| Title: | McIlrath (n. Atkinson), Eliza to McIlrath family, 1878 |
|---|---|
| ID | 4515 |
| Collection | The McIlrath Letters: A family history in letters from New Zealand to Ireland (1860-1915) [Bassett, McKee et al.] |
| File | mcilrath/34 |
| Year | 1878 |
| Sender | McIlrath (n. Atkinson), Eliza |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | housewife |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Kowai Pass, Canterbury, New Zealand |
| Destination | Killinchy, Co. Down, Northern Ireland |
| Recipient | McIlrath family |
| Recipient Gender | male-female |
| Relationship | daughter-in-law - parents-in-law |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 464 |
| Genre | visit, family, gifts, birth |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Kowai Pass May 14th 1878 My Dear Father and Mother I scarcely know how to address you after being so long without writing to you but I did not like to write till after I had seen Mr Matthews and the parcel you kindly sent us. So now I must let you know that I have had the pleasure of having a visit from Mr Matthews Mr James McIlrath and Mr Robert McIlrath and I can assure you I think a deal of them we spent a couple of very pleasant days together. Both James and Robert is looking well and hearty I told you in my last letter about poor James being ill he has had a very sore arm and it took a long time to get better he suffered a great deal with it but thanks to higher powers he is better now and was able to come and see us on the 24th of last month April. Mr Matthews would not come until James was able to come along with him. Now I must say a little about the parcel Dear Mother and sister how kind of you to take such a lot of trouble to make all of those little things as neatly and nicely which you sent to little Janey I wish you could see her she is so proud of them because they came from her dear grandmama and her aunty. John Robert and Hamilton Thomas is delighted with their presents. John thinks a deal of his Bible he tells the rest of the children they must not have his Bible because he got it from his dear grandpapa and says he must take good care of it he says his grandpapa is very kind little Hamilton was very much delighted with his glass we all drank out of it the night we got it. Dear Mother and Father Hamilton thinks a great deal of the book William sent him he is busy reading it tonight in fact both Hamilton and myself thinks and say you have all been a deal kinder than what we deserve. I hope we shall be able to repay you a little some day. Hamilton was very sorry we could not send a reply to Williams last letter but he could not think of writing until he could send good news of James being better. We think a great deal of your portraits which we got from home. I think they have been taken very nicely your little girls look very graceful and pretty and I think the little baby boy looks so nice, we call our last boy James after his uncle James he is a fine little fellow he is just seven months old and very like his father .... |
