| Title: | Bella Smyth, Co Tyrone to James A Smyth, Ontario |
|---|---|
| ID | 2576 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Smyth, Bella Maggie/63 |
| Year | 1896 |
| Sender | Smyth, Bella Maggie |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | farming household |
| Sender Religion | Presbyterian |
| Origin | Co. Tyrone, N.Ireland |
| Destination | Essex Co., Ontario, Canada |
| Recipient | Smyth, James Alexander |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | siblings |
| Source | Copyright Retained by Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone, castledamph@btinternet.com |
| Archive | Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge. |
| Doc. No. | 0410056 |
| Date | 08/10/1896 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LTE |
| Log | |
| Word Count | 995 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [No Envelope] [Page 1] Castledamph October 8th 1896 Dear Brother I now take the pleasure of writing to you to let you know that we are all well hoping you are all enjoying the same I suppose by this time you are back at school again we were sorry that you failed in your examination but when you done (sic) all you could there is no lamenting. The school is all opened here after vacation The Miss Dunbars spent their holidays down at home and never came up till Monday Mary went to Scotland for a week to a Friend so then she had only [Page 2] one month at home she was to get them (sic) papers that you were wanting but I have not seen her yet to see if she got them. We have very wet weather here this harvest I'm afraid Ireland will suffer this year as well as America there is hardly any corn got safe in except some that was early ripe, and there (sic) lots of people that has got none in yet nor no appearance either, and its all cut five and six weeks and some of it more, there are a good share commencing to grow in the stooks we have got it all gathered in only about forty stooks and they are not in a good condition either but we [Page 3] ought to be content when its not all out There is hardly any hay in either and its [it’s] losing every day and flax is all in winnrows [winnows?] yet so you may think whether its [it’s] dry or not and every day raining one worse than the other yesterday was Gortin fair Tommy and William was (sic) over Tommy had some sheep over but he did not sell they were cheap, not near so good as the Plum [Plumbridge?] fair was Father and William was (sic) in Strabane on Tuesday with pork, they drew seven pounds some shillings for three but its [it’s] very cheap now too they got 35s.6d per cut and 36s was the height the litter we were feeding [Page 4] died all but five and then the other sow has twelve a fortnight old the [they?] are doing very well for so far but young pigs is not a very good price now either, the [they?] are always cheap when pork is cheap Tommy and John is (sic) threshing to day [today?] its [it’s] so stormy they can do nothing else. They were piling the stones on the road this last few days the overseer will be round about Monday so they will need to have them ready, Peter, Neil, Roe has got married about three weeks ago and has got as nice a woman as ever was in the Plum [Plumbridge?] Chapel she is the name of Kelly from the cross the roadmen had some fun [Page 5] breaking the stones up there about that time, Peter wanted them in to see the wife but they would not go, they took some fun out of Peter as long as they were about it Willie Ballantine R I C was at home since we last wrote he is a great Methodist, he had a preaching in his own house one sunday evening There was noone [no-one?] at it but their own friends and the McFarlane's I believe he is a great speaker its [it’s] a usal [usual?] thing in the barracks where he is him and another lecture (sic) time about, he is a full sergeant now and examiner of weights and measures as well so he. did not Idle his time on the police [Page 6] James McCullagh [fad?] is dead he was buried this day fortnight he was ailing about two months and Barbara McKelvey Glengaw [Glenga?] is dead after a long illness she was dead when father wrote the last letter but he did not remember to tell you, consumption I suppose was her disease Alex has not very good health he was very ill when she died he was not able to go with the funeral, but he is something better since, I did not tell you how much corn we had in we have 19 stacks altogether as good as last year but not so dry we might had (sic) more secured only William was not in good humor [humour?] of working he is not very ill but he does not care for [Page 7] doing anything but its [it’s] better for him to take care of himself in time, Joseph Young is very ill now I don’t [don’t] think he will do any good he is throwing off blood constantly he was pretty well when we put in the corn he was able to draw and build the loads but he got bad shortly after that, The lodge has not met since the twelfth of July, so the monthly meetings comes (sic) often, its [it’s] not likely they will meet now for a while on account of the bad harvest Archie Barker was here one day when he was at home and he left 10s to treat the band they have not got it yet nor I don’t [don’t] know [Page 8] when they will, Tommy and me is (sic) preparing to take our sarament [sacrament?] this time last Sunday was the first day of the class there are eight along with us I suppose this time last year you were thinking about it and about starting too. Mary and Willie John is at school No more Bella M Smyth Dear James - William and myself was (sic) up in Omagh on Saturday to see if there was anything to do he said nothing But to attend at 10 a m [a.m.?] on Monday the 26 inst how it will go its [it’s] hard to tell I think this harvest will teach some of them a lesson they have only 4 we [wee?] stacks in and its [it’s] dismal to look round you this morning Give our love to all. - Good By [Goodbye?] J-J S – [John James Smyth?] Transcribed by Alan Houston |
