| Title: | Stewart, Frances to Beaufort, Harriet, 1826 |
|---|---|
| ID | 4735 |
| Collection | Revisiting Our Forest Home, The immigrant letters of Frances Stewart [J. L. Aoki] |
| File | stewart/17 |
| Year | 1826 |
| Sender | Stewart, Frances |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | housewife |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Douro Township, Newcsatle District, Upper Canada |
| Destination | Ireland |
| Recipient | Beaufort, Harriet |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | friends (ex-pupil - ex-governess) |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 3071 |
| Genre | news, family life, life in the colonies |
| Note | |
| Transcript | 1826: May 27 "Extracts" 27th May, [18]26 A very unpleasant accident happened at Mr. Reids last week. John Reid was ferrying over five of the Emigrants, two men and three lads. One of the boys was very obstinate and ignorant and though John told him he would upset the boat he would not mind him but went on to change his place, put his foot on the gunwale. The boat upset and all tumbled into the water in the middle of the rapids. John knew if any of the men could catch hold of him they would, and that if they did they would all perish. So he had presence of mind enough to dive under them so as completely to disengage himself from them. When he rose again he saw one of the men trying to catch at a little branch. He knew it could not bear him and he caught him by his hair and swam with him to the bank. The other man escaped also but the three boys were lost. Three of the little Reids were standing watching the boat coming over and when they saw it go down, screamed out and ran to tell their father and mother who were in the house. They expected Mary and Ellen Reid over and were sure they were in that boat. You may have some idea of the agony they suffered for a few moments. No blame can be attached to poor John for he is as careful as possible in the management of boats and very expert, but it is at this time of year an arduous undertaking to cross in the rapid part of the River. The boat was carried down a little way past this house where it is now sticking among some logs at the side of the River. You will wonder why I have written this letter so badly. I have been interrupted every two minutes, and now whilst I write, Bessy is jumping on the sofa behind me and catching my shoulders and then springing round me on the table. Willy is creeping about my feet and trying to climb up by holding the leg of the table. Poor Anne McVitie is worse than ever, tho' I have consulted three physicians. She is ill in one room and the boy Delany in another. All last week Ned our other boy was in bed with ague. I was greatly afraid that Tom was taking it. He was ill and feverish and chilly one day. He looks bilious and thin and complains of headache but he will not yield to my entreaties and take any kind of medicine. God grant us a continuation of good health he has enjoyed and make me thankful for his mercies. The children are all well and great wild racing creatures. Anna is up to my shoulders, Ellen about a head lower, Bessy very amusing and engaging, Willy a great stout laughing fellow. Give my love to all dear dear friends including the Meath branch Ever and ever your own old F Stewart Douro May 27th 1826 I have been in a state of repentance my dearest Harriet ever since my last letter was sent off, for I wrote in rather a disponding humour and am sure you will all be in a state of misery about me thinking that we are very miserable. But I assure my dearly, loved friends that I am not very miserable. I am only sometimes more prone to low spirits than I have been, but I will not yet touch on this subject. I want to express to you how acutely and deeply grateful I feel for all your exertions about the Postmaster Gen'l. Indeed I give you constant trouble and plague, but I hope I shall not do so much longer. I am not at all sanguine about this appointment and have no hope about it for good luck seems to go in particular currents and we are not placed so as to meet any thing which the rapids may carry down the stream. However this does not make me the less sensible of the kindness of those friends who have taken such unwearied means to be useful to us. 31st. I began this on Sunday night but grew sleepy. Well, since I wrote last we have had some variety, Mr. Strickland who is clearing within, or rather less than a mile of us, and Mr. and Mrs. Armour. On Sunday last I went to Church or rather to Peterborough intending to go to church as we heard that Mr. Armour was to have service in Mr. Robinsons Hall. After being so long, three years and a quarter, without being any place of public worship you may judge of my feelings. So I braved the musquitos which are tremendous this year. When we arrived there, we walked up to the Big house, but behold! we found the doors all shut and locked! We looked in at the windows, but could not see anybody or receive an answer to our repeated knocks. We then went to Mr. Armours and found his house also deserted. But there we learned that old Mr. Thompson had arrived not having known that the Armours had come and he had the service at a house in Smithtown two miles off. So Mr. Armour requested that all the Peterboro' congregation would go to Smithtown, for he thought it right to pay this attention to old Mr. Thompson, and we were left in the lurch. I was tired