Slieveroe,
Thursday
July
22nd 1897
My Darling Sallie[1],
This mourning paper will show you that I have only sad news to give you
for which I hope Mattie's[2]
letter prepared you.
Dear
Andy[3]
has left us, he died yesterday morning at 11o'c he was just ill of pneumonia
three weeks today. He took a sudden
shiver in the evg the day he took ill and had a regular rigor without any known
cause and after never feeling better in his life. Maggie[4]
bathed his feet in hot water got him to bed at once and made him hot coffee, in
fact did all that was possible. Next
day was dispensary day so Dr. Elliott[5]
saw him early and did all he could but after several recoverys and relapses he
passed away. He did not suffer much
acute pain but feverish restlessness & thirst. He was delirious for about 24 hours near the finish of his illness,
on Monday and part of Tuesday, after then he was quite clear and
conscious. In the early days of his
illness he thought himself not likely to live but later said nothing about it. He had Mr. Henry[6]
up once to see and pray with him. For a
moment or two he said to Mr. H. "Now kneel down and say six words or so to
the point". Mr. H. just did so
& Andy closed his eyes and seemed to join heartily.
You must not be vexed with me
for not writing to you oftener but really I seem to never have a chance of
writing a proper letter. I only
scribble a few words or business that can't be postponed. Maggie is greatly upset and fatigued and oh
Sally dear is in the family way again[7]
expects her trouble in Nov. and the son[8]
only eight months old.
I got
your letter & receipt all right. It
was good of you to share with me and indeed it was a relief. This was the first time I was out of debt
since Fred[9]
died. I must wait for a chance of
sending the two watches & as they can't be posted from here. It is not every one one can trust to post
them in America on landing. Maggie
Dickies[10]
is on a visit to Drumminck. The
children Sallie[11] and Mollie[12]
are in Liscalgot and Lizaba[13]
and Alice[14] at
Ballimote. Annie Reed[15]
is there now for her holydays.
The
funeral will be tomorrow at three o/c to his father's burying ground. Johnny
Little[16]
is making the grave. Maggie will write
a long letter soon.
Yr fond cousin
Mary Griffin[17]
Please write to tell Johnny[18]. James[19]
is here most of the time of Andy's illness. He feels his death greatly. He says he has not heard from you for a long
time. Our David[20] is
better. We hope to see him at the
funeral
Envelope addressed to:-
Mrs. Whiteside
C/O Rev W. Whiteside[21]
Santa Maria
Santa Barbara Co
California
USA
[1] Sarah (McCullagh) Whiteside
[2] Maud Elizabeth Reed, daughter of Margaret (née JACKSON) (REED) McCULLAGH
[3] Andrew Bradford McCullagh, husband of Margaret (Jackson) Reed) McCullagh
[4] Margaret (Jackson) (Reed) McCullagh, sister of Sir Thomas JACKSON
[5] Dr. ELLIOT (I believe the dispensary was still at Slieveroe as a result of Margaret JACKSON’s first husband –deceased - being the local doctor)
[6] Mr HENRY?
[7] Would give birth to John McCullagh four months after her husband’s death
[8] George David McCullagh
[9] Frederick Richard Griffin, husband of Mary (Jackson) (Menary) Griffin
[10] Maggie DICKIE, probably the Margaret “Meta” DICKIE (?-1936) who was the daughter of Alexander DICKIE (1831-1887) and Anna Maria McCULLAGH(1836-1896)
[11] Sarah McCullagh, daughter of Andrew Bradford McCullagh & Margaret (Jackson) Reed) McCullagh
[12] Mary McCullagh , daughyter of Andrew Bradford McCullagh & Margaret (Jackson) Reed) McCullagh
[13] Elizabeth McCullagh, daughter of Andrew Bradford McCullagh & Margaret (Jackson) Reed) McCullagh
[14] Alice Margaret McCullagh, daughter of Andrew Bradford McCullagh & Margaret (Jackson) Reed) McCullagh
[15] Annie Reed, sister of Robert Hamilton Reed, first husband of Margaret (Jackson) (Reed) McCullagh
[16] Johnny LITTLE, presumably the undertaker or gravedigger
[17] Mary (Jackson) (Menary) Griffin – sister of Margaret (Jackson) Reed) McCullagh
[18] John McCULLAGH (1847-1909) lived at Eureka, California, USA
[19] James McCullagh, brother of Andrew Bradford McCullagh
[20] probably David Jackson, younger brother of Mary & Margaret Jackson. He was on a twelve months leave from HSBC in the Far East which began January 1897 and was extended to two years.
[21] William Sherlock Whiteside, husband of Sarah (McCullagh) Whiteside