Description E D Berry

Mr David Crieghton, Pictou, Nova Scotia, North America

fr. Ship

Islington  March 6th 1839

Dear Aunt and Uncle

I have to apologize for not writing before but I feel persuaded when I tell you the cause, it will exonerate me of all negligence, for death has made another inroad in our family.  I have lost my dear sister Isabella after a twelvemonths illness of consumption which took up much of our time in waiting upon her  she died on Feb 7/39 in the eighteenth year of her age, my dear mother takes it to heart very much for which reason I write to you in her stead and I was fearful it would be to much for her feelings as her mind is much depressed, and I may say of my dear sister as Solomon saith the grass withered and the flower fadeth so the days of man passeth away, but she was as a shock of corn fully ripe and waiting as it were for the hand of death for she was conscious that she should not recover her illness for some time before she died and begged of her Mother to give her up and said, it is not as if I had no hope, for I have good hope, do dear mother give me up, but she could not say to her that she would thus you see flesh is flesh and cannot give up what they tenderly love, for no mother could be more attached to her children than mine nor no child more attached to a parent that my dear sister was,  She was possessed of a mild temper and engaging manners, her death was generally lamented by her young friends who enjoyed her society in the circle of life in which she moved, her funeral sermon was preached by Mr. Yockney minister of the chapel we attend from these words, Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound, for unfortunately for us all mankind has been tainted with sin since the fall of our first parents, and I feverently hope that the Lord in his infinite mercy will give my dear mother grace and strength of mind sufficient to look over and think less of her loss well knowing she cannot be too good for where she is gone

Mother is about apprenticing my eldest brother to the pastry and biscuit baking business which is another great cause of anxiety to her  when we look around us and see the depravity of youth of all ages  he is a nice steady boy at present and I hope will continue to be so under the guidance of providence for though he has lost his earthly Father he has his heavenly Father in whom he can and I hope will confide in as he can and will take care of him if he put his whole trust in him and may the Good of all grace enable us all so so to do—  I am now going to tell you of Uncle Robert  I conveyed the intelligence of my sister's death to him  in your letter to us as I thought he might like to read it and have received an answer back in which he desires me to give his and family's love to you  he has but two Robert and Jane left and out of seven children his eldest son William a fine promising youth 22 years of age died Oct 22/38.  I think I mentioned in my last letter to you that failure of the firm in which Uncle Robert was connected in it is not settled yet and it really seems to us as if trouble and distress was to meet him  strive how he may, for this Dyeing Establishment in which he was a partner in, was one of the largest about Manchester  the place wanted a great deal of repairing which was done and they were carrying on the business to more advantage than it had been for four or five years previous to their taking it and was clearing from £50 to £60 per week when one man started off with two thousand pounds and owing to the failure of several large silk warehouses which they had credited to large amounts was the whole and sole cause of breaking up the Establishment in which he was a partner in and we think it not all all likely the affairs will be settled so as for them to commence business again  we feel sorry for him as he has embarked his all in hopes of doing well and Providence seems to have ordered it otherwise  he was sorry to find that the gentleman could not find him and desired me to give you his direction which is Robert Berry, Oun Street, Hulme, Manchester

Now I am going to give you as much news as I can of the the Crieghton's  I called on Mr. James Crieghton of London who still lives with his Aunts but his carrying on the business for himself now, and has taken his youngest brother and sister to live with him, his brother from Riga was there when I called and talked of stopping the winter and going back to Riga in the spring, one of his Brothers is carrying on his Mothers business and Mrs. Crieghton of London was down on a visit to Mrs. Crieghton of Dundee when I called; I should go more frequently than I do but my time is so fully occupied, and to get them to come to our house seems an utter impossibility and when James does come he is in one minute and out the next and talks of stopping longer then next time which never comes for it is nigh upon two years since he was at our house last, I took him your letter to read and he said he did not know what had come to the America folks for he had never had an answer to the letter he sent respect- his father's death, since which he has lost a brother and sister who died [of] consumption, and told me that he had heard from some friend in Scotland that all my Cousins had taken Scotch lassies for wives to themselves if that is the case I sincerely wish them all real happiness in each others society the Crieghton's here at present are all single I believe, and I hope my dear [Aunt it] will not be long before we hear from you for or our days if favoured to live to an old age are but few, and I sincerely love you all as well as my dear mother brother's and sister does, though we have seen none of you nor you us,  and thus may the God of all unity and love remain with us and all our dear and near friends

From Your Affectionate Niece  E D Berry

PS This writing is bad but I trust you will be able to read it as I am afraid of its being to late for the post which goes only the first Wednesday in every month and we have no other way in communicating news to you

*from Jack Cunninghams notes - The surname in Pictou County changed from Creighton to Crichton.  David Crichton was married to Anne Barry and died at Pictou 18 December 1857, aged 78.