| Title: | Margaret Black, Fairview to Isabella Allen, Belfast. |
|---|---|
| ID | 214 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Black, Margaret/43 |
| Year | 1848 |
| Sender | Black, Margaret |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Fairview, USA? |
| Destination | Belfast, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Allen, Isabella |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | friends |
| Source | D/1558/1/2/49: Presented by the late F.D. Campbell Allen, Esq., 15 London Road, Harrow-on-the-Hill, Middlesex, England |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 9804177 |
| Date | 02/02/1848 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 08:04:98. |
| Word Count | 743 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Fairview 2nd Februry [February?] 1848. My dear Mrs Allen I received your welcome letter of the 29th Dec. upon the 25th of last month and I now sit down to give you a few hasty lines as I know that you & Mr Allen will be anxious to hear how poor Aphra is, she is now entirely confined to her room and almost always to her bed, for the last week she has suffered from spasms in her throat which threatened to bring her sufferings very soon to a close as they prevented her from taking nourishment to any extent even in a liquid form, her throat has been blistered and today she is releived [relieved?] from the spasms, up to this time she had not been suffering great pain, but her fever has continued very high and her strength constantly declining. I read her your letter and she spoke of how much she continued to regret that she had not seen you when she was in England, she said she would like to write you a few lines in this letter but I fear that she will not be able to hold the pen, she is so feeble. I have just come from A's [Aphra's?] room and I am sorry to have to say that her strength is less today than it has yet been though she is not now suffering from pain. She desires me to give her love to you and to say that as her bodily strength deminishes [diminishes?] her faith brightens and she dies in the sure hope of eternal life through Christ who has been with her in all her sickness and has made her willing to leave Husband Child and friends and that she hoped to be able to recognize all her dear friends in the world of bliss, "she ends with her kind love to yourself, baby & Mr Allen and an Adieu - until she meets you all in Eternity". You need not apologize for thinking of Aphra first she is the only subject of thought and conversation to all the family and we expect that others will think as we do. I have enjoyed exelant [excellent?] health ever since I left the Channel the weather has been delightfull [delightful?] just such as we had at Ballynahinch and I have not been troubled with headache since I arrived here. I am sorry that you cannot give a better account of Mrs Porters & Miss Marshall's health but I hope that they are long e'er this M. [Month?] in the enjoyment of renewed strength and that Miss Bella and yourself are now invigorated after the wet winter and inabled [enabled?] to exercise in the open air, I think you need not despear [despair?] at hearing your little one say a whole sentence some morning when you call her, Aphra's boy, says, Dick, dinner, & book, but cannot say Mamma or Papa he is fat & healthy, if he was not a good Child he would be completely spoiled for every one in the house pets him. I cannot say anything of the gayeties [gaities?] of the town, of the Cottage I can say very little as last Saturday was the first time I have been there since my arrival. Mrs Nickole's letter and parcel was delivered into Mr Savages hand but as he did not say that Mrs S [Savage?] would be glad to see me I did not feel called upon to call at their house. My being with Aphra in her severe illness brings in the most lively colours to my mind the way in which I was occupied this time last year and whilst my hands are busy with her my thoughts often wander back to the bedside of my poor Father, But I must close as this letter is sufficiantly [sufficiently?] dull already. I am glad that Mrs Allen has recovered so well from the fracture of her arm please remember me to her also Mrs N [Nickole?] if she is still with you. Aunt joins me in kind regards to Mr Allen and yourself with many kisses to Miss Toty dear little creature, and believe me Your Sincerely attached friend Margaret Black Please charge my account with the postage of [torn] enclosed letter as it is the only way in which I can send it without making the poor woman pay too dear for the pleasure of hearing from me. - M. [Margaret?] B. [Black?] |
