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This is one of the 77 letters & documents discovered in a bog in Ireland. NEWS: TJ's daughter Dorothy was ill; Mary MENARY is recovering; Tj's children are well & son Tom has joined the army; Beatrice BROWN better in Birdhill; Johnny McCULLAGH still living; James DONALDSON being cared for at home; Kate (WHITING) JACKSON visited.
Sharon Oddie Brown. October 23, 2006

 

Urker Oct 23rd 1895

My dear Tom

 

            For a wonder I have not got a letter from you this week; and I was particularly anxious to hear from you as your last (Sept 18th) brought an account of dear little Dorothy’s [1] illness. I must only comfort myself with hope, till I hear from you again; and then I trust it will be rejoicing instead of hopes. God has been very good to you in hitherto sparing all your children; and I have firm belief that he will bless them; and what you say is true, that you seldom have had bad news to give me. Thanks be to his Holy Name, I have better news to give you. This time, than what I had last. I now hope and expect that dear Mary [2] is going to be spared to us. She is much better in fact not complaining of anything this day except weakness. She will surely be very tender this winter; but we have good means of taking care of her, and giving her every thing that she requires.

 

            We have not heard very lately from Julius [3] ; but we had letters from Tom [4] and Beatrice [5] , and if there had been anything particular to say about Julius, no doubt they would have mentioned it. Julius himself is not a great penman but he is better than that - a stout hearted, [?ly] boy.

 

            Tom did tell me of his wish to join the army, and I was satisfied with it. The time has not yet come when swords will be beaten into ploughshares; and until it does come, we cannot do without soldiers; and there is nothing to hinder soldiers from being god-fearing men. Many have been so from the time of Abraham to our own time. May God grant Tom to be another Havelock [6] or Hedley Vicars [7] He shall have my blessing and my prayers; and so will you every one; and ‘the old cow” is never forgotten.

 

            There is nothing particular to say about your friends in Ireland. They are all much as usual, as far as I know; except that Beatrice Brown [8] is much better since she went to Birdhill [9] . Johnny McCullagh [10] is still living, but he will never be better in this world. I believe I told you that Aunt Bess [11] would not hear of James [12] being sent to an asylum. Things must just go on as they are doing as long as she lives. It cannot be helped.

 

            We all look forward with great pleasure to the prospect of seeing Minnie [13] and the younger children. With fond love to her and all her flock, ever your affectionate Mother,

                        Eliza Jackson

 

PS We had Kate [14] here for a week lately. All her children are well and doing well. I think Andy’s [15] Tom [16] will be well enough. He was here for above a month; and never complained the whole time.

 



[1] Dorothy St. Felix JACKSON (1887-1964) daughter of Amelia Lydia DARE & Sir Thomas JACKSON

[2] Mary MENARY (1872-1946) daughter of William MENARY & Mary JACKSON sister of Sir Thomas JACKSON.

[3] George Julius JACKSON(1883-1956)  – son of Amelia Lydia DARE & Sir Thomas JACKSON.

[4] Thomas Dare JACKSON ( 1876-1954) – son of Amelia Lydia DARE & Sir Thomas JACKSON.

[5] Beatrice Minnie Shrieve JACKSON (1879-1972) –daughter of Amelia Lydia DARE & Sir Thomas JACKSON.

[6] Henry HAVELOCK, SEE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Havelock I would imagine the traits that most endeared him to Eliza would have to do with the fact that he began the distribution of bibles to all soldiers and also introduced all-rank bible study classes as well as the first non-church services for military personnel. He died in 1857 and was posthumously given a baronecy.

[7] Capt. Hedley VICARS, SEE: http://docsouth.unc.edu/marsh/marsh.html Again, I suspect that Eliza was most interested in his record as a “born again” Christian, even though he was also renowned for his soldiering. He died at Sebastopol in 1855.

[8] Beatrice Matilda BROWNE daughter of Daniel Gunn BROWNE & Margaret JACKSON

[9] Birdhill – I think near Keady, Co. Armagh.

[10] John Wallace McCULLAGH (1840-), son of Eliza WALLACE & James McCULLAGH

[11] Elizabeth Joanna JACKSON, wife of John DONALDSON

[12] James DONALDSON son of John DONALDSON & Elizabeth Johanna JACKSON – he had a mental breakdown of some sort.

[13] Amelia Lydia DARE, wife of Sir Thomas JACKSON

[14] Kate Maria Jane WHITING widow of John JACKSON – brother of Sir Thomas JACKSON

[15] Andrew Coulter Bradford JACKSON – brother of Sir Thomas JACKSON

[16] Thomas Dare JACKSON (1879-1961) son of Andrew Coulter Bradford JACKSON

 

 

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