Tower Cottages, 2 July 1877

This letter is somewhat damaged (in its current existence it's in four pieces), but full of news. Aunt's been unwell, Marion's lost her voice, Tam's okay, weather is hot; there's a crop report, a wages report, and the terrible news that Marion's sister Sarah in London is sick in a hospital with smallpox, leaving two little children in danger of losing their mother. Marion Brown is moved to an extended paragraph on religious resignation to God's will by this news.

What she is not moved to mention: this letter was written on Marion Brown's 33rd birthday.

Tower Cottages
July 2nd 1877

My Dear Friends

We are always very glad to see a letter from any of you and I hope this will find you all in the enjoyment of good health which is the best earthly blessing we can have I am sorry to [have to?] tell you that Aunt has been very poorly it was like bilious fever she had and she was very sick for a week but is now on the way of improveing if she could take more food I think she would soon get stronger but she can take almost nothing However we must hope for the best and look to our Father in heaven for the blessing on the means that is used.

the weather is come in very warm and it is very trying at least I feel it very much my voice is entirely [failing?] me again you could scarce know a word I say. Tam is keeping wonderful well this some time which is a good thing when both aunt & me has been complaining. I was sorry to see from your letter that uncle Joseph had been so long bad but I hope he is still keeping better & all the rest well,

you want to know what kind of crops we have here abouts well as far as I have seen corn hay potatoes and turnips is all looking very well at the season. [unreadable section lost in a torn fold] country is dull as well as with you at Thornhill hay and harvest fair the masters tried hard to bring down the wages but in general the servants got about last years wages I have very little new to tell you this time I had such bad news from London [unreadable section] my sister Sarah is very bad with smallpox they are not qute sure how it will stand with her yet her husband tried hard to get keeping her at home I mean in their own house [unreadable section] knew it was small pox he made her be taken away to the hospital, we must just wait with patience and hope for the best. she had two little boys and if she is taken from them they will miss a mothers care which is a great want, but God knows best what way is the best and what he sees fit to do we have no right to say a word but human nature is hard to bend and we feel the afflicting rod hard to bear but we have great promises to cheer us in affliciton as well as in health for whom God loveth he chasteneth and he is the friend that sticketh closer than a brother

now I must draw to a close uncle William and his family is all well at present and all friends here as far as I know and hopping to hear from you soon and with kind love to you all every one in which Aunt and Tam joins I remain your affectionate cousin

Marion Brown

PS tell uncle John that we have a great time here with hens instead of singing birds M. B.

Tower Cottages, 16 April 1877

As I type in this letter, much of mid-Scotland is under hurricane conditions--so maybe it's appropriate that Marion Brown is writing about the weather--in her case, cold and snow. (The winter-spring of 1877 was "notably wet" in Scotland, according to weather historians.) The cold is affecting Aunt's rheumatism, and Tam's work schedule. Marion Brown, meanwhile, is confined to bed with sore eyes and a cold. She was recently, temporarily blind, and apologizes that she cannot write more. The doctor blames Marion Brown's sewing and knitting for straining her eyes. Aunt is wistful; she expects she will never get a chance to see John Bryden, the new son of James Bryden and Marion Glencross. (And as far as I can tell, she never did see him.)

Tower Cottages
April 16th 1877

My Dear Friends,

In answer to your last which I received in due time I write a few lines to let you know how we are getting on. Aunt has been wonderful in her health but very bad with rheumatisms in her legs and arms the weather is so cold that there is little wonder that we are not all bad with pains the snow is lying white on the hills around us today we may say that we have never had winter till the spring is nearly past only we hope the weather will soon take a change.

Tam is still working with masons when the weather will allow and has been in pretty good health this some time past now James I will not promise to write you a long letter this time for I have had very sore eyes for a week I was nearly blind and since my eyes turned a little better I have had a bad cold and has been confined to bed but I may be very thankful that I am on the way of getting better if I continue if it is Gods will. the doctor blames me looking so steady at my work for my eyes turning sore. be that as it may I must just submit to whatever God sees fit to lay upon me and be glad it is no worse. I hope this will find you all in good health when it reaches you. Aunt sends her kind love to you and she says she would like very well to see your son but she thinks that will likely never take place. you are to give Aunts kind love to all friends and execpt [sic] the same to you all every one from your affectionate Cousin Marion Brown

I hope you will not be long in writting for I cannot write more at this time M. B.

