| Title: | Fanny Broughton, Canada, to W. J. C. Allen, Belfast. |
|---|---|
| ID | 314 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Broughton, Fanny/2 |
| Year | 1878 |
| Sender | Broughton, Fanny |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | housewife (in a wealthy household) |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Ontario, Canada |
| Destination | Belfast, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Campbell Allen, William J. |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | friends |
| Source | D 1558/1/1/761: Papers of William John Campbell Allen Deposited by F.D.Campbell Allen. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, N. Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9803090 |
| Date | 14/01/1878 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 26:02:98. |
| Word Count | 1181 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [Ingersoll?] House Hamilton Ont [Ontario?] 14th Jany 1878 My Dear Jno Allen I think one of life's greatest pleasures is finding that old friends still remember you and on Christmas day I got your kind letter and card, thank you much for the kind wishes and believe they are fully reciprocated for you and yours. In a quiet or semi-quiet way we had a pleasant time both Xmas & New Year, I don't remember for a long time having so little to worry [me?] The children were all at home except Mary & Annie the latter went home with Jessie Mr John Broughton's daughter who came over with her uncle in June, they went Allan line and enjoyed their trip except when sick. Annie writes in very good spirits, she is to stay as long as she wishes unless something turns up - I don't know if she will go back to Ireland, she goes to Wales, Mr [Childer's?] & Scotland. She is a very fine girl, the Stewardess told her she never had a lady on board with such a will - We have a quiet winter so far, not many parties &c but with a large family like ours we are a party every night when 3 or 4 young men come in. Mr & Mrs [Childers?] & Mrs Hussey [Bircan?] were here in the summer, Mr Bankworth a G.W. [Great Western?] Director & a man & maidservant were here in Sept & October, they had a splendid trip to California & were very delighted with all they saw. I went to Chicago & Detroit, 5 times to the Falls & that was enough Oh The Thousand Isles too, such a house full besides entertaining every day does even for me, but they were all so nice & quite homely. Mr [Irvin?] sent me six Pheasant which arrived last week in splendid condition. We have lots of game but I like Pheasants best of all & [----?] to where Mr [Irvin?] was here. We expect [Arthur?] shortly he has had a most successful season in New York, he is one of the nicest fellows in the [house?] [---?] & such good company. We spent a week in the Russia House Hotel with him last June & went to the theatre every evening. Dr. [Lyon?] [Playfair?] and the M.P. for Paisley lunched with us one day. We had great fun. It is wonderful what a number of people from the old country we see during the summer and they are all glad to meet their countrymen as we are to see them - but girls are as lively as crickets and can hold their own Lizzie came home head of her school and she goes back till midsummer to try and win a gold bracelet which is given by a Toronto gentleman to the head girl who must pass a University examination in 23 subjects to win it, of course she will be awfully cold if she loses it. She will be 18 in June & is her father's own daughter, I wish you could take a peep at him just now, after a good early Sunday dinner, he is in the drawing room with our young visitors Alec Alexander on the couch by him as happy as is in his nature to be - We have very good times here I can tell you only one place in the world I like better & that is Belfast. My heart is very warm to it. Mr. Broughton was sorry he did not get over he was to have had a week in Belfast & one in Scotland whilst Mr [Childers?] was in France at Whitsuntide but some news he had from here about [----?] of lines brought him home in a hurry. It is quite amusing to see the other lines follow out his economic policy such as saving up the old sleepers and burning them &c. Gradually from calling him everything bad the people now begin to understand that he really acts up and means to make them do what he thinks is their duty, they say he is the first manager or man [---?] Canada filling a Public office who dare say Mr perhaps sometimes it might be done more gracefully but one cannot have everything he had broken up the rings and they had combined to send him out of the country but have not done it and about six firms here had to fail. I cannot tell you how sorry I have been sometimes for him, he was so worried and weary and he said it was such dispiriting work but you know I am rather inclined to see a silver lining to every cloud so I cheered him up as well as I could & now I think he sees a little hope himself, but that Vanderbilt has any amount of money and power but you cannot trust his policy for anytime he [---?] a friend of mine in the States that [----?] was the cleverest railway man he had ever seen all the same he would sell him tomorrow if it suited him to do so. I wrote Mrs [Buryland?] some time ago but have not heard from her My old housemaid Ann Graham from Killyleagh came out to me last June & through her I keep up my knowledge of my Irish friends. It is 15 years since she first came to me & she is so proud of the children my cook I have had nearly eight years the [-----?] Canadians, last week the servants had a dance and my under housemaid danced an Irish jig to which the Mistress and family were invited & were furnished with seats of [----?] we had great fun. I think I was the only lady in the city called [Mistress?] & Irish Master they are American in this and say Mr & Mrs [--?] & [--?] my servants have to wear caps & little fancy [----?] their place it is good for them to stand out & I wont give in, it isn't at all unusual to see a housemaid with a sash a quarter of a yard wide with ear-ring, rings, brooches & [P----?] hair. I must not inflict any more on you - or not much - Mr [Winberg?] gave Mr Broughton such a lovely water melon beautifully flowered when he was in England Wishing you many happy New Years and all your dear ones too I remain Yours Sincerely Fanny Broughton Glad to hear such good accounts from you of Mr [Coates?] please remember me with every good wish to him & tell him there are very few such happy women in the world as I am at present. I have a lovely good family, old roomy house with many [women?] for friends & will he come & try one a good allowance & not bothered how I spend it, so should I not be happy my young William [Coates?] is turning out sharp & can row, fish, skate, canoe & toboggan. FB[Fanny Broughton?] Kind regards to Mr & Mrs James [Case?] |
