| Title: | W Harke, London, to George Kirkpatrick, Ballymena. |
|---|---|
| ID | 1336 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Harke, William/28 |
| Year | 1855 |
| Sender | Harke, William |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | clergyman |
| Sender Religion | Anglican? |
| Origin | London, England |
| Destination | Ballymena, Co. Antrim, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Rev George Kirkpatrick |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | friends |
| Source | D 1604/135: Presented by Rev Robert Kirkpatrick, Breezemount, The Roddens, Larne County Antrim. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9012036 |
| Date | 11/06/1855 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LET |
| Log | Action By Date Document added by B.W. 06:12:1993 |
| Word Count | 710 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | To: Revd G [Reverend George?] Kirkpatrick Hazel Bank Cullybacky [Cullybackey?] Ballymena North of Ireland. From: 10 Neville Court Fetter Lane London [England?] June 11th/ [18?]55. My very dear Mr Kirk [Kirkpatrick?], Any apology on your part for not having sooner replied to my last letter, was certainly undeserved by me. The more, however, does it urge me to the Expression of my most grateful acknowlegement of the kind sentiments contained in your letter. My acknowledgement of it should have been despatched before now, had I not been fully occupied with official business. - The month of May & commencement of June is always our busiest time, in consequence of the sailing of our Missionary-ship the "Harmony" sailing early in June for Labrador. She is D. V. [God willing?] to get under weigh, [way?] tomorrow morning, when I hope to accompany the 3 missionaries on board of her, who are going out to that inhospitable shore, as far as Graves end. During the past week we had our usual meetings, the one, last Friday, on board the ship itself, upon which occasion the ship & company are commanded to the Divine protection A fellow countryman, Mr Collinson, the rector or incumbent of a church at Highbury offerred [offered?] up a very beautiful prayer on this occasion. I #PAGE 2 was greatly pleased in being able to conduct my very dear friends Mr J. Purser & his daughter to this meeting Mr P & his family, with the exception of his eldest son, who is reading for the gold medal, are on their way to Germany, where they propose stopping for some time. The other meeting was the usual half yearly meeting of the "Brethren's Society for the Furtherance of the Gospel," held in our chapter, Fetter Lane. one of the gentlemen who spoke at it was Colonel Crawford R.A.[Royal Artillery?] who has just been appointed commander of the artillery forces at the Cape of Good Hope. He alluded most feelingly to his having been Educated at Gracehill Academy where he had recieved his first religious impressions, & whither, as to the sunshiney period of his life, his memory often carried him back. You may be sure I felt not a little pleased, to hear poor old Gracehill so well spoken of. - I half & half suspect that a certain dear sister of mine, is perhaps in the neighbourhood of her former home at Grace Hill [Gracehill?]. A few lines recieved from Jno [John? Jonathon?] Martyn [Martin?] last week, informed me that Ellen was thinking of sailing for Belfast, if she felt able for it, which led me to conclude that she was purposing a[?] visit to the dear circle at Hazelbank, - I hope that my imaginings may prove to be founded on fact. Should you see dear Ellen I beg that you will give her my very kind love. She, I doubt not, will be able to assure you of our dear father's very affectionate sentiments towards yourself & Mrs Kirkpatrick, and that if a mutual correspondence is no longer maintained between you, it is not out of any dimunition of friendship, but because the increasing #PAGE 3 infirmities of age, render it difficult for our precious father to do more than keep up the ball of correspondence with the members of his own family. Since I wrote to you, my last surviving maternal uncle has been called to his eternal home. I had the melancholy satisfaction of accompanying his earthly remains from his residence near Birmingham to their quiet resting place in a vault in a lovely, rural churchyard in Shropshire. Your letter conveyed also Sad & mournful intelligence. I allude to the death of my former Schoolfellow Frank. [Francis?] Beggs. I trust he was prepared for the change. His poor parents & their surviving children, do indeed claim the most sincere sympathy of all, who know them. May they be comforted according to their need, by Him who can be touched with a feeling of our infirmities! Pray remember me most kindly to them. I was much interested in what you write about your nephews at Coolmine. How rejoiced your brother & his lady would be to welcome back their soldier son! The news from the East is cheering! Now I must close. Please to give my very affect [affectionate?] regards to Mrs Kirkpatrick, Alexander & George, and Believe me, My dear Mr Kirkpatrick to remain Your very affectionate friend, Wm [William?] Harke |
