Bogg, 5 May 1870

This incomplete letter is very damaged by torn and worn-away edges (the damage happened while the letter was folded, which quadrupled the loss), but I'll try to share as much of the contents as are readable.

My dear uncle

I again lift my pen to let you know how we are all getting on at the Bogg and I am very happy to be able to tell you that we are all in a moderate state of health at present for which we cannot be to thankful for. it is astonishing to see how strong Aunt keeps to have so much [torn] for she is always working [torn] have all the thinking to do to ge [torn] thinks kept right. I hope this will find you and Marion both in good health you will be busy getting all your garden put right everything comes in its season Tam is wondering what kind of [hens? torn] have because if ever he [goes? torn, more than a full line lost] like them in America [torn] great man for all kinds [torn]

Mr. Kennedy thinks he can [torn] the pedigree of the Bogg cows since he was four years old. our cows has done very well this spring but we have been very scarce of hay and although the cows are not to be called lean they would have been the better of more to eat. we have a [torn] littler of young pigs just now [torn] ere is twelve of them and they [torn] doing very well and we [torn] sow to pig about this time [torn] if all goes right with the pigs they will be a good help to Aunt for they are very dear just now we have got our potatoes planted two weeks since but there is no [torn] this year Aunt thinks [torn] just as well to buy all [torn, more than a full line lost]

Kerr of Whitehill [torn] begun to make cheese again [torn] busy in the boiler house just now putting boiling whey on the curds. I hope by this time you will have got your parcle from John Moffat and the tailor is wondering how your trousers will fit he thinks you might come over some Saturday night so that [torn] could get measured for he [torn] there will be a difference of [torn] now, give Marion my kind regards and tell her she will get a surprise some day that will make her boil the kettle quickly we were all sitting at the fire the other night and we made a settlement that we would just all go of to America and [torn, more than a full line lost]

that is the girl that [torn] us for a year and a half [torn] to do all the messages [torn] says if he is not in America in less than two years he will be a soldier so you see we have all things settled the same as if we were going to start tomorrow uncle Joseph and uncle William are both at Greenock draining [torn] I had a letter from them this week and they were both well their families are all in good health at present my brother James has got another addition to his family a little girl and I think it will be named Margret for my mother, I wrote the most of her last letter lying in my bed but [torn] to sit up and write [torn] on the table at the window [rest of letter lost]

Bogg, 6 April 1870

A newsy eight-page letter from Marion to her American uncle. The news is of Marion's health (poor--her head has been shaved and she's had blisters applied to treat "an attack of inflam[m]ation of the brain"), crops, work, emigration, and family connections. This letter was written just a few days after the letter to James Bryden (previous post), but there's no mention of Bryden here. Marion's sense of her health as a chastisement from God is described more explicitly here than usually. Two local men will be emigrating to the Scranton area soon, John Moffat and Robert Watson, to carry more handmade clothing for John and Marion Glencross.

Marion talks a bit more about her own family here--her father is "lame" now, her half-brother is working, her brother James has a little son with (what sounds like) a permanently dislocated left shoulder. The men in the family are working at draining, much as John apparently did before he left Scotland.

My Dear uncle

After a long silence I take up my pen to write you a few lines to let you know how things are moving on about the Bogg. I am very glad to be able to tell you that Aunt and Tom are in moderate good health and has been all winter for which we cannot be to thankful. and for my self I am very glad to be able to tell you that I am recovering from an attack of inflamation of the brain I was quite insenseible for ten days I got my head shaved and has had on six blisters and they have done me a great deal of good and now altho I feel very weak I am greatly better and can sit up for about two hours which is a great releif.

dear uncle sometimes I think I have been sorely tried in my journey in this sinful world but no doubt but our heavenly Father has seen I have need of chastisment or he would not have afflicted me so long. He knows what is best for us in whatever way we may be placed.

I hope you and Marion are both well. and as the spring is come round again you will be busy getting your garden planted we are not begun to our garden yet it has been very hard dry barren weather here this some time every thing looks ready for rain. our cows are begun to calve and we have got all the queys calves we need the Master wants seven and it is very lucky we have got the queys first the hay is going to be very scarce this year which is a bad thing when the weather is so backward but we are to get a load or two more meal and that will help so far for the want of the hay

