| Title: | Mary Cumming, Petersburg, [Va?] to Margaret Craig, Lisburn. |
|---|---|
| ID | 779 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Cumming, Mary/15 |
| Year | 1812 |
| Sender | Cumming (n. Craig), Mary |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | middle class housewife |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Petersburg, Virginia, USA |
| Destination | Lisburn, Co. Antrim, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Craig, Margaret |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | sisters |
| Source | T 1475/2 pp.72-74: Copied by Permission of Miss A. McKisack, 9, Mount Pleasant, Belfast. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9006096 |
| Date | 28/05/1812 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by JM 02:09:1993. |
| Word Count | 1036 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | May 26th. 1812. My dearest Margaret, I am now so far recovered as to be able to go out again, and I feel very anxious to tell you all about my little darling, for I am sure she is almost as dear to my beloved sister as to myself. She has been as well as possible ever since she was born, and is grown the sweetest fat little pet you ever saw. Oh, that my dear friends could see her! But I must give you a description of her little ladyship; in the first place her hair is the colour of her father's, she has a little round face, fine dark blue eyes, a tolerable good nose, and the handsomest little mouth I ever saw, the people all say she will be very fair. William is quite delighted with his little pet, she is very like what Isabella was, and sometimes I think her very like my dear Father. She is very good as yet, and I hope will continue so. I believe I will be a pretty good nurse, I have great reason to be thankful for no one could have recovered better than I have done. I experienced the greatest kindness and attention from Mrs. Colquhoun, one of my nearest neighbours, indeed she was more like a relation than an acquaintance. My dear William (as he always is) was as attentive and kind as possible, but still I often felt the want of my darling Margaret. I used to think if you were with me how happy I would be, but that time I trust will one day arrive. Oh! if I was now at my dear Strawberry Hill, and could see my beloved Father with his little Mary in his arms I should be the proudest, happiest creature in the world. This is the summit of my hopes and wishes, and I live for the sweet hope of one day having them realised, what a blissful, happy time that will be, the longer I am from you I feel more anxious for our return to dear Ireland, and then my darling Margaret will come and stay with me, and be so happy, how I wish that time was come! I received the letters by the "Hibernia" during my confinement, and was delighted to hear that you are all so well. I hope soon to hear again from you. I well know how happy you will be when you receive William's letter, he makes a very good nurse. How pleased my dear Rachel would be with her little niece. I had a letter from Mrs. Brown lately, she got a little daughter on the second of May. Mr. Brown and the child were very well, they purpose returning to England this summer. The weather just now is very pleasant, we have not had any warm days this month, there has been a great deal of very wet weather of late, I suppose the summer will be dry and warm. I have not been at the garden on the hill this long time, but William says it looks very well, the peas are ready for use, we shall have plenty of vegetables in a little time. #PAGE 2 I wish you would send me a few of the tunes I used to play on the flageolet, the letters you sent by Mr. Sinclair have not come to hand, nor I fear will not, he arrived long since. You will be surprised to hear that we have thoughts of leaving this house. Mr. Bell's fine place at Blandford belongs now to Mr. James Cumming, and William thinks of going there to live. I shall be quite delighted with the change, for it is a charming place, the house is very large, and the gardens and surrounding improvements are beautiful, it is about half a mile from Petersburg. Mrs. Bell has had the gardens always kept in the nicest order, they intend going to Richmond the first of July, if we go to Blandford I will give you a better description of the place than I can do now. I never will like to live in a town so well as in the country. William tells me sometimes that if we go there to live I will get so fond of the place that I will not like to leave it, but there is not the least danger in that respect, a cottage in Ireland for me, before a palace in any other country. Tell my Father that his letters gratify me more than I can express, and I hope he will continue to write frequently to me. Little Mary is just now on my knee, one of her little hands is on my letter. Oh, my dearest Margaret, that you could see the sweet darling! As soon as she is able to speak I will teach her all your names, she shall know her friends by description long before she sees them, she has very nice long fingers, we must have her taught to play on the piano. William thinks there will be an open intercourse with England at the end of the Embargo. I hope most sincerely that we may have peace. I am sorry to hear Sally has been so poorly, remember me in the kindest manner to them both. I hope to see them both well when I return. I was very glad to hear Mary Cumming stayed so long with you. I was pleased to hear she was so much admired in Lisburn. I do not wonder at it. Give my kindest love to Miss McCully and my little friend Margaret, tell her that her letters afford me great amusement. I hope she will write often. I will write to her sometime soon, and thank her for her last entertaining letter. I hope all my Lisburn friends are well, though far from them I shall always be glad to hear of their welfare. Tell my dear James I will answer his kind letter soon. William joins me in the kindest love to you all, and in wishing you every happiness. I am, my beloved Margaret, Your ever affectionate Mary Cumming. #PAGE 3 Write very soon and tell me everything. Miss Margaret Craig, Lisburn, Co. Antrim, IRELAND. |
