William Martin, Canoe (?), [Canoe Township, Pennsylvania], to Miss Harriet Martin, County Down, 4 July 1866
Description
In his earlier letters, John Mulligan mentions people named Martin (probably kinsmen and -women), but the precise relationship between William Martin, this letter's author, and the Mulligans is not clear, and we have no information about the author except the contents of this letter which is only mildly interesting. [The author also mentions a Mr William Mulligan who "left here a few days ago, after selling out the balance of all the property of the late Mr Mulligan" and concludes asking his niece to tell "Aunt Mary Mulligan" that he intends to write to her.]. Martin appears to be in late middle age or elderly, but he is still teaching school-although apparently by choice, not because he's poor. The first part of the letter is dominated by his religious consolations to his niece, concerning the death of someone at home. Martin lives with several siblings and admits to feeling great homesickness for the scenes and friends of his Irish childhood. Martin gives much news about relatives who live in New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Iowa, and Oregon-and also about a Jane Quin, who lives near him, who may be a former servant of the family's in Ireland. Given his letter's date, Martin describes local Fourth of July festivities-but without any patriotic hyperbole. [Author's address likely Canoe Township, Pennsylvania].