Aunt has her kind love to you both and I am to say that she thinks you will think she is turning daft in her old days if you are spared and well to see the trousers and waistcoat she has sent with John Moffat to you there is far more orang in them as she expected and you are to send word soon what you think of them and there is some other person going away from Wanlockhead about the middle of May and perhaps she will have some thing else ready to go with him. his name is Robert Watson he has an uncle some where not far from you one James Watson and you must let me know what you think of your socks and how Marions stockings fit her if all goes right so that you get your parcle. I knitted both the pairs lying in bed it is good amusement for me when I can do nothing else since my head was so bad I have not been good at ???ing but my sight will improve as I get stronger.

uncle Joseph and uncle William are away to Greenock to work again there is nothing going on here at all uncle Joseph has got another addition to his family he has four sons and a daughter now and his young son is named James for uncle James both families are all well at present. I have found Helens Mother at last I got a letter from her the other day and she is well and very comfortable she is housekeeper to a lady and just goes about with her it seems they are not long in one place but now when I have found her out I will can send her the money to the address she has sent me and she would like very well if you would send your likeness and Marions both on one card and you are to send the card to me as I cannot tell you how long she may be at the same place and I will send it to her.

I have not had a letter from cousin John Glencross this some time but he is stoping a little at the shoulders when he is walking the last time he was here he had very busy whiskers and I was for cutting them but he told me they would keep his neck warm when the cold weather set in. You must send him one of your cards when you get them taken--

we have had a very dry summer here the water was very scarce for a long time we had it all to cary from Lochburn and it was very bad. we have got all our hay in and the stacks thached but we have not so much hay as we had last year but it is very good what we have for it scarcly ever got a shower either growing or after it was cut. the cows has not been so good either it was so dry and warm that they could not settle to eat and they grass was not very plenty either our turnip crop is very good and the potatoes are thick in the ground but very soft and watery the corn is nearly all in so I think the busy time will soon be past for another season.

the swine is doing very well as far as is past yet and Tom is going on with his hens as brisk as ever I ont tknow how many kinds he has just now--I cannot tell you very well what uncle Joseph and uncle William is going to do now they have been talking about going away to Greenock to drain for there is no work in this place of the country. but I am not sure when they will go away.

my brother James was down from the Tower seeing us last night but I think he is not agreeing very well with the cheesemaking I told him he had as little colour in his face as I have and that is not much now and he is very thin to. but he is hired for another year so if he keeps his health he will be cheesemaker another summer yet he has a son named for my father and he is very like James and is getting a very stiring boy but he has got his left arm of joint at the shoulder and he cannot use it at all and the bonesetter cannot put it in it might have been some thing worse but it is a pity to see as little a boy as he is to have no power in his left arm. my father is very lame now he can scarce walk a step and has not very good health at times either but can go about to I have a half brother that drives coals to Wanlockhead he is not very big but stands the storms going up Mennock wonderful well--

this new Mistress is making some turn ups at Brandleys this term all the servants in the house is going to leave at Martinmas and the cook has been there for eight years she is Grace Hunter a daughter of James Hunter that was living at Meadowbank when he went away many a time she tells me about my uncle John draining at Auchentaggart and a little dog with you.

give Marion my kind regards and say I wish she was over here to keep me in company when I am sitting all alone in the room and I have to tell you from Aunt that you have to write soon and let us know if you get your things all right and between Marion and you I am sure you need not be long in writting give my regards to David Williamson and say I was dreaming about him being here the other night give my kind regards to all enquiring friends and except of the same to you both from your affectionate neice Marion Brown

Bogg, 2 April 1870

We've moved into the 1870s with this letter, four months after the last surviving letter. And we've also changed addressees--this letter was not sent to Pennsylvania originally, but to James Bryden in Ayrshire (a much later photo at left). He's planning a trip to Dunmore, and will take along a parcel from the folks at the Bogg. Because this letter ended up among the other letters sent to the Glencrosses in Dunmore, you can assume he got there, eventually... but that's a story that will unfold in the next few years' worth of letters.

There are some logistical discussions in this brief letter about how objects to carry would be packed. And there's Marion saying she'd go to America cheerfully if Aunt would, and that she might even be accompanying the next parcel herself. She's feeling better, but she still can't walk--she is able to sit up and wear her ordinary clothes for a few hours at a stretch, though.

"The Bogg" April 2nd, 1870

My Dear Friend

You will be thinking we are long in sending down the parcle to you but Aunt intended to be down with it herself to see you all but she has been so bad with a sore back that she will not can come she is a little better today but not very good at walking. I hope this will find you all in good health and I wish you all good health and a good journey and may God guide and and protect you. and if we have our Heavenly Fathers protection nothing can come against us

uncle John sent us word that we were not to put the things up in a parcle but just to let you lay them in you chest as if they were your own and if you are all spared and well to be there and see him you can tell him if I could have walked I would have gone to America with you for I have a great notion to be in America I could go as cheerfully as could be if I had Aunt with me.

