Letters: 1846—1847 McCoy (Camden East)

Your kind letter of March 1st, came safe to me, and gave me a great pleasure to hear of you all being in good health, and it rejoices me greatly to hear that your Uncle and Aunt are alive and well, for by your Mother's side you have neither Uncle nor Aunt alive in Ireland - Thanks be to God I get right good health, but my sight is getting very bad and so is my hearing, and I am getting a tremour in my hand, but thank God my feet and legs keeps good still. James Kate and Robert are all well and in the way of earning something, But poor unfortunate James's Wordly affairs is anything but florishing. And, Truth compells me to me to say that he has completely lost sight of the "One thing needful" and pitched all kinds of Religion, to the Moles and to the Bats. And Oh! dear Mary although it grieves me to have such a story to tell, That your Sister and Young Brother have comletely followed his example. Kate has not been in any place of Worship since she left Mrs. Fraser, and all I can say to her I cannot get her to go, And Bob, spends his Sundays travelling round the Country along with James & Bill Simpson, it is happy for me that Henry is in the Army. For were he at home here, he would be as bad as the rest. he spent the Month of January with us, and from he came to he went he troubled no Church, but so long as he remains solgering he must attend Divine Worship- Your friend Bess Cunningham came in here while I was writing this and she sends her love to you she is very well, but is at present out of place.- Miss Mary Anne Henderson has got married to a Mr.Dillon a journeyman Printer, a respectable {page 2} Young man, he is at present employed in the College Printing Office as Overseer of the workmen, at Forty shillings per week. Mr. Henderson and his other daughter lives together they are poor but respectable,- The Conway family had to retire into obscurity not worth a Groat, and only that their son Moses got a Clerkship in the Post Office, by which means he supports the family, they might be in the Poor House,- You have heard, no doubt, about the blight that came on the Potatoe crop last season in this country, The poor people is suffering dreadfully by it. And though, there is at present an abundance of potatoes in the country, the owners of them will not part with them under a most exobitant price, they are now from 9d to 13d a stone in Dublin. And but a mere trifle cheaper in the country, and a poor man that can earn from 6d to 10d, a day from a farmer, how can he and his family live on that earning with the potatoes so dear. And surely the poor of Ireland have a right to be thankful to Sir Robt. Peele for the plan he took in agetating the Repeal of the Corn Laws, or they would not get a morsel of provisions to buy three months ago. that Agetation prevented the Monied Speculators and forestallers from laying out their Money on provisions, least the Corn Law would be repealed they would lose by their speculation. So that a poor man that could raise a trifle of money, might lay in the worth of it of provisions for his family, whereas if the Monied speculator was in the Market with his heavy purse, the poor man with his trifle would get nothing. There is a report here that the early potatoe crop has missed in many parts of the country, and that the people is not planting them as formerly but it is likewise reported that there never was a more prosperous appearance of a crop of Wheat, Oats and all other kinds of grain than in this season. Thank God, although the potaoes is dear in Dublin, the bread is pretty reasonable, we can buy the 4th Loaf for seven pence which I call cheap, but fleshmeat of all kind, is out of the reach of the poor. {Page 3} On the 20th of April the 26th Regiment marched into Enniskillen and on the 24th I had a letter from Henry, which was the first account I had from that Quarter these three years. But that letter gave meloncholy accounting of our friends in that place. Your Uncle Thomas Arnott, Your Aunt Jane and their Daughter Jane all three died of a Fever in course of eight days in the Month of last September. And Henry says that a young man told him that the Fever was so common and so severe at that time that they could hardly muster so many neighbours as would bring them to the grave. And that the two little girls, Henry's Daughter and Janes Daughter were left desolate, but that Janes Daughter Andrena was sent to Scotland to her Grandmother and that Henry's Daughter Jane went to her Mother to Belturbet, her Mother kept her one night & next morning gave her a shilling and turned her out, [and] told her that her stepfather would not allow her to [live there. ] the poor child went back to Enniskillen and the neibou[ours gave] her a bit to eat and a nights lodging from that until [the] 26th, went into town, but Henry write us word that she live[s] there almost quite naked, so Kate thought that if she had her in Dublin it might be of service to them both, so I sent some money to Henry to put some clothes on her and to send her up to us, which she did. she is now here, and a fine active lively little girl she is, and I think will make a notable servant, for she is willing to learn, and has not to be spoken a second time- I am tired writing, your friends here send their love to you, kiss all the children for me, give any kind regards to your Uncle & Aunt-

I remain Your Affectionate Father

{signed} James Armstrong

{Above the address on the front page it says:} A couple of years ago Thomas Arnott sent Jane Husband to fair with Money to buy a cow, but he never returned to them with either cow or money--

P.S. May 15th Majority for the corn still - 77 R.A. {??}

{Same page below the address it says:} Henry was told by a Jack Whitton that lives in Barracks Lane, that your Uncle Jack of Edenclaw died a little before last Christmas, but he could hear nothing of the rest of the family--

Also on this side is a pencilled list of 30 names and numbers (ages?) in two columns. I give as many as I can decipher:}

