George Mitchellson and Mary Lawson were married at Bothwell, Lanark on August 28th, 1863. Click here to read more about the descendants of George and Mary Mitchellson; then return to this page to read the letters written by George to his parents during the years of his marriage.
No. 26 Caledonian Place, Motherwell, 13 October 1869
Dear Father and Mother, I sit down to write you a few lines to let you know that we received your letter last night and was glad to hear by it that you were all well, as this leaves us all the same. I was wearying for a letter from you, as I got a letter from John Runciman for you on Saturday last and I did not know where to send it to. It was too heavy for one stamp to bring it so I had to pay one shilling for it here. I opened it and there was three card vessels in it. There was one for Andrew Ferguson and one for me and one for yourselves, so I thought there was no use of paying extra for it again so I took Andrew's and mine out. I will send Andrew's one to him.You did not say whether Sandy Riddel had been up or not seeing you. I have had no word since I was down how he is. I had word from Dumfries from grandmother and they are all about their (owner) way.
Mary and all the family sends their kind love to you. Mary says she will be up as it is long to see you if all goes well. So I think I have no more to say at present but we remain your affectionate son and daughter, George and Mary Mitchell. If possible do not be long of writing to us this time and let us know how you are.
No.26 Caledonian Place, Motherwell 30 Oct 1869
Dear Brother, I sit down to write you a few lines in answer to your letter which I received the other night and was glad to hear by it that you were all in good health as this leaves us all the same at present.I had a letter from Andrew Ferguson and they are all well except little Alexander. He has gotten his ankle strained and was not fit to put it to the ground.
I had a letter from grandmother last week and they are all about their (owner). She told me that Uncle George is in Dublin and cousin Jacob went back to him about a month since and they are all well.
Dear Brother, I will look for you down as your promised. Come as soon in the night as you can. You were saying that Jenny Wilson is going to get married and that you are going to the wedding, but I expect to see you before that time.
Give father and mother and little William all our kind love and tell them that we are all well.
I have not heard any word from the Glasgow folk since you were here. So, dear brother, I think I have no more to say at present, but we remain your loving brother and sister, George and Mary Mitchell. Excuse me for this time as I had not much time to write it. Be sure and come if possible.
No. 26 Caledonian Place, Motherwell 25 Jan 1871
Dear Father and Mother, I take the pleasure of writing you a few lines to let you know that we are all well. Hoping this will find you all the same.I am happy to inform you that we have got an addition to our family. Mary got her lad yesterday morning and she had a fine big son. He was born about eight o'clock in the morning. So they are both getting on very well as yet. We have got a young woman in for to look after the wanes and work in the house till she is better as Mary's aunty could not come this time to look after her. And dear mother, I thought there was no use asking you to come down and stop as I am sure you will have enough to do at home in your own house. So we will be very proud to see any of you down to see us if you can find it convenient for you to come.
So no more at present, but we remain your loving son and daughter, George and Mary Mitchell. You must excuse these few lines as I had little time to write. Be sure and write when you get this and I will write again and give you all the news. I am working nearly night and day yet.
No. 26 Caledonian Place, Motherwell 27 Mar 1871
Dear Father and Mother, I take pleasure in writing you a few lines to let you know that we are all well. Hoping this will find you all the same.I was down at Glasgow on Saturday at Mary Findely's funeral. She was taken to Kilbride and laid in her father's lare as he could go at any time and see her grave for when they were buried in Glasgow you in a very short time you would not know where to look for the place where she was laid. They got a letter from her brother John Findely on Saturday morning and he said it was impossible for him to come to it as he had given up his place and they would not let him. But he is coming down to see them on the 28 of the month. He is away in England in a place called Cheshire and John Thorrat was down as it too but he did not go to Kilbride for he had to go out that night. They were very much disappointed at brother Charles not being down. They waited to see if he did not come. They were not surprised at father not being at it for he knew it was not very easy for him to get away. I went to Kilbride with them but I did not come back with the coach. I stopped in Kilbride till the six o'clock train and Janet's man stopped with me too that is ....the baker, as I have forgot his right name.
So little George is all right now. Yon thing does not bother him now. His mother got something to cause him to vomit and he is all right ever since. So dear father and mother, I think I have got nothing more to say at this time, so we remain your affectionate son and daughter, George and Mary Mitchell. If please you must be sure and write soon and let us know how you are all getting on. So good night.
No. 26 Caledonian Place, Motherwell 03 May 1871
Dear Father and Mother, With pleasure I take my pen to write you a few lines to let you know that we arrived safe home at one o'clock. It was very cold all the road but there were none of the wanes complained of it. I was very hungry when I got home so we had to kindle a fire so by the time it was ready I had a pretty good appetite for it. We had to wait an hour at Carstairs before we got a train but Mary and the wanes had a good fire to sit at all the time. I did not see John Thorrat at Carstairs.Dear Father and Mother, I just wrote you this few lines when I landed but I will write some day this week again. We saw Charles in Douglas and spoke to him but that was all the time we had. The bus just came first. We were in Stells but we did not get time to drink all of our dram. Tell John that he was too soon away for there were a glass or two left. Give brother William our kind love and all the rest. So no more at present but we remain your affectionate son and daughter. George and Mary Mitchell. I will be sure and write if I am spared.
