| Title: | McIlrath, James L to McIlrath family, 1872 |
|---|---|
| ID | 4500 |
| Collection | The McIlrath Letters: A family history in letters from New Zealand to Ireland (1860-1915) [Bassett, McKee et al.] |
| File | mcilrath/19 |
| Year | 1872 |
| Sender | McIlrath, James L |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | farmer |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Southbridge, Canterbury, New Zealand |
| Destination | Killinchy, Co. Down, Northern Ireland |
| Recipient | McIlrath family |
| Recipient Gender | male-female |
| Relationship | son-parents |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 569 |
| Genre | correspondence, family, life in the colonies, acquaintances, decease |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Southbridge Canterbury N.Z. December 21st 1872 Dear Brother William, Father & Mother In answer to yours of the 24 June in which you seem to censure me very much for not writing more regular I admit the charge, to a certain extent, but on the other hand I cannot admit being so very negligent as by your letter it would appear. I had wrote to John just before I received yours otherwise I would have wrote to you sooner, as for Hamilton I have done all I could to persuade him to write and if he has not done so the fault is not mine and he is very ungrateful indeed. Twelve years is now past and gone since last we parted I thought to have seen you all before this but time here seems to roll on much faster than at home I know no difference on myself but there must be a great difference on us all more especially on Father & Mother. I am sorry to hear that Mother is not so well as she might be I now wish to give you all a piece of advice it may be presumptions in me but excuse me, that is, to make yourselves as easy as possible about us no doubt it is natural on your parts to be anxious about us but we are well and has done well, do not suppose for a moment that we are in a wild uncivilised place not only for the look of the country when we go to a cattle show or any other gathering one almosts forgets but that he is in Ireland. I was at one on Thursday last and there was any amount of people we all know such as W J Alexander, Cousin Robert, W Cooper, W Ledgerwood, Lemon Bros. D Moorehead, M Moorehead, J Hewitt, W Gabbie, D McClure and family from old Robert Clarks, T Thompson-Drumreagh besides many others I need not mention all seeming in good health and spirits by the way I forgot William Adams & David Adams not one of which has cause to regret leaving home. We are all here like so many on the cockle beds you seldom ever saw any one leaving satisfied before the tide came and swept all before it. So it is here few if any cares for leaving while the opportunity offers of doing well but let the tide turn and I will not say all but a great many will turn their thoughts for home for my part I should (like) to hear of Ireland being a little more quiet as I fancy it is a dangerous place betimes. I was much surprised to hear Elisa Jellie’s Death. Will you be good enough to let me know when you write if you know how Mr Gillespie is doing I would like to know if Mr & Mrs Jellie is living and well give my best wishes to the whole family. We are all well at present thank God hoping you are all as well as you would wish and that we may be alt satisfied with the position in life in which we are placed, and rest assured that I shall always feel it a pleasing duty to write in answer to you, I now wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Your son and Brother James L Mcllrath |
