| Title: | Liza Smyth, Co Tyrone to James A Smyth, Ontario |
|---|---|
| ID | 2648 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Smyth, Eliza Catherine/44 |
| Year | 1905 |
| Sender | Smyth, Eliza Catherine |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | farmer |
| Sender Religion | Protestant |
| Origin | Castledamph, 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. | 0505057 |
| Date | 08/09/1905 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LTE |
| Log | Document added by LT, 25:05:2005. |
| Word Count | 1377 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [Front of Envelope] Mr James A Smyth Essex Ontario Canada. [Stamped] NEWTOWNSTEWART SP 9 04 [Written on Envelope] [Filsiyer?] [Si the one?] Hattie Burdocks Grace Hall [Back of Envelope] [Stamped] PLUMBRIDGE A SE 9 04 [Stamped] ESSEX SP 19 04 ONT. [Page 1] Castledamph Sept 8th 1904 Dear Brother I suppose by this time you have taken up school again while we have Mary here in all [sic] splendour I suppose she told you about John and I meeting her in Derry. We had been down from 10 o'clock we went to the Allan Line office so we were informed that Mary had arrived the night before at 15 to 10. oclock we came back to the station and saw her trunks there John stayed there while I went over to where Annie McKelvey was and her and I walked the city we enquired of a few hotels but they said the Lodgers were all out we came back to the station as we were thinking she would be going up in the 11. oclock train I am sure Annie [Page 2] & I were not sitting 10 minute [sic] when Annie looked and saw a girl she asked me if I knew her well I said thats Mary (she was standing at the Book stall looking at some books. with a young gentleman from Belfast) I went down & touched her on the arm she was surprised she drew back before she spoke. she did'nt expect us. I suppose. well I tell you this I was as much surprised as her I only knew the back of her head. quit [quite?] a change all for the better she has a better figure and her voice has changed I was just thinking what a change in three years I could hardly beleive [believe?] it was her was talking to us atall [at all?] John C [Charles?] came up so it was easier for him to know her. when he saw her [Page 3] One of the Scotts (A McKelvey [sic] cousin) was for New York as the train came in as we were standing we went round the city and Annie went to see her cousin off. then we went on the street car to the Asylum to see Mr Jamey Gordon the street car had two horses in so Mary wanted to see what it was like it was dinner hour with Jamey and we had to wait a while we were expecting to take the 2.oclock train but when Jamey talked a while he said we would be to [too?] late and invited us out to his residence for tea we were thinking of going to see Archie Duncan. but we did'nt have time Jamey asked for you [sic] second word he is still the same he said Mary had improved we left Derry at 15 to four I think [Page 4] when we got to Strabane I told Mary to look if she could see Bella Campbell on the platform and there she was coming to NewtownStewart she saw John and he called to her that Mary was further up so she was looking for us. Well we had quite a whiles [while?] talking to Newtown [Newtownstewart?] Bella's folk has [sic] disowned her since she started with the dippers so everyone has trouble of their own we got started from Newtown [Newtownstewart?] Bella Mary and I on one side of the car and John and the trunks packed up on the other quite a load John walked a good deal & Mary drove the horse. we did'nt like to have Bella walk as she was only coming to Corrick [Corickmore?] [Page 5] it was near dark as we got to Plum B. [Plumbridge?] only the Houston [Huston?] girls saw us that we knew we got home at 8.10 oclock Bella & Madge was up from dinner time Andy McClelland was in and McCrenor came in as we had got the first hurry over. Davie came next so that was all the [they?] all stayed to 1 oclock we wanted Davie to remain all night but he said the next day was Sunday and he would go home & get dressed the next day & come back so Bella went and we kept Madge but we had not much time to sleep Andy J came in going to church also Bob McKernan Andy Campbell and John Campbell . Andy J asked Mary how was the Master well she had to ask him who he meant James he says. they all think [Page 6] the while away has made a different girl of her. Sunday evg [evening?] Willie John came over. Jamey Gilkie [Gilky?] and Tommy Houston [Huston?]. Tuesday she wrote and went down to post a letter to you and a couple of books I gave her for uncle. Barbara McKernan (now Mrs Jackson) and her sister Kate were in Gilkies so Mary stayed rather longer than she had intended to and Jane Ballantine Mary Reid was [sic] to see her and next was Joe Gilkie and Catherine. William Noble Jamey Ballantine Mosey. and Bob Campbell she could hardly recognise Jamey Ballantine he has got [sic] so changed We had a few dances a [and?] Mary and John played on the violins Home Home sweet Home and a [Page 7] few others they thought the pictures of you and Mary were beautiful she had a picture of the ship We had Madge up all the time but she was not like the child she used to be atall [at all?] rather cross afraid of Mary and John no one could keep her like Father on Tuesday morning the [they?] were going down to Davies to cut corn as Tommy harnessed one of the young horses and Mary and I and Madge went down we kept Tom behind and left him at [Stewarts?] as he was going to spread flax in C. McCullaghs Mary will likely tell you what she thinks of Davies place. Yes’t [Yesterday?] Wednesday our men were so busy taking sheep and cows to the fair we had to get Davie to [Page 8] drive us Bella did'nt go as Madge is all covered with hives. so we thought better not take her when she was not in good humor Aunt likes Mary [sic] appearance well we had a walk out the length of the new chaple [chapel?] had a shake hands with a few young men. Bob Dunne Sam Dunne. W J Beattie a lot of local boys. Mr George Russell is working at the New Creamery so we saw him and went into to (sic) see the creamery coming home. Mr Beattie said he would come up from Plumb [Plumbridge?] this evg [evening?] and G Russell is coming Sunday every one is glad to see her home again Robert McKelvey told me yest’ [yesterday?] to hide as I was like a (droleen) [droileen?] beside her. Well she has got all out of her trunk today [Page 9] and what shirts you sent is worth £1 to these boys besides the collars William wears one every day so they are all useful John had on one of your suits Sunday and he looked smart as his own is rather large for him. he only wore it at home perhaps you would [sic] thought he wore it to church if I had not looked back at what I said I have saw Mary's white dress and its lovely She has got more to wear nor half the women in this town no wonder you have not much money when you kept her and yourself going in every way Aunt was asking her if she thought the house small when she come and if we had made any changes since she [left?] [Page 10] Mary will tell you what Lizzie is like they say she wrote to you last and sent some of her work done at school. Liza Houston [Huston?] was over to see her Tuesday but we were down at Lisnacraigh [Lisnacreaght?] so her and Mary is coming over some of these nights. W J Beattie has just come in we got an invitation to go down there John & I some time ago. so we waited and now Mary has got to go too. There is going to be a Ball in Gortin Hall on Sept 23 for the telegraph Mary will likely be over and perhap’s some others of us. I must close now Mary has cleaned upstairs today, and done a few more things Mary was going to write but wont now so good bye Liza Transcribed by Julie Simms / Alan Houston |
