| Title: | William McCrea, Toronto, Canada, to John McCrea, Strabane. |
|---|---|
| ID | 1507 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Hutton, William/7 |
| Year | 1856 |
| Sender | Hutton, William |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | Presbyterian |
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Destination | Strabane, Co. Tyrone, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | McCrea, John |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers-in-law |
| Source | D 2298/4/2/7: Deposited by Messers. Wilson & Simms, Solicitors. |
| Archive | Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9305224 |
| Date | 29/03/1856 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Action By Date Document added by Jonathan Teer, 28 |
| Word Count | 1762 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | B of A & S Toronto March 29th 1856 Dear John It is a long time now since I have written to the North The death of my good old father on 7th Feb [February?] last at the ripe age of 90 years & last week the illness of my brother Daniel who is now "in a confirmed decline & sinking rapidly" - has latterly diverted my old country correspondance to Dublin - to sympathize with my much loved & excellent mother & sister under their loss & trials - My brother Dan (who is 18 mo. [months?] older than I) caught cold at the Crystal Palace Exhibition on London in 1851 & lost his voice on that occasion - since which it has never returned & he is now approaching his end - if he has not already reached it - When at home last I did not think he could possibly survive so long as he as done - as he could not then speak above a whisper & he had bronchitis He will leave two sons to lament his loss & his dear old mother & his sister will both sadly lament his departure as he was a kind son & brother - his Wife died about 9 or ten years ago - He was a wine merchant in good business - I think my good old mother will feel his loss almost as much as that of his father - It was a great mercy the good old man had such a peaceful end free from all pain - having taken an epileptic fit on the night of the 5th & died on the morning of the 7th - not being conscious during that short interval - he retained his affections & almost all his powers till the last attack Their eldest son Dr. Jos. [Joseph?] Hutton of Derby was fortunately at Fairfield at the time of his decease & had been there four days enjoying & giving enjoyment previous to his last illness - My dear old mother who is in her 89th year is still full of life & power both of mind & body - Both mother & sister are left quite independent - & remain in the old place - It would appear to me ungrateful to mourne the good old man's decease when he was spared so long and so kindly & so mercifully death with for so many years - & even in his very removal - Your son Willie has taken the wind out of my sails in the corresponding lines & it is so long since I have written that I forget where to begin - It is just the way with the world - When we begin to depend on others we prostrate our own powers of actions - I have depended upon Willie - He is a great favorite [favourite?] in our family & a remarkably nice gentlemanly fellow - he is family & a remarkably nice gentlemanly fellow - he is losing a little of the timidity which he felt at first & which must have been distressing to himself - but still retains enough of it to sit very becomingly upon him - He moves in as good society as Toronto produces in the #PAGE 2 true acception of that word - not the highest or most aristocratic - but in every sense the most enlightened & the best - He was at a large party at our house on Tuesday night - his "dress & address" were both excellent & he is very much admired - We had about forty very nice young people & kept up the dancing till 3 in the morning F. [Fanny?] & the girls had a most excellent I was going to write "recherche" supper that did them a great deal of credit said to be one of the best of the season given in Toronto - The bill of fare may amuse the girls - Turkeys two - Tongues two - Ham one - jellies - lots. Blanc mange lots - Lobster salad first rate made by Sarah - Oyster Patties 3 doz. [dozen?] Whip one - Charlotte --usse [mousse?] one - custards lots - [----?] almonds raisins apples bons bons ad infinitum - - & rum punch & Wines & ale - all enjoyed themselves very much indeed - The Misses Stewart Mrs Hinck's Nieces are on a visit with us - they play & sing very sweetly - There is no end to the society of Toronto - If our house was large enough we could have a party of a hundred & more - Fanny took down the bed in our bedroom & had the supper laid out there - & plenty of room The Girls are also going to a good many parties & Willie is often along with them & escourts [escorts?] them home - On the first of April they go to a large party at a Mr Majors & as they are to be chiefly young people I am very glad that Willie relieves me from going as he is to walk home with the girls - The distances in Toronto are monstrous Mr Majors house is more tham [than?] one mile & a half from us so that Derby is well pleased to be allowed to sit with Joan - Willie is now a very good chessplayer able to beat his uncle three games out of four - but Fanny has such an objection to our playing chess because we don't talk that it is with difficulty we can get a game - I have scarcely played any for 14 or 15 years & I am beginning to feel my old love of it returning - my daughters Mary & Sarah are beginning to play tolerably well & take great interest in the game I like to see girls able to play chess - & enjoy it - it is a good sign of their intellectual powers - Sunday March 30th Five of us have been to Church - it is a bitterly cold day on Friday morning the thermometer was 8 below zero - that was the 28th March & this morning I think it must have been quite as low - the winter has been dreadfully sever [severe?] & the ice in Toronto Bay is still nearly 2 feet thick & no appearance of a break up of it We have a great deal of snow yet in the country tho' [though?] it is nearly gone in the City truly a most backward season I do think there #PAGE 3 will be much plowing or seed sowing before May Day - The Canada has arrived but had a long passage - it is delightful to hear of peace being established provided it be on honourable terms & govt. [goverment?] Britain will not suffer it to be made on any others - Public opinion does wonders We are on the eve of a change in our govt. [government?] in Canada - I fear my excellent friend & the head of my dept. [department?] Sir Allan Mac Nab [MacNab[B[B?] is going out of office - He is such a martyr to gout & it is feared Dropsy also that he is constitutionally unfit for the serious duties of a Premier - & is about to retire - I do not know what the next shuffle of the cards will produce I hope mine may be a trump Sir Allen kept my own department entirely to my own management & all the clerks under me & told me about a month ago that he would endeavour to have me appointed sole head of my own department instead of acting head under him and raise my salary to £560 pounds per annum but I fear his ill health & confinement to bed & retirement from office will delay this desideratum - if not put it off altogether - he will however recommend it before he retires from office - I hope his recommendation will have some weight . The govt. [government?] has decided not to take another census of the province till 1861 so that I am not likely to have any employment for James in my own office - If he comes however I will do all I can to get him employment somewhere - If he is ashamed to put his hand any respectable employment there would be no fear but that he would soon find it - We are glad to hear that Robert is no loser by the failure of his employers - There must be sad reverses among provision merchants - if peace is declared He will probably come to see us whilst Navigation is open altho' [although?] there is now a railroad to our door the entire way - We are within 26 hours of N.York [New York?] - The cars cross the Niagara River within sight of the Falls. & thence to Hamilton & thence to Toronto - I wish you had a good map of our country & our railroads There is one now about to be published by our govt. [government?] that will give a very comprehensive view of the present geographical state of Canada showing [---?] - Rivers - Canals - Cities Town Villages Mills &c &c &c [ectera ectera ectera?] If I can get one when they come out I will send you one - as it would be quite an interesting source of information It is on a very largescale [largescale?] but there is to be a second size - It is to be published under govt. [government?] auspices & govt. [government?] directions so that I shall likely to be #PAGE 4 able to get some - the original was at the Paris Exhibition & is on a very large scale - I think a good map is a great treasure to enable me to trace the movements of friends & relations - Robert of Grange will have a great route if he goes to St Louis & thence to Guelph & Toronto He will be able to form a great idea of our new world - as far as railroad travelling will allow him - Much love to Margaret & the girls & Jas [James?] & all dear friends at Grange Leck Farmhill Lisnanow Magheragh & very kind regards to broth. [brother?] Alexander & his family - Your loving Brother William Hutton I notice the name of James Glen among those on board the Pacific Willie says it is not his uncle |
