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Title: Robert Cowan, [Co Down?], to Margaret [Trimble?], [U.S.A.]
ID715
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FileCowan, Robert/36
Year1855
SenderCowan, Robert
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationposs. linen worker
Sender Religionunknown
OriginCo. Down, N.Ireland
DestinationNorth America
RecipientMargaret
Recipient Genderfemale
Relationshipuncle-nice
SourceT 3619/1: Deposited by Mrs. M.G. Underwood.
ArchiveThe Public Record Office, N.Ireland
Doc. No.201129
Date29/01/1855
Partial Date
Doc. TypeLTE
LogDocument added by LT, Td by Chris Pilkington, 07:0
Word Count1036
Genre
Note
TranscriptFofanny
January 29th/55

My dear Margaret,

I take this opportunity of writing these
few lines to you hoping to find you in
good health and all your friends in that
country, as this leaves us all in the
same here at present, thank God for
all his mercies to us. I have received
your letter, bearing all the marks of
kindness and gratitude for which I feel
thankful to you for so kind a letter
[last five words underlined]. We had all
been thinking great long to hear
from you. Your Cousin Eliza has been very
impatient to hear from you, and has been
often dreaming of you, and also of
Mary. I was happy to find by your letter
of this kind love and rememberance you
still have of your Mother, and of the
kind love [she'd?] had for you, and also
of this kind love and affection she had
for me, which kind affections you
have remembered in your kind letter to me.
It appears to me that although your mother
is dead, that the example she set forth
to her children has taken effect
upon them, and is plainly seen by their
talks, and actions. its a great blessing
that although she is dead that the
example of love and affections is [still?]
alive and manifests itself forth in
her children. I was very sorry to hear of
Mary's illness, notwithstanding.
I thank my God on her behalf, because her
life has been spared in the midst of
her great dangers, and that the day of
her grace has been [----?] out
longer, and that she has been allowed
longer days to repent and turn to her
maker. I hope that this long suffering
mercy of God may lead to Salvation and
not to hardness of heart". I hope that
this afflicting dispensations of Providence
may prove a blessing to her own soul, and
to the souls of her friends that have
witnessed her afflictions. It is calculated
to teach you a lesson to number your
days, and apply your heart to heavenly
wisdom. I have [sympathised?] with you
in hearing of your Sisters and family's
departure to a distant part of that country.
You have told me that you have been very
lonely since she has went away.
But all is nothing only what you may expect
as no worldly enjoyment is of a permanent
nature. I trust you have still a friend
remaining that will never leave you, "a
Friend that sticketh closer than a Brother".
Let this friend occupy the chief place
in your heart, find he always uppermost in
your thoughts. You have wrote me a very
feeling letter, and with one exception a
very satisfactory letter. I think you have
not been efficient enough in letting one
know your means of living, or what business
or trade you follow now. In your first
letter you told me that you were learning
a trade, and that your time would be
in in this month of April. In this letter
you have'nt mentioned whether you are
following your trade, or what business
you were engaged in. If your Father and
you go to that plan to Mary (sic).
you will please write to me at least once
a year, and send me the address so
as I may know how to direct my letter,
and when you write let it be always about
the new year. You have told me that [this?]
was a very hard winter with the snow in
that country, and wish to know if it is
any better here. Before the commencement
of the present war the Linen and
flowering trades were paying very well,
but since that it has reduced both to
nearly one half that is in the
wages so that the times are not near
so good now as they have been some time ago.
Prices of provisions is not yet unreasonable
but it is expected that if this was
continous that all kinds of provisions will
be an enormous price. Margret [Margaret?] Greer has
got married to a boy from [Bryansford?].
Robert [Skillen's] first [way?] [Susana?]
Linn [Lynn?] has died, and he has got married
again, John [McLenahans?] eldest daughter
has got married to a [boy?] Chas [Charles] [Gracy's?]
of Drumlough. James [McLenahans?]
daughter Ann has got married to
a boy from Ballybrick. Mary Ann
McCrackan [McCracken?] of Fofany [Fofanny] has got
married to a young boy from [Leitrim?]
and is now living in [Clenawhillan?].
Sally [Bigham?] has got married. (sister in
law to Thos. [Thomas?] Park, to a son of Jacky
Stuarts, and are gone to America. John
McNeilly shopkeeper has got married
secondly to a daughter of Robert Dodds'
a grand Daughter of Mrs [Magills?] Mary
Wilson and her Sister [Martha?] of
[Tullnasod?] had to leave their Fathers
place this year, and Mary has got married
to her cousin Hugh Wilson, and both of them
have gone to stop with him for a time.
James Hawthorn of [Tullnasod?] has died
lately and old David Park of [Clenmaghery?]
is dead an [and?] we hear that his son David
has been killed in America by the fall of
a gravel pit. Wllm [William?] Weir
Archy and George are well and sends their
love to you. Rosanna Weir is still living
in the same place that she was in since she
went to America, and Hanna is still
living with her husband in Liverpool and
has money at will. Your Aunt [Nancey?],
and family are living in Stranraer in
Scotland, and her daughter Jane was so
unfortunate [not?] to have a child
to her cousin Wllm [William?] Trimble
before she went away. Aunt Jane, David
and Eliza, send send (sic) their love to
you and your Father, and Sister Mary
in the kindest manner. May the
Lord reward you for your friendship
to me, and preserve you through
every step of your perilous journey through
wilderness of this wearisome and troublesome
world. When you write again to me,
Direct to care of Rev'd Mr Lockhart,
Hilltown, Rathfriland, Co. Down
I have no more to say at present, but I
remain Dear Margaret
Your affectionate Uncle till death

Robert Cowan

This was our mother's uncle
Ellen

Transcribed by Chris Pilkington