| Title: | Greeves, John Sr to O'Brien (n. Greeves), Anne, 1836 |
|---|---|
| ID | 6060 |
| Collection | The Transatlantic Letters of an Irish Quaker Family_1818-1877 [B. Jackson] |
| File | quaker/91(1) |
| Year | 1836 |
| Sender | Greeves, John Sr |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | linen trader |
| Sender Religion | Quaker |
| Origin | Lisburn, N.Ireland |
| Destination | Lake Erie, NY, USA |
| Recipient | O'Brien (n. Greeves), Anne |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | father-daughter |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 701 |
| Genre | family, weather, crops, local economy |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Lisburn 8 mo 12th 1836 My Dear Ann Thy letter dared fifth mo last & 6 mo 1st reached us about one month ago and we are sorry to find that your son [Thomas] appears to be in a declining state, as also thy own health at times precarious; and the gloomy prospect of your crops is truly discouraging. I may tell thee we have all our tryals, since dear Jane wrote the last which was early in spring - which 1 perceive thou did not receive - which gave an acct of the death of Mary Greevess second child, called Wm John. And some time after that occurance her other 2 children took the fever with some of the rest of the family, and Jane went to Armagh to assist Mary and after some time took the fever and lay 4 or 5 weeks and hath continued in a delicate state ever since; and I think it will be a long time before she arrives at her former health and strength, altho we got every medical aid that was suitable. Thou may guess the situation that our ram i lies hath been this several months. Through Mercy the rest of my family at present is in pretty good health, considering my sister's and mine advanced age, she in the 77th & I in the 75 year of our age, which is a long time to be permitted to be in this stage of Existence, and oh that our last days may be our best. It seems out of my power to give thee the many informations thou requires; we had a very wet harvest last season, also a wet spring, and the greater part of this summer was dark & rainy untill about 2 weeks ago when the weather became fine, and if it continues there is a prospect of a pleasant harvest. The people for a long time felt in an unpleasant way: there are great complaints of the potatoe crop - and provisions are pretty high; oat meal about 14/-& flower [flour] 18/-p. hundred. It seems very unusual that you should have such wet seasons as you have had in America, which is an unusual thing. Thy Brother Thos hath got finely recovered but hath to be verry causious what he ears or drinks, and to be carefull of getting cold; they have 3 children with their Mother all pretty healthy. There was a acct in a newspaper of the death of thy Uncle Joseph Sinton but none by letter; it was very agreeable to hear he had so good a caracter as it gave of him. I suppose by the discouraging state of the weather and failure of the crops that Wm is getting tyred of the farm, but I am afraid if you let it out, that the tenant will exost [exhaust] the soil in such a manner that, if you wd wish Co resume it again, it wd be greatly lessened in value; but these things I cannot advise you in; but if you could raise plenty of food for the cattle grazing seems a pleasant business. I think you should be careful! not to have too much stock of cattle beyond what foddet you could procure, as it must be expensive buying in the spring. J & Mgt Greacen is still living in Armagh and I suppose is making out what keeps them as they have no family but themselves. Wm Greeves is got married again to a daughter of Susey Greers; he is living in his fathers old house in Grange, he has 2 children by his former wife. It is a pitty that Wm should meet with such accidents: to be sure, the rough handling he hath with the logs will make him subject to these things. I think thou mentioned in a former letter that there was 50 acres cut down when you got the land. Hath he got it all burned or cleared off, as I suppose he wont cut any mote untill it is done. I expect Susanna will write the remainder of the sheet. I remain with Dr love to Wm & children, thy affct. Father John Greeves |
