Description Letter to a Fraser

“Manse o Kilmorack

30^th March 1846

 

My Dear Brother,

 

Your affectionate and welcome favor of date 28^th January last, came duly to hand about the middle of last month. It give me in conjunction with my family and all others interested very great pleasure to hear of you and your family being [still?] in the land of the living and that also in the enjoyment of the blessing of health which is a cause of very great thankfulness to your family circle to acknowledge to Him, whom we are and to whom we owe all.

I am greatly to blame when I would have been so unmindful of you, as not to have written you or at leas o have caused I to be done before [upon?] to acquaint you of a sad event which distracted my replying very much – when I will tell you, that my Beloved Mr. Fraser died on 26^th September last; - I pressure you would have heard it before now, altho so far distant from the newspapers in which I was inserted; I need not spend time in describing my feelings on that mourningful occasion, you can easily imagine all that I would say – I may notice hat he completed his 80^th year a week before he died and preached he Sabbath previous to that; his sufferings altho short, (being only a week confined to bed) but ye very sever, which he bore with fortitude and Christian resignation and that in the lively faith of he gospel which he ever preached – he was interred in he burying ground below he house and the respect shown on that occasion by all his parishioners and others were really gratifying to us all in there times of malignant contentions and heartburnings which “alas” are to be deplored in the age in which we live.

My own circumstances now are such as you would naturally anticipate. I may say that my health is in a delicate state for some time back but more so, since my husband’s death. I am allow about £30 a year out of the minister’s widows fund [Edin?] which will maintain me in some measure in the most ordinary way, together with what my son Simon will do for me. I would be obliged to leave he Manse here at the ensuring term for Inverness which I intended o go and tha far from being in conformity to my feelings – but he Lord is doing wonders when I will tell you that my son Simon, at present Minister of Ardensier, has got he Presentation of his Father’s Parish, which has received my spirits ever since and will contribute to my [not?] leaving the parish. I must now turn to something else that you wanted to be informed of. In the first place, with respect to my family, there are non of them with me but 3 – Catherine, Mary, and James. William is in Africa for the last 6 years and was still when we heard from his last. My youngest son Roderick is in Edinburgh at present, studying for the established Church. He made a partial [sepional the Hallthus?] last winter, for the first time. With respect to your sisters and their circumstances are as follows [wit?] Ann died about 3 years ago – you would have heard of this by he last letter sent you – her husband Alexander MacLean Teaprish is still there and in life, having 2 of his sons with him – his eldest son Donald is married and holds the farm of Limassie. Hannah again died last year, leaving 2 daughters with their aged father Robert Fraser, still residing a Creivend in poor circumstances. Janet is still in life in Ballachrash and is generally in delicate health. She has 3 of a family alive who are residing with herself, Donald, James and Catherine, getting employment generally in Lord Lovat’s service. Margaret is still alive and the strongest of us all and so is her husband John Cameron [Perisoner?], residing still at the back of Creigscorrie. Hey have 3 sons and 2 daughters. 2 of the sons are in he army in the 93 regiment which are at Present in ­Canada the rest are with themselves. Christy’s children are all married but one and doing pretty well. With respect to Captain Fraser Brackadale about whom you wish to know, is I believe tolerably well on the distillery there and heirs [efflines?] on his farm. His brother James and wife, you know died long ago of the Cholera at Inverness = his serving children I can give but little information about – one of them, Alexander, I believe is about Edinburgh at present, teaching in some family or other. Tell Alexander MacLeod [he?] that their friends at Teachagheat are tolerably well in health. They wrote once or twice to Alexander but they thought he never received them, when he never answered any of them. They wish that he write them and to give them his [present?] address. The old man himself is able to move about having 2 [off his sous?] with him William and Archibald they wish to be kindly remembered to Simon MacKay and family, also o their brothers Alexander and family in which heir father join with them.

About the [Seeession?] or what is generally termed [Inee?] Church peoples in this [gudiser?] I should give a short sketch of this history as you wish. I do indeed agree with you saying that they are a set of boasting people – they succeeded as you are aware, I am sure, in bringing the established church in this quaker, where the fever most raged, to a mere cipher in comparison to their number. They have don no good whatever, the change has affected no reformation in their morals, [..] vice with its concomitant evils are still seen to a greater degree than ever, pervading the conduct of the people in general in all its horrors, in short, a sad event happened the other day in eh Parish of Kirkhill, of a man who committed suicide and no less a professor of the F. Church. Oher two in [diredualy?] have become deranged in their parish itself since the disruption, moreover Prayer meetings that had been held in many places in the country, some of which are today abandoned through strife and confession which they relish better than the tidings of peace and salvation.

The number attending he Establish Church in this place are all upon an average from 70 to 80 people but there are 6 times that number that are [guite?]

Willins”