Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.
On the 23 of August 1914 William A. McManus wrote to his daughter Etta Daughrity. This is the third of three letters that I found in the Daughrity family Bible.
I have transcribed it just as it was written. I did not change any spelling or grammar.
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| Envelope from 23 August 1914 letter W.A. McManus to Etta Daugherity |
Envelope is addressed to
Mrs. Etta Daugherity
710 Church St.
Sumter, SC
The stamp has fallen off but it looks like the postmark was from Lucknow,SC.
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| Page 1 |
Page 1
Bishopville, SC
Aug. 23th 1914
My Dear Children I am
writing you theas few
lines in answer to your ever
welcome letter which I received
some time ago and was glad
hear from you and to hear
hear from you and to hear
that you were well theas
leaves me well trusting
that they will find you
boat the same
I th would have wrote to
you before now but I
thoat that I would wait
untell I moved and I moved
to the poor farm thursday
and I am writing to you
and I am writing to you
today Etta you asked
me if I had paid that
Page 2
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| Page 2 |
five dollars that Davied
owed Mr. Halloman no I
have not paid it yet but
will if Daived hasent paid
will if Daived hasent paid
it
Ella you asked me if I
was mad with you and
that you onely asked me
to board jainey some
whear els that did not
make me mad but
Etta my Dear Child I
am 60 years old now
and I have spent 20 years of that for you
and you no that my wife
left me on your and
jaineys acout and
Emmie turned janey out of her house and
then for you to do
the same thing
Page 3
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| Page 3 |
Why you no that
it hurt my heart more
over Etta you are the only
one that knows how I had
my money in the Bank
and I told Daivd
to tell you what I would
do if you turned jainey
out of your hous so
you was not going by
what other popel said
but that you was going
to do what you thout was
your Duty so if corse
I am satisfied if you are
Now Etta
you know that was
going to make my
home with you
and Daived and I have
Page 4
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| Page 4 |
decided that you would
do that to keep from
being Bothered with
me in my old age but
my Dear Child what
I have dun fore you
I dident do it for eney
selfsis notive but
what I thoat was my
Duty to you and my
god so I onely ask you
to thank god that he
gave me helth and
strength to work for
you and never give
me a thoat eney more in
life for I am not wortey
of even a thoat
of even a thoat
your father
W.A. Mcmanus
Bishopville, S.C.
R..F.D.2.4.
This is such a sad letter. Again there is the mention of the mysterious Jainey. It seems that she is the source of some contention in the family. According to the letter, two family members have asked Jainey to leave their home. The first was Emma McManus, W.A. McManus' daughter-in-law,and the second his daugher Etta. What the relationship between Jainey and the McManus family was is still unknown to me but clearly she is important to William (W.A.) McManus.
William McManus died on the 13th of September 1914, only a short time after this letter was written. I don't know when it was mailed or how long it would have taken to get to Etta. Did she get it before her father died? Was she able to see or write to him again and resolve what ever was going on or did he die with it still between them? I really hope that she did but I doubt I will ever know. Perhaps the answer is in solving the mystery of who Jainey/Janey was and her relationship to the McManus famly.
Previously transcribed letters from W.A. McManus to daughter Etta.
William McManus died on the 13th of September 1914, only a short time after this letter was written. I don't know when it was mailed or how long it would have taken to get to Etta. Did she get it before her father died? Was she able to see or write to him again and resolve what ever was going on or did he die with it still between them? I really hope that she did but I doubt I will ever know. Perhaps the answer is in solving the mystery of who Jainey/Janey was and her relationship to the McManus famly.
Previously transcribed letters from W.A. McManus to daughter Etta.
Letter 1
Letter 2
Letter Transcribed 11 November 2012 by Cheryl Hudson Passey
From original letter found in Daughrity family Bible
Original letter in possession of Cheryl Hudson Passey archived in Daughrity Family File
I am struck with the sentence "my wife left me on your and Jainey's account." If Jainey is Ben's wife, there must have been some big dispute between the two families. Or continual arguments between Jainey and his daughter?
ReplyDeleteIn any case, my heart goes out to this man. He has gone to the poor house, he will pay the $5, he isn't asking his daughter to take care of him, he is just glad that he had the strength to care for his daughter . . . oh, my goodness! (I take him at his word, but if he is in fact trying to make his daughter feel guilty, it's certainly working on me. So sad.
Worked on me too! Thanks for comment and for reading my blog!
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