Letter written by Thomas Gribbin [?], Philadelphia, to Patrick Gribbin, Anahorish, Castledawson

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Document ID 201003005
Date 29-07-1883
Document Type Letters (Emigrants)
Archive Mellon Centre for Migration Studies
Citation Letter written by Thomas Gribbin [?], Philadelphia, to Patrick Gribbin, Anahorish, Castledawson;Mary Wylie; CMSIED 201003005
33918
1110 Sumerset Street 
Port Richmond 
Philadelphia 

July 29th 83

Dear Patrick 
                   Your letter came 
safe to hand I was thinking 
that mabe [maybe] you were to get  a an-
other from me before you would 
write & so you could if I was 
a writer of any account but I am
such a poor hand at it that 
it is a task for me to answer 
the ones I get. But I hope to 
long able to answer yours that 
is if we cannot talk otherwise
then by letters. There is times when
people meet pleasure mingled 
with savour. And that is often 
the case when I get a letter from 
you telling me of the beauty and 
pleasure of my native land. 

and the joys that are gone and 
the friends that are no more
I  move ---- or see any one that I 
could talk to about the fields and
roads I used to roam in boyhood 
days. All the walks scenes and sounds 
still keep fresh in my memory 
and the neighbourhood kind & true 
with ------- pleasant & free 
I often think is it fate that drove
me from home. Well as for 
general news I have got none 
for I must fill letter with 
with something you see by the
heading of my letter that I have 
changed my boarding house 
I am now in the upper part 
of the city working in a shipyard 
I am helping a little fellow from 
The J.Head Jack Straw is his name.
I am working steady this summer
for so far but do not know 
how long it may last.


I am glad to hear of you being
able to hold your own these 
times and prospect of doing better
I suppose Mary & Eliza will be 
Going a usual to see the Isle that 
Is crowned with shamrocks 
I wish them pleasure on their 
visit I got a letter from William 
down east he expected Hugh to 
pay him a visit soon Well
neither me nor the spirit had
moved yet in the direction 
of making a change of life 
I dont care how soon we would both
move if it was for the better
But I have not found out 
yet who is going to move in
the same diriction [direction] for spirit or
no spirit I cant [cant] do it myself
I cant [cant] tell you much about 
any of the neighbours here I do
not visit many of them I go
once in a while to see Thomas

McGrogan he lived down in
the lower part of the city
& keeps a Segar [Seggar; Sugar?] Store Eliza
Stinson is married again to a 
man by the name of Galligher
James & his care is doing as well
as could be expected I may go 
out to him in winter This month
has been verry [very] warm I think
hotest [hottest] of the summer is over
after next month is comes the pleasan-
est [most pleasant] season of the year in this
country if ever you visit America
come in September or October
American scenery in fall is rich 
I am scribbling this on my
knee you will hardly be able to make
it out when the spirit moved me I
might have something better Yours TG [Thomas Gribbin?]