| Title: | 26. From James Prendergast to his children in Boston |
|---|---|
| ID | 5671 |
| Collection | The Prendergast Letters. Correspondence from Famine-era Ireland (1840-50) [S. Barber] |
| File | prendergast/26 |
| Year | 1845 |
| Sender | Prendergast, James |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | farmer |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Milltown, Co. Kerry, Ireland |
| Destination | Boston, Mass., USA |
| Recipient | Prendergast children |
| Recipient Gender | male-female |
| Relationship | father-children |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 445 |
| Genre | family, economy, politics |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Mr Cornelius Reardon N° 16 Pearl Place Boston Massachusetts N. America Paid Milltown 27th Decr. 1845 My dear Children Your letter of the 30th Novr last with its enclo =sure of £8 stg. arrived with us on the 18th of Decr Instant and was cashed for me without delay on the 22nd. I must say that it was very timely for the christmas holidays. Yet I will ^tell^ you and I hope you will believe me that we enjoyed greater pleasure than the amount of the check could give when we read that ye enjoyed good health. May the merciful Redeemer preserve ye and shower his favours on ye. Considering our age your Mother ^and I^ are well thank God. Your Brothers and their families are so likewise, and so is Dan Riordan. He is always at Mr Finns. Mr Spring and family are very well. Your Aunt is still in Cork. I have only heard from her she received some sort of a hurt. I hear she is lame but I could not learn how it happened. As for the state of the country it is very uncertain. In harvest the crops were so promising that people thought the ensuing year would be plentiful and cheap. But before Sepr It was discovered that the potatoe crop was rotting in the ground. The complaint became general throughout Ireland and not without cause. The public papers teem with accts of the loss in various parts of this kingdom. Government sent out Commissioners to try to discover the cause and means to prevent it but all in vain. A dread of famine pre availed throughought kingdom. Petitions crowded in from all parts of the kingdom, Praying that Government would open the Ports and grant a free Trade. The Cabinet council disagreed and resigned their places. A new Cabinet was attempted to ^be^ formed, but it said that the attempt failed and the old council was recalled. Great confusion prevails here as nothing certain is yet done. No scarcity appears in our part of the country yet thank God. But the spring and summer it is dreaded will be very dear as great quantities of Potatoes have been lost in every part of the count[r]y. It was not a partial complaint but a general one and I am really sorry to say it is not without cause. I will not trouble you with further accounts only that your Mother and I daily offer our prayers for your preservation and now join in sending you our love and blessing. I remain my dear children yours truly and affectionately James Prendergast |
