THE WATSON LETTERS OF TULLY AND ONONDAGA CO., N.Y.  

THE WATSON LETTERS OF TULLY AND ONONDAGA CO., N.Y.

Introduction by M.D. Winner, Jr.


Our family has been fortunate enough to have about 30 family letters that have been preserved and handed down through the generations. They span nearly 25 years from 1849 to 1873. They are the letters to and from Margaret Stephen Watson that have been passed to her son, John George Watson, to his son Ralph Bishop Watson, to his daughter Fannie Watson Bertrand, and finally to her daughters. We hope that these letters may prove helpful to historians and genealogists interested in the Tully area of Onondaga County where most of these people lived.

The letters are grouped in three parts: the Glasgow letters to Margaret Stephen, the Paisley letters to George Watson, and the Tully letters of Margaret Stephen Watson to her son, John George Watson. The Glasgow and Paisley letters were sent from relatives living in Scotland and tell mostly of family and local events happening there—more or less the kind of news that what one might expect from overseas kin.

The Tully letters, however, are more remarkable in that they span about a year’s time. Moreover, there is a sense of continuity as one reads them; events or names that may not be clear in one letter often becomes clear in a following one. The letters record the everyday events in this small New York village of the 1870’s. They  record names of friends, neighbors, and other people with whom they had dealings; they talk of town gossip, church events, the weather, business, sicknesses, train wrecks, elections, and many other sidelights.

More than 250 names are mentioned in these letters; however, many are phonetically spelled, many are first names only, and a number carry shortened or nicknames. It is also obvious that some names of the same people are misspelled either within a letter or from letter to letter. Where only first names are given, it may be possible to surmise relationships from the context of the letter or in other letters. An alphabetic list of the names in the Tully letters is provided at the end.

In transcribing these letters, every effort was made to reproduce them as faithfully as possible. Spelling, punctuation, and syntax all are without correction. In some places it was difficult to tell where a sentence ended and another began; a best guess is indicated with a slash [ / ]. Comments or interpretations in the text are indicated within brackets [  ]; missing or indecipherable letters and words are indicated by [ ? ].
 

2 Letters from Glasgow

4 Letters from Paisley

Tully Letters 1-10

FIG. 4--Tully Letter No. 10

Tully Letters 11-20

Tully Letters 21-26

List of names in the Tully Letters


The Glasgow Letters


Family records show that Margaret O. Stephen was born in Scotland in 1822, possibly in or near the Aberdeenshire village of Glenythan where her father, John Stephen, a farmer, died after being thrown from a horse in 1824. She was the youngest of four children and her mother died shortly after she was born.  We know nothing of the circumstances that led to her emigration to New York.  We can speculate, however, that being orphaned, she probably was left in the care of older siblings and/or relatives, and when old enough, arrangements likely were made for her to be employed in America. It is possible that she was indentured. We also know that her brother, John, emigrated to America, but where he initally settled is not known; he was married, had children, and
lived in the Philadelphia area in the 1870’s, as some of the Tully letters tell us.

At 27, Margaret was single, employed, and living in Auburn, Cayuga County in 1849 as attested to by the addresses on the two Glasgow letters. The nature of her employment is unknown. Her mail was sent in care of a Mr. W. Wingfield. Whether this was a boarding house, a place of employment, or the family of her indenture is not known.

The two letters to Margaret were from her sister, Mary, who remained in Glasgow with a husband and at least one child, possibly two. The letters speak of hard economic times in Glasgow as well as an epidemic of cholera.  The other brother, William,  also remained in Scotland and apparently was married and with a family. From Mary’s remarks in the two letters, Margaret may have already met her future husband, George Watson. Photographs of Margaret are known to have been made, but have not been discovered.
 

Glasgow Letter No. 1


Miss Margaret O. Stephen
Care of Mr. Wingfield’s
Auburn, Cayuga Co
North America

[Postmarks: 1. Glasgow, Mar. 21, 1849; 2. Liverpool, Mar. 22, 1849; 3. Anderston; 4. unidentified]

