| Title: | Greeves, Susanna to O'Brien (n. Greeves), Anne, 1858 |
|---|---|
| ID | 6192 |
| Collection | The Transatlantic Letters of an Irish Quaker Family_1818-1877 [B. Jackson] |
| File | quaker/193 |
| Year | 1858 |
| Sender | Greeves, Susanna |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | Quaker |
| Origin | Sea Park, near Belfast, N. Ireland |
| Destination | Collins, Lake Erie, NY, 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 | 2098 |
| Genre | news of family, friends and neighbours, visiting relatives, correspondence |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Sea Park 7th 29th 1858 My Dear Sister When Sister Jane wrote thee last I did intend that so long a time should not elapse without writing to thee, as she I think mentioned in hers that I would do so soon; any apology that I could make might not be sufficient to excuse me, therefore I must not take up thy time reading a long preface for trying thy patience. Suffice it to say that 1 may in some degree be able to fill up this sheer with matter which may interest thee. In the first place I am thankful to say that we are all well. In the winter I was not very stout and was confined to the house for a good while but am now in my best fashion and returned a short while ago from Bernagh, where I spent a month very agreeably. I went a few days before the Q. Meeting which is now held in 6th month - formerly it was in 9th - at Moyallon: however in 6th month they reversed it to serve some purpose - I forget exactly what. On the 5th day, week previous to the Meeting, Sister Rachel got an account of her brother being very ill & on 7th day she got a telegraph message of his death. He died that morning about 8 o'clock. He had been the last 3 or 4 years at a [home] near London: his health was such that he was not able to attend to active business and he felt better under the treatment & ... there ... place else [there than any place else and?] it is considered the means of lengthening his days. His death was sudden and unexpected at the last, and an attack of paralysis or something of the kind. Sister Rachel with some other of the relatives went from Ireland to attend the funeral. It was a long journey, twenty miles beyond London. He was interred in the friends' burying ground where he attended Meeting, a few miles from the Establishment. He was a kind son and brother and much looked up to by his family and much ... by others. In consequence of this occurrence Margaretta & Lizzie and myself were left to the entertaining of our friends who had previously been invited to lodge with them. We had a few more with them whom we could not avoid asking to dinner &c but we got on nicely. It is likely that had Sister Rachel been at home she would have seen more of her friends, but at such a time and under such circumstances it is not to be expected. Sister Jane and her husband and Margaret are now on a visit to Bernagh. They had not (at least Jane and John) been there this length of time — something came to hinder them sometimes, one thing and another. They were much pleased to find the old home stood much improved both inside and out by the alterations since they were there. I think that Jane mentioned to thee of the improvements. It is pleasant to them as to me to see some of their old acquaintance in that part, but there are but few of the old stock remaining now: that is calculated to call forth a kind of Melancholy feeling when we think of all of those so endeared who have gone to that bourn from which there is no returning. But even so let us humbly trust and hope that it is one of pure rest and peace, where 1 hope that we will all meet, never to part. I hope that thy own health is keeping pretty good & that thou are comfortable as when thou wrote last. Maria with her husband and family I hope are well - I expect that thou often sees them. Thou spoke of Joseph having some thoughts of going from home to settle where he hoped to better himself and family; perhaps since then he has changed his mind and that something has turned up to prevent him. Thou would no doubt feel a good deal if thou wete separated now, that he is thy only son left thee. I, my dear sister, often think of the many trials that thou hast passed through. No doubt they have been sent for a good purpose by him who knows best what is for our good, and may they be sanctified to thee is the sincere desire of my heart. Many there are in this land of our own friends and relations who have been visited with many afflictions and with whom we all sympathise. Very recently our nephew John G. O’Brien’s eldest daughter, a girl in her 11th, was taken from them after an illness of 4 months, it might be said in rapid decline although she seemed to have other disorders to contend with; yet het lungs were I believe the seat of her trouble. Her parents feel it very much-she was a child so companionable & promised in every way to be a comfort to them. They have left two sons and a daughter a few years old and a nice little girl; the eldest boy is in his 17th year and the other in his 15th. They are all here at present, their Uncle having invited them to be at the seaside in hopes that it might be a benefit to them after all the anxiety they have been through. Elizabeth is also here: it is pleasant for her to have her brother's company [John Greeves O'Brien the elder]. I must say that they are a much united family: it is very pleasant to see them so. George's health is improved, he finds his new employment to agree with him. I suppose that thee is aware that he is now what is called a traveller - he cakes orders for different people