| Title: | Burke, Biddy to family, 1882 |
|---|---|
| ID | 4266 |
| Collection | Oceans of Consolation [D. Fitzpatrick] |
| File | oceans/28 |
| Year | 1882 |
| Sender | Burke, Biddy |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | servant |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Destination | Balrobuck Beg, Co. Galway, Ireland |
| Recipient | family |
| Recipient Gender | unknown |
| Relationship | daughter-parents |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 1380 |
| Genre | news |
| Note | |
| Transcript | The Mountview House June the 19: 1882. My Dear father & mother brother & sisters I am just taking the Oppertunity of wrighting you a few lines for I know you Oe [?owe] me one & one time borrowed a nother & so on but now I must do it hoping to fiend ye all in good health as the departure of this leaves me & my brother in good Health thank God for his Kind mercy to us all. Dear father & mother I Hope you got the order that Patt send you. It was 5 pounds from me & the remnd [remainder] from himself when— send it I said 1 would—the next mail. Yea must Excuse me father this is not like Home. One day delayes a Mounth & I couldent Help it but never mind I Hope it all right. I send you a pound John for yourselve for I know & I must say that your the onely friend I have in that part of the wourld. The all have given me for a bit of paper but you. Never mind John God is good. I constants watch the postman 2wice a day for my father and Mary Letters but its all in vain. My Dear John I must ask you not to forget my Mother or father for wourld [world]. Take good car of them while you Have them for the ar the are the nearest friends John. But God Help the Lost Lambs that is far away from them but not forgetting them night or morning nor never will. But I Hope my father is all over illness now & not forgetting My Mother Head. Be careful & get her to keep Herself well raped [wrapped] up in boots. Not forgetting my sister Winnifred & my One Dear Mary An & Delia which I am Longing for the day that I will be gone down the Bay to meet them with the Help of God. Dear parents I am nearly too [two] years Landed in this Country & I never yet meet with anny body that I new at Home but Brine Conner from Oram [?Oranmore]. He is living within 5 munits [minutes] walk of where I am in the town & is Married to a girle from his one [own] place att home & has got one baby boy named William. He is sending His best wishes & respects to his Aunt & all his cousins 6c if the send anny messag in the return of this note I will kindle [kindly] give it to him. He hasent heard from His cousin Margret Stanton this Long time. He wants to know does she Wrighte home to her mother. Now I got a few Letters from Patt. Collins from townsivillia [Townsville]. He is getting on all right he will be Coming to Brisbane shortly. & I got a few Letters from Bridget Burke & Maggie Conner from Bunderberg [Bundaberg]. The are all right. Bridget Burke is married with 6 mounth to a police & the tell me that Maggie Conner is gone to be married next mounth to a Carpender by traid. I wrote a Letter to Malicki [Malachy] Lenighen but I got no answer yet. I am expecting a Letter from Patt & John Burke this Long time & I cannot get it so do not forget to send us their adress for P Patt is Crankey [cranky] untill gets their Letter. & Lett me know How is Libby Dively doing in America. I Hope You will send me Her adress in the next Letter John & if Mary Lenighan does wright Home will you remember me to her & also if Martin Fitzpatrick Was Here His wages would be 15 shillings a day. When I Landed I could not tell him How the Country was untill I see some of it & uncle been away in the bush He could not exatle [exactly] tell How the town was but I am verry sorrow that He went to America so Suddon. There is a bad account of it. This is a good Country. Patt is Earning over a shilling A hour & is a verry good & kind brother & is doing Well. I am sure His father would be Delighted to see Him Now. He grew taller & stouter. I got thin [omitted: and] bolder. So yea have to Look out when we goe He Has Got His phostgraf taken to send Home & he Dosent Like to send it without mine & I Cannot delay the Letter Now but yea will Have them the next Mail. But my Mother musent cry or but [?put] Herself about when she sees them. I would Have send them a long time ago but I dont want Her to cry anny. She will be surprised wh[en] she see them. John will you take [erased: ?a pen] to my Onely sister for me & tell that I Have a few Word to say to Her if I new [knew] that she would axcept kindlie [accept kindly] to do it. But I am sure that My Letter would be bourned now but always after a storm their Come a Came [calm], I have something to say If onely get a few Lines from Her. Realy I did not think tat she would give[>] to say to all the people that she woundend escorth [wouldn't escort] me to the station the morning I Left. It built a rock in my Harth [heart] that shall never be seperated. My tears often blinds me to think of it. Patt is verry Angery to [very angry too] for it for He Knowes How it Hurts Me. Dear John it is Hard Lines to Have serve & wait on anny body & to think of a Comfortable Home & of a father & mother. Dear John I am 40 Miles from My uncle. I feal Quare without a Home to goe to when on My Sunday out. I often wish to Have you out Heare. I ame verry strange out Here. I cannot make free with any body. I often Have a Walk with Patt & Has a long yarn of Home. He is verry Kind became a steady fellow since He Left Home & also I could not expect My father to be a bit better than My Uncle. His wife & children is all right it is a nice place to go but it is to [too] far away but My brother is near me & comes to see me 2 or 3 times a week. We often Have some fun talking of the Old times at Home. Dear John you wanted to know How do I Like the Country or what sort of people are heare. John that Queston I cannot answer. There is all sortes black & white misted & married together & Living in pretty Cotages Just the same as the white people. Thire is English Irish French German Italian black Chineease and not forgetin the Juse [Jews]. There are verry rich fancy John white girls marrid to a black man & Irish girls to [too] & to Yellow Chinaman with their Hair platted down there [?] black back. Sow [so] you see that girls dont care what the do in this Country. The would jo anny think [anything] before the worke & a great Lot of them does worse [?] than that same. & this is a fine Country for a Young person that can take care of himselfe. Now John I must ask you for all my Aunts & Uncles Cousins friends & Neighbours sweet Harts & all also did Cannopy die yet. Now John I must Conclude Hoping that You will send me as Long a Letter as I have send you & Lett me know all about Home. Dirrect Your Letter as [?] Patt told you for me, I Have more [?] to say but remaning yours fond sister for BDB good buy with + + + + + + + + to all the children. (l) Per Berer [?] Queensland for Ever & Augus un ballybug go braugh [agus an baile beag go brath: ‘and the small town for ever’] |
