Patrick S. O'Callaghan, 1522 Callowhill Street, Philadelphia, to his cousin, Maggie O'Callaghan, Fallow, Kilmacthomas, Waterford, 6 November 1883
Description
This Patrick is a cousin of Maggie and of her siblings, Owen, Thomas, etc.; he is not to be confused with their brother, Patrick, the soldier in the U.S. Army. This Patrick's middle name was Stanislaus, and his nickname was "Stannie". Stannie's literacy level is high: he was a student at Mount Melleray Abbey, in Waterford (county), but he ran away and emigrated to Philadelphia, because he disliked student life and didn't want to become a Trappist monk. He financed his voyage by borrowing money from his uncle (and Maggie's father), Owen O'Callaghan Senior of Fallagh, Kilmacthomas, but he did so under false pretenses: he did not tell Owen Senior, that his parents did not approve of his leaving Mount Melleray or of his emigration. Stannie described a very rough (although short-11 days) voyage, during which he suffered much seasickness. Described his arrival at Philadelphia, where he met Owen O'Callaghan, Maggie's brother, at the docks. Proclaimed his happiness at being in "a free country".
Date
06/11/1883
Date Issued
27/03/2023
Resource Type
Text
Archival Record Id
p155/1/1/1
Publisher
University of Galway
Extent
5pp
Topic
Callaghan/ O'Callaghan Letters
Geographic
Philadelphia (city),Philadelphia (county),Pennsylvania,United States,Fallagh (townland),Kilmacthomas,Waterford (county),Ireland
Temporal
Nineteenth century,Eighteen eighties
Genre
Transcript,Reproduction
Note
Transcript, title and description by Professor Kerby Miller. Colloquial place name 'Fallow' is captured as contemporary 'Fallagh (townland)' in location metadata fields. Surname 'Callaghan' sometimes appears as 'O'Callaghan' across letters in this series.