Townfoot, 5 November 1880

This letter seems to be addressed to a different "uncle" in Pennsylvania--not to John Glencross, but to his brother.  

Another pencilled letter, and a two-writer letter again--the first half is harder to read, by Tam Scott, mostly reporting on market prices and bad weather and his Irish horse.  I can't promise I've got all the words right in that section--his handwriting isn't as smooth or legible as Marion Brown's, and his spelling is especially non-standard.  But one certainly gets the sense that he's in good spirits for the cold winter, happy to be working and happy to have a fast, spirited horse.  Marion's half of the letter reports that her health is still poor, with gravel (kidney stones, usually), and that she has been unwell for seventeen years now (so that takes us back to 1863, when she was in an infirmary apparently). 

The winter 1880-81 was one of the most severe in North America also--with deep snows in October, just as Tam describes--interesting to consider now, in the middle of another severe winter with terrible weather affecting much of North America and also the British Isles.  "Heavy mortality among sheep stocks" related to the 1880-81 winter storms is mentioned in a Transactions of the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland from the era.

Townfoot 
Sanquhar 
Nov 5th 1880

Dear Uncle

I drop you a few lines to let you know that I am still to the fore hopping this will find you well and all the rest of my friends we have the affliction of a very sever winter hear we have had some very sever snows on the 27th of last month the snow was so heavy the Mennock house was Blocked up and out By Moffit the Pearnes[?] was so large that over one score of sheep was smothered and the continued casting for several dayes the Market is very high hear just now it is a real Extortion Sanquhar is Mad up at a lot of Bogues Butter her is 9s chese 10 cence per Pound and all the market is on advance I do not know what the men at all as the niver has been such good crops this year before I am still with William Slimmons It is steady but long hours and Wet and dry I have to be on the Road and from 5 in the morning till 7 and 9 at night and I have got the Best flinging horse that is in DumfriesShire a 'amserting' he is an Irish horse and has Irish Temper I do ashure you an Monday night he kicked himself out of the long cart with Tom on him he will kick for a day long and get leg in every side of the shaft and kick on and he is the best runer out of the cart I ever saw and when he hs mastered with the whip he squels and pushes you are not safe of your life with him there is scarce one in Sanquhar will cum near him and me the Laghear cumes Scotland Pady he can send his heels as high as the Shafts of the cart when he runs but we have had the largest potato crop that has been for 40 years I supose.  the are 3/per hunderwight I have not much more to say but that we have got a 3 year old horse and had him at Wanlockhead you might tell Tam to write to me I am yours T. G. Scott

PP hopping the Blessing of god will follow you and all your family and wife 

Dear uncle Tom has begun this letter but has left me to finish it so I will try to say what I can do I am still close confined to bed and the doctor has to be at me every day the gravel is a very painful complaint and other things connected with hit makes it worse I have very little power in my left arm but I ought to be very thankful as long as I have my senses but sometimes my head is very stupid.  Our heavenly Father is kind to us far above on asking and why should a living man complain but human nature is hard to bend and some times I think my lot has been a hard one somes ways it is now going on seventeen years since I was at the Infirmary and since then I have not been able to do much, now I have to tell you from Aunt that you are to tell Tom to write a long letter and tell her all the news for many a time she wonders what he is like now and he is to tell her what Willie and Samuel is like and all the rest of them.  Uncle William and his family are all well uncle is still working with Mr. Pearson at the woods my Brother James and his family are all well and still at Heucklands with Mr. [???], I was to send you McWhir's kind regards and say he was asking for you. Aunt joins me in kind regards to you and everyone John Marion & Bryden and may god be with you [?????pencil smudged] affectionate neice, Marion Brown

be sure and write soon

Castle Mains, 23 January 1879

It's been almost a year since the last surviving letter from Sanquhar, but this one comes with big news:  Tam Scott will marry without any ceremony whatsoever--no ceremony, no party, no family gathering.   I've always thought they didn't even do that;  irregular marriages "by cohabitation with repute" were legal in Scotland until 2006.   But Irene Macleod got in touch to let me know there was a record of their official marriage at New Cumnock in 1879.  (Thank you Irene Macleod!) 

Marion Brown is apprehensive about moving another woman into their home, but she recognizes that Aunt and herself have no real alternatives.  As if trying to convince herself to accept the situation, the word "thankful" appears in this letter three times, and "kind" three more.

It's winter in Sanquhar, and the weather has been "hard" for months.  She's not one to exaggerate:  The winter of 1878-79 was severe, according to the reports in the Transactions of the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland. Marion can walk into Sanquhar, slowly, from their new location; but she is not able to speak much.

