| Title: | Thomas Hay, India to Bella M Smyth, Co-Tyrone |
|---|---|
| ID | 1367 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Hay, Thomas/24 |
| Year | 1898 |
| Sender | Hay, Thomas |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | soldier |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | India |
| Destination | Castledamph, Co. Tyrone, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Smyth, Bella M. |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | cousins |
| Source | Copyright Retained by Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone, Castledamph@btinternet.com |
| Archive | Mr & Mrs J Smyth. |
| Doc. No. | 604052 |
| Date | 25/04/1898 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 577 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [Front of envelope] [Stamped] Svalkot 25 AP 38 8 - PM From No 4102 C Squadron 11th (P.A.O.) J Hoy Miss B.M. Smyth Castledamph Plumbridge Co-Tyrone Ireland [Printed at Top] From No 4102 C Squadran [Squadron?] 11th (P.A.O.) T Hay [Printed at Bottom] ER Courtenay Lt.-Col Officer Commanding 11th (P.A.O.) Hussars. [Back of envelope] [Stamped] Newtownstewart AM 16 0 MY 16 98 [Written upside down] Arrived May 17th 1898 Tuesday [Written on left] Arrived May 17th 1898 [Written at bottom] Tuesday [Letter 1] [Page 1] 25/4/98 Svalkot India Dear Cousin just a few more lines to you and all my Dear Friends in your part I suppose you are thinking I have forgotten all about you not writing for such a long time but I have been waiting for an answer from Cousin James I have wrote [Page 2] twice too [to?] him but I have had no news from him to tell you. Well Cousin I suppose you all have had a hard winter in Ireland this year I hope it has not effected [affected?] your part much. Dear Cousin we have very hot weather here now we turn out for the field and exercise at four o'clock in the morning and then we go to stables for an hour and we are finished our days work by nine o'clock and after which we are not allowed out of the [Page 3] bungalowes [bungalows?] until six pm in the evening all we do during the day is sleep reading knitting socks shawls or anything to pass the time away one day now is like a week passing away pestered with flies by day and stung all over with mosquitos nights nigger pulls the [punkers?] to keep you cool. Dear Cousin I only wish I was coming home in a couple of years I have six splendid talking parrots [Page 4] we can go out nesting here for them so I could give you one but Dear Cousin I suppose William and Uncle is quite well by now and I hope my Aunt is quite well And all my other relations is [sic] well everytime I look at your last letter with the poetry in it about the tin swords and scarlet pants I think. I have a fresh letter from you but you say you hope I shall never get the better half in [Page 5] India but that shall never pass just wait until I reach castledamph again and give some of my Dear little sweet- hearts a nice kiss and a squeeze wont I do the Irish Fling then with you but I suppose you will be married by that time and doing well I hope but there will be an Irish girl left for me I think. Dear Cousin tell Uncle James that I have been trying to go through a cource [course?] [Page 6] of horse shoeing but I was too late putting my application in to the Commanding officer but I shall try again next year I am going through a course of young horse man this hear but I am looking forward to leaving the army and if I can learn a trade while I am here I shall do soo [so?] breading [breeding?] young horses in is no good [sic] I have got my second class certificate this week at school as every fellow goes for schooling [Page 7] in this regiment Dear Cousin I think I have said all this [time?] hoping you will excuse me not writing often to you I have not been up too [to?] the mark this last month or so but I am hearty enough I have the Indian fever now and again through the week we are always allowed to stay in when we get it, we call it the dingy every soldier has it more or less. I now conclude hoping you are all strong and well I remain your loving Cousin T [Thomas?] Hay to B.M. [Bella Margaret?] Smyth xxxxxx [Written on back of Page 5] Give my best wishes to all from your little Soldier |
