Anne Flood, New York City, to her mother and siblings, Creevagh townland, Kilskeer parish, County Meath, 5 February 1853
Description
Anne Flood appears to be a house servant, and both her letters are excellent descriptions of the dense social network of relatives and former neighbors that young, single immigrants created. She's very happy in the US, but feels nervous and guilty admitting that to her widowed mother, who wants her to return to Ireland. She says that, when she was in Ireland, she always wanted to come to America, and to return home would be "folly." Her parish priest, Fr. Kelly, writes from Ireland on behalf of young people who want or need to emigrate. Her kinswoman, Bridget Caffrey, promises to send money to pay her sister Rose's passage. Ann Caffrey, another of Bridget's sisters, has had poor health since her arrival, and has been a drain on the purse of Bridget, who is "heartbroken." A relative, James Flood, died in quarantine a day after arriving in New York. Another relative, also James, is an apprentice blacksmith. Anne Flood and Bridget Caffrey promise to send money to Fr. Kelly, to help repair the parish chapel, which was damaged in a recent storm.
Date
05/02/1853
Date Issued
27/03/2023
Resource Type
Text
Archival Record Id
p155/23/3
Publisher
University of Galway
Extent
8pp
Topic
Fields and Flood Letters
Geographic
New York City,New York (state),United States,Kilskeer (civil parish),Meath (county),Ireland
Temporal
Nineteenth century,Eighteen fifties
Genre
Transcript,Reproduction
Note
Title, description and transcript text by Professor Kerby Miller.