Frances Lydia Swire Letters

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SWIRE Family of Yorkshire, England, St. Vincent & Jamaica, West Indies

Frances Lydia COX

November 27, 1800 - September 28, 1882

Letter Dated May 26, 1871

(letter images & transcription below - click on images to enlarge & read letter)

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Frances Lydia (COX) SWIRE (photo above taken 1870's ??).


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Transcription

Falmouth May 26th/71

My dear Phil,

Your welcome letter of the 11th March would have been answered ere this had I not been waiting to tell you that Augustus had arrived here, and is now only waiting for an opportunity for the State to take his final departure from his native land. You dear Phil will see a very great change in him, for the last five years he has been in wretched health, in fact I know not how the poor fellow has stood all that he has had to endure from sickness and want during all that time.

He does take a pipe at night but if you object to that of course he will not do it in your house and I do earnestly hope and think he will never make you repent of your kindness to him. I think I told you he had lost the sight of his right eye from improper medical treatment during the rebellion here, so that has been much against him even had his health been equal to work (?). He is most grateful to you for your kind offer to him and will I know do all in his power to repay you for what you do for him.

I would not ask Roger Haughton to advance the money for his passage as he did not even pay 5 dollars for his passage from Kingston here. Dear Lucy paid it for him but which I will repay as soon as ever I can. I am borrowing the money from our true (?) friend Mr. Barker for his passage to you with the promise that it shall be repaid by me as soon as I receive the amount from you. I must therefore beg you to remit to me here $10 as soon as you possibly can that I may hand it over to him.

Dear Lucy has been most kind in helping me with decent clothing for him to appear before his new Sister who I am sure will love him first for your sake, and afterwards I trust for his own, when she will soon find out his affectionate disposition and willingness to oblige in any way he can. Dear Lizzie gives him a room in her little cottage and most of his meals he takes with Lucy, for poor Liz finds it as much as she can do to get for herself and two little ones.

With Augustus I will send all the Cartes I have of those you would care to see. I only wish my dear Son I could send you some slight token of my love for you and yours, but Alas! has not the means of sending even a little toy for your dear Children, but you would all accept the will for the deed.

To your dear wife say everything that is loving for us all. Perhaps someday she may meet some of your Sisters, and I think she would love Emily, Lucy and your little pet "Bessie", and I think she would love your worthless old Mother too if she only knew her but that will never be on earth. God grant we may meet in heaven.

Augustus is spending the day on board ship with a kind good friend of Lucy's or he would have written you himself, but he desired me before he left to give you his best love to you and say he hoped soon to see you and tell you that is in his heart. I am very busy mending up his clothes for the voyage so have not time to write more this time. Much love from all here to you, Anna and kisses for the children and believe me dear Phil

Your loving Mother
F. L. Swire

P. S. We all think the Photo of your dear Boy very like Lucy's second Boy.

Notes:

Augustus is Philip's brother Augustus "Gus" Swire.

Roger Haughton is Roger Swire Haughton, Philip's nephew and son of his sister Hannah Jane (Swire) Haughton.

Lucy is Philip's sister, Lucy Albertina Sarah Martha Toogood (Swire) Littlejohn.

Mr. Barker is believed to be Frederick H. Barker, who had taken in the son of Roger Jones Swire after his death in 1870.

Lizzie is Philip's sister Elizabeth Anne Coy (Swire) Page. She was called the pet name of "Bessie" by Philip.

Emily is Philip's sister Emily Elizabeth (Swire) Brymer.

Bessie is Philip's pet name for his sister Elizabeth Anne Coy (Swire) Page.

Anna is Philip's wife, Anna C. (Kean) Swire.