Tower Cottages, 8 January 1877

An eventful letter--or rather, a reply to an eventful letter. Marion Glencross and James Bryden have a new baby son, John Glencross Bryden, who would be called "Jake" in later life. Marion Brown is excited for her cousin, and offers half-jokingly to come help with him, saying that she's good with children, and that, if she can't walk around with him, at least she can sit in a corner and sing, as "bairns all like noise." (She will feel somewhat differently when she's sharing quarters with Tam's children, later in the correspondence.) Marion Brown mentions that her brother James has five children, the youngest named for her.

This letter also gives evidence that John Glencross has sent money ("kindness") for his sister's household; especially handy in the stormy depth of winter, when Aunt's rheumatism is worse, and Tam has been out of work for weeks. Marion acts as conduit for messages from Aunt and Tam in this letter ("Aunt bids me say that..."), and scolds more than once that the American cousins should write more often (though surely there might be some excuse for less-frequent writing, in a household with a newborn baby).

Tower Cottages
8 January 1877

Dear Cousin

I received your very welcome letter in due time and was very glad to see it for Aunt was wearing so much to hear from you. We are all very pleased to see from your letter that you are all well and that you have got such a fine little boy to nurse. Aunt says that she dreamed about uncle John holding a baby on his knee about the very time he would come among you and James if I was near you I would nurse some times for you for I am very fond of children and I am Aunt to all the children that know me.

The new year is begun very stormy with us while I am writting the window is just as if it was going to be blown in. I am very glad to be able to tell you that we are all wonderful in the meantime Aunt is bad with rheumatisms but if there is a weak part in the body the stormy weather is sure to make one feel it and Aunt is not so young now and she must fail but has always the brave spirit to go through her if strength would stand

You are to tell uncle from her that she is very much obliged to him for his kindness and she hopes both you and him will always have plenty and never want for anything. but there is one thing I have to tell you that you are never to be so long in writting for she does weary to hear from you.

Uncle William and his family is all well in the meantime. my Brother and his family is all well he has five children and the youngest is named for me. Now James I am going to tell you that if you are all spared and well you are not to be very long till you send me the likeness of your son to let us see what he is like I have to tell you from Aunt that she is very pleased that his name is John Glencross. tell Marion from me that I think she would be nothing the worse of a useless body like me to sit in a corner and nurse her son some times if I could not walk about much with him I would sing to him and bairns all like noise.

Tam bids me tell you that he is wearing his very life out for he has had nothing to do for three weeks he is going to set out a second time to see if he can get any thing to do work is very scarce here just now. please to give Uncle Joseph & Aunt Marion your kind regards and I hope Aunt is keeping better and all the rest well. I can think of very little more to say at this time I have no news all is very quite. hopping you will not be so long in writting next time with kind love to you all every one in which Aunt and Tam joins and may God be your guide is the desire of your affectionate cousin, Marion Brown

PS Many thanks to uncle John for his kindness MB

Tower Cottages, 11 December 1876

Into the darkest weeks of winter. Tam Scott isn't working much, and Aunt's rheumatism is sometimes bad. This letter is written not to John Glencross, Marion Glencross Bryden, or James Bryden (who received the majority of the letters that survive), but to Uncle and Aunt who are also in Pennsylvania, near the others. So at some point, this letter was added to the collection at 207 Helen Street.

A few family, geographic and other notes: The Uncle and Aunt addressed by Marion here are no doubt Joseph Glencross (1819-1898) and his wife Marion Wilson. The Tam at the end of the first paragraph is their oldest son Thomas. The new baby Marion mentioned belongs to her brother James Brown and his wife Agnes Kerr.

