Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Letters from Ireland February 2

This is a series of letter written to my Great Grandmother, Rose Smith Warrington from her mother who resided in Ireland.

I will attempt to transcribe them exactly as Great Great Grandmother Smith wrote them. She did not put years on her letters, so I ordered them according to the months that they were written. Her handwriting is difficult to read, her spelling and grammar are poor, and it appears to be one long run-on sentence! Below, I will attempt to translate her letter!

" Dear Dauter Rose i cit down to rite those fue lines to you Hoping the may find you well and all the fameley Dear Rose we are all well at prescent thank god onley my self and i am onley midling my self but what can i expect i am not able to gow any where now i get my bread and tea in bead every morning then i rise when i lick we have a very rof wedt cold winter now sow it is a winter for berring the dead we had four corps in the chapple on towdays a gow Mary gun is well where she is she cends her love to you she is not going to that country she could not live out of the cassel we are going to have a lething now we are geting ahome rule. Past wel rose i must let you now Burks girles is riting home a nod time lysey ann is maried and has a young son and she cent home to flamen shirts to her boy. Mary Jane cays she will be an old made if she dose not get a man licke lysey anns man he is sow good the are coming home agan sumer to live a drum he has a cssel there the done you now good any way i had a letter from johny before christmas and to Pounds in it he is not forgeting the hole time he is a good boy to his mother. Patrick and Bydey is good she is working very hard feding pigs and children thee fine girls there is now cine afany more yet nor it is not much loss this country is gone to the bad. Bydey Mccernin has got her tow legs in to the ritches now willey to ole the acts all is bydes now she has her name on the sind bord now dont you tel the clarkens the will here it time enof the sisters would her it dont you spake of it she s a poor locking crature she will sown have another young man. Patrick Briget and all the children cends there love to you all and in pertular to your husband give my love to your ant rose and all the girls and to by sey money tell hir to rite me a letter i am sorry of mrs costiken how many children has she or is the old man alife rose et me know dose your nose be any trouble to you or dow you coff hard or are you got anny fatter rose it want you to cent me your husbands picture and your own in the won card till i se you towgether before i dy know more from yor mother my blessing and gods blesing be about you allrite sown and let me know how you are"

Attempt at a Translation: (Even this is not good!)

Dear Daughter Rose,
I sit down to write those few lines to you hoping they may find you well and all the family. Dear Rose, we are all well at present, thank God. Myself, I am only middling, but what can I expect, I am not able to go anywhere now. I get my bread and tea in bed every morning, then I rise when I like. We have had a very rough, wet, cold winter now, so it is a winter for burying the dead. We had four corpses in the chapel two days ago. Mary Jane is well, she sends her love to you. She is not going to that country. She could not live out of the cassel (castle??) We are going to have a lething (??) now we are getting home rule. Past well, Rose I must let you know Burkes' girls is writing home another time. Lysey Ann is married and has a young son and she sent home two flannel shirts to her boy. Mary Jane says she will be an old maid if she does not get a man like Lysey Ann's man. He is so good, they are coming home again summer to live at drum. He has a cassel there. Anyway, I had a letter from Johny before Christmas and Two Pounds in it. He is a not forgetting the whole time. He is a good boy to his mother. Patrick and Bydey are good, she is working very hard feeding pigs and children, three fine girls. ............(cannot figure out what is being written about here).......... This country is gone to the bad. Bydey McCernin has got her two legs in to the britches now willing to
Patrick, Briget nd all the children send their love to you and in particular to your husband. Give my love to your Aunt Rose and all the McGills and to Lysey Money, tell her to write me a letter. I am sorry of Mrs Costiken , how many children has she or is the old man alive. Rose let me know, does your nose be any trouble to you or do you cough hard or are you got any fatter. Rose, I want you to send me your husbands picture and your own in the one card till I see you together before I die. No more from your mother, my blessing and God's blessing be about you. All write soon and let me know how you are.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Cool letter and good attempt at the translation too!
This letter, is this one of the letters that Aunt Mary had?

Siobhan

CC said...

Actually, Katherine Bebenroth sent them to my father