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Title: Reynolds, William to Reynolds, Laurence, 1890
ID4214
CollectionThe Reynolds Letters. An Irish Emigrant Family in Late Victorian Manchester [L.W. McBride]
Filereynolds/27
Year1890
SenderReynolds, William
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationlinen trader
Sender Religionunknown
OriginManchester, England
DestinationChicago, Illinois, USA
RecipientReynolds, Laurence
Recipient Gendermale
Relationshipbrothers
Source
Archive
Doc. No.
Date
Partial Date
Doc. Type
Logunknown
Word Count881
Genrebusiness, family, politics
Note
Transcript295 Stretford Road
Manchester
Dec 8th 1890

Dear Brother,
I would have written you a Letter before but I have had so mutch to
attend to I have not been able. I hope you and Maryann and all the family
are injoying good health. I hope your Sons are getting good health
and doing well at thair business. Chicago is a fine City. We are all getting pretty good health at present. My mother is getting as good health
as can be expected. John & Bridget are quite well and doing well in
thair Business. I think the Exhibition at Chicago will be a great Success.
Chicago seems to be a city advancing Vary rapidily. You Should Commence Something on your acount now. It would be better than working for an imployer.
I am getting on vary well. I have plenty of work & very little play but
Still I am my own master. I have about 30 persons imployed. In fact the
Business is getting as mutch as Maryann & I can manage. But when people
are making a little money it is some incouragement.
I received a Letter from Cousin Lizzie last June but I am Sorry I have
not been able to Send an answer yet. She Sent Marthas phopto [sic]. She
is a Hansome Girl. If She came to Stay with you kind ley remember all
to har. & Should you write to uncle John Say All in Manchester beg to
be remembered to all the family.
We are having a vary exciting time at present through the dredfull
Mess Mr Parnall has got into. Everything was in favour of Ireland till the
O'Shea divorce case came on and the Irish people ware vary united
and preparing for a General Election but now a great deal of the preparation seems to be cast to the winds and it will take a long time to get tham So united again. Parnall is to be blamed for all. If he had been
upright and having a proper Love for Ireland he would have retired at
once. If only for a time till the devorse case was forgotten. But now I
am Sorry to Say all is over with Parnall. He will never be Leader of the
Irish people again. He was getting credit for what other men ware
doing. John Dillon & William O'Brine doing all thay possiable could
for the poor tennants in Ireland, Keeping tham united and fighting the
exterminating Landlords. You will See allmost as Soon as we over here
how he has divided the Irish members into two Camps & I suppose the
Irish people the Same. Old Gladstone has been the hope of the Irish
people in these Countrys. He has worked hard for Ireland to get the
English people to consent to Home Rule. It is vary hard to get anything
of[f] the English. Of course Old Billey in one Sence had no right to
interfere in Sending his Letter. But the Liberals having worked So hard
and the Irish people having worked So hard, Thare was every prospect
of Home Rule from the Liberals when thay got into power. I hope all
will turn out for the best Thare is one thing Sertain that Parnall was not
fit to be the Leader of the Irish people after the devorse case.
I have Seen by the papers you have had great meetings in Chicago &
die dalagates got a grand reception. Irish people in America have Liberty.
That is more than we can Say in this Country.
I must Conclude this Letter. Write Soon and Send all perticulars of
how you Maryann and all the family are. All goin in wishing you a happy
Crissmas and a prosperous New Year.

I remain
your Effectionate Brother
William

P.S. I send you a copy of our Mothers Pedigree. The History of the Clan
OToole has been writteen by the Rev P L OToole, O.C.C. of Dublin.
I am one of the Subscribers & my name is printed in the first addition
[edition]. I was Speaking to him in Dublin during the Summer when
over. I have got my addition. It is a splendid Book. I know you will be
plescd with the copy of [it].

[In an agitated draft of this letter to his brother, William wrote the following passages in the section about Parnell, which he subsequently deleted.]

See now he has divided the Irish Members and people in Ireland and all
over. If he had retired at once the Irish members would not have
attacked [?J him very mutch and they would still have the sympathy of
the world. The Bishops have given thare dissicion & deserved all. I dont
See he can do anything now. He has not been looking after anything for
Ireland, the Pariimantary business, for Some years. When the whole
thing should have been fought to the vary end …
The irish people every ware are upset. Some are for Parnell & Some
are for Dillon & Obrine. The Bishops in Ireland have condemed him.
He has sartenely been a Vary devour Leader, one of the Greatest Leaders
ever Ireland had, but for some years he has not assisted his own
party as well as he Should have done.