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Letter from Bessie Edmonds, Tullygarvin, Sandholes to her aunt Jane Spencer (nee McLaughlin)
Australia 1897


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Letter from Bessie Edmonds, Tullygarvin, Sandholes
to her aunt Jane Spencer (nee McLaughlin)
Australia 1897
place etc.

Transcribed, compiled and submitted byNancy McLaughlin
riversidenz[at]gmail.com



Written by Bessie EDMONDS of Tullygarvin, Sandholes, co Tyrone to her aunt Mrs Jane SPENCER (nee McLAUGHLIN) in South Yarra, Melbourne, Australia.

 

Bessie was born in 1880 in Tullygarvin, Sandholes, Co Tyrone, the daughter of John EDMONDS and Eliza (nee McLAUGHLIN), her parents having married in the Congregational Meeting House in Donaghey in 1869.

 

Bessie's aunt, to whom the letter was written, was Jane SPENCER, nee McLaughlin. Born in 1835, she was the eldest child of William and Margaret McLAUGHLIN of Lurgy, parish of Donaghenry. In 1856 she had married at Stewartstown to Robert Joshua SPENCER, and the couple had emigrated to Australia aboard the “William Kirk” in 1860. Jane was widowed in 1879, and died herself in Melbourne in 1902.



N.B. - this letter is transcribed line-for-line as it was written with the spelling and punctuation as it exists in the original

Copy of original letter - page 1 & 4 ; page 2 & 3


February 2nd 97

Madam,

I am taking the pleasure of

writing you these few lines as it is the first

I have ever wrote to you. We are all well

hoping these few lines will find you

the same. Mama and papa is well.

The[y] all send you their love as all her children

do as well She has got old looking her hair

is grey more so than papas.

There are four girls of us and three boys

they are all a good size now there are three

of us at school yet I am going to send

you our names all the oldest is

Robert James second is William John

And the third Mary Elizabeth fourth

Maggie Jane fifth Sarah Ann

sixth Bessie Adessa seventh Samuel

Hadden Edmonds We have added one

tow the number Willie Boyd my

Aunt Sarah we[e] boy the other one is with

my aunt McAteere They are well

all of them and doing well They have

five children four girls and one boy

My Aunt and uncle Hamilton are

well but they have left your fathers

place and has gone to live in Belfast

He was an old Drunkard and drunk

her out of her fathers place he hasent

sold the place atall he has just gone

down to earn some money to pay

his Debt do not be naming anything

about this in yours letters

Uncle James and her and their

family is all well They have all got

married and made pretty good matches

I havent very much more to say as we

havent received any letter from you

but I hope as soon as this reaches you

that you will return one as quick as

you can for I am sure from the word

we have herd that you havent much

Else to do only write.

We are all at home only one of

us has gone out to business in a shop

in Dungannon it is the second girl

Maggie Jane she is doing well she is

there about half a year Write soon

and tell us if you have any word of

coming home I would like very much

to see you as you are the only one I

havent seen of my aunts

In conclusion I want to let you

know the weather is very cold. There hasent

been very much snow yet but no

matter it is very cold here you are in

the summer season now I suppose

Write in your next letter and let us

know if you will be coming home You

can come Home any time and you can

get your fathers place if you would wish

to live in it but dont come if you

havent got plenty of mony I think this

is all I have to say at present

But Remains

Yours sincerely

Bessie Edmonds

To

Mrs Spenser

Melbourne

=== I am sending the Directions =====

on an envelope.

 

I am sending you a lock of mamas Hair

 

Eliaza Edmunds

 

Mama wrote her own name here.



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