Leavensworth, Nov. 21^st/69.

Dear Uncle,

I received a letter from you two or three months ago that had been sent back to you and forwarded again.  You spoke of it as the third letter you had written but it was the only one we received.  Since that my daughter and I have been serving in a furniture store, making carpets, curtains, etc and the only time we have for ourselves is early in the morning and late in the evening.  I am now writing on the Sabbath because our time is so taken up on week days it is almost impossible to write a letter.  You wished me to give you a copy of my diary.  I only kept one while I was

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on the water.  The only account of my business transactions are in the form of letters written back to the friends some of which I suppose you have seen as we learned cousin Alex visited you this summer.  If you were here I could describe to you and tell you about a great many things that I cannnot possibly take the time to write.  I have already spent so much time and money with the affair that I feel reluctant to commence it for it takes such a protracted letter to give any satisfaction on the subject.  My duties to my family are such I cannot now take time but if you have any particular questions to ask about it I will try and accommodate you from time to time as you write.  I have misplaced your letter and may overlook some things you are anxious to know but will try and tell you something interesting.

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The book in Dublin show that in the year 1500 there was a Tim or Thomas Marshall, a minister listed, and I think it was the same that was connected with Henry Marshall of Caledon, as there was a farm near there that was said to have belonged to a Thomas

Marshall relation of Henry Marshall.  I was in the house Henry Marshall son of Michael and also at Ben Marshall’s, son of James Marshall.  (James and Michael were brothers) and they both (told) me that this uncle Joseph, married, died, and left one child a daughter who married a man named McEnespie and came to America.  One of her sons was back there two or three years ago and gave his name (as) Bishop saying they had changed their name since they came to this country because it was considered rather disrespectable to have mack attached to it. (sounded Irish).  Henry Marshall (Michael’s son) and Ben Marshall

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(James son) both told me there were but three brothers sons of Henry Marshall who died on Derrycantone <sic> Hill in the year 1812.  They were Michael, James, and Joseph.

They told me they thought Derrykintone was a lease but the records in Dublin speak of Henry Marshall as Henry Marshall of Derrykintone and the lawyer told me he couldn’t find out anything about Derrykintone only as it was spoken of in that way and hence it must be some Gentlemans country seat.  On the books there gentleman means one who has held land in his own name.  Joseph and his father (Henry Marshall) died near the same time and soon after their death Derrykintone Hill was enclosed within Lord Caledons domain,<sic> demesne.  I came across an old servant that

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had lived with the old Lord Caledon while grandfather Marshall was living.  I asked him if Henry Marshall owned Derrykintone as a lease or was it his own and he said it was his own.  I did not see either Lord or Lady Caledon when I was there (they were absent from home) but some gentleman in Caledon told me they claimed to have bought it. That Lord Orery and grandfather only held it as a lease from Lord Orery, but the other families of Marshalls living around there say that the Masrhalls bought it of Lord Orery, that they could go from Augnaclaugh to Caledon a distance of over eight miles without touching anything but Marshall ground.  Derrykintone is a beautiful romantic spot of over forty acres lying on the west side of Caledon on the road from Caledon to Augnaclaugh, and

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is now enclosed as Lord Calendon’s deer park.  While I was walking through the domain <sic> demesne and saw the deer grazing on Derrykintone Hill where grandfather Marshall’s house had stood, and this old servant that I spoke about told me an old pear tree was still standing that had grown in his garden but another told me it had been cut down a short time before but it had been allowed to stand that length of time although in a decaying condition in memory of grandfather so great was their esteem for him.  Families in Dublin and even irish families in this country that know anything about the North of Ireland tell me the Marshalls were one of if not the very highest family in North Ireland, but they have

