Letters written by Mary Harris M

Letters written by Mary Jane McLatchy (1833-1893) (also spelled "MacLatchey") (nee Harris).

The letters below were given to Jean Wilson (nee Mills) by Dorothy Larson (nee McLatchy), as noted in Dorothy's
letter below. Some of the letters are not dated, however, it is likely that all of the letters were written by Mary MacLatchy
between 1890 and 1893.

Dorothy (Larson?) was the daughter of Oscar McLatchy.   According to Jean Wilson (nee Mills), she lived in Glendale
and then later moved to Santa Barbara.   She apparently had some paintings of the of old McLatchy house
in Moncton. However, these were lost when their house burned down (perhaps in the Santa Barbara Painted
Cave fire).    She died sometime in the 1990s. Jean Wilson never had an opportunity to meet
with her.    (Also, I -- Michael Mills -- was unware that I had a distant cousin (my grandmother's brother's
daughter) living in Santa Barbara while I was attending the University of California,
Santa Barbara from 1979 - 1983.)

Below is Jean Wilson's attempt to decipher a letter written by Mary McLatchy dated 4/1/1890
to her daughter Lillie (her original letter in her own handwriting follows).

According to Jean Wilson (nee Mills), Lillie was one of Mary McLatchy's oldest daughters. She moved
to Brooklyn, NY to study nursing, and subsequently moved to San Francisco. Ed's mother,
Alice, Lillie's younger sister, apparently followed her to San Francisco. Some time later, Lillie moved to Turloc, CA,
and later moved to Southern California. Her daughters were Beatrice, Harriet and Alice (who
married a Burt Van Tassel) and lived in Loma Linda. These daughters apparently lived in
Yucaipa, CA. As noted in Edmund Mills' biography, Lillie was a very strict Seventh Day Adventist.

The original letter:

Below, Jean Wilson's attempt to decipher a letter written by Mary McLatchy dated 9/6 (year unknown)
to her daughter Jennie.

The original letter:

Below, Jean Wilson's attempt to decipher a letter written by Mary McLatchy dated 5/20 (year unknown)
to her daughter Lillie.

The original letter:

Below, Jean Wilson's attempt to decipher a letter written by Mary McLatchy dated Friday, Sept 8, 1893
to her son Oscar (her original letter in her own handwriting follows).

Original letter:

Below, is my attempt to decipher a letter written by Mary McLatchy that was
started Sept 14, 1893, and continued on December 15th, to her daughter Lillie
(her original letter in her own handwriting follows). This letter was apparently
written shortly before she died.

Samuel Smith wrote that Mary Jane "... McLatchy died very suddenly during 1893. It was thought from an error of a physician from an over-dose of morphine as she was subject t o severe attacks of neuralgia. She was sixty years old at her death."

Note in her letter below, Mary may have been aware of the danger of of the
drugs she was taking: "I still take a sleeping pill for nervousness, at one time
I felt I would never (undecipherable -- "really"?) but feel now if careful."

The letter itself is written in a rather disjointed manner, as if her mind was hazy
under the influence of drugs (morphine?) when she wrote it.
Apparently the reference to "inmates" below refers to the "Almshouse" for which Mary
and her husband Samuel, were caretakers (?).

Moncton, Sept 14, 1893

My dear Lillian,

I cannot tell you how thankful I am to sit up (most?) all day. I still take a
sleeping pill for nervousness, at one time I felt I would never (undecipherable
-- "really"?) but feel now if careful. My, teeth were the first of it - but in fact I have not felt
well all summer but said nothing. Nervous fever set in after my teeth. I have
been oh so nervous. How I miss you all when I am sick. Will the time ever
come when we can all be together.

Is the stagnation in business affecting Woody any
the reports are dreadful so many starving. May God in his great
mercy open some door of deliverance.
(Times?) (not?) too bad here. Although (indecipherable).
Our house is fuller than usual 18 inmates 22 all total.
I just have to let things go. They got along Thanksgiving (but?) I do
trust I can help them some. So glad you are getting a tree would like so to be
with you. Oh Lillie how many this xmas are suffering and many
in sick beds. What can we render to God for our (position?).

I do trust (Woodie?) (Gessie?) & Sam may be all right how selfish we do
speak and think. Of course I mean enough for day by day use.
You can see my child it is hard to write (&) spell as (undecipherable) yet
I do feel thankful for health thus far.

Dec 15th.

I was out on the veranda a little time this morning. I cannot tell you any news,
all well. Kiss the children from Grandma. I will write - soon. (undeciperable)
tell Woodie we often think of him and pray God may bring him home
safely through this crash in business.
Love to Grandm___ Woodie (?)
Write soon.
Love mother.

An additional letter, not written by Mary McLatchy, was also given to Jean Wilson by Dorothy Larson.

Below is Jean Wilson's attempt to decipher this letter written by an "Aunt Chrissie" dated April 30, 1895
to Oscar McLatchy. Aunt Chrissie was Mary McLatchy's sister, and thus she was Oscar McLatchy's aunt.

An "Aunt Chrissie" is referred to by Samuel Barnes Smith in his letter to his son, Linton Hinds Smith (noted earlier):

Your Mother (Mary Eugenia "Jennie" McLatchy) completed her High School Education at Moncton and her parents wanted her to attend college at Prederickton, New Brunswick and become a school teacher but at that time your Grandfather's coal business had struck somewhat of a slump and to help the family income, your Mother (Mary Eugenia "Jennie" McLatchy) took a clerkship in a large Millinery store at Moncton, just before visiting her Mother's sister, Aunt "Chrissie" Hamilton at #35 Pulaski Street, Brooklyn, N.Y. where I met her and which was afterwards our home when Linton was a baby.

Contact: Michael Mills (memills@gmail.com)