| Title: | Greeves, Susanna to O'Brien (n. Greeves), Anne, 1819 |
|---|---|
| ID | 5975 |
| Collection | The Transatlantic Letters of an Irish Quaker Family_1818-1877 [B. Jackson] |
| File | quaker/25 |
| Year | 1819 |
| Sender | Greeves, Susanna |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | shop keeper |
| Sender Religion | Quaker |
| Origin | Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, N.Ireland |
| Destination | Philadelphia, Penn., USA |
| Recipient | O'Brien (n. Greeves), Anne |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | siblings |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 2199 |
| Genre | family news, friends |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Dungannon 12 month 1st, 1819 My dear Sister It is only two or three weeks since I wrote to thee by a vessel that went from Belfast, which I hope by this time is near over. We are all verry uneasy about you or what can be the reason why you do not write. I think you have no excuse and so many ships as there has been left Philadelphia. Indeed I think thee might guess how my Mother would be, and thee knows how she would be fretting, but we do be telling her if there were any thing the matter with you, you would soon write (and as the saying is, no news is good news). Sister Jane would have written now, only she is so busy getting herself ready to go to the Lurgan meeting. Thomas and she is to set of from this on sixth day morning to Belfast, get there that night and do his business next day, and then up as far as Thomas Lambs" and next morning to Lurgan. I think they will have a [?] time of it. Dear knows when I will get to see Belfast but Thomas talks of letting me go with John some time when he is going for goods. Jane and I are getting Black Mode Bonnets, as I may tell thee they are all the tone. The Hoggs have them and Jane Nicholson. We sent for the mode to Dublin: it is to be home today. I hope it may [be] that Jane may have hers for the meeting - she is out at Berna at present. The last time I wrote thee I do not remember wheather Joseph Williams was ill or not, but now poor Joe is no more. He only lay about a week. He took it like a cold as he thought, but Doctor Dickson says it was his liver that was affected and that it had been coming on insensibly for several months. It was Doctor King that attended him untill the fourth day before he died and then Dr Dickson was called in; and when he seen him he said he would not be surprised if he would not live forty eight hours. The words came in true for the next evening at a quarter past 5 he Breathed his last, poor Jo. He is verry much lamented by all that knew him. My Uncle and Aunt will miss him more than anyone for I may say he was all the companion they had. Cousin Mary Sinton has had the fever but is now getting finely. None of the rest have taken it nor I hope will She had it what one may call favourably. Margaret and I write to other almost every opportunity. It is verry pleasant for us that they are living in Dublin, for we can hear from them so often; as for Margt I think she is a sweet girl She seemed to enjoy herself so much here I was glad. She is verry fat - I thought she would have been taller (but she says herself shes tall enough). Doctor Dicksons wife has been verry ill these two or three weeks with the jaundice. The Doctor says her liver is affected: he would not think anything of the complaint itself, only for her liver. But I hope she will get over it: her daughter Anne is in great trouble about her. Sally Donaghy that lived with us has another son. Her first one died when it was between one and two years old. Sally Diffen has a daughter, for the first daughter ever she had. Poor Neddy Heazelton is still ill He is at young Neddy Heazeltons that lives over in the fields. He is paid so much a month for keeping him untill such time as there will some place got for him in some of those places in Dublin that is for the purpose. I believe there is one of the places they are to get him in, the first vacancy. As Thomas and John has picked up all the news and as I wrote so lately I am at a loss what to write about But perhaps when Jane comes in, if she has time, she will add something. I may tell thee that my Aunt does be often telling me about the pleasant time you spent at Portstuart [Portstewart]: it was the other night she was giving me the whole history about it. Poor Henery Gribon has been verry ill this long time in consequense of bathing. I believe he leped rather rash into the wather and broke a blood vessel and has heen ever since poorly. I believe he is going into a decline. I am sure thee will be sorry about him. Many a time Jinny does be acting him with his Hff &c &c and saving "him him" at the same time. M Decoster has another son whom she calls Louis for an Uncle he has in America The eldest is a fine boy but has the hooping cough which makes him fretful. He was just in now he has Doctor Dowdalls [school] is very small. Mr Egan lives in Dublin now. I believe the Doctor and him was not on speaking terms these two years. I think it must have been verry unpleasant for both the scholars and them selves. Calwell, the Usher that was there when thee was here, is left them too but I do not think that it was any railing out they had. There is a Mr Green, a relation of Misses Dowdall, assists with a Mr Holmes who is Usher. Jane B & Lucy L is at Lurgan: I believe Lucy was to go to Belfast: I did not hear wheather Jane would go with her or not. Rut sure sure Ha Ha James Heather is robe married on second day next to a young woman of the name of Miss Sea ton. I believe she is some relation of Anne Heather: I know she was there some time ago and that is where he seen her. She