and went and sat for an hour with little Dr. Reade who returned last week ill of the ague, and then I came home quite disappointed at having had my walk for nothing. Besides I was affronted at Mr. Robinson who had invited us to go to his house and spend the day and should have waited a little while to accompany us to Smithtown or should have given directions to his Servants to admit me if he could not wait. So you see I was huffed, and so I came home but Tom was obliged to stay for a meeting about school business. He saw Mr. and Mrs. Armour and seems to like Mrs. Armour very much. She is, he says, a very sensible clever woman, middle age and rather plain in appearance with a good countenance and good natured manners. She has no maid, a very common misfortune in this country and she is obliged to clean the house, cook, wash, and do everything herself, and she had seven children. She scours the floors and scrubs away just as all the people here do. She says she would rather do everything herself than hire any of the Emigrants for they are not fit for servants, all the best having lived in the Towns. I envy people who can do all those things. They are so much better suited to this country than useless I am. Tom admires that sort of cleverness so much too, and he feels so much my want of it that I sometimes feel a little melancholy, for I am not half clever enough for a farmers wife, and he has been so much accustomed to very clever English women that he is rather hard to please on very [ ]. You know I never saw that mode of life at all so that I am very ignorant and if we continue to live in this country I hope I shall improve and shall have now more opportunity of seeing what others do. For all this time I have been so little from home that I have only heard and have seen but little of the housekeeping of this country and hearsay will never teach that art. Indeed latterly I don't know why I feel great deadness over me, not laziness for I like to exert myself when I can but a sort of stupidity and compression of mind which I used not to have at all. Perhaps it is old age coming on for you know I have just passed my birthday and have crept into another year. I have many signs of age about me, so I may begin to do at. Mrs. Reid says I am grown like old Aunt Smyth, and she not but in joke. June 1st. Yesterday Mr. Armour and Dr. Reade dined here and indeed I like Mr. Armour very much. When his countenance brightens he has a look of great benevolence. If I might give an opinion on so slight an acquaintance I should say that he seems a really religious man. On the whole I am very agreeably surprised. I have not yet seen Mrs. A., having no servant. The cares of a family prevent her leaving home. Dr. Reade I do like. He is so constantly and unremittingly kind and is always on the watch for any opportunity of obliging us. I must now tell you about Mr. Strickland. He seems to be twenty three or twenty four. He is an everlasting talker but between times he has some drollery and on the whole is rather pleasant. Tom says he talked very agreeably to Mr. Armour one day. They dined together and [shared] some information. He gave us a description of an evening which he passed at a Tavern or public house in this country where the Master and Mistress wanted to pass themselves off as very fine folk and he acted their manner and changed his voice for the man or woman and made himself very diverting indeed. He is good natured and nurses Willy for me. He has just got his Shanty built and is very busy fitting it up. He sleeps here every night. The mosquitos are so numerous that they make sad havoc when they attack him. He comes here every night swollen and blistered all over. Mosquitos always like strangers best and bite them a great deal more than the old settlers in this country. I think the reason must be that the skin is softer, before it has been weather beaten here, for I never do see here such delicately skinned females as at home. Indeed beauty is very scarce. Mr. Strickland lived in Norfolk and came out last year. I dare say he may get on here as he says he has always been accustomed to hard work but he little knows the work before him. However he has good expectations as to property and hopes to be able in a few years to live at home. I hear of many who say they wish to be at home, but having spent all their capital here either are unable to return or think it better to go on trying a little longer. I do think we are deceived in this country, for one must bear many years of wearying difficulties before they gain comfort or are able to save or make anything. Therefore I am now come to the opinion that people would do better at home, and that we perhaps might have done better at home. Unless they mean to make their children actual labourers I don't think people can make anything by farming. The land will do one no good unless it is cultivated and in order to have it cultivated the land holders must either spend a great deal of money or else work hard and make all his family work hard too. This is what the Reids do, but they neglect everything else, in manners, learning and appearance they are exactly a labouring family. This I cannot bear for my poor dear children. I have thought a great deal on this lately, but my thoughts have not tended to comfort me much for I cannot decide what is best for us to do. I have no one to consult, for I am afraid of making Tom unhappy by raising