1875 Nov 6 Slieveroe[1]
My dearest Mary[2],
We were very glad to get your letter this morning. I was so
longing to hear from Cavananore[3].
We got home safely last night about 11 o'clock, after all our travels, but such
a scene as we came upon when we got near this, I never witnessed.
The people all collected for miles around, and had
tar-barrels burning, and bonfires on every hill within sight. It was almost as
bright as day coming along. There were several arches along the avenue and the
people had it all arranged to take the horse out of the car when we got to the
avenue and draw it up to the house themselves but through some mismanagement
this plan came to the ground, much to our satisfaction.
However they had great cheering and after we got in they had
a proud display of fireworks, and they did not leave off their rejoicing till
about three o'clock this morning. Everyone says the rejoicing's the time Lord
Rossmore[4]
came of age were not to be compared to last night.
Robert[5]
seemed awfully put out, he had hoped that no one would know when we would come
home. Today we have been inundated with letters of congratulation. The house was
all illuminated too, lights burning in every window. I forgot to mention that
there were five or six gas [?] fires [?] when we arrived, indeed it was quite
absurd to see the state of excitement the people were in. Several of them said
“there never was such a sight since the beginning of the world”.
I was quite afraid that there would be some row among so
many, when they got a little whiskey, but they separated all quite amiably.
Sarah Wright[6] is here too, and stayed
all night. I like her very much, both she and Annie[7]
gave me a very warm welcome, everyone is so kind to me that I feel quite contented.
We enjoyed our time very much and had not such bad weather
as you seem to have had in Ireland. We were just one Wednesday in Derry and
another in Edinburgh.
I don't know if Robert told you that we went to Portrush and
the Giants Causeway. It was bitterly cold the day we were there. We got a very
rough night crossing to Glasgow and I was seasick, however I soon got over the
effects of it.
Edinburgh fully came up to our expectations. I never saw
anything so beautiful, the greatest drawback was that there are very few places
of entertainment in the evening. There were two theaters[8],
but they were both burnt down last year. They are being repaired now. We went to
see Sterling one day, the Castle there. I think nicer than the one in Edinburgh
and much more interesting. Got a lovely night crossing to Belfast, not one on
board was sick.
We got there about five in the morning but did not come on
shore till seven. Then we had breakfast in some hotel near the Ulster Railway.
Got ourselves tidied up and started to see Mrs. Beattie[9]
and Miss Robinson[10].
They were very glad to see us, and made us stay to lunch. I think they are all
looking much as usual. Mrs. Magee[11]
very pale and weary looking. I called in for a few minutes to see Annie Gilbert[12],
and was very sorry that I had not time to go see Mary McKee[13].
Mrs. Beattie was telling me the sad news of Mary Patterson[14]
being so hopelessly ill. Be sure and tell me of her when you write. I believe
John McCullagh's[15] finger is getting on very
well. Robert has just gone to see him.
I am sure Mary Reid[16]
is no little thankful that she kept all right till Robert got home. I was
hoping that Sally[17]
would have put in an appearance today but she has not for so far. I will write
again as soon as I get my things to let you know if they came safely. I was sorry
to hear of so many more deaths among the sheep. I hope no more will die. Does
Sally[18]
intend staying with Bessie[19]
until after the great event? This house reminds me very much of Maghery[20],
the drawing room is small but the parlor is as large as if your bedroom and
parlor had been all in one. I hope all the neighbors are well, and remember me
to them all, and how is dear little Molly[21].
Give her ever so many kisses from Aunt Mar. I hope I may get
to see you soon. Did you settle all my bills and how do I stand? I fancy a good
deal in your debt.
Fond love to Johnnie[22]
and self
Ever dear Mary
Your loving sister
Mar[23].
From her honeymoon in Scotland. Wife of Dr. Robert Hamilton Reid
of Slieveroe.
[1]
Slieveroe, Parish of Kilmore, Co. Monaghan. This was the long-time home of the
REED family that Margaret JACKSON had just married into.
[2]
Mary
JACKSON (1844-1921). She was recently widowed. Her husband, William MENARY
(1838-1874) had died at age 36 leaving her in the care of their infant
daughter, Mary MENARY (1872-1946)
[3]
It seems that Mary MENARY née
JACKSON was visiting at Cavananore. The
family did a lot of extended visiting with one another, but in this case the
visit may have been connected to the fact that her aunt Mary Jane OLIVER had
died there a couple of month’s earlier.
[4]
This would probably be the 4th Baron, Henry
WESTENRA
[5]
Dr.
Robert Hamilton REED aka REID (1847-1881), 1st husband of
Margaret JACKSON.
[6]
Sarah WRIGHT née
Sarah Jane REED (1843-1920), a sister of Robert REED, who married Robert WRIGHT
of Ballinode, Co. Monaghan. Their son R.T. WRIGHT would become head of the HSBC
branch in Yokohama.She was living at Ballinode at this time, and her youngest
son at the time was James Francis WRIGHT who would marry his cousin Mary MENARY
and make oodles as a broker in Hong Kong and SIngapore.
[7]
Annie – This is most likely Robert REED’s youngest sister, Mary Anne REED
(1854-1923)
[8]
One of them was the Theatre
Royal on Broughton Street.
[9]
Mrs. BEATTIE. I have a photo of her.
[10]
Miss ROBINSON. I have a photo of her.
[11]
Mrs. MAGEE. I have a photo of her.
[12]
Annie GILBERT. I have a photo of her.
[13]
Mary McKEE. I do not know who this is, although the McKEE family did marry into
the JACKSONs in the early 1800s. They were a linen family,
[14]
Mary PATTERSON (1858-1875). She died November 6th 1875 aged 17 years. She was the daughter of Benjamin PATTESON & Mary
McGAW. Her father was an owner of R&B Patteson.
[15]
John McCULLAGH – there is more than one, but I suspect he is the one 1847-1909
who was the older brother of Andrew Bradford McCULLAGH who would become
Margaret’s 2nd husband after Robert REED died.
[16]
Mary REID. There is more than one possibility, but I suspect she would be Mary
REID née Mary
McCULLAGH (1840-1919). She was expecting another child, who was born a month
later.
[17]
Sally – possibly Sarah McCULLAGH (1852-1939) who later married William Sherlock
WHITESIDE. She was a sister of Mary REID. Given the context, she is not the
Sally mentioned beneath.
[18]
It is probable that this is the sister of Mary and Margaret, Sarah JACKSON
(1848-1942) who had recently married Eliezer GILMORE.
[19]
It is probable that this is my great-grandmother Elizabeth
JACKSON (1843-1923), a sister of both Mary & Margaret, The big event
was quite possibly the birth of Sarah GILMORE’s 2nd child who was
born in January 1876.
[20]
Maghery was the home of her sister Mary JACKSON after her marriage to William MENARY.
[21]
Mollie aka Mary MENARY (1872-1947)
[22]
John
JACKSON (1839-1886), older brother to Mary and Margaret.
[23]
Margaret
JACKSON (1853-1944)
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