Edition Bobbett1. Texts by Elizabeth F. Bobbett: 1.1.1. Correspondence, Private letters

1968 Elizabeth Bobbett: Letter to May Beveridge, 14.01.1968

Source: Archives of Rural History (ARH), Elizabeth McLoughlin Papers

My dear May. I have before me your last letter 1st December sending me your good wishes for Christmas and nice Card. You had the Flu then so hope you are quite better and feeling better since you went to see the Specialist some months ago. Also hope Barry is OK and all the rest of the family.

I expect you are snowed up now, as we get very bad reports of snow from USA but Canada is not mentioned. England and Europe have had it bad. We escaped well in Ireland. Up north they had it fairly heavy last week. Jock Harbison was up there one day last week at the funeral of his cousin Dr. James Austin Harbison and Jock wrote me to say they buried him in 10 inches of snow. Jock’s wife and two of his children were laid up over the Christmas so he said in his letter that central heating and every comfort did not seem to keep flu away. I had a very nice quiet Christmas. I had a friend Miss Halpin here from 22 December to 4th January. She might have stayed longer only she was afraid of getting snowed up here, and went back on the afternoon bus, only to find the snow much worse in Dublin. We are so near the sea here it does not stay long. But we had several days heavy frost last week. Our road was a sheet of ice. I could not take out the car, nor let the cattle out of the stables.

I am kept very busy with the animals. A young cow calved 19th December was not expected till about 15th January, and I was afraid to milk her for several days till I saw she would not kick. I had to go a mile for my friend Tom Nolan and bring him up morning and evening to milk her for the first five days. I can now manage her on my own and she is really very quiet and gives a lot of milk. But it takes me nearly 20 minutes to milk her. I can do the old cow in less than 5 minutes. I have 7 cattle in the yard to feed, so it takes me 1½ hours in morning and 1 hour evening to do the yard, by the time cattle calves, hens and cats are all done.

Thanks May for the bundle of papers you sent me before Christmas, they took a month to come. Had not time to read them all yet. In a way it is not worth sending papers to me as I don’t get time for much reading. I am sending you some this week the Word. I wrote them saying I would keep up the subscription that Kay had. I got several letters and cards for her, so must now write her friends telling them the sad news. One was from Kitty O’Keef, the maid she had at 148.

I expect by now you have received the Watch and few broches and odds and ends which I gave to Kevin Kelly to send by registered post early in December. The Amber beads I remember Kay telling me were found by her father long ago in a bog near Kells. The pearls are good. I kept the nice little diamminty (I don’t know how to spell it) Maple leaf broach and ear rings which you sent her not so long ago. I was going to a big Dinner party and wearing her dress only that Maple leaf to shine, so I hope you don’t mind me keeping it. I can leave it to Norah.

I had to say grace and propose the toast to Ireland at the dinner there were over 400 at the dinner. I enjoyed it and had a few good waltzes later that night. I got driven with friends near here so had not the worry of driving at night. I was not home till 3 am. I was complimented by several on my few words and was heard all over the room as we had a good loud speaker. I met many old friends, some of whom had followed me in 1939 the day I rode the white horse at the head of 5’000 farmers marching through Dublin.

The Foot and Mouth Disease in England and Wales has been dreadful since October and not clearing up yet. We thought it was on the wane as only one or two cases for past couple of days. But to-night there are 9 new cases in England some of them in new areas. We are all praying hard it will not come here. Everything is disrupted here on account of it. All racing hunting coursing etc. etc. are banned and no public meetings, and the Government appealed to Irish people in Britain not to come home for Christmas, and they co-operated very well. Many who did come home and went on land have been heavily fined. They cannot go on land for 21 days after coming from England.

I have no family news as I have not heard from any one since Christmas.

Hope you have better news from Joes when you heard last. If Jim has to come over to settle her affairs, I hope we will come stay a couple of days with me and have a real rest, this place is grand for a rest. Glad he likes his work so why change a job when one is happy at it. I have no more to say and it is bed time so I wish you one and all a very very happy New Year and many of them and a big God bless to you.

Love from Lillie.