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, 24 February 1879

 A month has passed; still no work for Tam, Marion's ill in bed with "gravel" (kidney or gall stones--from the mention of back pain, probably the former), and the snow keeps coming.  In the US, James Bryden has broken his collar bone, but uncle John Glencross has sent some money to the Sanquhar household to help during this hard season.  (The younger son of James and Marion Bryden has a name (James), but the American cousins have neglected to mention that in letters so far.  "Aunt thinks you are all turned doiled" --"doiled" in this context means foolish, daft.)

Castle Mains
Feb 24th 1879

Dear Uncle

I write to let you know I received your kind letter on the 18th all right and I was able to go up to the bank and get the money and I got it all right and I have to say from Aunt that she was very thankful to see it for it has been a very hard winter here on all classes and you must execpt of my best thanks as well and I hope our heavenly Father will give you a blessing for your kindness to us. 

I was sorry to see from James Bryden's letter that he had got his collar bone broken but I hope before this time that he is quite better it has been bad weather this some time for broken bones I hope Marion and the two boys are well, you have never sent us word what the name of her youngest boy is Aunt says she thinks you are all turned doiled when you have forgot to send us the name of the boy.

I am writing this lying in bed so you must excuse blunders I have had a bad turn with gravel and my back is so sore that I have had to keep my bed for two days.  We have still very stormy weather the ground is white with snow and there has been a good deal more last night and still falling more today.  I hope the storm will soon go away now for I think every working man and farmers as well will be wearing for fresh weather for nobody can get working the frost has been so hard.

Tom has not been working for three months and he is getting very impatient now. Uncle William and his family are all well and all other friends as far as I know I must stop for I am getting tired.  Aunt sends her kind regards to you all and you are not to be so long in writing for we weary to hear from you all execpt of my kind regards to you hoping to hear from you before long and that this will find you all well and may God guide you all is the desire of 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