Glasgow March 21 - 1849

My dear Sister

Your ever welcome letters I duly received and was glad to hear you was enjoying good health and trusting it may long continue. I am happy to hear you are so contented with America. / although you have to take articles you dont require be thankful you have health to work and like to support yourself as there are thousands here willing to work and cant get it / you will not doubt have heard that the Cholera was raging in Glascow. / never did I think I was to be allowed to adress you again but the Lord in his Saving mercy has raised me up once more / I was seized the Saturday before the New Year and was ill till the Wednesday after / I am  happy to say that the family are all in good health at present John[husband] has been about four years in the foundry. / his wages is ten shillings a week / William[brother] was idle for four months but is again working in Hawlelsworth’s his wages is but small / Connie[daughter?] is still in Connels working away and I being so often out that I required Maggie[daughter] at home / however  she is gone to the mill to learn and trust she will suceed in getting looms for herself / all the youngsters is very well at present / there is scarcely any business successes here but if it is possible I will endeavour to get the lash twine for your / William is going to sent you some things out to you. / if you would write and let me know what time Lessie intends going out as she is away from this end of the train and I would like to know so as to have things ready to send you / I have made inquirie about Town / Alexander she is still in Helernhaugh  / she was Married about three months ago but I did not see herself / in the next letter I will can give you all the particulars about her if am spared till then / have you heard any news about Mr Browns death / I would have written sooner but Mrs Brown asked me to delay it till she would do so / Mr Brown left 30 pound each to Helen and Mary and the room furniture and the kitchen thing to Mrs Brown and she cant get any money to support herself or her children unless Jhon[sic] Brown sends word she is to get it  / it is a great pity of her but perhaps you have heard about it already / My brother William and family are all in good health and desire to be remembered to you / Mr McClusky and his household are well  their kind regards to you / I trust you like your new work as well as you did / when are you going to get Married do tell me when you write / there must be something when you are making bedcovers / what say you to that Maggie / enclosed you will find a lock of my hair  / although parted here below we may never meet on this side of time but if we put our trust in the Lord and keep his commandments we will surly be reunited in heaven / and now my dear sister call upon him while he may be found / it is Him alone that can give you comfort on a death bed / how precious are his promises / when thou passest through the dark valley of death I will be with thee / the rivers of Jordan should not overflow thee and when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burned / there with many more which you will find in his blessed book can alone give you consolation in the hour of truth / and now my dear Sister I must now bid you Adieu trusting you will write soon / your letters are to me like a short visit / every one of the family send their kind love to you and may the blessing of God rest upon you and all that is good attend you and your dear Brothers is the prayer of your ever Affectionate and devoted Sister

Mary

Rolling waters may divide us
Till we reach our native shore
But it will not be denied us
There to meet and part no more
 
 

Glasgow Letter No. 2


Miss Margaret O. Stephen
Care of W. Wingfield
Auburn
Cayuga Co, New York

[Postmarks: 1. Glasgow, June 8, 1849]

Glasgow June 6, 1849

My dear Sister

Your very kind letter I duly received and was very happy to hear that you are well / long may it continue and may the blessing of God ever attend you in all your indeavours to do well. I [was] glad to hear your dear brother is in the profession of the greatest born / good health. Mrs Brown left this on the 25 of May / I sent some things with her for you and would have sent more but William has wrought little this nine Months. I did not call on Mrs Simpson as
there was some misunderstanding betwixt her and Mrs Brown and I did not want to have anything to do with it / as for Joan Alexander I have been so busy that I could not get sufficient time to call upon her but if spurred I will indeavour by the next letter to give you all the news I can. / truth is very dull here at present but trust things will soon take a turn for the better.  John is quite well  Jimie and Margaret is working away  / they all desire to be kindly remembered to you. / dear Sister you by you [ ? ] may Marry sometime but not when they take it into their heart as quickly / I shall not be [distressed?] to hear of it even never mind whether the quilt is finished or not and as for a feather bed take a clean form stray over that what the [ ? ] rugs. / as for the Man I have little fear of no doubt he will make his appearance. Many thanks for the sweet card / forget you I never shall. I have got no news to tell you in this letter but will try and have a lot by the next turn Adieu dear Maggie and may the Angels of God ever hover around you / may they guard you by day and by night / and when that horn comes that you close your eyes on all things here below. O may they waft you never dying spirit to yonder regions of bliss where your dear Redeemers is interceding for you at Gods right hand [ ? ] more believe -- Farewell / I your ever Affectionate Sister

Mary

write soon

Farewell but never from my heart
Shall time thine image blot
The dream of other days depart
Then shalt not be forgot
And never to the suppliant sigh
Poured forth to him that rules the sky
Shall my own name be breathed on high
And then remembered not

Please deliver these few lines
to John B. [ ? ]
 

Return to Onondaga County Family Letters page.

24 July 1999

25 July 1999