| Title: | William Gamble, Canada, to "Dear Brother," County Down. |
|---|---|
| ID | 1141 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Gamble, William/14 |
| Year | 1862 |
| Sender | Gamble, William |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | lime burner |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | St George, N. Brunswick, Canada |
| Destination | Co. Down, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | unknown |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | D/3305/1/6: Deposited by Dr. K. A. Miller |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9805348 |
| Date | 01/09/1862 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 14:05:98. |
| Word Count | 803 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Saint George, September 1st, 1862 Dear Brother I received your letter of the fifteenth of June, which gave us much pleasure to hear that you and your family were all well and that my Mother was with you. I was very glad to get a letter from you and to hear that my Mother was well. I wrote a letter to Abel in answer to one I got from him directly after his wife died, and all I go [got?] since was a news paper over 2 years ago. I expected my Mother was living with him. I have have not heard from James for over four years, I have written to him since that but have never got any answer and for andrew I never got a letter from him I was very sorry to hear of My Brother Thomas' death. You did not mention whether it was an accident in the pit or how he came by his death, I did not hear of it until I got your letter nor you did not mention how you got hurt yourself. Dear Brother I have been employed burning lime ever since I came here, except what time I am off working on my own place, this spring I agreed to burn 4000 barrels as I burn by the barrell [barrel?] and the man that lives on the property is a yankee, he has lived on it for sixtee [sixty?] years, what they call yankees here is people that was born in the United states and I live about 15 miles by water from the lines that divides the states from the British Province I have had sixpence a barrel for burning paid in goods, not much money , since I commenced, until this year I have not got so much owing to the war, there is not much work going on here this summer and very small pay for what is to be done I could not live by lime burning alone if I had not a small place of my own to raise a little on. There is three kilns here that has been always kept busy until this summer and now I burn all that is wanted in one the rest is stopped for a while Dear Brother I came near never burning any more, I got hurt at the kilns last fall I fell about 10 feet and struck on my shoulder on a barrel that was lying on the floor below I was obliged to get the Doctor to set the bones it was broke in three places, and I was laid up all winter with it and I feel the effects of it yet. I have 25 acres of land part of it is cleared up and part not, I cleared up about one half of it since I got it which is hard to do, I worked it about as well as any I see here, I am able to keep three cows and a horse and some calves and a few sheep. There is an agricultural society here, it was got up about four years ago, I am one of the members of it, and last fall I received the most prizes of any one in two parishes, I got the first prize for a stud horse or stallion as we call them, and on oats both black and white and on barley, on a 2 year old heifer and on a peice [piece?] of cloth of our own manufacture woolen [woollen ?]and cotton. I cannot command much money but I can afford to live as well as the most of them that lives by working. I kill a good pig every fall, pigs grow equally as well here as they do in Ireland. if they are as well fed the largest I killed here was 17 months old and weighed 556 pounds it was the best one ever was killed of the age round where I live. You mentioned about your family now I must tell about mine. I have not got many only a dozen. Thomas, William, John, James, Robert, Ann, Margaret, Matilda, George, Catherine, Andrew, Agnes, and Mary. the youngest is three months old and the furthest that any of them is away from home is 2 miles and he gets his washing done at home, that is Thomas. Provisions are not very high here. Flour is 30 shillings per barrel of 2 cut Indian meal 10s per cwt oatmeal 15s per hundred pork is 34s per hundred beef the same butter 10 per pound eggs 6 per dozen mutton 4d per pound potatoes 4d per bushel. My wife and family Join with me in sending their love to my mother and to you and your wife and family and ever remember me as your Affectionate Brother William Gamble |
