| Title: | 39. From James Prendergast to his children in Boston |
|---|---|
| ID | 5684 |
| Collection | The Prendergast Letters. Correspondence from Famine-era Ireland (1840-50) [S. Barber] |
| File | prendergast/39 |
| Year | 1848 |
| 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 | 547 |
| Genre | family, economy |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Mr Thomas Prendergast Foster's Stables Devonshire street Boston State of Massachusetts N. America prepaid Milltown 29th October 1848 My dear Children Your Letter of the 3rd Instant reached us. We received the amount of the order ye sent £9. Mr Quill the manager of the National Bank in Tralee is a great friend of mine otherwise I could not get as soon as I did. He de =sired to have any future ^order^ that may be sent us drawn on the National Bank of Ireland and that It should be paid without any delay. Your order was a timely relief as we had the last of our store nearly exhausted. Yet my dear Children, believe me we feel greater pleasure on receiving assurance that ye were in good health. May ^God^ continue that blessing to ye. We are well thank God. Your Mother is better than this while past. Maurice and family are well. He returns ye thanks for the portion ye sent him. He would be glad to know whether Con received any of the two letters He sent as he considered it his duty to thank Con more than either of ye for the favours he received and which preserving himself and family. Michael's Wife and family are well. His Children are in good health and always with their Grandmother and me from time to time as he always saw. I am .returning, thanks to each of ray children, and tell Julia that I thank Con and her for £4 of the present order and Michael for £5. James Maurice returns ye sincere thanks and says he will be happy when ye call him out. I believe and hope that his conduct and appearance will reflect no discredit on ye. He is clever and well be =haved. Ye desired to let ye know the state of the country. It is bad in one respect. Distress is very great. The blight swept off the potatoe crop and this left provision short here. We have no sort of employment for the poor, and the workhouses are scarcely sufft to receive them. Farmers are oppressed with poor rates and other charges. Many are deserting their farms and flying to America as fast as they can. Destitution is seen almost every where. As for any disturbances, We know nothing of them here. Our part of the country is as quiet as ever. They had some meetings and speeches down the country. Some of the leaders were apprehended and tried. Some transported, others found guilty of treason and I suppose must suffer unless the Crown extends mercy to them but I know nothing of these affairs and ye may as well never enquire of me about them. Her Aunt Norry desired to be remembered to Julia. She and her and daughter Catherine met us yesterday in Tralee. They live at Feniat where Catherine's Husband William Webb is stationed. They are all well. Let us know if ye met Jude Mahony in Boston. If ye know her there, tell her that her Mother and Sisters want relief if she could send it. I will only say that our blessing is always for ye, and that I am affectionately your Father James Prendergast |