I am very glad to be able to tell you that I am a great deal better I was up and had on my clothese two hours yesterday, tell uncle John and Marion to send me word how they are pleased with their stockings and if they like them perhaps I will soon get another chance to send another pair if I don't go with them myself. I would like very well if you could come up before you go away but your time will be all taken up for you will have a great deal to do. if you cannot come up Aunt will try and be down to see you before you go away. now I will say goodbye with Kind love to you all and may God be your guide is the desire of your affectionate friend Marion Brown

These are two cards for uncle. Robert Wylie is a cousin of his and I thought he might like to see a peice of old Sanquhar so I sent that card.

Bogg, 20 September 1869

An incomplete letter this week, but one that gives many details about the logistics of getting clothes made and sent to the American emigrant. Marion Brown is feeling better than in last letter but still cannot walk. We meet David Graham the tailor, and get the sense that he and Marion have a bit of professional comraderie (Marion is listed as a dressmaker in census records). We also hear about "our Sanquhar patterns," which refers to the distinctive black-and-white Sanquhar knitting (see image, left, and see the Future Museum site for an excellent online exhibit of vintage Sanquhar knit patterns).

There's also mention of sending a photo or "card" of John Glencross's son John Glencross to him--but the description here doesn't seem to correspond to any in the surviving album of other photos sent from Sanquhar to America.

"The" Bogg, Septr. 20th 1869

My Dear uncle,

I take up my pen to write you a few lines to let you know that we are all in a moderate state of health in the mean time and I hope this will find you and Marion enjoying the same precious blessing for which we cannot be enough thankful as long as we have good health we do not think half as much of it till once we know the want of it I wrote my last letter to you lying in my bed and today I am up sitting writting on the table and surely that is a great change

I was telling aunt if I could have walked any I would have gone to America with John White my back is always very weak I cannot walk any but I am very glad when I can sit up it is more cheerful than to have to lie in bed all day but I never weary any. we got rather a surprise when we got word John White was going away so soon we got word on Thursday night that we was to have a the parcle ready on Monday if we was going to send any thing to you. it was very lucky that the tailor happened to be here making trousers to Tom so we just got yours made without any ado. And I was to give you David Grahams compliments and tell you he would come over so that he could get you measured for he was not sure if your old measure would fit you now David is just the old man yet him and me has many a spree when I am dressmaking when he is here--you have not got your trousers off the new web as Aunt expected. them you are going to get is brown and white and the other web was to be orang and black but just the same pattern we got such short warning we will not get ready what we expected to send. Aunt repeated one of my grandmothers sayings when she got word, she said when one takes what they have they will never want so I will just send what I have.

I was begun to knit a pair of black and white stockings to Marion to let her see some of our Sanquhar patterns and I am like aunt I am greatly disapointed but perhaps we soon get another chance Aunt says if spared she will keep a pair of trousers to you of the new web and then they will be ready Aunt had some flannel in the house as you will get a pair of drawers and a cemmit and yarn for a pair of stockings to you and Marion, and I will send a little bag to Marion for a purse as it is on use for any thing else but a purse it is so small.

I got a card from cousin John but it is not a very good one for his eyes have not come out very well he told me he got it taken when he was away with lambs and he was sweating very hard at the time and it has not come out so well but when you look at the card you see the way he always goes for he always keeps his plaid over the one shoulder and stoops a

[end of letter is missing]

Bogg, 28 July 1869

A long newsy eight-page letter on green stationery reports that Marion's been very unwell, and who's working where this year. There's a short note about Helen Brown's mother (Marion Glencross's maternal grandmother) being in service at Dabton. Another photo of Marion Glencross, age 17, has been sent to Sanquhar--and all approve, including Tam Scott and Mr. Kennedy the landowner. This letter gives a strong sense of what, besides letters, is crossing from Sanquhar to Dunmore: Aunt will be sending John Glencross a pair of trousers, and a "wee cheese" she's made, and Tam Scott included a feather from one of his prized chickens, and a photo or two are also promised.

