| Title: | Fred Harwood, America to Thomas Harwood, [?] |
|---|---|
| ID | 1346 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Harwood, Fred/67 |
| Year | 1899 |
| Sender | Hardwood, Fred |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Rochester, New York?, USA |
| Destination | Ireland |
| Recipient | Harwood, Thomas |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | Jonathan Wearing, 122 Dixon Drive, Chelford, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK1 1 9BX |
| Archive | Jonathan Wearing, |
| Doc. No. | 310042 |
| Date | 06/11/1899 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 27:10:2003. |
| Word Count | 980 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | $$H180 Part of the Jonathan Wearing Catalogue$$H Rochester Nov. 6th 1899 Monday, 945 a.m. Mr. Thomas James Harwood My Dear Brother, I cannot tell you how I feel in writing this. You must know I had given up all hopes of finding you, and I think it must have been some unseen power that directed your address to me after all these years. I am in bed very sick but when I am well again I will write and give you all the particulars of my wanderings since I last saw you. I have been trying to think how you looked when I last saw you - you know I was very young then. Well I will first tell you how I got your address but first let me tell you briefly how I came to be in the United States. You will remember when Uncle James Buchanan was married I was sent to live with him and I was not welcomed very hearty by his wife. Well I lived with him some years, just how long I do not remember but he got out of work and determined to go to Ireland and look for work there and he sent his wife and one child and myself to Belfast, he intended to come on later. You know his wife was native of Belfast so I suppose that is why he wanted to go there. So we were sent on and he got work very soon after we left and so did not come until almost a year later. During that time my Aunt, his wife, complained about their having to support me and threatened to send me to the workhouse, and I lived so miserably with her that I thought any kind of a change was better than the life I was living so I was sent to the Poorhouse in Belfast. I lived there about six months when I was sent out to an old woman in a place called Green Castle [Greencastle?] just out of Belfast I think between seven and eight miles away from that town. You know how it was the custom to bind children out to people who were supposed to send them to school and clothe and keep them until they were of age and these people were paid so much per month for keeping them. Well the woman I was sent to was old and deaf and was never married and just lived on what she got for keeping children in this way. She had two others from the same place and we were treated shamefully by her. She made us work and gave us very little to eat so after living with her about one year I made up my mind I would run away go back to my Aunt. I could not stand it any longer, so one night after I had been beaten for something I did not do and was sent to bed without my supper, I got up after she had gone to bed and started to walk to Belfast. My Aunt was living with some people she had known before was Married (sic)and I found my way there. I forgot to tell you that Uncle James had come to Belfast while I was in the poorhouse and he came to see me once. Well when I got to where I knew they were living I found they had gone back to England and I was left alone and what to do I did not know, but the people with whom they had lived were very kind to me and after some time sent me to a home for Destitute Boys and girls. I was treated very kindly there and lived there for six years. I went to School and learned to read and write and then I was sent out to Canada with some other boys to work on a farm or learn a trade. I lived in Canada one year and then came to the United States in 1887 and have lived here ever since. Most of the time in this place. Your add. [advertisement?] was seen in the Belfast paper by some Friends of mine in Canada and sent to me so that is how I got your address. When I write to you again I will tell you all about how I got along and you be sure and let me know how you are getting along if you are married and how large a family. As for myself I am an old Bachelor and expect to be always. Now my Dear Brother be sure and write me a long letter and let me know how you are. When I am better and able to sit up I will write you a long letter and in the meantime I hope you will be able to read this and I know it is not very good but what can a fellow do lying down. Tell me all about yourself and Brother Jack and all my Mother's people. You know Thomas I was so very young when I saw you last and do not remember very much. I wish I could see you. I would like to come over for Christmas but I am too poor what with sickness and lack of work as you must know by the papers it is very dull here and wages are very low, I cannot afford to come just now but I hope to come some time. Will you send me your photograph and when I am better I will send you mine. I don't want you to think I am very, very sick, it (sic) nothing very bad and I hope to be up again soon. You don't know how long it will seem until I hear from you. Give my love to all your friends too and Brother Jack if you know where he is and believe me ever your most loving Brother Fred. Transcribed by Jonathan Engstrand |