doubts in his mind. I suspect he feels as I do, by little things he sometimes says, but he is frequently tired and bothered and I cannot bear to add to his uneasiness, and if he thought I was unhappy, I know it would make him wretched for he loves me most tenderly. His countenance which used to look so placid has now more of care and anxiety and his manners are not as gentle as they were. These are the effects of the disappointments and vexations he has met with and I must regret it greatly but don't know how to mend the matter. Mr. Reid says he does not think this kind of farming will ever be profitable for Tom as he cannot work nor can his children and that he would do better on a small farm and that he makes no doubt Tom will return home in a few years. I don't like talking of it to anybody but I should like much to have your opinion. My dearest friend and Mammy, I have often intended to write you about this but was prevented by the fear of giving you pain, but I know it will relieve my mind very much for continually thinking and pondering on a subject and having no creature to talk to about it is too much to bear long. If we go on here as we have done, I know we shall live to the extent of our income, without much comfort and seeing our children vulgar and illiterate. If we remove to Peterboro' as every one advices Tom, I don't like that, for we should be in a little gossiping village, and Tom would perhaps sink into indolence or lose his health besides the expense of building and purchasing, &c &c. In removing to Cobourg I see fresh expenses. The Society would be better and the children would have the advantage of it but there would be a purchase to make and a house to furnish and we would still be as far from all our friends. If we return home we must spend some money for the passage. Our income is small and yet I dare say with good management we might live on a very small scale at least with as many comforts as we have had here, and it would be such a great thing to be near our friends. It would balance many as privations and difficulty. We have the greatest objections in the world to being a burden on the affections of our dear and kind friends and feel this is one reason for not returning home to G't Britain, that from affection our friends would do too much for us. I now wish and so does Tom that we had taken the advice of our friends and not emigrated so hastily but it can't be helped now. I argued and reasoned and entreated Tom as much as I could before we came but his mind was bent on it and nothing would change it and I thought my duty then was to yield. He thought right to come to Canada to try his fortune and he never would have been happy if he had not done so. If we had taken a cleared farm at first we should have got on well and saved an incalculable deal of disappointment and hardship and I should have had the pleasure of seeing the children gentle in their manners and their minds improved. But Tom did not think it right to separate from Mr. Reid's family and for them the woods were the best. But there is no use now in giving way to useless regrets. He did so from kindness of his brothinlaw's family and that was a good motive. I should be sorry to encourage him to go home if I thought he had a prospect of succeeding here, but I see no great prospect of that and I would rather live in a small way near my friends than here where if I want advice I must wait half a year to receive it and in many little dilemmas I could give anything to have a friend like you to consult. I am always happy when I can write my letters at night for then I am with my friends, but work must be done, torn frocks and worn shirts must be mended. Now my dearest Harriet I have given you a plain statement of our case. Tom is I am sure tired of the woods. My puzzle is, is it better to persevere or openly encourage him to stop. I hope now my dear friends you will not mistake me and think me discontented or changeable. Let me assure you that I am glad we did come to Canada for Tom thought it right to judge for himself. In all our trials we have been strengthened and supported by the Almighty and I feel perfectly sure and convinced that he never sends us a trial or affliction without good and wise reasons. Therefore I do most humbly resign all to His will. Will you answer all this fully and in such manner that I can have no hesitation in shewing to my husband. He generally reads your letters before I do or else makes me read them all to him after he has given them a hasty glance. He is warmly attached to you my dearest Mammy and my happiest moments are when I am sitting reading your letters aloud to him. Capt. Stewart is to set out homewards on the 8th of this month. He has lived almost quite alone till this last month which he has passed at Cobourg. He is remarkably good humoured. I could not help admiring him. When it was the fashion to turn him into ridicule and quiz him, he bore it with such gentlemanlike forbearance and good humour. He has behaved with perfect honor in regard to all money matters. Tell this to Catherine. Tom has been walking with me to Mr. Stricklands and sitting and talking a great deal with me today. He says that though this place is pretty his heart never warms to it, but that if nothing turns up to add to our income or encourage us to return home, he will go on here, and square his clearing and then stop and go on afterwards on a small scale. |