Bogg July 28th 1869

My Dear uncle

You may well think me very careless in not writting to you sooner but I will make no apology about not writting sooner for I will just tell the truth and I suppose it stands longest, I have been very bad since about a week before I got your letter. I was nearly blind for five weeks but I am very thankful that my eyes are better now for I felt rather lonely when I could neither speak nor see, I made Aunt laugh that day I got your letter I was vomiting when the post came in and after I got hold of the letter I vomited no more for an hour and she laughed and told the doctor when he came up that uncle Johns letter had feared me from vomiting for one hour and he wished you was here if you would have any effect to make me better, but let me be thankful I am rather stronger this two weeks past but not able to be up any yet. Dear uncle you see I need a great deal of nursing and every one is so kind to me it makes me take many a serious though [sic] when I think I can do nothing for my self and to see every one so willing to serve me--

I think it is high time I was asking for you and Marion now I hope you are both in good health and getting on well with your work you was just in the midst of it when you wrote to me so I hope you got well through your garding plainting and what other work you had to do I was very proud over the card Marion sent me and I think it must be like her for the most of our friends that has seen it points out some resemblings she has to some of us. I was letting Mr. Kennedy see it the other day and says she is very like what her mother was when she was young. he was asking very kindly for you and wondered if you never took a notion to come home. there is great changes now about Brandleys MissKennedy is going to be married on the eleventh of August, and John went away to a farm at Whitsundy. you will know it, it is the Stenes down in Tynron, so you see in a short time Mr. Kennedy will be left with his second wife the same as when he brought home his first, but one thing the present Mrs. Kennedy never will be like the first one she is a very high proud woman just as if there was nobody like her but the master is the same yet he comes in and askes for us all as homely as if we were his equal

you wanted to know if I knew any thing about Helen's mother. it is about six months since my Aunt was up from Carronbridge and she told me that she was always working at Dabton and was wonderful well but I have heard no word of her since. Now here is Aunt come ben she has been busy baking and I have to tell you that she is standing the works wonderful well this summer but just about roasted in the boiler house this hot weather it ias been so hot this some time past

Dear uncle it is wonderful to see Aunt standing so well for she has so much to do now although Tom does very well he has ot so much sense about things yet Aunt made nearly out with the cows last year she wanted three stones but the master was very kind he said it was the first time ever there was any of the rent wanting since she came to the Bogg so he would just let it go, we have a good lot of swine this summer we have two breeders and one of them had six and that served ourselves and the other had twelve and they were all sold at twenty five shillings each and Aunt says the price of the twelve pigs will pay the winning of her hay and to appearance we are going to have a good crop of turnips and potatoes and we are begun our hay this week but they say it is not so good as it was last year the dry weather has been against it uncle Joseph and uncle William and one James Menzies is our mowers and we have William Halberts daughter for one of our girls and a sister of uncle William's wife for the other she was with us all winter she is a very quite [sic] girl and can help Aunt very well and that is a good thing, and Aunt says I have to tell you she has plenty of cloth for two pairs of trousers to you but she is getting a new web made and she wants you to get a pair of it and John White is speaking about going to America after the harvest and she expects to get them over with him and she has a wee cheese in the chesle for you and she will be very glad if she gets it over when it is in season.

uncle Josephs wife and family are all well he has four three boys and one girl their names are Tom, William, Samuel, and Agnes, and I was to tell you uncle Joseph would write to you soon but he is very lazy at writting or he might have wrote you long before this. uncle Williams wife and family are all in good health to he has five three in the first family and two in the second Helen the oldest girl is our cow herd this summer and Tom and William and these are what Martha had and John and James are what Janet Young has I have to tell you from Tom that he has four kinds of hens silver penciled and golden penciled and silver spangled and golden spangled and he gave seven shillings for one of the hens and these are some of the golden penciled ones feathers and that is one of his card he has sent to Marion. and I will just tell you what he said when he saw her card that she was the best looking friend he had and he thought he would soon be over to see her. he does not incline to work among the cows very much but I think he is not sure what he would like to do yet.

I told you about Robert Wylie in my last letter and he was here last week he is going to give me one of his cards to send to you the next time I write he is a mason and working at Penpont just now, his father and mother and all our Douglas friends were well when he was here. Brother James is at the Tower this summer and he is Mr. Hyslops cheese maker but he is not agreeing with it very well but perhaps he will get used to it his wife and his son George is in a moderate state of health they have had the measles but are in a bettering way my father is wonderful well in health but is very bad at walking.

now uncle I have given you a pretty fair account of things here, but I had nearly forgot Aunty and Mary at Mennock are wonderful Aunty is spinning the yarn for the new web you have to get your trousers of Aunt joins with me in kind love to you and Marion and tell Marion I will write to her next time for I am tired of writting lying in bed and perhaps I will can sit up next time give my kind regards to all enquiring friends and except of the same to your self from your affectionate neice Marion Brown

pleas write soon and if well I will not be so long in answering you