Castle Mains

January 23rd 1879

Dear Uncle

It is now a long time since I wrote to you I hope when it reaches you that it may find you and all friends in the enjoyment of good health for which we ought to be very thankful for nothing in this world is a pleasure to us if we have not health to enjoy it.  I have some news to tell you this time Tom is going to be married on the last day of this month if all goes well.  the woman he is going to marry belongs to New Cumnock her name is Robina Boyle.  he is going to have no wedding only a marriage she is coming here to live along with us.  Aunt thought it was the best way for her to come beside us as Tom could not keep two houses.  Tom wrote to uncle Joseph but he said he would leave me to write to you as he never saw you.  and we must just try and put up the best way we can there is no doubt but we will feel a difference if she is kind to Aunt I dont care for myself so much but I would not like to hear her speak cross to Aunt she has always been so kind to me and Tom has always been very kind to me.

Dear uncle if I had been strong and able to fight the battle of life for myself it would have been different but as it is I ought to be very thankful that I have always some place I can call home our heavenly Father is always kind to me and there will always be a way and will turn up when we least expect it. 

Aunt has moderate good health but is very bad with rheumatisms.  I am just about the same my back is still sore but I can walk about a little altho but slowly I can go up to Sanquhar but it takes me half an hour what another person can do in ten minutes however I am very thankful I can walk as I do.  I have been worse at speaking this some but the want of my voice does not put me about as long as I am able to move about.  All friends here is well as far as I know.  We have very hard weather just now and has had for two months now.  I must stop with kind regards to you and all friends in which Aunt joins hopping to hear from you soon I am your affectionate niece Marion Brown

PS the post is just waiting

Castle Mains, 11 February 1878

A new year and a new return address for Marion Brown, Aunt and Tam Scott:  Castle Mains by Sanquhar.  This is the only surviving 1878 letter, but it's a long chatty one that shows how precarious the health of all three Sanquhar family members has been--Tam Scott with his ongoing lung issues, Aunt with her bad chest cold, and Marion unable to walk, barely able to speak.  Perhaps in response to the financial straits that prompted their move, James Bryden has sent the household a gift of (presumably) money.   The spurs a reflection on dependence and gratitude from Marion, and lavish thanks and well wishes for the American kin.  There's still mention of trying to get Aunt to emigrate; and further mention of Aunt's cheesemaking skills.  The Americans are instructed to get photos taken, so that Aunt can consider who young John Bryden resembles most. 

Castle Mains

By Sanquhar

Feb 11th 1878

Dear Friends

We was all very glad to see your kind and very welcome letter for we was wearing very much to hear from you.  I hope this will find you all well when it reaches you and I am glad to be able to say that Aunt is just about her useal way again she got a bad cold when we flitted but I think has got clear of it now  Tam was off work for a fortnight with a bad cold to his chest is not very strong and when he has a cold it always takes hold of his lungs but he is a good deal better and able to work but he is drinking cod liver oil and the doctor says he has to drink it always to keep his lungs soft.

I am glad to be able to tell you that I feel no worse this two or three weeks I can speak a little but not much I have to do the most of my talking in writting yet and I am very bad at walking but it is my back  that makes me so bad at walking it takes the power from my legs altogether at times.

Now James you must give uncle our very best thanks for his kindness in sending us such a present.  The truth is this if it was not the kindness of my friends to me I dont know how I would do for I have never been able to work for myself and seems to be as unfit for work as ever but our heavenly Father is always kind to us and gives us far more than we deserve and I ought to be very thankful that I have always had kind friends to take care of me for Aunt has been a Mother to me and I have to tell you from her that she hopes you will always have plenty and she would be very glad to see you come steping in.  in summer and perhaps she would not be so hard to advise to go over with you this time and she thinks altho the cows is not her own she could get you some curds when you come and she says you are to be sure and get your son's likeness taken uncle Marion you and John altogether  and then she will see who he is like.

Uncle William and all his family is well in the meantime my Brother and his wife and family is all well but the youngest one that is my namesake Marion she has had a very bad turn with Bronchitis but is a little better if she continues and I hope she will.  You must give uncle Joseph and them all our best respects we have had a very mild winter and I hope the spring will continue as mild.  

Now I have to tell you from Aunt you are not to be so long in writting for she says if you had not been so far away she would have tried to have gone to see what was keeping you from writting now I will stop hopping this will find you all well and also hopping you will writing sooner and with kind love to you all and all friends I am your affectionate Cousin Marion Brown

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