Jane and family eventually moved to Detroit for a short while, and then back to Canada, settling in Essex Co.
Following is a transcript of a letter Jane received from her sister Millie in Caherciveen.
My Dear Sister
Caherciveen, April 2, 1854
I take this opportunity of writing these few lines to you hoping they may find you and family and Brothers in as good state of health as this leaves us at present thanks be to God for all his mercy to us. I received your letter a few days since which gave us great pleasure that ye were all well and doing well. May the Lord be thanked for all his blessings to us. I received a letter from you in October last and wrote_____answer to it the day after I received it. Seems you did not get it wherein you mentioned that you received no answer since last August from me. I mentioned to James if he did not like that country the same way was for doing at home as when he left me it seems he has not notion of coming here wherein he would not write affirms to his uncle or William or me. William is getting a very good sturdy boy and growing very big and stout. he will make a very stout handsome man. I hope the Lord will direct him. James Shuel, John Suels (sic) son went to America last month. He was living with us here since last August. We gave him money to take him to America. It was better send him where he could do something that to stop here.
James Shuel was very well since he was in Tralee until this fortnight past. He was not very well. He is something better today thanks be to God. The seton that was in his neck wore out and I am afraid he must get one on his neck again. We are doing all the Business that is supporting us. Every thing _____ very high here. flour 3-6 per stone, beef__per lb., Mutton 6 per lb., pork 8 per lb, butter 10 per lb., Indian meal 1-9 to 1-10 per stone. It is very well for you to leave this country, there is so much taxes here especially on the poor that it is very hard for them to survive. My dear Jane you will not neglect writing to me once in three months for it is great comfort to us to hear from you and family. Brothers and sisters and Catherine and her family was well the last time I heard from them and was doing well. The land they have now is better for them than [?Killlunafinan]. Jane is doing well all friends are in good health thanks be to God. My Aunt Catherine is here with us yet I thought to write to sister Mary and brother Richard to know how they were. Would wish to know how they are getting on if I knew their address. If you mentioned to me in the next letter you would send to me I would feel obliged to you and if you have heard any account of Sandy Neal-Brother Johns son. I was speaking to Peggy Giles the time I was in Tralee and she had no account of him. She desired me to write to you to know had you any account of him. James Shuel, William, My Aunt joins with me to send their best love to you and family and Brother William, Jane and her husband. Brother Alexander and wife and family and all enquiring friends and I remain your sister
[signed] Milly Shuel
Dear Jane
I hope you will not neglect writing to me once in three months
I won't post this pay this thinking it may go the sooner.
Let me know how __eddy is or does he _____yet.
Addressed to
Wm Alexander O'Neil
Sandwich
Canada West
British America
To be forwarded to Mrs Jane Shuel
March 16 - New Movie about Irish Famine on History TV
The movie, "Death or Canada", will air on Monday, March 16, at 8 p.m. on History TV.
Nominated for an Irish Film and Television Academy Award for Best Documentary Series, this powerful docudrama reveals a forgotten chapter of the great Irish Famine, and how the fledging City of Toronto was brought to its knees by the greatest humanitarian crisis of the 19th. century. For more information, visit www.deathorcanada.com
View the website!
I always find it so surprising how much that most letters from days long gone focus mostly on the day to day ordinary things that we would still write about today (and still do -- on Facebook ;)). Family, weather, food, comings and goings ... nothing really much changes over the years when it comes to what people think is important.
ReplyDeleteBut in addition to the ordinary happenings of the day, the letter you've posted did do a good job of communicating the sense of how terrible the famine must have been .. so many taxes and poor land. It's consistent with stories I've read about the famine. Have you discovered whether your Irish ancestors were motivated by the famine to come over?
I'm surprised to find out that a lot of the Irish around Maidstone/Woodslee came over before the famine. Including my own ancestors.
My Irish branches of the family were all here by 1840. (The Tottens of Maidstone and the Irwins of Mersea. The Tottens may have been Catholic who converted because the only Catholic church was French at the time. The Irwins were Northern Irish for sure -- they were Orangemen. Scary)
My Irish O'Neil ancestors came over pre-famine,about 1833. They settled in Sandwich and Paquette's Corners.Communication was so difficult back then,imagine how much letters from home meant to them, even if it was just about everyday life. I'm very fortunate to have found this letter online.
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