Transcription

I thankful to say all are well here, I heard from dear Lucy two days ago, she was not feeling very well and Lizzie and Joe want her to come up here for a little change but as she is about making some repairs to her house, she says she cannot leave just now. I spent three such _____ months with her from Novbr to Febr and then came up here to help dear Liz in getting Robert ready to go to you, this is now done, and he is only waiting to sell his mare to get the ______ to pay his passage. The dear Boy is quite ______ at the of going to a new country. I shall feel sadly the parting with him. He has been my child from his birth but I know it is better for him to go. There is really no prospect for a young man in this country.

Emily Brymer's 3rd daughter Helen has been with us for the last year she left us for Kingston on 23rd instant. Her sister Mary about to be married very shortly to a Mr. Smith a clerk in a government office
and of course Helen would wish to be present particularly as the Gentleman is about to take her to another Island and the sisters may not meet again in life. Dear Emily has had her trouble this year, her eldest son James Arthur was in command of a fine ship one of the Packet Steamers was unfortunately lost in the Channel and as he heard all the officers were to be dismissed, he resigned his command in, but as he has very good testimonials, I hope he will soon get another appointment. He was a good son and helped his poor Mother, so for her sake, as well as his own, I trust he will soon get another Ship.

I heard from dear Mamie Plues by the last mail. Her girls are still teaching at the College in Heathcote, and her only son has a good appointment in a Newspaper office as travelling clerk and all his expences paid. This is good for him as he sees so much more of men and manners than he could possibly as if confined to an office.

Lucy's son will leave school the end of this year, and will then go into his Brother in laws office as his Clerk and will ______ ____ be brought in as Lawyer, he is a very nice lad and I sincerely hope will do well.

23rd June. You will see this letter has been very delayed in the hope that I should have been able to say dear Robert had left for America but the poor boy he has not been able to sell his mare and the poor fellow is fretting so much that he cannot get away, but I suppose it is as _________ by our Heavenly Father, so I will still trust and not be afraid. We have been anxiously looking for tidings from you of the safe confinement of dear Anna. I do hope the Packet now due from New York may bring the wished for news. All here join me in fondest love to you and yours.

Ever your loving old Mother,
F. L. Swire

Notes:

Lucy is Lucy Albertina Sarah Martha Toogood (Swire) Littlejohn, sixth sister of Philip Swire.

Lizzie is Elizabeth Anne Coy (Swire) Page, later Elizabeth Rutty, seventh sister to Philip.

Joe is Joseph Waterhouse Rutty, Lizzie's second husband.

Robert is Robert Andrew Page, Lizzie's son by her first marriage.

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

Helen is Helen Gordon Brymer, Emily's third daughter.

Mary is Emily Mary "May" Brymer, Emily's second daughter.

Mr. Smith's full name is not yet known.

James Arthur Brymer is Emily's oldest son.

Mamie Plues is Marianne "Mamie" (Swire) Plues, Philip's fourth sister.

Lucy's son mentioned here would have to be her eldest son Henry Cyrill Littlejohn, who would have been age 14 at the time the letter was written. His brother in law's name is not known, and would indicate that he had a married sister, but at this time, her name is not known. Lucy was believed to have had only three sons.