either lives or is on a visit at a place they call Tomb [Toome, Co. Antrim-], some place I believe in the Co Armagh. I know Anne was there some time ago when Billy was in Dublin last. She was here with another young woman who 1 supposed to be her sister. I understand she has not any fortune bur that is a small fault in a good wife (for as the saying is, a fortune in a wife is better than a fortune with one). Thomas is not home from meeting yet and it is near four oclock but there was an adjournment of the Mo meeting today. William Garret and Billy Heather is gone past - 1 suppose he will soon be home now. Many a time Jane and 1 have laughed at the word Unity: what I mean by that is 1 said in my last letter to thee that I could not find Unity with B. H. Indeed I suppose thee thought it queer when thee read it, or when thee will read it. I can not help making the remark. Thee never wrote to me yet and thee wrote to all the reast accept John, but I do not wonder at thee not writing to him for this is the first letter ever he wrote thee since thee crossed the Atlantic. I do not know wheather it is that thee had not time or wheather it is through neglect. I think I have not missed an opportunity that Jane did not write but I wrote to thee, but until I get a letter from thee saying why thee did not write to me I will not be satisfied. Little Thomas Malcomson is just gone past: I got a nod from him - he looks charmingly. I believe he is rather taller than he was when thee seen him. I believe I wrote to thee that I was verry ill with chilblains, but am now finely. I rub my hands with the spirits of wine and camphire [camphor] which I find great benefit from. I also wear shamy [chamois] leather gloves which I believe is a very good prevention. It is nearly time for me to say something about the Carlo w people. Dan was in Dublin last week. He had left Mary and the children well, only Mary had got a cut in her hand which rendered her unfit for anything for a few days: but the last account it was getring finely. Anna has some of her letters. My Father does be saying sometimes he wishes she was here for about two months. And as for George, Mary says he is thriving finely. I hope Maria by this time is walking. Mary Heazleton has the cap off her child, indeed it looks verry cold without it - it has not much hair on its head and thats what makes it look so bare. We all drank [tea] at Sam Douglass [Mary Heazieton's father's] on first day evening was a week: it was the first time ever my Aunt or Thomas drank tea there; before it was not for want of asking, but so it was that they never went. We spent a verry pleasant one. Susy still keeps poorly with her old complaint: Jane and I goes over to see them some fine first day evenings - that is all the place we have to walk to. The Nicholsons were to drink tea at Berna last first day evening but on account of it being wet they did not come. It is now near five oclock and Thomas is at home and at his dinner, and I must go and let John get his. I believe I have not left Jane room to write any thing - when I began I did not think I would have written half so much. Indeed anything I have written thee is hardly worth thy perusal: thee knows the kind of letters I write. I write anything chat comes in my head. My pen was so bad for a while I suppose thee will scarcely make it out Maxwell [McAvoy] is the old thing. Roach still lives in Dublin in the same imployment that he was here. I do not know of any thing more I have to say. Hoping this will soon be across the Atlantic and meet thee in good health, with love to William and a soft kiss to Maria, I am as ever, dear Anne, thy affectionate sister Susanna PS. My Aunt dear love to thee. She is as usual. Sarah Pike was in town today. I think I never seen her look better. Her youngest child is just the age of Marys. Jo Jacksons wife of Dublin has a young Daughter. He is brother to W Simons wife. Hannah Davis of Balitore is dead: she died about two or three weeks ago PP.S. Jane has not any time to write thee. She desires me tell thee she hopes thee will not think that it is through neglect; she desires her dear love to thee and William. This was market day: we were rather busier than this day week. My Mother is gone home: she came in this morning. I forgor to tell thee that we ride in and out every first day. Our boy goes out of a seventh day evening for the Horse and then we bring him in on first day night; and then he goes out on second day morning. Indeed we all find it verry pleasant and especially when its'wet. I hope William gets his health well now. Does ever thy head be ill now? How did thee put over the summer? I think the heat must be verry hard to bear. I bathe a great deal in summer. It made (me) verry thin but I am growing very fat, I think fatter than ever thee seen me. The linnen trade is doing very- badly at present, I think worse than it was two or three weeks ago and consequently everything else: at least we find it so. Indeed I do not know what things will turn to. I never seen goods as low as they ate at present: why, at present we are selling verry good printed calicos for 9d and 10d pr yd and every article in proportion. I hope the times may soon mend, that the poor may get something to put on them. Their whole cry is the money is hard to be made. Believe me, deaf Anne, I am tired of that word. I hope Wm gets plenty of work. Once more I bid thee farewell, thy sister SG Give my love to Mary Greeves. How is my Aunt Greeves getting on since my Uncles death? Does thee be there as often as thee did when he was alive? Write to me soon and let me know all the news thee can scrape up. Adieu, one more adieu For Anne OBrien p the Seres Wakefield near Philadelphia |
