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Title: Archibald Earl of Ava to Lady Victoria Blackwood
ID954
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FileEarl of Ava, Archibald/37
Year1894
SenderArchibald, Earl of Ava
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationarmy officer
Sender Religionunknown
OriginOttawa, Ontario, Canada
DestinationSwitzertland?
RecipientLady Victoria Blackwood
Recipient Genderfemale
Relationshipsiblings
SourceD/1231/N/2/4: Deposited by Lady Hermione Blackwood
ArchiveThe Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
Doc. No.9809029
Date15/12/1894
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
LogDocument added by LT, 07:09:98.
Word Count393
Genre
Note
TranscriptGOVERNMENT HOUSE OTTAWA .
15th Dec

My dear Victoria
I got a letter from you some time ago now that I never
answered so here goes. As you were about a foot high when
you left Ottawa I will not attempt to tell you much about
the place. That oval room is still the school room and I
think that every room in the house is used in the same way
that we did - Lord Lornes and wooden toboggan slide is the
only change much in the grounds of any importance. It is
alongside of the old one & a little higher and steeper. One
great improvement in Ottawa are electric cars which run as
far as Govt [Government?] House gates & are a great
convenience. I stayed some days with Mr Dixon & saw some
of the plays we used to act. How we remembered all the long
versus of prose & poetry is a mystery to me.
There is any amount of curling & skating going on.
Since our day they have built ten big rinks for each & right
in the town. A band plays in the skating rink & one becomes
a member on payment.
In the curling place there are 3 rinks alongside of one [?].
People here ask a great deal after you & Hermie & say they
hear that you are a delightful pair!!!! There are alot of
new shops & I believe all the private homes are lately built,
so I do not know where the people lived in the seventies.
The [-?] here is Scotch & so are all the rest of the staff,
but the [-?] is the scotchist of them all. The other day he
began to sweep my [------?] stone when we were curling &
when I interfered he got excited & I could not even understand
his Aberdeen dialect that he produced. I hear from Her Ex.
[Excellency?] that you are paying a few visits & I hope you
will enjoy them. This may find you at [--ait--?] but I
address to Paris.
I hope you stay at some jolly houses & will meet people you
like. You seem to have had a high old time in Switzerland
Goodbye old girl.
Wishing you a happy New Year
Yours affecty [affectionately?] Archie
Capt. Kindersley wishes you & Nelly a Happy New Year too.