| Title: | Bessie Brown, Canada to C. Kirkpatrick, Ireland |
|---|---|
| ID | 325 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Brown, Bessie/32 |
| Year | 1874 |
| Sender | Brown, Bessie |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | housewife |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Ontario, Canada |
| Destination | Belfast, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Kirkpatrick, Catherine |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | niece-aunt |
| Source | D 1604/276: Presented by Rev. Robert Kirkpatrick, Breezemount, The Roddens, Larne, County Antrim. |
| Archive | Public Record Office Northern Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 9012039 |
| Date | 30/12/1874 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Action By Date Document added by B.W. 20:12:1993 |
| Word Count | 907 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | To: Mrs Kirkpatrick Hazelbank Craigs Belfast Co [County?] Antrim Ireland From: 30th Dec 1874 My dearest Aunt I wish you & dear Uncle & all your household a very happy New Year I hope you are all well & Geraldine safe over her confinement which I think you said would be about this time. I hope she may have a healthy Baby - not two - as one is as much as one can manage very well - Charlotts [Charlottes?] little ones dont [don't?] seem to give much trouble & they are dear little things Charles seems very proud of them all - Poor fellow I was sorry to hear he had had asthma. He is the only one of the family who has ever had it. except poor William, who at times was troubled with it Christmas day was very fine & not very cold. I had only my own family for dinner all but Steward [Stewart?] who could not get home from Toronto. When the Brown were beside us they always spent the day with us & dear Mother enjoyed having as many of her Grandchildren about her as we could manage - we have not had a gathering since her death till this year #PAGE 2 & after dinner Stewart took his large sleigh which he had fixed for the occasion to hold a good many & he drove to town & brough [brought?] Robert Kate & all their family. Louisa & all their family up for tea Robert brought his sleigh with as many as it would hold - altogether we had a party of 23 for tea. The children all enjoy coming up here & poor wee things they were all so happy - we had games, & amusements for them till between 9 & 10 & they all went home. I have 5 boys here now 2 of Kates 2 of Louisa & one of Georges - They are spending a part of their holidays & you may fancy there is plenty of noise. They have just been racing round the Varandah [Veranda?] as hard as they can go & snow balling each other, I had to stop my writing to look at them, they seem so perfectly happy to get out of town, where they can make as much noise as boys like to make. I hope there may be a letter for some of us this week dear Aunt It seems more than two weeks since your last letter to Ellen I get the papers regularly & they are very interesting now - There seems such a fuss about Wm Gladsones [William Gladstone's?] writings. - And then the wonderful work going on in these meetings by Mr Moody & Leackey - I never read any thing like the crowds that #PAGE 3 attend them & it does not seem to pass off as is often the case in these sudden revivals, but is lasting - I should like greatly to hear them & what a blessing they have been to many families & so many young men, who give up their evenings to help others on, in holding meeting for young children - but I would like that more of the kind would come here. Frank started yesterday to pay John a visit in the States (Illinois) he has had a great wish for some time to do so, he has been so little from home, I think it will do him good. He will stay for a month or two & then come home in time for the spring work on the farm. I shall miss him very much, as he has a great deal of fun - & I think in winter I miss any of them more then [than?] in summer. Johns eldest daughter (Minnie) is now in Peterboro [Peterborough?] with Louisa - she is going to spend the winter with us - she is 19 & a very pretty girl. - I think all our circle is well now & that is a great great blessing in such a large connectiion as ours is, Anna Hay is quite well now, she was threatened a short time ago with [--?] in her face - Ellen Dunlop is pretty well now. - Kate & her large family very well - Jessie her second daughter is not very strong She has grown too fast, but #PAGE 4 they are all very nice children, Franny & Jessie the two eldest particularly so - Franny was 17 in July & Jessie 15 this month & she is 5 feet 8 & very slight - We have had a very mild winter so far & not too much snow - we shall soon see the days lengthening after that the winter seems so much pleasanter. - George & Henry are very well & their households We dont [don't?] meet very often. I am very fond of Carrie - she is such a very dear amiable little body & such a good little wife and Mother. Mrs Junes & her daughters (Henrys first wifes Mother) has been to see him lately & they are all so pleased with the children & with Carrie & they think she is bringing up the children so well - she never allows the love for her own little one interfere with the others & they are so fond of her I must bring my long letter to a close again my dear Aunt wishing you all a happy new year I am your loving niece Bessie Brown |
