Old Letters

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Letter from William Cotter from Meenygorman, Ireland, to his daughter Anne Cotter at Indianola, Texas. - February 27th 1858.
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Meenygorman, February 27th, 1858

My Dear Loving and affectionate child Anne:

I received your welcome letter bearing date 20th January. It gives us the greatest pleasure imaginable and all the family in general in hearing of your perfect state of health and all the friends especially your Uncle Dan, as this leaves me and all your friends at present. Thanks be to God for his kindness to us all.

My Dear your sister Mary have a young son a fortnight old. His name is Dan. A Darling nice baby. She is doing well. Her husband Thady Driscoll is carrying on a deal of work of farming and works hard himself. Last October he had one hundred horses one day bringing limestone sent him by his friends and well-wishers. He is submissive to his wife, keeping a respectable house.

Dear Anne your Sister Catherine is living in her own house and is doing well and keeping a good plentiful house. She may thank me for it gave her L55 and many articles besides. Her father-in-law did not give her a farthings worth. Only part of the land after promising her half land half stock. The Twenty pounds I gave them William gave it to his father and told me he was to get half land and half stock. He had to allow Eight pounds for a cow he gave him. The remainder is due still. In fact his father wanted not to give him a bit of land or anything else thinking I would not see them backwards, saw me so much inclined to forward them.

Den Dougherty got married last Sunday of Shrove to a girl of the Himmertons from Coolelugh. Catherine and husband was invited to the christening of Mary's child. She stopped at Dohertys wedding.
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Dr. Anne I wish to know how is your Uncle Dan situated and the sort of dealing he is carrying on and what is he paying for you and where he resides and also your Uncle John and Timothy. Let your Uncle Dan know about your brother John and let me know his opinion.

My Dear I expect to see you before long as your worthy Uncle promised me to have you both come home in three or four years time on a visit. It would be an addition to my life to see ye once more.

Dear Anne I will not forget you. Perhaps you might change your mind in coming home by your Uncle's consent then you could go again if you thought well of it.

My Dear Anne let me know in your next letter how is your Uncle Denis and family and have Uncle John any issue as yet and how are all the friends getting on.

(The letter then gives details of various marriages and deaths, of emigrations of friends to Baltimore, Maryland, to Australia etc., of the banishment of two local priests etc., and then proceeds): -

My Dr. this is too tedious to peruse only you requested to send you an inventory of the changes that happened since you left home. I sent one similar to this before.

Now to conclude I must bid adieu I hope only for a while. I confide God I'll survive to see you and your Uncle once more in dear Erin's Isle. Myriads of blessings and kisses your Ma, Brothers, Sisters and I send you and Uncle John likewise. Give our love and kind respects to all the friends Anne.

Your ever loving and affectionate Father.

William Cotter.

Dr. Niece your absence often causes me to shed a tear being so submissive. My heart did cheer and . . . . . . . . . out of my memory being advanced in years. May God bless you,

John Cotter.

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