No. 26 Caledonian Place, Motherwell 05 May 1871
Dear Father and Mother, I take the pleasure of writing you a few lines to let you know that the wife and family is all well. They are nothing the worse of their jaunt and as for myself I am much about the same. I was in at the doctor last night seeing him. So I told him what I thought about my throat and I asked him if he did not think that it was partly the cause of my trouble about my stomach but he said he did not that. He said there was nothing of that but I had just took too long with it. I should have dropped work far sooner so he said that he would change my medicine and I was not to be so long of coming back. I was to see him on Monday first. So far this medicine I got last night I don't know how it will operate but it is very ill to take. It has a very ill taste.So, dear father and mother, you may keep up your spirits for the doctor here does not speak about it being any way dangerous but I got a very simple cure last night from one of the oldest drivers here. It is a very simple one. If it does no good it is sure to do no ill. I was to get one pound of treacle and one pound of lint seed and I was to take a spoonful of the lint seed and a little of the treacle and put it into a pan and boil them a good while and then pore the thin off the top into a teapot and drink a tea cupful of it night and morning. He is going to come and make it for us the first night to let us see the way. He said he had a brother that attended doctors for years and gave them pound above pounds and when he took that he was not passing a week or a fortnight till he was a well as ever. If I am spared till next week I will write and let you know how I am. I had a letter from Andrew Ferguson and they are all getting on wonderful well and I had a letter from grandmother and they are all about their (owner). I had a letter from Helen Girvan too and her mother and all the rest is well.
Dear Father and Mother, I received your kind letter just before this one was finished so I saw what the doctor said to you. Mary and family sends their kind love to you. All kind love to brother William. My respects to John, George and Sandy. So I think I must conclude for this time. Hoping to hear from you soon. We remain your loving and affectionate son and daughter. George and Mary Mitchell.
No. 26 Caledonian Place, Motherwell 13 May 1871
Dear Father and Mother, I take the pleasure of writing you a few lines in answer to your kind letter that I received yesterday morning and was very proud to hear that you were all well as this leaves Mary and all the family well, only Jacob and Maggie and George has the blay pox and as for myself, I am a great deal better than I was.So, dear Father and Mother, I went to Glasgow last Tuesday to another doctor to see if he could do me any good. So I told him how I stood and about my throat and all that I had mind. So he looked at me and sounded me. So he asked me if I had any friends or acquaintances in Ireland for he said that a while there would do me more good that all the medicines he could give me. He said he would give me something for my throat and stomach and to lift the host and help the cold sweatings too. So he gave me a small bottle last Tuesday and to tell the real truth it has been a very good one for me for all the short time I have taken it, it has taken the host all away till a (nearness) it scarcely ever troubles me at all now and it has cleared all my breast of the heaviness and I feel myself an awful heap the better of it. So dear Father and Mother, if I am spared and keeps as well as I am doing, I will go away to Catie's at Portpatrick on Tuesday first and give it a trial for a wee while. If it agrees with me and if it does not agree with me I will just stay the shorter there.
Give brother William my kind love and tell him he is not to forget to write to me at Catie's. Kind love to them all. No more at present but we remain your loving son and daughter, George and Mary Mitchell. Excuse this scribble as I want it away with the post. I will write to you when I get to Catie's.
Dunskey, Portpatrick, Wigtownshire 20 May 1871
Dear Father and Mother, I take the pleasure of writing you a few lines to let you know that I am always keeping better a good deal but the weather is so very cold here yet that I cannot get going about as I would like to do. I wonder when summer weather will come this season for it is long about it. I have not got any word from home since I left but the wife was well and all the wanes was all about better of the pox when I left home.Dear Father and Mother, this was a very sore house of trouble when I came here. Little Jessie was very poorly but she is better and able to be up now, but little Jane is very bad with the measles, and Alexander is just hanging about with them. William is better and away to the post with his mother. Mary has not had any trouble yet and Andrew has been in the house since last Saturday with inflammation of the chest and he is very weak but he is keeping better every day and as for Catie, she is keeping very stuffy among them as yet.
Give brother William my kind love and tell him to be sure and write to me by return of post.
Dear Father and Mother, Catie received your kind letter just now and we were all proud to hear by it that you were all well, so I think I must conclude for this time. Hoping to hear from you so no more at present but I remain your affectionate son, George Mitchell.
Dunskey, Portpatrick, Wigtownshire 27 May 1871
Dear Father and Mother, I take the pleasure of writing you a few lines to let you know that I received your kind and welcome letter on Wednesday and was glad to hear that father and William was well and that you have got better yourself. Dear father and mother, I really don't know very well what to say about myself as I am not getting awful much stronger here as yet but I have not had a very good chance for the weather has been so very coarse and cold ever since I came here. There has been no summer weather as yet to give a body a chance to come around although I am a deal better than I was.I had a letter from home and they are all well at present. Andrew and all the family is getting better. All the wanes is able to be up and going about in the ... and Catie is still keeping stuffier yet. There was a fine big steam boat ship coming from France to Glasgow last Wednesday and she run ashore about a mile below Portpatrick along the shore and she was (beached). I went down on Thursday to see her and I saw her lying among the rocks. She was a fine sight to see. She was loaded with all kinds of drink and other things. There were no lives lost in her.
