Urker Dec 4th 1895
My dear Tom
I received yours of the 30th October; it came more speedily than ever I knew a letter to come before; it was here exactly one month after it was written, and was very welcome as it told that Minnie [1] was steadily improving; & that you and the children were well. May God keep you all so!
Another source of joy and thankfulness was that “the old cow” [2] was doing beautifully. But I often think how well will she do after you leave her? She always throve under your care, and never under that of any other Manager, as far as I could hear. We must just comfort ourselves with the old Irish proverb, “Never grieve for the day you never sew”. I wonder will I live to see you and David [3] back. I have not any deathly signs about me. I am in perfect health but then I am not far from the completion of my 81st year & am very infirm.
Mary Menary [4] is again able to be up, and through the house as usual; but her stomach is so weak that she cannot eat a bit of solid food; she just lives upon slops; but it is a wonder that she is alive at all, after her long illness.
The McCullagh business [5] shall be attended to; but we have not done anything about it yet; we thought it would see unfeeling to move in it so soon after the death of Johnny [6] . He died on the 24th of November. What an unfortunate party that family was!
We hear that poor Beatrice Brown [7] is again ill with jaundice; it will take her away sooner or later. Poor Hugh is nearly blind & almost a cripple. He can walk but no more. They have had great affliction, and sorry I am to say, they are wrought for it, & have no sign of repenting yet. The rest of your friends in Ireland are just as usual; no improvement in Kiltebane [8] , nor no sign of any. I do not recollect any thing more worth writing; so with love and blessing to you all, ever your affect. Mother E. Jackson. [1] Amelia Lydia DARE wife of Sir Thomas JACKSON [2] “the old cow” = HSBC [3] David JACKSON youngest surviving brother of Sir Thomas JACKSON & working for HSBC in Yokohama. [4] Mary MENARY (1872-1946) daughter of William MENARY & Mary JACKSON – sister of Sir Thomas JACKSON
[5]
NOTE: I will need to consult deeds and wills and
such to see what “the McCullagh business” was about.
[6] John Wallace McCULLAGH (1840-1895), son of Eliza WALLACE & James McCULLAGH. [7] Beatrice Matilda BROWNE daughter of Daniel Gunn BROWNE & Margaret JACKSON. [8] It is still a mystery whoall the people were who lived at Kiltebane (Kiltebane, Kiltyban). Certainly, Eliza's som James and his wife Elizabeth BROWNE did. In Creggan burials there is mention of an Elizabeth DONALDSON from Kilteban who died at age 93 on March 22, 1900. There is also a mention in Griffiths of a Samuel BROWNE (a possible link to Thompson BROWN and/or Daniel Gunn BROWNE. Inscriptions in Cullyhanna Cemetary mention a Michael McMAHON of Kilteban who died in 1917. There are various Kilteban leases tied in to Thompson BROWN (SEE: 1871 Thompson Brown & Kilteban deeds In these leases there is a tie in with both an Elizabeth DONALDSON & Margaret BRADFORD. Kilteban is also mentioned in a will of 1881 of Rev. Joseph DONALDSON, Fermoy, Co. Cork who died Dec 1, 1880. His wife’s name was Mary (SOURCE p. 314 Irish Edition of Alexander ban Donaldson by Ronald Lee Donaldson 1989.) This reference would be to Joseph R. DONALDSON (1821-1880) son of Alexander DONALDSON & Elizabeth JENKINS. His wife Mary DICKIE was the daughter of Robert DICKIE and Mary Anne WALLACE. The Rev. Joseph DONALDSON who married Mary DICKIE was a brother of the John DONALDSON who married Elizabeth Johanna JACKSON.
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