Townfoot, 17 May 1883

A long newsy letter about health, mainly, and the wearying wait for letters from America.  In two places Marion is writing Aunt Agnes's messages for her.

Townfoot
Sanquhar
17th May 1883

My Dear Friends

It is now a long time since I wrote to you or got a letter from you. Aunt has been talking about you all so often this some time past that she told me just to write to you and say that she takes such wearing fits that she would be so pleased to get a letter often some times she says she is sure Uncle John would not know me now. 

I hope this will find you all in good health. Aunt has been wonderful well in health but she is failing she went away to Hawcleughside to help them to set potatoes and she is come home quite done out poor body she is so willing to work but she cannot Tam did not want her to go but she would go and try Tam & his wife and family are all well they have another addition to their family on the 17th of March they have two sons and a daughter now, Samuel, Tam, and Mary. I am not getting any better the doctor says I am weaker this last two or three weeks I feel it myself. Aunt tells me she thinks me more helpless every time she lifts me to get the bed made, but it is God's will and I hope he  will give me grace to be content with my lot whatever way I may be 

I may also tell you that my sister Sarah died on the 18th of April and has left three little ones which is likly to feel the want of their mother very much she has been ill for a long time her trouble was consumption there is many a different trouble we are afflicted with and all our afflictions are sent for some end if only we can see what for my brother James has had a sore time with typhus fever among his family his wife was worse than any of the children she was not thought to get better but God has his own ways of working she is getting better but very slowly she is able to sit up but can walk none yet James was nurse himself for two months but it was a blessing. He kept well himself for with eight children and their mother lying he would have plenty to do.

Uncle William and his wife and family are all well uncle is still working in the woods now I think I have told you about all our friends. We have had very cold weather this spring till this week it has been a little warmer they tell me that grass is far back yet. Tam is still with Mrs. Slimmon work about here is very dull and provision is very high. How are you getting on with your new business I hope you are doing well Aunt bids me say if she was only within reach she would go to th [torn paper] with you and she would keep you from wearing for altho her legs and arms are failing her tongue can wag yet and tell John if I had him between me and the door when I take a wearing fit for a letter he would think me as good at speaking as ever now I have written her story as near the way she has told me as I can now I am getting tired but hoping to hear from you soon and with kind regards to you all every one and all other friends I am your Affectionate friend Marion Brown

Townfoot, 5 September 1881

It's been almost a year since the last surviving letter.  This letter is perhaps one of the most straightforward portraits of Marion's life as a disabled single woman:  she expresses religious resignation, she is dependent on her cousin and must face his wife's spite in silence, she sees a city doctor who offers her a medication, but she's worried it won't be easy to continue, because cousin Tam's employment is (as usual) minimal.  "My heart was sore when I felt my own helplessness" she confides, to her only possible audience for such private thoughts:  James Bryden and his family, far away in Pennsylvania. 

Townfoot

Sanquhar
5th Septr 1881

My Dear Friends

We are always very glad to see a letter from you, and I hope this will find you all still in the enjoyment of good health which is the best earthly blessing we can have.  It is all the same what we have if we have not health to enjoy it. I have had experience both ways now and sometimes I feel it very hard to be as I am but then again if it is Gods will that I should be as I am I hope I may have grace given me to make me content with my lot, its not the same with us now as when we were at the Bogg and Aunt poor body feels it as much as any one, and more so. 

now James if you was in my place how would you like if anyone was to say to you that you ought to be in the poorhouse one day when Tam's wife said that to me it made me I could never give her an answer but remember neither Tam nor Aunt heard her say it to me nor I sould not tell them for it would do nothing but vex them both and Tam would give the last halfpenny he had for either of us and they have both enough to think of without me telling them any thing she says to me when she gets their backs turned I don't want you to say a word about what I have told you but my heart was sore when I felt my own helplessness and what a burden some of my friends think I am if Aunt had it in her power it would have been different she would not have listened to so many tants[taunts?]. 

There was a doctor here from Edinburgh and our own Dr. brought him to see me several times and he did not give me much encouragement he told me I should have got my back burned with a red hot iron when I turned first ill and it might have been better for me now and he said in all his experience he never saw any one like me before and my case was a very interesting one he gave me some thing to take and I have to give it a fair trial and it may do me some good and my own Dr. will let him know how I am getting on he also told me that I have two distinct complaints and the one is just going against the other so here I have to lie and wait till I see what God in his goodness has in store for me but sometimes it is not so easy to get all a Doctor prescribes. 

