| Title: | G B Kirkpatrick, Toronto, to his uncle in Ballymena. |
|---|---|
| ID | 1620 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Kirkpatrick, George Airey/13 |
| Year | 1889 |
| Sender | Lit. Col. Sir George Airey |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | army officer, barrister |
| Sender Religion | Protestant |
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Destination | Ballymena, Co. Antrim, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Rev George Kirkpatrick |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | nephew-uncle |
| Source | D 1604/320: Presented by Rev. Robert Kirkpatrick, Breezemount, The Roddens, Larne, County Antrim. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9012056 |
| Date | 31/03/1889 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Action By Date Document added by C.R., 02:12:1993. |
| Word Count | 1564 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | To: Rev George Kirkpatrick Hazelbank Craigs Ballymena Ireland [Post marked, envelope, front] TORONTO APL 1 3PM [18?] 89 CANADA. [Post marked, envelope, front] BALLYMENA C APL 12 [18?] 89 [IRELAND?]. From: Coolmine Toronto March 31/[18?]89 My dear Uncle George It gave me a great deal of pleasure last week to get your letter of the 7th and to find you were so wonderfully well. I was sorry indeed to hear of Rutherfords severe illness and hope and pray that the improvement reported by Alex last week has been maintained and that is now convalescent. They did not seem to know exactly what was the matter but I suppose from his runnung down so it must have been like typhoid fever - He would have the best medical assistance and with God's blessing I trust he will be spared to his family and friends. I cannot tell you how much I miss dear Aunt Lydia's letters, she used to keep me so well posted on all family news and now I hear verylittle of it as I suppose Rosee does not hear much. and then I think it is given to very few to be able to write such a chatty letter, as aunt Lydia used to write, I must try and tell you all about your numerous nephews and nieces over here - and first let me say that we are #PAGE 2 all thank God well Lexie [Alexander?] & Carrie live very near us and have such a nice house. she is expecting her confinement every day now. Lexie [Alexander?] is doing very well in his business of Insurance - and does a little as Land agent as well. My second son George is in a Branch of the Imperial Bank at Winnipeg. he was not very strong and the doctor ordered a change of climate and the dry prairie air of Manitoba has suited him very well this winter. people are very kind to him up there and he has made many friends. one of Kate Dennistowns daughters is married up there to Dr Jones and Etta the eldest girl of Kates has been spending the winter with them, and George has been at their house a good deal He is well liked in the bank. and is getting sufficient salary to support himself well, he gets now $600 per annum, equal to £125 sterling. my third boy William is in the office of the Canada Company here, and is very steady. He is very musical and plays the flute well. Goldwin and Arthur my other two boys are attending Upper Canada College, where George A has two boys also and John Noble one. my little girl Theodora who is eight years old is a great comfort to us. she attends school at Ellen Fosters near this and is a very clever child. fond of music and fond of reading. Mrs Morris and she were at Petrolea for a visit to Robert Morris but had to cut their visit #PAGE 3 short and return home as one of his little girls got dipthera [diphtheria?] Bbut it was a mild form and she was instantly isolated and neither Theodora or little Betty Morris the other daughter got it. Mrs Morris saw the Nobles and Jenkins who were very well. Helen Nobles two eldest boys are at work at Petrolea. the eldest Robert in the Bank of Toronto Branch there, and the next Stafford in the Bank of which Morris is the Head - the next boy James is here at college and comes out on Saturday afternoon to see us. George as second son Arthur is at the University here and doing well. He is clever and is going in for law when he gets through James Dennistown's son Max is now a barrister and has an office in Peterboro [Peterborough?] and lives at home. Franks two eldest boys are at Queens College University at Kingston [Ontario] and so are able to live at home. George and his wife are at Ottawa just now attending his legislative duties. I dare say he will be taking a trip home this summer. as he can generally get away somewhere Minnie Alex [Alexander's?] daughter is married very well to a Dr Garrett in Kingston [Ontario?] and has a very nice house, and a little baby, her eldest brother Alex [Alexander?] is married and at Chatam [Ontario?] on the Canadian Pacific Ry [Railway?] branch which is building from London [Ontario?] to Windsor [Ontario?]. He has been very lucky in getting different appointments on the railway in different places where they are building new lines Reginald his other brother was in the Custom House at Winnipeg #PAGE 4 for some years and is now moved to Vancouver I think. Mrs Fostersen is living near us with her son Fred who is a surveyor and has an office here and Ellen lives there too and has a small school. Emily Foster lives near San Francisco and maintains herself by teaching. Charles Foster you know lives in Montreal. we often see him as he has to go about a good deal seeing after the different agencies of the London Assurance Co [Company?] of which he is general agent for Canada. Mary Gilbert nee Unwin lived near us with her sister Etty Unwin in one of Mrs Harrison house, she has a little boy. Dr Gilbert did not leave much to her so they have to be very careful, and his father who is a doctor in San Francisco sends her some money occasionally and is kindly disposed towards her. Mrs Harrison and Mrs Ambers are in England at present. they spent the winter in London [England?] and are now somewhere near London [England?] I forget the name of the place We have had a very mild winter all over Canada, and spring set in very early. I saw crocuses in full blossom in the open ground a fortnight ago, but today after Church it began to snow very heavily, quite wet snow and kept it up all day until now at Eleven oclock [o'clock?] at night there must be several inches deep. it will take the sting out of the air and I fancy we shall have a burst of heat after this as we wanted rain or wet of some kind to give the grass a start. I had hoped to have been #PAGE 5 able to get a holiday this summer and cross the Atlantic, but there is no chance for me this year as we have got a new Commissioner of Crown Lands and he does not understand much about it yet. so cannot spare me this year. our late Commissioner Mr Pardee was obliged to resign owing to ill health I have been very well, except that I was troubled with bleeding at the nose a good deal, I consulted a doctor and he said I was making blood too fast, and he knocked me off eating meat for a while and gave me some medicine which I suppose had the desired effect as my nose has not bled since I took it. I am kept very busy at the office and I was rather afraid it was a bad sign but was relieved to find it was not I dare say you heard of the new parish in which I am interested here, formed last summer out of a mission that a friend and myself had been keeping up for nearly two years. we have a very nice clergyman over it a Mr Hart, who has long been a great friend of ours, as Toronto is growing so fast this place which was all open fields a few years ago is now filling up with artizans [artisans?] and that class. One of the attendants of our mission owned several acres of land close by and he has given a lot 100 feet by 170 feet. on which a schoolhouse and rectory are being built. this land is on a main street and is worthy [worth?] over $50 a foot frontage, so they have borrowed $10,000 to erect a good brick building to act as a church at present and a brick parsonage. leaving room for the erection of a church on the front of this lot by and by. when the people get better off, and pay off the loan for the schoolhouse. They are going to call the parish St Marys – #PAGE 6 Dorencourt. There is a St Mary Magdalene parish already but the people wanted to connect the parish with the memory of dear wife, who took a great interest in it as long as she could. They are just putting the roof on now and we hope to have it ready for service early in June, it will seat about 450, and will have a basement just as large which will act as Sunday School room the for present. I help Mr Hart at the service sometimes, I am during Lent giving an address on Wednesday evenings. It is a great privilege to be allowed to work for God. and to find it owned and blessed by Him, and it is also a great happiness to me to think that all my dear boys are trying to walk in the narrow path which leads to lifeeternal, looking for help and direction to our blessed Redeemer, and trusting for acceptance only through Him, May we all have a happy meeting round His throne in His own good time, Give my love to my cousins, and with much to yourself believe me always your affectionate nephew Geo [George?] Kirkpatrick |
