| Title: | Liza Smyth, Castledamph, to James A Smyth, Ontario |
|---|---|
| ID | 2659 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Smyth, Eliza Catherine/52(2) |
| Year | 1903 |
| 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. | 0508026 |
| Date | 06/08/1903 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LTE |
| Log | Document added by LT, 24:08:2005. |
| Word Count | 1285 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [Front of Envelope] Mr James A Smyth, Essex- Essex- Co Ontario Canada [Stamped] NEWTOWNSTEWART PM AU 6 03 [Stamped] LONDONDERRY COLONIAL PKT AM AU 7 03 [hexagonal shape with numbers and letters] T 10 LD [Back of Envelope] [POSTMARK] PLUMBRIDGE AU 6 03 [POSTMARK] ESSEX AU 15 03 ONT. [Page 1] Castledamph Aug 6th 1903 Dear Brother, We have rec. [received?] three letters from you & a number of papers since I last wrote so I think it is time to send one now We are all glad to see how well your pupils done but I suppose you had hard work to get them through they are so young. Master James was up yest [yesterday?] evg [evening?] he was looking over the paper he thinks you done good work he noticed the mark [remark?] about the woman being in goal [gaol?] belonging to Belfast [Page 2] & he says she has escaped from Sandwich goal [gaol?] I did'nt notice it in our paper yet I am afraid Willie John would make a poor hand at the papers & he is 14 years old 3rd Aug. he is not near so smart as I thought he would [sic] been. I did not send you a letter about the twelfth as I thought from what you had seen you did not want to hear about it as you used to do but any way we had a very nice day all through & then there was so many girls home from America that it made the evg [evening] splendid we had a [Page 3] dance in the barn until about 1’ oclock Wednesday after there was a party in Jas [James?] McKelveys of the burn on account of Willie & Catherine being home together their [there] was about 40 people there altogether & I think we enjoyed ourselves well untill [until?] 4 oclock. Eliza Noble is home this year again & lots more around this place I think they are going back about 5 Sept. George Noble sold his farm Monday we hear they are going along with the others I think he will never settle while on this earth [Page 4] Jas Houston [James Huston?] is putting up a dwelling house at Jas [James?] Nobles the door face's his other one I suppose you know he bought Felix McCullous [McCullagh’s?] house & garden a few year [sic] ago so he will give some work to the carpenters & masons John Chas [Charles?] will be employed so he will have a busy time now. Today he is making another cart for ourselves he works in the barn & gives some help at other work to We have got the meadow below the house lapped [hay rolled in loose bundles?] & the one at the burn [stream?] cut we had intended to [Page 5] get a reaper this year but as Davie will lend his we thought better to wait to next year Its very showery weather this last three weeks not good enough for hay. We have about 3 acres of flax over at Stewarts but its not ripe yet I wonder how that man will ever get so much handled as he has got it will cost plenty before its sold Yest [Yesterday?] was Gortin fair or as it is usually called the Lammas fair these [the?] men were all over unless [sic] John C [Charles?] they took 7 head of heifers & sold again at £48 10s they had £7 from [Page 6] last Gortin fair & bought three of them in last Plum [Plumbridge?] fair their [there] is some money to be made in dealing when you have the grass. I must not forget to tell you -Old Marget's- [Margaret's] money is to be divided some day soon Jas Houston [James Huston?] got Uncle Wms [William's] address yest [yesterday?] so it will arrive at last. Father is in good tune since he heard it he was for writing to you today but I told him I would give you all the news so he had to go over to Stewarts to work at turnips with Wm [William?]& Tom I [Page 7] think the [they] are digging them Mary Roe & Sally Barclay got theirs yesterday Mary had £50 home with her last night I think she lodged £70 so there was some loss I dont know how much these claimers gets but anything is better than nothing. You wanted to know what Mary is going to do well I can hardly say but I think if she had money she would go to the bussiness business College in St Thomas Father said he would give Mary as much as would do her if he would get Old Margets [Margaret's] so now [Page 8] its on the way you should know what would be best for her to do as you are more acquaint [acquainted?] with everything over there their [there] is one thing if she would like to come home let her not stay for money as we could send her it any time their [there] is work enough here at present but she would not care to do it now I suppose, so if she thinks of going into some bussiness [business?] you can see to that She said she had got to like Essex so well that she hated to have to leave & go to the Wilderness you know wher [where?] that Is, I am sure but she would [Page 9] put up for a while you wondered how she could stay but only she has no other place like yourself & to board would only be spending money out of your pocket so she has got to make the best she can of it We had our Picnic to Barnes [Barons?] Court on Tuesday it came unawares as we did not know much about it to [until] last week; it was closed this last while on account of the Kings visit; there was [sic] some of the strangers entertained there so everything was in grand style but you would think it has [sic] stood still since we were there before [easter?] [Page 10] the flowers & trees were Just as you seen them all in bloom there was quite a number of games engaged in running etc John Chas [Charles?] win [sic] in walking & running got a brooch & set of [links?] Albert Hamilton came in second in one & Tom third the boys played a game or two of foot-ball Glenelly against Newtownstewart each side got two goals we left Plumbridge about 10 o-clock 22 cars quite a turn out for the -wee Plum- & left there again at 6-oclock got home at 9 we had a nice drive down & up but the [Page 11] rain had to show itself as usual. it was raining most of the way home so it was rather unpleasant there was about 114 people from here five or six Bicycles went all the way Beck [Rebecca?] Dunbar came to me & asked me if you were home her & Miss Macklin took John for you but they were mistaken I think you saw Miss Macklin there last time when John is dressed he looks like you: At present we have just got them picture [pictures?] in now & as I have Just said John looks like you but I am afraid you are getting changed a little in some [Page 12] way but perhaps its the shave [beard?] off John thinks you would look nicer with it on but all the same he took off his own this summer. they are four nice girls but any one could pick the oldest Mother went down to Lisnacreigh [Lisnacreaght?] yesterday evg [evening] so we have not many here at present the baby is not christened yet but it has got a name Marget [Margaret?] Jane (Madge) I dont know if you will like it or not but it has got it rather soon or it would [sic] been another I must close now as John wants his tea so good bye for the present Your sister Liza C. [Catherine?] Transcribed by Alan Houston |
