This letter is in the collection of my Aunt Dorothy who has offered it to me as part of putting together the family story. It seems that Thompson BROWN died at home and that after his death that Mollie WRIGHT had come from Gilford Castle and driven her down to the family home at Urker. NOTE: Wendy Jack and Dianne Morgan assisted me in deciphering some of the more elusive parts of the handwriting, for which I am grateful.

Urker

Crossmaglen

Ireland

26th Oct. 1915.

My dear Tom, [1]

Dear old Father [2] passed peacefully away in his sleep on Wednesday night about a quarter to twelve  He got a fall on Sunday morning when I was dressing he insisted on rising he let his handkerchief fall & stooped to lift it he staggered & fell before I could reach him. The nurse & I helped him up & napped him up in his chair with a couple of eiderdown quilts till I hurried on my dress then we dressed him & got liniment & rubbed his back next day there was not the least discoloration on him that we could see but he felt it sore. We sent for Hampton Gray he told us the shock might have hastened the end a little but only a little. he was with us about 7 OC. the next morning & told us what to do & what we might expect So Bessie [3] & Thompson [4] had been wired to & they came & Thompson stayed till all was over & all were there to see him pass away He simply slept away & suffered no pain he did not move hand or foot till the last breath then Mary [5] saw a slight motion of one hand & foot hardly noticeable. We carried out his wishes & had a private funeral no wake. Mr. Miller had a short service in the Drawingroom. Thompson & George [6] , Herbert [7] & Sam [8] carried him to the Hearse & again from it to the grave. Mr. Miller H. Gray [9] & Mr. Kilpatrick were the only strangers. Uncle Andy [10] came from Trim to attend he Uncle Elie & Dr. McBride [11] came together. Jim & Tommy Morris dug the grave & filled it in Mr. Miller stayed till they were almost finished with the boys. When they got back Mr. Kilpatrick read the will to me & the boys Bessie & Mary. The others were in the other room. I can't tell you all the ins & outs of it but the girls are to get three hundred & fifty each Herbert 300 Robert £100. Geo the place & his heirs, but there will be a lot to be made up off it. I get £50 a year & the use of the House &c & £500 which I was forgetting It was money which I got from Uncle Davids [12] property some time after his death & Father had invested it in his own name unfortunately as I will likely have duty to pay on it now. We must all work together for I feel that Geo. will have a hard time to pay all off & all the extra duties & expenses that Lloyd George [13] has invented to rob the widow and orphans if I may call them so.

I hope you, Jeannie & the children are all well [14] .

Aunt Peggie [15] came to be with Mary & me the last few days of Father's illness & was a comfort & help to us both & they all insisted that Mary & I wanted a rest & quiet & Mollie [16] motored down & brought us to Urker so we were here & we are to go to Thompson & Aunt Peggie before we go home again. Uncle Andy wants us too but we can't be away so long I think

            Best love to you all

              Your fond mother

                Bessie Brown

Don't be uneasy about me I am not fretting simply thankful he suffered no pain life was only a burden to him of late he was so frail and helpless

---

[1] Thomas Jackson Brown, b. 1879 son of Thompson Brown & Elizabeth”Bessie” Brown

[2] Thompson Brown

[3] Elizabeth Brown b. 1870, daughter of  Thompson Brown & Elizabeth”Bessie” Brown

[4] Thompson Brown jr b. 1868 son of Thompson Brown & Elizabeth”Bessie” Brown

[5] Mary Brown, b 1872, daughter of  Thompson Brown & Elizabeth”Bessie” Brown

[6] George Brown, son of Thompson Brown & Elizabeth “Bessie” Brown

[7] Herbert Brown, b. 1890, son of Thompson Brown & Elizabeth “Bessie” Brown

[8] probably Samuel Bradford

[9] Dr. Hampton Gray, doctor at Crossmaglen

[10] Andrew Coulter Bradford Jackson

[11] Dr. William Scott McBride, who was married to Ethel Sarah Gilmore, daughter of Eliezer Gilmore & Sarah Jackson

[12] David Jackson, brother of Elizabeth “Bessie” (Jackson) Brown

[13] Prime Minister of England

[14] Of interest in this will is that Thomas Jackson Brown seems to be the only child of Thompson Brown not mentioned to be receiving anything.

[15] This could be Margaret Louisa (Wright) Jackson, widow of David Jackson but it it is most likely to be Margaret (Jackson) (Reed) McCullagh, sister of Elizabeth “Bessie” (Jackson) Brown

[16] Mary “Mollie” (Menary) Wright

 

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