| Title: | 40. From James Prendergast to his children in Boston |
|---|---|
| ID | 5685 |
| Collection | The Prendergast Letters. Correspondence from Famine-era Ireland (1840-50) [S. Barber] |
| File | prendergast/40 |
| 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 | 616 |
| Genre | family, illness |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Mr Thomas Prendergast N° 16 Pearlplace Boston State of Massachusetts N. America prepaid My Father last hand last signature Milltown 15th Decr 1848 My dear Children Last night's post brought me your Letter dated 2[…] Novr and containing a check for £5 to Daniel Riordan. I was glad to see that Con did not forget his Brother. I sent Daniel word this day to be here on Thursday next and your ^Mother^ will go with him to Tralee on Friday when the check will be payable. I could enjoy no greater pleasure than to hear that my children are well. It added to my joy to hear from ye at present as I dreaded I should never have that pleasure, and I am sure It will be the last. When I sent the last letter in reply to the one ye sent the 3rd of October containing an Order for £9 I was unwell, but I did not choose to alarm ye, especially, as I expected to hear from ye in the course of a short time, and I hoped my illness would wear off. [...] In this I was mistaken. My malady encreased, and for the last six weeks I am confined to my bed. Thank God the priest attended to me a few days since. He and the Doctor say I cannot expect to hold out long. The only regret I feel in quitting this life is that of leaving your Mother alone, but I am reconciled to submit to the will of Heaven, as I know ye will not neglect her. I am sure ye may address the next letter to her as I think I will not live then. Ye may keep my illness from Julia as long as ye can and prepare her for the account by degrees. Thanks to your goodness my dear Children I had every comfort hitherto, but now I am pennyless. The last of what I had is gone. A long illness in these times takes away money very quickly. If I die, as I am sure I will before many days, there is not a shilling in the House to defray my funeral expences, and your Mother must have recourse to credit from some neighbours until ye relieve her. The neighbours think so much of her and ye that I hope they will not refuse her. She is in as good health as strong as you saw her for some time past, were it not for the trouble she is undergoing during my sickness. Maurice was present at writing this. He attends me regularly in raising and laying me on my bed. He and his family are in good health. Michael's Wife and Children and peopleinlaw are well. 3 of the children Julia James and John were unwell since November last but they are perfectly recovered now. His wife received a letter from him with a check for £11. I suppose he will receive a Letter from her immediately. My dear Children, as I ^am^ sure this will be the last from receive with it my paternal benediction. May the almighty and merciful God bless and protect ye. I offer this prayer for each and every of my children, not forgetting Con, the two Kates. My blessing attend ye always. I will say no more than that I am affectionately your Father James Prendergast P.S. I attempted to write my name and tho' I was supported by Maurice and your Mother I was unable to finish it. Nature is nearly exhausted. I then desired Danl Connell, who always writes for me, to put my name to it. |
