Thomas Barry & Bridgid Cosgrove lived in Tallow, Ireland, which I think is near Waterford. He had a son, John Thomas Barry born in 1820 in Ireland, who emigrated to Prince Edward Island, Canada. His other children were Francis, Richard and Elizabeth. His brother, John Richard had a son called Benjamin, so maybe that is the Benjamin he is referring to in the following letter to his brother, John. Apparently the marriage record of John Thomas Barry lists his father as Thomas Barry and his mother as Bridgid Cosgrove. If any of these names are familiar, I would appreciate your getting in contact with me. Thank you.
Below is a letter from John Thomas Barry to his brother, Richard Barry, both sons of Richard Barry and wife unknown:
Source: "Along the North Shore" Pages 226 & 227
A Letter From Ireland:
On February 26, 1851, Thomas Barry of County Waterford, Ireland wrote the following letter to his brother, John who lived at Egmont Bay, Lot 15. John Barry had left County Tipperary via Waterford in 1812 to Newfoundland and in 1815 moved to Malpeque before settling at Lot 11. He moved from Lot 11 to Egmont Bay and several descendants still live in Wellington area today. The original document in the possession of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Bulger, Foxely River. Joseph's grandmother was Catherine Barry (1825-1889), very likely a daughter of John. The letter is a realistic portrayal of the problems and concerns of Irish tenants during the mid-nineteenth century. One can almost feel the sorrow in the writer's heart as he corresponds with a brother he has not seen for nearly thirty years.
Tallow, 26th Feb. 1851
My Dear Brother:
I write you these few lines hoping to find you and your family in good health as this leaves me at present. Thanks be to God for his mercy. The reason I write this letter now is for fear that you did not receive my letter I wrote you in the month of last November. Which in that letter I stated all particulars respecting myself and family and also the reason of my son not going out (to PEI) in the fall. I also stated to you in that letter respecting the answers I received from Mr. Wm. Yeo which if you received that letter I am sure that it would give you every information. But for fear that it should miscarry, I write you this second letter now. The reason I delayed my first was to let you know about the answer I received from Mr. Wm. Yeo. When I first wrote him a letter he said in reply to me that he could not give me a decided answer as the barque did not arrive up to that time. But he requested of me to write him a second letter which I did and his answer was then that the season was rather late and that the vessel would not go until in or about the first of April precisely and that I could go. I also stated to him to know whether he would find my son in provisions for the passage or whether you said anything about it and he said nothing to me in either letter I received from him.
Dear brother, I hope that as soon as this letter reaches you that you will write me an answer as the time is drawing near and also that you will send me a few Pounds in money to fit him (his son) out for the passage as I am not able to do so for myself. You may easily judge of the state of things in this Kingdom now since your absence from it. The flannel in your time we were paid 1/1 1/2 (pence) per yard for working it. We must do it now for 1/2 pence per yard and not employed three parts of the year round at that same price.
I hope that you will do all that lies in your power to take my son John out, as he being the eldest in the family now. The second boy his name is Francis and the youngest his name is Richard, called after my father. I had but one daughter. Her name was Elizabeth. She was married and her husband was killed by a fall from his scaffold and she died immediately after hearing tell of his death. I have a little boy aged seven years, a fine hearty young fellow. My son Francis enlisted in the line and is now soldiering in the East Indies. I also wrote to Benjamin as you desired and received no answer from him. I also feel sorry for the loss of your wife and son and I hope that I will see you before I depart this life.
Yours, Thomas Barry,
until death.
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Topic: Thomas Barry & Bridgid Cosgrove (Read 2274 times)