Molly are at present at Brooldands, about a mile & ¼ in this side of Belfast. It is where Sister
Jane and her husband lives. They went there about a week ago in consequence of our Landlord putting a new roof
on our house. It is a nice quiet place for them to be, out of the confusion and dust. Brother and Sister invited them:
the latter has been in London for nearly 4[?] weeks, seeing brothers friends. It is Aunt Janes first visit since she was
married. She writes me she was very affectionately received amongst them and .seemed pleased with her, and she
is equally so with them. They expect to arrive at home in a few days. Their sweet little daughter was left in my
care during their absence but, Lisburn not seeming to do so well with her as the pure country air, I had to send
her and the nurse home again. She has been finely ever since.
I would wish thee to give my affectionate love to A Bell & his family and tell Rebecca I do not forget the last
day she passed through Lisburn before she left Ireland. Nor do I forget the kind note I had from her from
Lpool. All is fresh in my remembrance and what I desire is that I may feel sufficiently thankful that my feelings
at the present moment are so different to what they were then. Thou may also tell her that her Aunt [Elizabeth]
Greet spent part of the day & a night with us lately. She had been in Belfast and came up to see father. She looks
muc[h better?] than she did sometime ago. She has been traveling with Sarah Squire, a Ministering friend for
upwards of two months and 1 think it has been of use to her. This is the Q Meeting which is held at Moyallon:
formerly it used to be held at Grange in this Month. I could not conveniently leave home, particularly as our
house is in such disorder which I fear it will be for sometime longer.
This has been one of the finest summers we have had these number of years: the harvest has come in much
earlier but still there is a great depression in trade, but we are looking forward to it improving. We had a visit from
Cousin John Greer Greeves of New Orleans about a week ago. He came by France. His visit was short: he expects
to leave LPool about the 15th for home: which way he intends to return, I did not hear. It was ah our 6 years since
he was over. Thy Mother knew him very well. I mentioned to her his visit to us.
Thy Uncle Thomas is at the Sea Side with Sister Rachel and one of the child. I am sorry to say his health still
remains delicate but is better for the little change. He speaks of crossing over to Lpool & going on to Manchester
and taking Sister Rachel with him to see her brothers & sister718 who reside there. Art thou acquainted with
Thomas Richardson from this neighbourhood: if so, please remember me to him. I hope his health keeps good.
He hears so frequently from home that it is needless for me to tell him any thing of his friends here: only mearly
to add they are all well. We frequently hear from Cousin James R. Greeves of Philadelphia - how much we did
enjoy his visit. I hope he will come again and bring his son with him.
I have spun this out to a much greater length than I anticipated when I began. I hope thou wilt not be tired
before thou gets this far, but let me know when writing and I will not give thee such a long scrall the next. Hast
thou met with a person of the name of Elizabeth Clarke™: if thou knows any thing of her or what she and her
husband are about, I would be obliged by thy mentioning. If thou does not, perhaps AB or Rebecca could tell thee.
Now, when I recollect, thy Mother mentioned in her letter that thou met with a person who had just landed
from this part of the country & who knew grandfather and thy Aunts; and that one of them was married lately
and that the other was soon going to be. But I must tell, my dear Nephew, that if it was me he ment, as I suppose
it was, that it is too good news to be true (as we say here in this Country). I do assure thee it cannot be without
my knowing it; therefore I am quite satisfied at the report not being correct. So do not feel disappointed at not
getting a new Uncle for I do not reel disappointed at not getting a husband. I fear thou wilt think me a queer
old Aunt. I wish thou could see me, that thou could spend thy opinion, but this is not likely to be soon yet. I do
hope the time will come that we may both have the pleasure of seeing and knowing each other; but until then we
must endeavor to be satisfied with Knowing each other in this way. Farewell, my dear boy, and may He who sees
all things watch over thee and protect thee is the sincere desire of

thy affectionate Aunt
Susanna
9/15th 1842
I had this written & ready to send off a week ago, but I left home in rather a hurry & forgot to seal & direct it
before leaving. I was over in Armagh for nearly a week at thy Cousin John G. O'Brien's. He is about leaving that
& giving up business there & removing to Liverpool, where he has got a situation. Business and the state of
the times are such that he thought it best to give up before going on further. I hope it may be for his advantage.
He has a wife and one child- With love I must say adieu & remain

thy afft Aunt Susanna