| Title: | Bella M Smyth, Castledamph, to James A Smyth, Ontario |
|---|---|
| ID | 2598 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Smyth, Bella Maggie/92(2) |
| Year | 1900 |
| 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 |
| Doc. No. | 0604132 |
| Date | 27/07/1900 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LTE |
| Log | |
| Word Count | 852 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [Front of Envelope] Mr. James A. Smyth South Woodslee, Essex Co. Ontario Canada [Stamped] NEWTOWNSTERWART PM [--?] [--?] [Back of envelope] [Stamped] PLUMBRIDGE A JY 27 00 [Stamped] SOUTHWOODSLEE [?] [?] Castledamph July 27th 1900 Dear Brother, Liza rec- [received?] a letter from you today but she is out in the hay so she would not have time to answer and I see that you are still wanting more news so its best to not keep you waiting. Tommy Hay went away yesterday we are sorry that he was gone before your letter came as he was all ways glad to see one from you He got a letter from you in South Africa and brought it here with him he told us that he answered it immediately so it appears you have not got it, it must [Page 2] have gone astray He was very sorry leaving here yesterday morning & I tell you it was a lonely day for the rest of us, we miss him badly; Mary came home on Wed- evg [evening?] & went down with them on the trap. Wm [William?] left him in [Newtownstewart?] He had got to be a favourite of every one who saw him,, he was highly respected about Gortin all the quality came there to see him & Master Myles was very sorry when he couldnt go there for a day or two. He said himself that he would need to stop for a year to visit everyone: one thing he is sure of that he has got no enemies in Ireland anyway & he speaks well of the place for he could live his lifetime here He hates to even talk of Sth [South?] Africa he did not like it at all he would chance India before [Page 3] it any day. He suffered so much that he dreads to hear it named He says no one should be sorry for the volunteers for they should no [know?] better than to go there. Its enough for those who have to suffer without volunteering. He says he had his shirt on nine weeks without being washed & they were destroyed by vermin.- or ticks as he calls them they come out of the ground & they are as big as sheep lice & you cant get rid of them. Then their clothes was all [torn?]. The khaki suit he had on was held together by leather, only for it he says he would have been bare. They would be unwashed & unshaven for months,. They were in perfect misery & I suppose they are as bad yet... Anything at all for Tommy but the war in South Africa he hopes to never be in such a place And we trust he never will [Page 4] Belle is not back here yet nor we dont expect her for a while. she is apt to be in Crowhill or [Lesliey?] or some place down there. I think she is well pleased with Ireland she is sorry that Annie & Cassie did not visit it before they married but perhaps the husband was the best. Its too bad that you feel tired of the holidays & the people here all so sorry when the [they?] are up but I suppose its lonely about Woodslee besides Castledamph or Plumbridge & its even worse by Belle being away, but you may do the best you can till next year & we might help you over & it may be a better time for fun than now. Catherine McKelvey of this town is home today. came unexpected, her master & mistress [Page 5] is in London. so she got a few days to come this length Im sure her mother will not be content to see her start on Tuesday again, the visit will be short; but she will get a sight of home The worst news I have to day. is that Old Shepherd is dead & buried I need not say that he died, for Tommy Hay shot him on Wednesday., we were sorry to see him go but it was hard to keep him any longer as his ear was very bad & a smell of it none of our own people would kill him so Tommy said he would do it before [he’d?] go so we gave him liberty, Willie John & he took him down to the second field [Page 6] at the top of the [brey?] & shot him there, when Mary came home she was sorry because she did not get the last look at him but I think she was better away Tommy Hay told her to put a tombstone on, but without fun Old shepherd was worth one Belle got a sight of him while she was here so she can tell you Im sure you would liked [sic] to have seen him but we never could keep him alive till then so you may forgive us Warm weather to-day, we are busy at the hay so we will write next week & give more news Tommy is away for a sheep to Tamnagh I dont know where that place is so you may guess So Good Bye for the present and we may write oftener B M S [Bella Maggie Smyth?] [Written upside down at top left of page 5] someone commenced here & forgot the date so you may excuse them. Transcribed by Mohamed Souissy |
