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This letter was scanned with permission and gratitude from the collection of Christine WRIGHT of Gilford Castle and transcribed by myself.
As much as possible, the idiosyncratic punctuation style was preserved in the following transcription.
Sharon Oddie Brown: May 30, 2005

Hongkong & Shanghai Bank,
31, Lombard Street,
London
2 June 1911

My dear Mary [1] ,

I have yours of the 30th May. Raymond [2] was operated upon successfully on Wednesday the 31st [?] – Later reports are that he is doing very well. As the old Scotch woman remarked when she finished her prayers on Saturday “that’s a good thing over”. I fancy he will be about three weeks in the hospital and it will probably take a similar time before he is quite well. Pat [3] was longer, but his case was an exceptionally hard one – a regular case of touch and go –

I enclose a cheque for ten pounds give a couple to Micky Grant [4] . Tommy Cumiskey’s [5] a sad case, very sorry to hear of it. Some of the money I am sending may go to his people. Keep the balance for such deserving cases as may crop up from time to time (charity money) indeed the Cumiskey’s may want it all – poor folk it’s a great pity of them. I fear I shall not see Mr Corr [6] again, and more is the pity.

You say Mrs Wright [7] goes over to visit Jim [8] and Molly [9] today – I did not know she was at Urker – perhaps you meant she was going from Newry –

Tommy Luckie’s [10] people may want a helping hand, if so reach it out to them.

Very hot weather here – not a drop of rain about Stansted for nearly three weeks – not since the big hail storm, and yet places within 19 miles of us have been deluged. London experienced a perfect deluge two nights ago – not a drop had we –

Good news from all the absent ones. The Owld hin [11] and myself are the only ones at Stansted [12] (I was going to say at Home, but checked myself before writing in the interests of truth.

I wonder did Bessie [13] and Eily [14] Gilmore go to the exhibition. Young folks are having better times than we had, and more power to them –

Love to all Tom [15] .

[1] Mary GRIFFIN (1844-1921), sister of Sir Thomas resident at Urker, Crossmaglen.

[2] Raymond John MARKER, husband of Beatrice Minnie Shrieve JACKSON. Died 13 November, 1914.

[3] “Pat” is Claude Stewart JACKSON (1892-1917), son of Sir Thomas killed at Ypres in 1917.

[4] “Mickey” GRANT likely of Crossmaglen.

[5] “Tommy” CUMISKEY likely of Crossmaglen

[6] Mr CORR likely of Crossmaglen.

[7] Mrs WRIGHT would be Sarah Jane WRIGHT née REED, mother of James Francis WRIGHT. One of her daughters married David JACKSON (brother of Sir Thomas) while another married Thompson BROWN (nephew of Sir Thomas). Another son, Robert also worked for HSBC. Her husband Robert WRIGHT was a mill owner in Ballinode.

[8] James Francis WRIGHT, husband of Mary MENARY (daughter of Mary GRIFFIN, née JACKSON, first husband MENARY). He and his wife bought Gilford Castle in 1908 and would have been resident there.

[9] Mary WRIGHT (1872-1946)  née MENARY, daughter of Mary GRIFFIN by her first husband, William MENARY.

[10] Tommy LUCKIE likely of Crossmaglen

[11] I take this to be an expression meaning “old hen”.

[12] Stansted, Essex was the home of Sir Thomas in his retirement but it seems that his heart still lived at Urker.

[13] “Bessie” here is possibly Elizabeth BROWN (1870-1942), a niece of Sir Thomas (daughter of his sister Elizabeth JACKSON who married Thompson BROWN). She would later marry Samuel GILMORE, her cousin and also a nephew of Sir Thomas – his mother being Sarah JACKSON. Both Bessie and Samuel lived in the Far East and she died in Tientsin

[14] “Eily” is possibly Edith Eileen GILMORE a daughter of Sarah GILMORE (1848-1942) née JACKSON, a sister of Sir Thomas and the first wife of George RYDER

[15] Sir Thomas JACKSON (1841-1915)

 

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