Hi List I am trying to transcribe about a dozen old letters that belonged to my husbands great-grandmother. Catherine McGrath came to the US in 1858. I am working on a reference letter she brought with her to Boston. The reference letter was readable except I couldn't make out the heading nor the complete signature. I would like to know if anyone could tell me where it could be from A little background. Catherine's parents were William (1794-1874 and Elizabeth (1798-1869) McGrath and are buried in the Adamstown Cemetery, New Ross, Wexford. The letters are very faded and written in a flowery old style in English. When Wm. wrote to her he always dated the letter in the top right followed by a work that looks like Templenaerow. The reference letter: (looks like) Palace ir (or) er Rofs 11 April 1857 I have known the bearer Catherine McGrath since her childhood and believe that she is a perfectly honest sober virtuous quiet girl willing and industrious and ready to exert herself in any way she may be employed. Tho. Harman ?(spelling) Curate of Old Rofs (or) Rof Does PALACE or CURATE OF OLD ROFS mean anything to anyone? Thanks for your help. Donna Williams Kentch in South Dakota

<<<Curate of Old Rofs (or) Rof>>> This may be Old Ross. I have seen old stylings of the letter "s" drawn very tall and thin with a dash across the center which would make someone reading it today easily mistake it for a small letter "f". It is much like some people still put a dash through the number 7 nowaydays. Just my opinion. -----Original Message----- From: Kentch's <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Fri, 10 Feb 2006 22:03:24 -0600 Subject: [WEX] RE: Catherine McGrath letter of reference Hi List I am trying to transcribe about a dozen old letters that belonged to my husbands great-grandmother. Catherine McGrath came to the US in 1858. I am working on a reference letter she brought with her to Boston. The reference letter was readable except I couldn't make out the heading nor the complete signature. I would like to know if anyone could tell me where it could be from A little background. Catherine's parents were William (1794-1874 and Elizabeth (1798-1869) McGrath and are buried in the Adamstown Cemetery, New Ross, Wexford. The letters are very faded and written in a flowery old style in English. When Wm. wrote to her he always dated the letter in the top right followed by a work that looks like Templenaerow. The reference letter: (looks like) Palace ir (or) er Rofs 11 April 1857 I have known the bearer Catherine McGrath since her childhood and believe that she is a perfectly honest sober virtuous quiet girl willing and industrious and ready to exert herself in any way she may be employed. Tho. Harman ?(spelling) Curate of Old Rofs (or) Rof Does PALACE or CURATE OF OLD ROFS mean anything to anyone? Thanks for your help. Donna Williams Kentch in South Dakota ==== WEXFORD Mailing List ==== This list is for the discussion of Genealogy and History, primarily regarding the Wexford area in Ireland. Discussion of migration patterns, immigration,heraldry, historical sketches, census data, wills, family Bibles, vital records, web sites, etc. involving this area is encouraged.........

Thanks, it's better than any thoughts I've had. I wish a person could "write" on e-mail. The word Rofs is written with a loop at the beginning of the R, the o is written small but is definitely an O, the last letter really does look like an F to my untrained eyes. the top is about as tall as the capital R then comes down in a straight line way below but it is looped on the way back up and goes to a straight angle up almost like a hook (up and a little turned at the top to the right. It could be an old S although no line drawn across it. I know about the 7. We were stationed in Germany for 5 years and the whole family came home making 7's with a line through it. Thanks again for your help. This has always been a great site. Friendly people. Donna ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, February 10, 2006 10:35 PM Subject: Re: [WEX] RE: Catherine McGrath letter of reference > <<<Curate of Old Rofs (or) Rof>>> > > This may be Old Ross. I have seen old stylings of the letter "s" drawn very tall and thin with a dash across the center which would make someone reading it today easily mistake it for a small letter "f". It is much like some people still put a dash through the number 7 nowaydays. Just my opinion. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Kentch's <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Fri, 10 Feb 2006 22:03:24 -0600 > Subject: [WEX] RE: Catherine McGrath letter of reference > > > Hi List > I am trying to transcribe about a dozen old letters that belonged to my > husbands great-grandmother. Catherine McGrath came to the US in 1858. I am > working on a reference letter she brought with her to Boston. > The reference letter was readable except I couldn't make out the heading > nor the complete signature. I would like to know if anyone could tell me where > it could be from > A little background. Catherine's parents were William (1794-1874 and > Elizabeth (1798-1869) McGrath and are buried in the Adamstown Cemetery, New > Ross, Wexford. > The letters are very faded and written in a flowery old style in English. > When Wm. wrote to her he always dated the letter in the top right followed by a > work that looks like Templenaerow. > The reference letter: > (looks like) Palace > ir (or) er Rofs 11 April > 1857 > I have known the bearer Catherine McGrath since her childhood and believe that > she is a perfectly honest sober virtuous quiet girl willing and industrious and > ready to exert herself in any way she may be employed. > Tho. Harman ?(spelling) > Curate of Old Rofs (or) Rof > > Does PALACE or CURATE OF OLD ROFS mean anything to anyone? Thanks for your > help. > Donna Williams Kentch in South Dakota > > > ==== WEXFORD Mailing List ==== > This list is for the discussion of Genealogy and History, primarily regarding > the Wexford area in Ireland. Discussion of migration patterns, > immigration,heraldry, historical sketches, census data, wills, family Bibles, > vital records, web sites, etc. involving this area is encouraged......... > > > ==== WEXFORD Mailing List ==== > To do a search of the Wexford Archives go to > http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl >