| Title: | McIntosh, James & Jane to MacKintosh, Margaret, 1851 |
|---|---|
| ID | 6396 |
| Collection | New Brunswick Letters |
| File | newbrunswick/31 |
| Year | 1851 |
| Sender | McIntosh, James & Jane |
| Sender Gender | male-female |
| Sender Occupation | linen traders |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Kilkeel, Co. Down, Ireland |
| Destination | St. John, N.Brunswick, Canada |
| Recipient | MacKintosh, Margaret |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | parents-in-law |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 1413 |
| Genre | reprimand for not sending financial help and not writing, health deteriorating, family news |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Killkeel March 24th 1851 Dear Son and Daughter I write this in return to your letter of the 3rd February wishing you much Joy as were all very glad that you have got we believe a Quiet young woman and the Daughter of a very Industrious mother. Hoping that she may become a dutiful wife and you a dutiful husband as it will become you to be more affectionate to her than you have been to your old Father and Mother sisters and brothers this 10 years back knowing as you did the state of this country and so many letters of communicating such cases to you But without any effect For this last 7 years owing to the downfall of the Linen trade and a little loss I sustained I have wrote repeatedly to you imploring you to send me a little help and tho you did write in return you never said Dear father I have money but will not give you one pound no nor one Shilling nor my mother either i’ll not send her ₤10 to buy her 2 oz tea Nor you did not even say I have no money or if I had I would send you a post office check of from one to ₤10 at your will but how will your motherinlaw think of such an ungrateful expectation of a soninlaw after such a letter as this But it is true when you came to Liverpool and not writing to us and forbidding betty [Annett] to tell us you were in Liverpool which she did tell us when she came home and your mother went to you when you saw her your affections kindled to her knowing that she was your mother and that strong heart which you picked up crossing the western ocean was unshielded and became as it was when you were parting with us at Warranpoint when you said and promised you would never forget us as some of the family that went before you had done But when you took to sea and out of sight again it got as hard as ever but I own you did give her pretty hands on that time But I must excuse you for our part as perhaps we did not do our part in rearing you as you should be done to and there is another thing I have to complain of that is in not answering James’s letters or taking some excuse for not doing so For this time 4 years Alexr Irwin went out to New York was not there long to he sent his father ₤10 and in a short time ₤8 and again 4 then he married and took ill and was forced to come home with a wife and a good purse where he got better and the wife had a child went off again and took his brother John with them John was not long there to he sent ₤4 and said he would send in a short time again James [henry paddy] & young son went off to Newyork this time 3 years sent his father ₤10 ₤8 and ₤4 and last fall after all that sent for his brother pat and paid his passage with a promise of sending something better than all your motherinlaws brothers son James stowed away sent for his brother Charles and sent his mother money twice and she is in rediness to go when the ticket comes to her but if this was all but every part of the country is the same every month Jas Sloans Father is getting ₤5 from his sons and when I see in a news paper ₤4600 and upwards to one neighbourhood from the same source I cannot but drop tears at the ingratitude of my ungrateful sons [Henry] wrote a letter about 9th July 1849 and when He thought it was time for an answer he wrote another but got no answer to either and last Christmas he got the last one and sometime after the other but I accuse Jas Mitchell for getting them and waiting to he got you away and going to the postman and getting the postage through some shyness or [cut off] perhaps from assossiating with the girl you are married to I need scarcely bother myself writing anything about Nicholas when he came to Liverpool last June James went over to see him but was not in his company over 2 hours he run the ship in Lima for California but was taken after having the promise of second mate who run the ship but he was taken and brought back the Captain could not trust him after running to [prefer] him he said he would give him no wages out but would give it home and when he came home he kept ₤10 off his wages home for cost of taking and bringing him back to the ship so he told Jas he was shipped direct for California and was to run again we know little about him but the ship name is the [unclear] Capt McCleland We have no communication with Mrs Harrison as She is flitted to where we know not Fishing is very bad here this 3 or 4 seasons but especially this season but I need scarcely care as I have no boat fit to go to sea I was living in hopes of something some day coming unknown [ink blot] me to build a boat but all my hopes are blasted I’m worse than when I started I have nobody at home can do anything for me and for myself I am not fit to do a days work for this right hand that I am writing this with is scarcely able to hold the pen with [ink blot] and if I gets work before this day month I wont be fit to put it to my head but I need not care for I am tired of life and sick of heart thinking of the past and dreading the future for I saw good days which you have witnessed too I wrote often about a sweating your mother had which I thought would been her death before this but she is not so bad with it If ever I write again I’ll have more news but I have no room in this Your brother Archibald is well and has 4 children Robert a fine boy Jane Mary Margarett the family is all well I need hardly be looking for a letter after writing this for a little is an excuse to my people and what I always found in them I need expect no better now but I have more dependence in your motherinlaw that the will send me one at [july] we are all glad of your choice of a wife as we heard of others that would not please Saml Reid is here and will remember me to the old man and especially the old woman and family / god bless you both and if you can set up some way of dealing / We remain your Father Mother Sister Brothers Jas and Jane McIntosh But the magistrates told him he might summon him for shooting within 60 feet of the highway but advised him to not do it but he done it and the act was not in force to that day and there is great vengeance about that since especially because Archibald Jas Henry and myself sits and walks the most regular in Kilkeel lodge 1034 and write to the last breath breaths and I hope you are in the same most glorious and religious Institution but if I had you here you would be like myself Hon youart wants his sons address you wrote something about Susan Gibson but D---n her for a dirty huzzy don’t mention her name we have very disagreeable times at present owing to as I suppose you heard of the papal aggression we are in a bad capacity in this country I wish we were out of it For if anythinghappens we will be the first to suffer John Mannas had James twice at the petty sessions for shooting at him but we had good evidence against him that he could do nothing (written along the side of the page; To hell with the pope No Surrender) Care Mr. Samuel [McCavour] Tailor Portland St. John N.B. For John MacKintosh |