Who is Corse? Not sure, but he sounds like a former neighbor at Tower Cottages? (Glencross is sometimes written "Glencorse," which adds to the complication of discovering who this is.) The parish of Sorn is in Ayrshire, and Auchenlongford is a hillside farm about 3 miles from the village of Sorn (according to Iain Hutchison's email notes on this letter, from a decade ago!).

Jane Rae Hunter of Raefield, then Cumnock... there's a Thomas Rae of Raefield in the Wilson list of graves at Sanquhar Kirkyard (link in left column), and there are several other Raes and mentions of Raefield in that list. So the mention of the name and place might well have been familiar to the uncle who grew up in the area.

Tower Cottages
Dec 11th 1876

Dear Uncle & Aunt

We was very glad to see your kind letter for we was wearing much to hear how you was all getting on and I hope this will find you all in moderate health when it reaches you. I am glad to be able to say that we are in moderate health in the meantime Aunt is sometimes very bad with the pains in her legs and arms she was thinking you had all forgot her together before we got the last letter she just takes fits of wearing to hear from you and she bids me say that you are all to tell Tam that he is to write a letter himself and let her know how is getting on

Tam is working with masons when the weather is dry but there is very little work going on around here and every thing is very dear Uncle William and his family are all well and James and his family are all well and he has another addition last month another daughter and it is named after me they call it Marion he has five alive and one dead and it is just like no times since he was married.

Corse left the Tower at the last term and went to a place in the parish of Sorn the name of it is West Auchenlongford and we have got one letter from him and he was liking the place well enough for the time I had very little news to send you this time but Jane Rae of Raefield was married on the 8th of this month to a Cumnock man his name is Hunter all acquaintences is well here as far as I know and Aunt sends her kind regards to you all every one and you are not to be so long in writting remember me to uncle John and Marion and Bryden and execpt of my kind regards to you all every one from your affectionate neice Marion Brown

Tower Cottages, 20 November 1876

Short, rather grouchy note, reporting Aunt Agnes's disappointment about the lack of correspondence from her brothers in America. The winter has been early and hard so far in Sanquhar, and it's making Aunt's rheumatisms worse. Marion's health is also worse than recently, and "I cannot walk a step with a sore back." Crops were good, and "we are not traveling far to hear many news"--maybe a comment on the Tower Cottages being closer to the town than their old home at the Bogg.

Tower Cottages
Novr. 20th 1976

Dear Uncle

It is now so long since we heard from any of you that we have been wearing very much to know how you are all keeping I am sure there has not a day passed for three weeks past but Aunt has had some one at the post to see if there was not a letter from America but no there has no news come yet so Aunt just told me this morning that I was to write to you this time and see if you would answer any quicker as Uncle Joseph or James Bryden. She thinks far more about any of you being long in writting now as she did when we was at the Bogg she has not so much work to do and gets more time to think some times she will say I think Joseph & John has forgot that they have a sister in this country now at all I have to say that she hopes you are all well and that some of you will not be long in writting. You have to tell Bryden from her that he told her in fun that she was long in getting the tea ready but she thinks in reallity that he is long in writting this time.

We have had very cold weather of late the snow was lying white on the hills for some days and now we are having rain every day and today the rain is just falling in torrents so I may say that winter seems to set in very soon this year. In general there has been good crops the corn potatoes and turnips has all been very good at the Tower and we are not traveling far to hear many news. Aunt is some times very bad with rheumatisms in her legs and arms and the changeable weather make her feel them more and for me I am not very strong some days I cannot walk a step with a sore back. now I will stop hopping to hear from you soon and with kind love to you and all friends I remain your affectionate neice Marion Brown

Tower Cottages, 2 July 1876

Aunt has rheumatisms, Tam is working but spits up "much blood," and Marion has had a lump removed from her lip and a few blisters to treat chest pain. She tries to be grateful for the life she's given, but "I have not known what it is to have good health." What Marion doesn't mention: this letter is dated 2 July, Marion Brown's birthday--she turned 33 on the day she wrote this.