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become degenerated on account of their intemperance, high living, and marrying in low families.  For instance this Ben Marshall (James’ son) married a servant girl of another Marshall family and all communications between the two families closed on that account.  Although he has lived and raised a large family, some of them married, he has not outlived the disgrace of marrying a servant girl.  Other instances of this kind have happened among the rest.  Every one that knows anything about the family speak of the great intimacy that existed between the present Lord Caledon’s grandfather (Alexander is the family name, Caledon the titled name) and your grandfather Henry Marshall.  That is another evidence that their positions were equal.  I was told it was during this

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 intimacy the castle was built and not long before that they purchased their title of Caledon.  Orery Hill & Derrykintone Hill are neighboring with only a valley between, and the story is going that where the Alexanders became a titled family the old Lord asked grandfather for Orery Hill to build his castle on and one grandfather’s attachment for the family was so great that whatever they asked he would grant, so he just gave it to him.  At that time land was valued at only half a crown an acre and they did not care for it because they were nearly all engaged in cultivating flax and could not work it all any way.  At the time the Irwin family (your mother’s sister’s husband) owned nearly all of the town of Caledon.  Mrs. Irwin left one child a daughter

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and the executor of her estate forced a marriage between her and ,[one of] his sons.  She soon died broken hearted, left no children, and her husband sold the land to Lord Caledon and was traveling on the continent with the money when I was there.  Fernaloy was the townland given to grandmother Marshall as a marriage dower.  It is about five miles from Armagh, and at the time of Henry Marshall’s death he was preparing to move from Derrykintone to Fernaloy, but he still had a claim on it for at his death he willed it to Joseph, and Fernaloy to Michael and James, but they never received any benefit from it for the following reasons

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When Henry Marshall died he had given to his son in law Lynn a mortgage on his interest of twenty acres at Fernaloy to be held by him for the residue of the term for which he (Henry Marshall) held it, showing with the records at Dublin that he had the care of Fernaloy for some one else but was not the real owner.  The books speak of his mortaging and redeeming from time to time his interest in parts of Fernaloy.  His wife at this time was dead.  On examination we found from dates that Lynn only had right to hold it twelve years in which case it would go back to Henry Marshall, but he (Henry Marshall) died soon after the mortgage was given.  Alexander Pringle was married

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to Henry Marshall’s sister, and at the time of Henry’s death he appointed Alexander Pringle and Michael Pringle, his brother, as executors of his estate.  After his death the marriage deed leaving the land (Fernaloy) to his wife was found locked up in his trunk.  Two of his daughters were at the trunk.  One of them picked the deed up, read it, and handed it to her sister.  Mrs. Lynn who kept it and gave it to her husband, and it is the supposition he destroyed it.  It seems Henry Marshall owed Lynn when he died and had given him a mortgage on the twenty acres at Fernaloy for twelve years to pay him, but after Henry’s death instead of waiting till the mortgage

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was due he urged the sale of Fernaloy to get his share out of it, but his real object was to get the property.  Alexander Pringle was so displeased with their proceedings he refused to act as executor.  Michael Pringle rode up to the sale and read the proclamation that whoever purchased the property would purchase a law suit to themselves, but they afterwards got it sold at private sale and Lynn bought it.  The records at Dublin show that Joseph Marshall sold his share of Fernaloy to Lynn.  That is another evidence to me of the truth of what they told me about the deed given to grandmother on the day of her marriage, that the land was to be hers and her heirs each one (sons

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and daughters) forever, for if not the land would have fallen to Michael the oldest son at his mother’s death.  It has been a mystery to why James and Michael did not redeem it, as Lynn only had a right to their father’s interest for twelve years.  Benjamin (James’ son) told me that Dr. Lynn (the only descendant of grandmother’s sister) of Armagh told him his father could have recovered the land if he had attended to it at the right time.  When Henry Marshall (son of Michael) told me his father had trifled his share away in some way.  He thought it had not been much but he wouldn’t give him any satisfaction about it.  They spoke of their share being forty acres but the lawyer’s report show that 2,730