for which he has a commission. Of course it depends on how he succeeds whether it will be worth while to continue. He would prefer to be more at home, but when the health is not good there must be a giving up of our wishes. Brother Dan'l is about leaving the school - I could say it is his desire to do so ... but they are about making some changes and so it seems not desirable to put him about in his old days, & on the whole we hope it is for the best that he is leaving. It is with his son Thomas chat he will be, most likely. He is to go to spend some time with his daughter, Margaret Baker, and most likely be here a little too. He is leaving with the acknowledgments of many that he has improved the farm and garden with most if not all that was under his care: it is pleasant to know that he is leaving under such good feelings. When on my visit to Bernagh I spent an evening in the company of Susanna Greer, McDonald [McDonnell] that was). She had been asking particularly about thee and saying how intimate you were, and how you had learned to make shoes which was then all the fashion for ladies to do; & I remember seeing a pair of blue velvet shoes with Aunt Molly which I think that thou had made. Susanna has had her trials; she had a fine young man died in Paris where he had gone to improve himself, if I mistake not in the French language - he had been a teacher in the Watford school, also a tutor at one time in a wealthy private family. Her husband and two daughters went to Australia, the daughters have a school and are getting on very well, but the climate did not agree with their father and he returned a short time ago. They have several more children, some at home with them and some in employment. Their youngest girl got a hurt some time ago which caused her to be lame; latterly she has suffered much with it and she expressed a desire to have an amputation performed & she is at present time under the Dr's care in Dublin, and has bore the operation well & it is hoped that her health will hold up; if so, she may be better for having it done. Our Cousin Wm Greeves and his wife and two sons still live at Grange - his eldest son is the first wife's son and the other by the latter. Cousin William is wearing well: he has for the last two or three weeks a daughter of his brother John G. Greeves [and Marie Tonton Forstall] with two of her nephews on a visit. I saw them when I was in Co Tyrone. They reside now in Liverpool and she and the boys live with their brother Robert, who lost his wife some time ago. They seem very fond of their friends in this quarter: anything relating to her father [who had died in 1845] is listened to with interest - she was very fond of him. When she was over here a couple of years ago, she with her sister and brother paid us a visit here. Since her sister was married, and she and her husband has returned to New Orleans. We have not heard anything lately from Cousin William Sinton. He has never written either to his brother Thomas or his sister Margaret [James Greacen's widow] since he left. We heard that he married again. His daughter Susan and her husband [Alfred Pim] reside somewhere in the vicinity of New York but what her husband's employment is I have not heard. It is a wonder that he never thinks it worth while to enquire after his friends in this country. Cousin Thomas and Margaret are I think looking well: her two nieces are brave girls but they may thank their Aunt for making them so - they do acknowledge her kindness and the interest she has for them. Their brothers went to Australia a year ago and Samuel the youngest is with his uncle in the baking business. We hear that Thomas Walpole is getting on well [in Australia] and that he and his wife have a store of their own. John Joshua is married and resided in Melbourn: his wife is a Scotch woman: he has some position in the Custom house it seems. The lot of some families, I may say, is to be widely scattered but when so, how pleasant it seems when intercourse is kept up. We of our family have always taken the deepest interest in our absent friends and in anything relating to thee and thine, and I hope it will always be kept up, at least as long as there is any of us to the fore. On looking over some old papers or manuscripts not long ago, I found a paragraph or two taken from a newspaper relative to Uncle Joseph Sinton, also one relative to his wife, written at the time of their deaths. I think it might be interesting to Joseph to hear some of what esteem and respect the person he was called for was held in. I will enclose a copy in this and I hope to have, my dear sister, soon some expressions of our dear father which was taken down by a friend who had often seen him during his last illness. It was but latterly that I got them arranged so that I would like to send them to thee, therefore I thought it best not to mention it to thee lest thee be disappointed. I had expressed a wish in her hearing how much I would like to have some of his many sayings on paper. I was so circumstanced that it was but few that I could take down myself. I hope to be able to enclose them in my next and dont intend to forget it. These I hope, when secured, will amply compensate for my long silence. I may have penned thee some of the intelligence that Sister has mentioned: however as I do not know, thou will overlook it. I have made so many blots that thou will be hard put to make it out. I am not used to write on such thin paper. With dear love to Maria and her family, also Joseph and his wife, I am ever thy truely affectionate sister Susanna Please say how Thomas' widow and her child. |
