| Title: | Thomas Grey, New York to Mrs McCleery, Portaferry |
|---|---|
| ID | 1273 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Grey, Thomas/99 |
| Year | 1829 |
| Sender | Grey, Thomas |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | New York, USA |
| Destination | Portaferry, Co. Down, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Mrs McCleery |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | friends |
| Source | T 2476/1: Deposited by Hugh McNamara, Esq., 15 The Square, Portaferry, County Down |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9309330 |
| Date | 01/09/1829 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Action By Date Document added by C. R., 01:09:1993 |
| Word Count | 765 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | New York 1st Sept. 1829 My Dear Mrs. McCleery I do not know if I was ever more agreeably surprised than by the receipt of your kind letter to me by Miss Rogers accompanied also by some more tangible gifts than mere good wishes, and for which I beg you will accept my best and warmest thanks, & I assure you that I shall not easily forget your thoughtfulness and friendship to me, formerly as well as in the present instance. - It gave me great pleasure to hear some time since of your having got an addition to your family in James Edwards (by the by I think you have given him a very handsome name) and I desired Roseanne to give my congratulations to you on the subject, which I hope she has not neglected to do, indeed I always beg her to remember me to you, when I write home. I was sorry to hear of your Sarah having been ill but I hope long ere this she is in her usual state of health, what I would give to have Maria & Willy with me here, to enliven the sometimes dull hours with their innocent & lively prattle. I think if I had the opportunity I could find in my heart to steal them from you, for they were always my favourites; if ever it shall be my lot to enter into the blessed state of Matrimony & I should be so fortunate as to have a couple of such children, I guess I would be a proud Man. - Poor Mrs. Despond how she must envy you, I am sorry to hear that she is so ill, you did not mention what state of health YOU enjoyed, but I suppose you were well or you would have said something to the contrary. - Tell Mr. McCleery that it gave me great pleasure to hear that he had got the Mill into his own hands and that she was doing so well, I hope she may still continue to do so. I told the Portaferry people out here, that if they would go home they would hardly the [----?] Mill-hill again, the Mill being so much improved. - You wish to know what I think of the Girls here, and I must say they are not to my taste, they generally have pretty good features but they are all so PALE and THIN, indeed you have no idea how WHITE they are in the face, some say it is the Sun that bleaches them, but I think it is in their nature and constitution, not but I think and always did so that a slightly pale face is very interesting and I always admired it, but HERE they are like an alablaster [alabaster?] Bust or rather like a piece of bleached linen, quite different from what we would call pale at home and I can safely say I have seen none I would like better than myself such pills would need to be well GILT before I would swallow them . I have not very much society live indeed I do not wish for it at present nor seek it the Americans live [---?] gay in New York and love all things [---?] fond of thriving on the [----?] good will hardly go into a house but [--------------------------------?] an attempt at playing, it puts [---- ----- -------?] the happy times I used to have when listening to you [---?] but the contrast is as great as between a Nightingale and a Raven, THEY are such wretched bad musicians. - I must beg of you to remember me to all my acquaintances in Portaferry, I mean [--- ----- --------?] know them all and also to Mr. McCleery and all the children. I suppose Tommy McKibbin is still with you, remember me to him & #PAGE 2 Mick Burns if you should see him. I suppose when I go home again that Eliza Ann will be grown up the BELLE of Portaferry and I will hardly be able to recognize in Maria the lovely little imp who used to play such tricks upon me. I do think there is hardly a [--------------------------------------?] had not you a pull at. I am quite well at present and pretty contented. I need not beg of you [---?] all and see poor Roseanne sometimes and I [----- --- -- ----?] kind feelings will prompt you to do so. - Adieu and believe me your Grateful and Sincere friend Thos [Thomas?] McGrey |
