| Title: | John J Smyth, Castledamph to James A. Smyth, Ontario |
|---|---|
| ID | 2867 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Smyth, John James/54 |
| Year | 1896 |
| Sender | Smyth, John James |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | farmer |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Castledamph, Co. Tyrone, N.Ireland |
| Destination | Essex Co., Ontario, Canada |
| Recipient | Smyth, James Alexander |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | father-son |
| Source | Copyright Retained by Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone, Castledamph@btinternet.com |
| Archive | Mr & Mrs J Smyth |
| Doc. No. | 604121 |
| Date | 27/05/1896 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LTE |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 1384 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [Front of envelope] Mr James A Smyth Essex Essex County Ontario Canada [Stamped] NEWTOWNSTEWART PM 10 0 MY 28 96 [Postage Stamp] Postage & Revenue 2 ½ [Back of envelope] [Stamped] ESSEX JU 8 [96?] [Stamped] PLUMBRIDGE [-?] MY [28?] [--?] [Written sideways at top] Ans [Answered?] - June 20 1896 [Page 1] thursday Castledamph May 27 96 My Dear James We have just received your letter of May 17 in time to answer it By this post- Willie Gilky [William?] [Gilkinson?] wrote last week and Bella the week Before. I suppose you were Sorrow [sorry?] when you heard of the cow - She was ealing [ailing?] one week before she calved and died one week after I sold her calf in Strabane at £1.00 they are all sold in Strabane now so her price was not all lost we have Bought none in her place as yet I think we will buy some young ones as Butter is so cheap I only get 6 1/2 d on tuesday- they [the?] 4 cows - and 4 calves is not able to keep down the grass in the under fields we are keeping Shanes field for mowing the 5 year olds has all the other grass - as yet to themselves the horses has not tasted grass yet [Page 2] We made 16 hundred of meal sometime go [ago?] and we have one stack threshed and 2 to thresh yet we have not time to do them and any amount of potatoes I only sold 4 Barrl [Barrels?] at 7s per Barrl [Barrel?] I sold 5 of the young pigs litter on tuesday at 17s 6d each we kept 3 of them and one of the other litter we have 4 young ones and the two old ones- we have the acre in James land molded [moulded?] and cleaned and they are [there is?] the turff [turf?] today and tomorrow thomas and William is Drawing limestone yestardy [yesterday?] and today and if well will be ready for the gravel Bed on monday we were read out for all the money this time - So we are dowing [doing?] pretty well with the road if we keep going to it we will Do verry [very?] well - But the [there?] are [sic] not much time to spare [Page 3] Well I suppose Willie gilky [William Gilkinson?] has told you something about the Burn if you remember last summer we Brought the watter [water?] in under the Ditch above the Bridge - this year Elkin lowered the Bed of the Burn so that it would not come in on Saturday 16th may when I went down with the cows at about 6 o'clock I saw Joe Elkin in the Burn he then went home and I went Down no watter [water?] was comming [coming?] in and the Burn Sank I putt [put?] a little [Stopping?] and the water come [came?] in again on going to the fair it was open again I stopped it and told them going past not to enterfair [interfere?] with it again - when William was going down Sarah was at it with a spaid [spade?] him and her had some words But he did not let her open it when I come from the fair it was open again I stoped [stopped?] it then when Johny [Johnny?] and Sarah come they come over without [Page 4] throwing of one Stick Bonnet and all tomy [Tommy?] and John was comming [coming?] at the Bridge and saw them they went up Sarah was letting off the watter [water?] and Tom would not let hir [her?] Tom give hir [her?] a push Johny [Johnny?] then drew the stick a very heavy one with a good head on it and putt [put?] tomy [Tommy?] down in the Burn he caught hold of the stick and got up he then nocked [knocked?] Johny [Johnny?] down with his own stick he never let him up till he give him a good welton [welting?] and Drowing [drawing?] John C. [Charles?] Kept Sarah against the Burn They [there?] were any amount of people before it was over - the police was going Down and Elkin called on them so when they looked at elkin the [they] jumped across the Burn and had there [their?] hand nearly on tom and said they would arrest him tom said they would not and him and them up the field - Tom had fine shoes and was all weet [wet?] and the wire was before him up the field So he took a turn By the Bridge and leeped [leaped?] the [slap?] at the Bridge and johnstown [Johnston?] fell [Page 5] and tomy [Tommy?] got into gilkys [Gilkinsons?] -Elkin and they [the?] police went then to the plumb [Plumbridge?] to the Doctor to get a warrant but he would give them none – Doct [Doctor?] [Connan?] has been with him 3 times and a Doct [Doctor?] from Newtownstewart - once so I think he will live after all William and me went to Omagh on Monday to know what was best to be down [doing?] Colictor [Councillor?] Houston told us to turn in the watter [water?] again and if tourned [turned?] off again to wire in half of the Burn and if they would cutt [cut?] the wire to turn the cows into the Burn and let them go where the [they?] liked -Aleck Duncan went to omagh I got a letter from [a c conar?] to clear the burn and replace the mearing [a land boundary?] fence the boundary mearing [a land boundary?] betwin [between?] to [two?] townlands on or before Saturday 23 [or?] a little Jurisdiction process would be issued this is all up till the present how it will turn out we dow [do?] not know we wired in the half of the Burn and lifted the Ditch and its not [moved?] as yet [Page 6] Dear James I am abledged [obliged?] to give you the Death of Charles Gordon he died at Midnight last night your mother and me is going over to the wake after I finish this letter I was over once he was not long sick that is more than his usualy [usual?] weakness - Now the sheep they have 19 lambs and 3 to lamb yet 3 of the year olds has lambed and 3 to lam [lamb?] Bella I think told you how many they lost they have a good many of them clipped they only bought 16 they have got some of the old money and has to get some yet But this roit [riot?] I supose [suppose?] will take some before all is over - But we will tray [try] and hold our own with them if in our power I will write every week till all is over to give you all the news [Page 7] Dear James I hope this will not putt [put?] you of your learning do not trouble yourself about it as I think it will not signify - We hope you will come out well and if you fail in some points you must try and do better again - I supose [suppose?] its hard But what is got without hard work and trouble everything is low now take good hart [heart?] and keep up your spirits and there is no fail [fault?] of you [sic]and we will do our best to keep you going if in our power Dear James when you get your vacation Do not join any work with strangers you can improve your time then as well as at school and I hope we will be able to keep you going you may give your uncle Some days if you have any time [Page 8] John and [Mary?] is not getting to school now as Turff [turf?] and everything is to work with Willie Gordon is in Dublin learning his exercise for police Joseph Ballantine was at home he said he would write to you when he would git [get?] back- The Band was gathered on friday last tomorrow night they were going down the road But now on account of C Gordon we have fine warm weather now crops looks well and potatoes growing fast I had intended to write to your uncle this time But now I have not time give them our Best respects you can tell them about the Burn if you think well of it. I have sent you know [no?] papers this long time But I will we are all well thank God at present this is a long letter and some of it Badly spelt so good by goodbye and may God be with you all John James Smyth Transcribed by Kyle Smith |
