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Iowa City, Iowa
Dec. 24th 1877

My dear Brother & Sister,

I must send you a joint letter this time as I have put in a note for your Walter. I had such a dear good brother of his name 18 months older than I who was my childhood's friend & play fellow who is now home with all the other dear ones, that I feel drawn towards your Walter. Your baby too has my dear brother Harry's name he was 8 years older than I & married your sister Lizzie you know. Our families seem closely united. Now dear ones I must thank you very very much for your kind letter & invitation. Dear Sister your few loving lines did my heart much good. If I had got your letter a few weeks sooner I think it is likely I should have been with you now. I had already made all my arrangements to leave for old Jamaica, on the Steamer that leaves New York on the 10th January. Charlie's business matters need me there for a little while, and my dear husband's sudden death in St. Thomas compelled me to leave in such a hurry I had to leave Norwich matters unsettled in poor Roger's hands. He died the year after & so the place has been left all these years to neglect & my Roger has never had a cent from it. He is anxious to have me go & see after it for him, so that my visit to Jamaica will be a business one chiefly. Of course the great pleasure I shall have in seeing my dear girls and my little grandson is also an inducement I cannot resist. I have tried in every way to have my Roger go instead & attend to our business himself, but he will not. He thinks I can do what is necessary there and I cannot do here what he can. I do not think I shall remain in Jamaica more than four months. I purpose now returning by New Orleans, and up the Mississippi River and I shall be sure to stop at Lakeland and pay you a visit. I quite long to know you both and all your dear children. I hope before long Roger will go to see you, he is a dear good Son and very very dear to me. I should have answered your letter sooner but sent it to my Charles to see, he says "I think Uncle & Aunt Swire must be very nice folks & I should like to know them, so if you come home that way, I will try & go there to meet you. Thank Uncle for his information about the land, how much he writes like dear Father".

And so you do dear Phillip. I could fancy "Mrs. Caroline Swire" was written by him. I was very glad to get the likenesses & thank you for them. You Phillip do not look at all like your brothers. I shall take them to Jamaica for your Mother to see. If you have any messages or parcel to send & will write me to this address Care Thos. Bland, Esq., 45 & 47 Exchange Place, New York, by the 9th January, I will get it there. But write me please to Jamaica to Roger Haughton's care. Your age & mine Sister are very near. I will be 38 on the 2nd January, this should help to make us more attached & believe me I do feel most tenderly to you all & am very glad you feel so kindly to me. I never wrote before, as I thought it was Phillip's place to write me when he heard of my Henry's death. I am only too glad now the ice is broken & hope it may never harden again. I had a copy of a likeness I had of "Henry" made for my Roger for his birthday. It is splendid. I wish you could see it & I hope you will some day. My Roger was 28 years old on the 29th of November. Your Roger makes me think of his Godfather when he was small. Kiss my Godson for me. I am quite proud of him. My dear Sons unite with me in love & many good wishes for a "Happy New Year" for you all. I think I should like your Southern climate & do not think we shall buy until I visit you. My Charles is very active & goes into his work with all his soul. He is particularly partial to stock of all kinds. He is now working on a large stock farm to learn the management of one. I enclose my Jamaica address.

Believe me ever your affect. Sister,
Caroline Swire

Notes: Walter is Philip & Anna's son Walter Swire. "Dear good brother of his name" refers to Caroline's brother Walter Page. "My dear brother Harry" refers to Caroline's brother Henry "Harry" Constantine Page, who died in 1863. Lizzie refers to Philip's youngest sister Elizabeth Swire, who was married to Harry Page. Charlie or Charles is Charles Alexander BARCLAY, Caroline's son with her first husband, Charles BARCLAY, who died in 1856. "My dear husband" refers to Caroline's second husband, John Henry Dalzell Swire, who was known as "Henry". He was Philip's oldest brother. He died in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands in 1867. The first reference to Roger is the brother of Philip and Henry, Roger Jones Swire, who died in Jamaica in 1870. The second reference to Roger, and those thereafter, is Roger Swire, Caroline's stepson, the son of her second husband John Henry Dalzell (Henry) SWIRE. "My dear girls" refers to Lydia Swire & Alice Swire, Caroline's step-daughters and the sisters of Roger Swire. They remained in Jamaica. "My little grandson" likely refers to a son of Lydia Swire and her husband William Rowe. Lakeland was the name of Philip's farm/plantation near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Roger Haughton was a cousin of Philip Swire's, and also a son-in-law to Caroline. He married Caroline's step-daughter, Alice Catherine Swire. "His Godfather" refers to Caroline's stepson Roger Swire. The two of them were named as god parents for Philip Swire's son Roger Philip Swire.

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