Tower Cottages
July 2nd, 1876

Dear Cousin

I have no doubt but you will be thinking me very long in writting to you but I will claim the shelter of the old proverb better late than never and try and do better for the time to come. I hope this will find you and all friends well when it reaches you. Aunt and Tam is wonderful well in the meantime Aunt is sometimes very bad with rehumatisms and not very good at walking when they are bad but hard work makes people fail faster. Tam is labouring with mason just now he does not like the work very well but he is near home and it is better as being in lodging when he is not very strong sometimes he is often troubled with a pain in his side and spits blood and no one is very strong when they spit much blood. and for myself I have been very frail this some time first there was a lump grew on my under lip and I had to get it cut off and then there is a pain in my left side that is annoying me very much the Doctor says my left lung is affected and I have had on three blisters but they do not seem to take much effect yet I have to go away some where for a change and not look at work of no kind for a month or two.

We are poor frail mortals when we have not health we have nothing and I think I may say that I have been one of those born to troubles for I have not known what it is to have good health since ever I was able to do anything for myself we may prepose but God disposes every thing and His way is the best so we have no right to say a word but be very thankful we are as we are.

We have had very warm weather here this some time and crop is looking very well in this part of the country at least as far as I have seen but I have not been traveling far this some time. There is very little going on here just now perhaps I will have more news next time if spared to write. Uncle William and his family is all well in the mean time and all other friends is well as far as I am aware. Aunt bids me say that you may come over and see her when ever you like and be sure and bring Marion with you to let her see her father & mother's native country for she thinks she will never be in America to see her. now I think have little more to say but this that if I have been long in writting I hope you will not take any example but write soon and let us know how you are all getting on and tell uncle Joseph that I am going to write to him very soon now when I am started to write again Aunt & Tam sends their kind love to you all every one and execpt of the same to you all from your affectionate cousin

Marion Brown

Tower Cottages, 24 January 1876

Long time since the last surviving letter, but in the interim, James Bryden and Marion Glencross have married (almost four years after he emigrated, apparently for that purpose). Marion jokes "long looked for come at last,"* and suggests that if they have twins, she'll come over to help--but she has obviously not attended their wedding, as hoped in previous letters. Nonetheless, she has an opinion about the bride's dress, as it was described to her. Marion Brown has been ill with infected ears and throat in the winter; Tam Scott has also been quite ill and unable to work, and Aunt is "failing." There's some dispute about whether Marion Brown was writing letters back in the recent months--James and Marion Bryden didn't receive them, and indeed they are not in the surviving set. But she says she wrote.

*Here's another 19c. letter between women that uses the same phrase. It also turns up in song lyrics, which makes sense for the sentiment. There's even a "Long Looked For, Come At Last" Vineyard, in Maryland.

Tower Cottages
January 26th 1876

Dear Cousin,

I received your very welcome letter last week and was glad to see from it that you and all other friends was well when you wrote and I hope this will still find you all enjoying the same precious blessing for which we cannot be to thankful for. I am very glad to be able to tell you that we are all better than we have been for some time back Tam has been very poorly he has had inflmation and a bad cold and he has not been able to do much since Martinmas I have had a sore throat and bealing ears and Aunt is the only one that kept pretty strong among us but poor body she is failing altho she has still the spirit. However I hope we will all keep better now when we have got the turn we are looking forward to better weather and surely that will recruit us.

I will claim the old saying over your marriage long looked for come at last so I wish you long life and much happiness and a big family and if you should have twins the first time as Mrs. Johnston had I will come over and help you nurse them. Well Marion I think your dresses would look very well and it is very fashionable to have a dress made in two shades now so I think the two browns would look very well and James I have a word for you to you have no excuse for not writting because you are married you must write oftener and surely when there is two of you as one we will get a letter oftener. you say you have wrote me two letters and got no answer but I have never got any but I have sent away an answer to them whither you got it or not.

Aunt sends her kind regards to you both and wishes much happiness in your married life and long spared to each other, and also to all other friends and she was wondering what was come over uncle John when you wrote last for you never mentioned his name and you are to give Tom Glencross Aunt's kind regards and say she would like to see him now and he is to write a letter himself now I think I have little more worth writting at this time so I will say goodbye with kind love to you all every one from your affectionate cousin, Marion Brown