When you see brother Charles you can give him my kind love and tell him that I thought a heap of the letter he sent me but if I had been in his place I would have wrote him a few lines before this time.
Give brother William my kind love and tell him he is to stick in to the school. So kind love to all . So I think I have no more to say at this time. Hoping to hear from you very soon . No more at present but I remain your affectionate son till death. George Mitchell. If please be sure and write when you get this.
Dunskey, Portpatrick, Wigtownshire 02 Jun 1871
Dear Father and Mother, with pleasure I write you a few lines to let you know that I received your kind letter on Tuesday night and was happy to hear by it that you were all well at present. Dear Father and Mother, I must say that this leaves me a great deal better this last week. If I just continue so. If I continue better, I will stop a while longer and if I don't I will not be long till I come home. But I don't know what to say about coming round by your house as it is so very unhandie to get to it for I would not like to travel from Douglas to Arch Green as I did before for my legs would hardly be able for it. I would like very much to come and see you if I could get handy to it.Catherine's family is all well and running about as usual and Andrew is a great deal better this 4 days. He is able to get about a good deal more than he was and I had a letter from home on Tuesday and Mary and all the wanes are well at present. The weather here is a good deal warmer than it was. I was thinking of having a bathe in the salt water. I had a very nice sail in a mail boat last Monday night for 2 hours. I think myself the better of it. I am going to have a sail the first good night that is again.
You can give Charles and William my fond love and not forgetting yourself. I sent a letter to Uncle George at Dublin the other day and I was down at the post yesterday with sister Catherine drinking tea and we had the two youngest wanes with us, so we got a fine tea there. So I think I must conclude for this time. Hoping to hear from you when you get this. So no more at present but I remain your affectionate son till death. George Mitchell.
26 Caledonian Place, Motherwell 26 June 1871
Dear Father and Mother, With pleasure I sit down to write you a few lines in answer to your letter which I received on Saturday morning and was glad to hear by it that you were all well and we are glad to hear that mother is getting better again. This leaves Mary and all the family is well, and as for myself I am always getting better. I am nearly at my old state again. I was (settling) to start work today but I thought that I was just sun enough for another week yet but I hope I will be able to start work by next week as it is very good weather to make a start.So I saw John Thorrat the other night and he was telling me that he was up at Edinburgh seeing John Findely and he was in Glasgow on Saturday night last seeing Alexander Riddel.
I was down at Glasgow on Friday seeing the doctor and he said to me that my chest was very much improved this while back. So he said if I could get an easy job for a while that I might try it, so I wrote a letter today to grandmother to let her know how we are getting on. I have not got a letter from Andrew Ferguson this last week. We got a letter this morning from America from Mary's brother and they are all well and doing well. It is the first I have got from him this fifteen months past.
You can give brother William and Charles our kind love. Mary and the family sends their kind love to all of you and forgetting myself. Tell Charles to write and let me know how he is getting on. Dear Father and Mother, I would like very much to see some of you down as it is long. You might let William down some time or long, so I think I must conclude for this time. Hoping to hear from you, so no more at present be we remain your loving son and daughter, George and Mary Mitchell.
26 Caledonian Place, Motherwell 10 Aug 1871
Dear Father and Mother, it is with the greatest of pleasure I sit down to write you a few lines in answer to your kind letter which I received last night and was glad to hear by it that father is better and that mother is getting so much better. This leaves Mary and all the family well and for myself I am keeping better and getting a great deal stronger. Thank god, I am pretty well at myself. Now if I just continue but the weather is very warm at present and it is very hot on yon engine.I had a letter from grandmother two days since and they are all about their owner. I had a letter from Helen Girvan too and she was asking very kindly for you all, if you were better. Dear Father and Mother, you were speaking about father's coming down to see us, not first Saturday but next one so we would be very happy to see him if he can win away. Dear Father, you might try and come down. We are very sorry that Mother is not able to come to see us. If there had been any way of getting a hurl to see you some of us would have been up before this time.
So Mary and all the wanes sends their kind love to you all and not forgetting myself. I was down at Glasgow seeing the doctor on Saturday last and I was at Sandy Riddells and his mother was down from Kilbride with wee baby Riddell and he is turning a nice wane. They were asking very kindly for you all. If please, give brother William and Charles all our kind love and tell brother Charles that he is a fine man for to promise anything. Tell him he is to write and send what he promised to do.
Dear mother, you never sent me word what you thought of the likeness of me that I sent to you and to Charles. Did he give it to you? This is our late shift. We were over at the Hamilton races two or three hours on Tuesday but they were very poor races. It was a good day and they were a tremendous lot of (people) in the course. I think I must conclude for this time. Hoping to hear from you soon. No more at present but we remain your loving son and daughter till death. George and Mary Mitchell.
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1999-01-10