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acres as being the original Fernaloy sold by the government to a Mrs. Lynn, the only bidder.  A lawyer who was raised right beside the land told me he remembered the conversation that took place when she bought it. –that she had got it for almost nothing compared with the value of it, but she had probably paid enough for it as someone would be almost sure to come and claim it.  It seems they had always looked for someone to come from a distance and claim it and that was why he supposed it was sold so many times, everyone coming into possession of the land was afraid to pay rents for fear someone would claim it and they would have to pay them over again.  Then

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it would run in debt and have to be sold again.  Finally Lord Caledon’s agent applied parliament to have a special act passed ordering the land to be sold and the title given forever.  Soon after the agent the agent sold it for her at public sale in lots of 15 to 20 acres giving a title forever on condition that they would pay her so many pounds a year.  They sold readily in that way for it was lower than their usual rents and left no possible chance for her raising the rents, as is usual in that country.  Her income is about one thousand pounds a year.  The lawyer that lived beside the land told me he had talked to Lord Caledon’s agent about it.  He said he

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remembered very well the circumstances connected with his selling the land, and if I could get Henry Marshall’s will and the marriage deed leaving Fernaloy to his wife it would be the same thing as giving him my basket to keep till I come for it, for Mrs. Lynn could hold it only till the original owners would claim it.  The lawyer said he had not a doubt but that was the land and felt so sure he would get it he offered to investigate the matter without charge if he did not gain it, but after I returned from Dublin without finding the will or deed he seemed indifferent about it.  He could hardly expect to.  He had told me before I went to Dublin they must necessarily be recorded there

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and I thought during my absence he had probably been persuaded not to make the investigation.  It was very evident the lawyer at Dublin did not want to give me any satisfaction in regard to it, for he seemed so guarded when I would question him and was unwilling to give me a copy of the abstract of transfers taken from the books.  I got old Dr. Kilpatrick, a minister (you have probably seen his name in the papers) to go with me to witness what the lawyer would say when I would interrogate him.  He very politely insisted on his giving me a copy of the abstracts but he said they could not be of any possible use to me and they were to him and wouldn’t give them up.  His wife also went and met with a refusal saying they were mostly written in short

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hand.  I happened to call one day a few minutes before the lawyer came in and his clerk told me there was evidently something wrong about that land and began showing me some of the abstracts.  The lawyer’s carriage drove up before the door and he told me to take a seat at the other side of the room and he immediately put the papers away and began writing like he had not been speaking to me when his lawyer stepped in.  I always thought that lawyer wanted to tell me something but I never got a chance to see him again alone.  I did not notice that any of the abstracts were written in short hand.  The doctor then took me to an old friend lawyer of his.  He said the length of time it had been standing, and its having been sold by the government, unless we had very clear evidence in our favor, he could not advise me to spend any more time & money with it.  The suit would cost while

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it lasted two pounds a day, and it being so complicated it would perhaps be lengthy.  He said I had paid the other lawyer enough to pay him for giving one all the satisfaction I asked and he ought to do it.  I would have had the matter reinvestigated but I had then spent all the money those friends had given me and was at my own expense.  I did not know whether friends would be willing to spend any more with and was anxious to return home before the stormy season commenced.  Uncle Alex’s* son Alexander made me a visit this summer.  He says he thinks the power of attorney will turn up yet.  If it does there will perhaps be some expression in it clear enough to enable us to know just what to claim.  If so I think there would perhaps be some prospect of us getting it.  If not I could not advise anyone to attempt    (*William’s)

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it.  If I could see you I could tell you a great many things that would be interesting that I have not time to write.  I would like very much to have you make me a visit.  If I was as old as you are, had no one depending on me for support, and the means to go on I would make the trip.  It would amply paid you if you would not get anything more than a sight of the country.

            Did Cousin Alex say what he was going to do when he was there.  I would like to hear from you often and also from Moses Reed and his wife.  My children unite with me in love.

Your niece,

Transcribed by Andy Miller July 2004