Tam is still working with Slimmons horses but he is not very strong at times, things are very dull here the duke seems to have nothing to do for no body the one half of his men are paid off uncle William is still kept on yet and we are very glad for his is so much failed he would not be very able to go about seeking work.

Aunt has her kind regards to you and bids me say you are not to be long in writing she wearies more now as ever she did to hear from you and bids me say she is glad you are all well and the two boys thriving well some times she thinks she would like to see them but it is not likely she ever will now

I must stop for I am tired with kind love to you all every one and all friends in which Aunt joins I am your affectionate cousin Marion Brown

be sure and write soon

Tower Cottages, 5 November 1877

This is one of my favorite letters by Marion Brown. Why? Well, it's quite detailed about her physical health (or lack of health, speech, and mobility) in the first section; and it mentions bigger events (hard times in America), which is rare for Marion Brown; but mainly, I love this letter because she mentions sending a photo.... and we have that photo (left). Seated is Marion Brown, with her cousin Nellie Glencross (standing), in Thornhill, 1877, on Marion's way back from visiting an aunt in Carronbridge. It's unusual to ever find Marion outside of Sanquhar in the correspondence, so this letter is also interesting for that fact. She also mentions that she and Aunt will be moving at the end of their lease, to a house near the Castle at the townfoot of Sanquhar--significantly closer to town than Tower Cottages.

The unquiet that Marion Brown refers to in America might be the general poor economy in 1877; but it might more likely refer to the Shamokin Uprising, which could well have affected James Bryden and John Glencross's work as Pennsylvania miners in the summer of that year.

The quarries where Tam has gone to work in Gatelawbridge were red sandstone--much of what was quarried there in the 1870s would have been shipped to New York to make the famous "brownstones" there.

Tower Cottages

Novr 5th 1877

Dear Cousin

It is now a long time since I got your very welcome letter but you must excuse me this time I was not at home when it came and it is just a week since I came home. I went away to CarronBridge to see my Aunt and turned ill there and was away for three months before I could come back I cannot speak a word I have to do all my talking by writting and I am very bad at walking it is all I can do to walk across the floor my back is so sore and my right leg is sometimes quite powerless. Human nature is hard to mend and sometimes I think my lot is very hard but there is no doubt but it is all for my good in some way that I have been afflicted and we have no right to grumble at our heavenly Fathers dealings with us.

I hope when this reaches you that it will find you all in good health I see by your last letter that you have had very bad times in America this sometime but I hope by this time you are started to work again and has more quiteness around you as when you wrote. I may let you know that we are going to leave Tower Cottages at the term and is going to the Castle at Sanquhar town foot Aunt is not going to have any cows but she has to see if the woman gives the cows their meat right Mr. Colvin does not mean her to work any but I know she will always be at some thing if she is able to crawl.

Tam went away this morning to work at Gatelawbridge quarry and will not be home till the term he means to work there all winter if spared and well. There is no work going on about Sanquhar that he could have come home at night. Aunt and me will feel it very lonely if spared to go to the Castle in a house by ourselves and nobody near us it is not so bad here my brother and his family is just next door. However we must cheer up there is no use looking at the dark side of the cloud

Aunt is wonderful she had a turn with her stomach but she says she is beginning to feel about her useal again. you told me in your letter [damage here prevents reading full sentence] you was thinking [more damage here] your little boy's cards taken you must be sure and send me one to let us see what he is like many a time Aunt says she would like to see him

Uncle William's eldest daughter came to CarronBridge to bring me home and when we was at Thornhill she would have our cards taken so I will send one and I think it is like me but they have made me squinting and I am sure I do not squint I tell Nelly that she tries to make herself to prim when she gets her card taken you may ask uncle John if he thinks I am anything like what I was when he made me walk through the house with a prim mouth now I must stop all friends here is well as far as I know give my kind love to all friends and execpt of the same to yourselves in which Aunt joins I remain your affectionate cousin Marion Brown

I mean to write to uncle Joseph next week

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