| Title: | Coogan, Michael (Brother Declan) to Coogan (n. Nolan), Catherine, 1863 |
|---|---|
| ID | 6318 |
| Collection | Carlow-Coogan Letters |
| File | coogan/7 |
| Year | 1863 |
| Sender | Coogan, Michael (Brother Declan) |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | monk/shoemaker |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Mt. Melleray, Cappoquin, Co. Waterford |
| Destination | Ballyloughan, Co. Carlow, Ireland |
| Recipient | Coogan (n. Nolan), Catherine |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | son-mother |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 695 |
| Genre | emigration, being happy in the monastery, enquiry about family |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Mount Melleray, April 27th, 1863 Dear Mother, Brothers and Sisters, I received your letter on Sunday week which gave me great astonishment to hear of so many of them going to emigrate and America seemingly so very bad and such very bad accounts coming out of it that, in fact, it surprises me wonderfully to think of you going at all. But however if you leave Mary at home it won't be so bad to let her assist my mother as well as she can, and let her on no account avoid doing that and don't let my mother be working or slaving herself at all. Dear Mother, I hope you won't be ruining yourself fretting for them when they go away. Sure they won't forget you there no more than at home. It's there they can serve you right and I hope they won't neglect doing so, and you may be sure that they have a home to fare to or they wouldn't encourage them to go at all. So I hope you'll bear all patiently and believe me you'll have the most reward. So may God direct you. Dear Mother, you might imagine that I get very bad health since I came here. Well don't think that at all for in my life I never got as good health nor never was as strong or as stout and if it be the will of God for me to stop here which I hope it will I would not leave it for all the riches in the wide world. I'd have no use in life going to describe or to think to do so the beauties of Melleray for in all the beauties and in all the blessed places in the world, nothing could compare to it. Oh I'd eagerly wish to see any one coming here that I'd have any regard for, to save their soul, and its here they could do that and here they could live without much trouble or fret. I'm sure I'd rather see Mathew taking the like notion than to go to America and have nothing in latter end but what supported life, but I hope that more of the family may take the notion I did. And never fear they won't be sorry. Give my best respects to Mr. Patrick Darcy and tell him if he wishes to come here to write to the Lord Abbot and state his case properly and he'll know all about it in a few days. I was speaking to one of the Superiors about him and he told me to send him that word. I hope you won't forget sending Willy sometimes to Drumphea and let him know the people there and let him get in with my customers but let him not go too often, and mind don't forget--1 shilling 6 d that Mrs. Shaughnessy owed me and settled for and Mrs. Murphy settled with me for 2 also. I know they [were] surprised at my departure but no matter. It's this I want to mind now and not that. Don't forget letting me know of the day you are going and I'll hope to have offered up for you the prayers of the Community which will be a preservation from all danger. So may God be with you and grant you a safe passage. And I hope when you settle this that you won't forget me and send some money here to get Masses for my mother and for you all. So God be with you in your journey. I hope you are going on well now and I hope also that Hugh's trade is pretty good. But above all things let Willy mind his duty to mother every Sunday, and drive her to Mass and let him and Denis mind the way they spend the Sundays and take my advice and stay at home and never fear they'll find that the best. No more at present But remains your affectionate son till death. M. Coogan Don't forget my book that Tom Garrett has and get it from him and send home the two singing books to Mr. Darcy. |
