A letter (dated 8 June 1956) from "cousin Emily" written to Thomas and Sara McFarland from Ireland Transcription of this letter This cousin Emily also sent a letter to her cousin Juliana prior to 26 October 1956 The letter to Julia does not survive, but a letter from Julia refers to Emily's letter Emily is probably Emily Jane Kelly, daughter of Charlotte (McFarland) Kelly, hence neice of Andrew McFarland In this letter, she writes that she is over 82 years of age (born before 1874) Emily is probably married to "Tommy", living in Comber, 5 miles SE of Belfast.

To Website Menu Horan Album Menu family of Emily Kelly

Mullycarnon
Minterburn
Caledon June 8^th, 1956

Dear Tom and Sara:

Had your letter about [Xmas?]. a man who was reared beside Tommy's farm here in Comber, (Greasons) & who had a pub in America, or his uncle had rather, & him & another brother lived with him long ago, they both came back, & the pub was sold out. Bartley Finnegan he was the highest bidder £900, & it fell down to him at that, he would have given it back to us again but no one wanted it then. He is a R Catholic he has bought Lockhards below it now also, & the meadows & Mick McVeighs that belonged to Lizzie Millar as well. He has 2 sons on it, & a big hay shed up at the foot of the stalk yard garden, & a daughter & another son on the Police force & is a very nice man. I never was past it & never will now, but its very nice. Lila Wilson says he asked me down, but I never got down.

I heard Eugene had turned his coat & is going to Chaple with his C wife, its awful what is turning here too. The C faith is a [word unknown], if you are not married by a priest, in a C Church you aren't married at all, & a woman is living up with her hubby as an harlot, & their children are illegitimate or bastards. I asked the girl here was that true, & she said that is the Catholic Faith surely as if it was quite the right thing. She was a Catholic herself & was brought up to think that was just the proper thing, isn't that awful. I never heard that 'till I was 82.

Minnie is dead years ago, about a few years before Best died, a lump on the bowel, same as Maria's Martha had. Minnie's bursted & Martha's didn't, but its death in any case. Maria's son Jimmy is dead, cancer in the stomach, & Ryan is dead, & Maria & Lila are in Kilearn living now. Marie is bad with high blood pressure now & on a diet & has to take things easy. Lila said she will hardly live long either. She never was too strong, had a drapery shop on the Shankhill in Belfast for 26 years, & had to come home again . The place is in grass, & does [be] auctioned yearly. John and Joe are all that's alive. John's son Cecil has got a job in Canada & will soon be Canadian now. He is an engineer & was in a big firm in Dublin. He must have got big pay in Canada. He is married & has 1 son & John had 3 girls, one of them in a Solicitor office & 2 of them are married. They were nurses & 1 is in the Royal a nurse the youngest. Joe's son Joe is still in Gillespies store in Armagh & 2 at home with him & one a missionary in Brazil, S.A. & the girl Tillie is married & has 1 little girl, is in Derry [word unknown] with Diekson Orr's son Joe, my old sweetheart.

Dolly Wright is in Tower Hill Hospital & may never be out of it. She is shaking like a qua, with her nerves this long time. Ernie married a typist in Belfast, she had twins, a girl & boy, the girl Rosemary is big now, but the boy died when born. He is married now to Wm. Brady's only girl. She lost her first child, a girl of 7 months, it lived a week & then died, except I would hear from someone I don't know or hear about Dolly, or Ernie & she never writes to the Wilsons either (an odd fish).

I only have an odd letter from Lila & she tells me anything I hear, - I am still in bed & now Tommy is in his bed in the other side of me. He had a bad cold, a flue of the worst type. He had the Dr. Doctors are all free now, you have only to pay for the medicine, the girl I had from Middletown is in the Mental Hospital in Armagh. I had a letter from her & one from the Dr there to tell me she is no better. She listens to imaginary voices, & then gets restless. In response to these he said, she says to me, its only nonsence keeping me in here so long, but I knew when she told me she had no glasses that she was still a bit heady. I have just wrote to her now. The Dr told me he encouraged her to answer my letters. Its awful whats going crazy & what's turning their coats & what's leaving for other countries. There will soon be nobody here at all, but they may all find a change. Far away fields are green. 74 & 70, Tommy got for 2 cattle & not fully finished beef at that. Its terrible what things may turn to. Everything is a terrible price, & butter sometimes over 4 shillings & tea 8 S, eggs are £3   5½^D per Doz, & milk 2.6 per gallon.

I can write no more this time. Love to you, Sarah, & all

Your loving cousin, Emily