Euston Thurston 29 Wily C. Keech 19

James Verney 51 W. Switzer 19

James Munn--- 20 Chas Snider 22

Lusher Vernys 20 George Sinder 22

James + Black 50 Cha --unam 46

John Vernys 34 Elasa Baxter 22

Christopher+ Gray 33 Rob Burges 50

Robt. Send 28 ----- + Burges 23

Faren + Burns 21 Thos. Burges + 19

Ed Mc Conner 30 Robt.Cousens 22

Edmn + Baxter 52 --- Consent 19

John Wm Mulyun Pat-- ---y + 36

Joseph Campbell 48 W Dany + 45

Sues Jackson 29

Oren + Curt 38 Theduens McGwyn 26

{Page one} 59 Watling Street - Dublin 5.th Oct. 1846

Dear William & Mary/

I received your letter of the second August, and am happy to hear that you are well, Thank God I, and your Sister & Brothers in this place in this place are quite well[.] You learn from the public papers the deplorable state of our Country. And when it is in such a state at the beginning of October, what kind of a state may it be expected to be in at the beginning of next April. May the Lord look with mercy on the poor sinners that is scattered over our land and raise up powerful friends to Assist them in their distress. Henry's Regt. is now in Dublin, he is very well in health but rather low in spirits, what the reason is I cannot learn. since last April I have sent you a Warder every week except two weeks that could {page 2} I could not obtain any. I hope they all went safe to you. And Kate sent you a No. of the Illustrated London News with a map of Dublin in it. she is very anxious to know if you received it. I hope you have had a good and pentiful harvest, with a tolerable supply of good Potatoes. for our part there has not been a potatoe used in our family six weeks. we cannot get any under a Shilling or Fourteen pence a Stone, and the half of them could not be used. so we don't trouble any. You should bless and praise God that you are so far removed from this wrecked country. Give my kind regards to your Uncle & Aunt & Cousin Mary. Kiss all the Children for me, your Brothers & Sister join me in sending our love to you, And I remain

Your Affectionate Father

{signed} James Armstrong

{page 3} My dear Sister and Brother

I take this opportunity of sending my love to you all. I pray god it may find you all in the enjoyment of health peace and plenty. it is dreadful to look at the appearance things bear here. Jane is well and sends her love to you all[.] she is a very good girl as far as she is able but I am sorry to say I half employment for myself or her. I have not seen Bess Cunningham these 4 months but I am told she is in a good situation in rathgur. we buried poor John Prendergast last week in his aunts grave in golden bridge. My dear sister, were you set down here you would not know it. the military road is gone and the bed of the river changed with new quays at both sides from the Kings bridge to bloody bridge with the terminus of a railroad at Steevens lane that runs to Cushie and Carlain, give my love to all the children -

Your affectionate sister, {signed} C. Armstrong

I received a few days ago your letter of the 29th December. I am happy to hear of you all being well, as thanks be to God we are at present. Dear Mary you may see throught the News papers that the state of our unhappy country is deplorable. I have not heard any one dying of actual starvation in Dublin, but there are a great number in a most wretched state through different parts of the City. I think that between the famine and Emmagration that Ireland will shortly be depopulated. it is astonishing to see the crowds that are flocking in from the country every day striving to make their escape to some other Country. America is their principle destination, there is not a poor farmer, I think in all Ireland, that can raise money sufficient, but what is making off from hunger & hardship, And among the rest, My two Brothers with their {page 2} families are preparing to quit the country. My Brother Christy with nine of a family is going to New Brunswick to my Brother Thomas & Sister Peggy who are settled there I believe not far from the town of St.Johns. And my Brother William with eight in family intends I think to go to Philladelphia to my Brother George & Joseph, who are there. And a son & daughter of Willey's are there with them. William wrote to me asking my opinion whether I thought the States or the British Settlements would be the best place to go to. I advised him to go with Christy to New Brunswick, that I thought he could settle himself better than he could do in any part of the Eastern States, more especially as Brother Thomas was there before him, to assist him with his council and advice, he has not made known to me since what he intends to do,- Dear Mary you enquire after Henry I wish it was in my power to give you any intelegence of him. On Chrismus day he eat his dinner and spent the evening with us, and left us at Drum beat as he was usually in the habit of doing. As he did not come near us on Saturday, or Sunday, we thought that perhaps {page 3} he had staid out of Barracks on Chrismus night and had been confined, at four oclock James & Kate & I went to the Barracks to learn what had become of him, when we were told that he was away on a four day pass, but where to they could not tell. It seems that on Chrismus eve he got a pass for four days, he spent Chrismus day with us, with his pass in his pocket, but never let on to any of us, anything about it, at Drum beat he went to the Barracks, and put off every article of his Regimentals and hung them in their place (the Band being playing at the Officers Mess) and went away taking every thing of his own property with him; he never returned, - We were informed that there was a Girl in Brooks St. Enniskillen called Ellen McCullion that he was fond of, and had asked leave of his Colonel to get married to her, but was refused. After the Regiment came to Dublin, we were told that she raised Twenty Pounds & sent it to him to buy his discharge, we were told by one of the Band, who says he saw the money, that Henry went to the Colonel and proffered him the Money for his discharge, but it would not be taken. These are the only reasons that we can think of {page 4} to caused him to Absent himself in so misterious a manner. When we heard all these stories, we concluded, that, as the money would not be received from him, that the Girl had come to Dublin, incog. and that they had started off to Liverpoole and taken their passage for America, he getting four pass to cover their retreat until they could be fairly out of the road,- But no such thing, Bob wrote to Enniskillin to a Mr. Robert Gamble who lives convenient to the Girls Mothers, stating all about it. And enquiring if Ellen McCullion was still in Enniskillen or not. Mr.G. wrote that she was at home, And that Henry had been in her mothers for three days & nights, under cover, but had gone away no one knows where, Mr.G. said in his letter, that, if he could see or hear, any Account of him he would let us know,- we have heard nothing from him since,- however Mr.Gamble assures us that they are not married and he thinks he has made a happy escape, for he thinks that my Brothers have got to that country safe & well. I shall try how I may follow them. My love & kind regard to you & William & Children & friends

- Your Affectionate Father {signed} James Armstrong