Amanuensis Monday – A Post From John Barton

“An Amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another. Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging theme which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin – some we never met – others we see a time in their life before we knew them.”

Letter dated Dec 26 1893 to
Wm. and Hannah Ward in Chicago, Illinois, USA, from
John Barton (Hannah's father) in Newthorpe, England

To: Mr. W. Ward

850 West Congress Street
Chicago
Illinois
United States - America

From:  Newthorpe

Nottingham

Dear Son and Daughter  I received your leter and was pleased to hear that you were all well and thank William very much for his kindness  I think it would rather ____ for me at my time of life to come out there as I cant turn my hand to anything as I could 20 years since and the thought of giving home up seems to much for me at present   I would much rather keep a home to receive you if you thought well to come back while I live  I have had a severe experience for over two years and I have not got over it yet  I could tell you a good deal if I could see you much   hope to do some day  I have not been very well since  Mothers Death  I was a week before I started work    soon after I started I hurt my arm and had to away g again and now as been at home two weeks with a very bad cold _______ but glad to say I am much beter and about ready for work again so you will see I have had rather a rough time of it and I feel as if I cant aford to have any one in the house with me at present Aunt time is very poorley yet and cannot do any thing for me (Uncle _____ is also beter)  _______Straw live were Bauners did next door so Mrs and Nellie see to me now    I lock up when I go to work   when get home at night they fetch the kettle and boil it and puts anything to cook on hot for me as I want while the fire burns up and Nellie cleans up for me   they are very kind to me and I try to make myself as comfortable as I can but o it is so loneley by myself  but Mother beged of me such a many times to be shure and take care of my home and keep things together and I promised I would   she thought you would be comeing back   she would liked to have seen all three of you before she Died   there are a many things she would liked you to have I should not to see things as she as made go any ___ else you ask me what.  Mothers Illness was first poorley for along time and then the Jaundice set in and when they was at worst great black places broke out on her when getting beter of that the water got in her legs about March they seemed to ___ that she ___ untill June or July and then began she to secken again and filled with water in her bodey and was the cause of her Death if spared I will tell you inove another time your Aunt Hannah sent me a small Box by Post with a card and two nice _____ I must conclud with Love to all hopeing to hear from you soon

from your ever aff (ectionate) Father
            John Barton  
Love from Aunts Uncles and friends

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