1852 letter from Edward Hughes living in Summit, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, USA to his brother Lawrence Hughes in Fredericton, New Brunswick. To Lawrence Hughes Fredericton, New Brunswick. America July 11, 1852 Dear Lawrence. Your long wished for letter at length arrived in due time after its date but circumstances did not permit me to write sooner. I buried one of my girls last February who was then ten months sick of consumption. She was a fine girl of sixteen years old and buried two younger ones of two years old shortly before, a boy and a girl, so I hope I have three before me in heaven and I have eight left, four boys and four girls as fine looking children as you would wish to see. We are all in good health now, thank God for it. I am very happy to hear that you and your fine family are doing so well. I have purchased 77 acres of good land in a fine Catholic settlement. It is worth now one hundred dollars. I am not able yet to go live on it as there is but little of it cleared. I some times think of selling it to go live in the west. There is a fine colony of settlers from Carlow in lowa State sent out by Rev. James Heigher and they have fine schools there now for boys and girls. I think dear Lawrence if we would go there it would be a fine chance forour children but I am afraid it is not healthy there. If you could procure a Catholic almanac you would find out about the settlement. Your friend Tierney is dead. He died in some of the western states and I have not seen any of the ahers this long time. There is a great deal of railroads making here but the most degrading characters work on them now. Some of this is a discgace to the land that gave them birth. Dear Lawrence, write to me soon again and let me know how you are getting along and let me know how Mary and the children are. If you know anything of Edward Fitzhenry let me know. Also I would like to hear of his attendance to his religious duty because if we do not practice what we are taught to believe we are no better than the heathen or the publican. It is a painful thing for me to write as I am not very quick at it. I am sending a letter to Bridget now. Mary and the children joins me in love to you and your Mrs. and children. Still I remain your ever affectionate brother. Edward Hughes

All these letters makes me think of a wonderful and very moving ballad called Kilkelly which is based on letters home from America. There's many versions of it but I like this one by Mick Moloney - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pADfrQzzS74 ... there's some background to the song here at http://www.irishidentity.com/extras/roots/stories/kilkelly.htm Turtle Bunbury

 www.turtlebunbury.com


 
 Old Fort, Tobinstown, Tullow, Co. Carlow, Ireland

 Mob: + 353 - (0) 87 - 6453 486 Skype: turtle1847 www.facebook.com/turtle.bunbury On 21 May 2012, at 20:25, michael purcell wrote: > 1852 letter from Edward Hughes living in Summit, Cambria County, > Pennsylvania, USA to his brother Lawrence Hughes in Fredericton, New > Brunswick. > To Lawrence Hughes > Fredericton, > New Brunswick. > America > > July 11, 1852 > > Dear Lawrence. Your long wished for letter at length arrived in due time > after its date but circumstances > > did not permit me to write sooner. I buried one of my girls last February > who was then ten months sick > of consumption. > She was a fine girl of sixteen years old and buried two younger ones of two > years old shortly > > before, a boy and a girl, so I hope I have three before me in heaven and I > have eight left, four boys and > four girls as fine looking children as you would wish to see. > We are all in good health now, thank God for > > it. I am very happy to hear that you and your fine family are doing so > well. I have purchased 77 acres of > > good land in a fine Catholic settlement. It is worth now one hundred > dollars. I am not able yet to go live > on it as there is but little of it cleared. I some times think of selling > it to go live in the west. > There is a fine colony of settlers from Carlow in lowa State sent out by > Rev. James Heigher and they have fine schools there now for boys and girls. > I think dear Lawrence if we would go there it would be a fine chance forour > children but I am afraid it is not healthy there. > If you could procure a Catholic almanac you would find out about the > settlement. > > Your friend Tierney is dead. He died in some of the western states and I > have not seen any of the ahers > > this long time. There is a great deal of railroads making here but the most > degrading characters work on > > them now. Some of this is a discgace to the land that gave them birth. > > Dear Lawrence, write to me soon again and let me know how you are getting > along and let me know > > how Mary and the children are. If you know anything of Edward Fitzhenry let > me know. Also I would like > > to hear of his attendance to his religious duty because if we do not > practice what we are taught to > > believe we are no better than the heathen or the publican. > > It is a painful thing for me to write as I am not very quick at it. I am > sending a letter to Bridget now. Mary > > and the children joins me in love to you and your Mrs. and children. > > Still I remain your ever affectionate brother. > > Edward Hughes > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message