Kingsden
Park
Knock
Belfast
Aug 11th/06
My dear Sally[1],
Thank you for your very kind
letter. I cannot begin to tell you
about my dear old man[2],
only he was so ill at last, we were thankful to see him at rest. We were 42 years together all but a
month. I send you P.O. for £7. Six is
yours and the other will you send to Tom[3]
from me. I would like to do more but
cannot at present. I did not send Ellen
McMahon[4]
any money. James[5]
was here and advised me not, that if you had any to spare it would be better to
give it to Tom[6].
I was
very glad to hear you were so much better.
Take good care of yourself and do not do so much. Have you heard of Mr. McKean's[7]
death. I wrote to Annie[8].
They only sent a card so I have not heard any particulars. Andy[9]
leaves us on the 21st of this month. We
will miss him greatly. Jim[10]
has not got his length yet. Willie[11]
writes that he hopes to get home next spring.
Only think, he gives me £144 yearly now. Is he not good - and the other boys have been very good also. We have a very snug wee house here and a
good garden. Cis[12]
was at Slieveroe for a week, at the ordination of a new minister, a Mr.
Montgomery. She brought Mollie[13]
back with her. They were all well in
Slieveroe[14].
I
have no news. Cis[15]
will write you soon. I have been very
poorly however I think I am improving. I hope Mr. Whiteside[16]
and the children are well. Give my love
to them. I forgot to say the property
at Dromault[17] is yours
and Cis's[18] now and she
has put it in Mr. Martin's[19]
hands to collect the rents and send you your share as we were afraid we could
not manage it. I can not give you any
statement of A/Cs I just send you half
of what came. Now dear I must stop.
Good bye and God bless you all, Your loving sister
Mary Reid[20]
[1] Sarah “Sallie” (McCullagh) Whiteside b. 1852
[2] William Reid, husband of Mary Reid, d. 26 May, 1906 – a little over two months before this letter
[3] Thomas McCullagh, brother of Sarah “Sallie” (McCullagh) Whiteside
[4] Ellen McMahon (?)
[5] James McCullagh, brother of Sarah “Sallie” (McCullagh) Whiteside
[6] Thomas McCullagh, brother of Sarah “Sallie” (McCullagh) Whiteside
[7] William McKEAN (1822-Aug 6, 1906) of Millmount, Keady. I believe he owned mills at Laragh.
[8] Annie McKEAN, daughter of William MCKEAN & Mary Anne Jane BARTLEY.
[9] Andrew Reid, son of William & Mary Reid
[10] possibly a son of the sender, James McCullagh REID
[11] William Reid 1866-1923 – NOTE in other correspondence, he is noted as being in Yokohama Could it be HSBC?
[12] Sally McCullagh Reid, daughter of William and Mary Reid b. 1870, age 36 at time of letter
[13] probably Mary McCullagh, age 16, daughter of Andrew Bradford McCullagh & Margaret (Jackson) McCullagh
[14] Slieveroe, Co. Monaghan where Margaret McCULLAGH née JACKSON lived.
[15] Sally McCullagh Reid, daughter of William and Mary Reid b. 1870, age 36 at time of letter
[16] William Sherlock Whiteside
[17] Dromault – I need to check this. Probably an alternative spelling.
[18] Sally McCullagh Reid, daughter of William and Mary Reid b. 1870, age 36 at time of letter
[19] William MARTIN, land agent handling accounts in Ballybay.
[20] Mary (McCullagh) Reid, sister of Sarah “Sallie” (McCullagh) Whiteside