Bagnalstown Sunday night | Nov. 10th 1840.1
My dear John
I was almost beginning to think you had quite forgotten your B’town2 correspondent, however I am glad to find that you at last remember bygone hours. You desire a description of the Races.3 I am a bad hand at descriptions. The weather was very cold and wet, still there was a very large meeting and great sport. In July there will be another,4 which will be pleasant – perhaps you would grace it with your presence. I hope you enjoyed yourself hallow ee’n.5 we commemorated that night twelvemonth very imperfectly indeed, as there was some highly prized friends absent.6 however that was unavoidable, though still we could not help regreting them. You will come home at Christmas of course. I assure you we will be delighted to see you. As to any thing in the shape of news there is nothing just now, only the death of our County member Mr Vigors, which will cause an election. I believe he died in England but was buried in Old Leighlin with his ancestors.7 George8 has not suffered any change from the smallpox. I am sure you are a famous dancer ere this. We danced until morning hallow-ee’n, only think of that – are we not a good set, you know the next day was Sunday. Dear John, I am the worst hand in the world at writing long letters, you must consequently excuse the shortness of this and indeed all my epistles. Emma9 was quite incensed that Mr Roberts should shorten your letter, she says if he has thought proper to refuse us even in place a his memory he should not teach you to forget your old acquaintances though he found the task an easy one.
Emma sends her love to you and Ann McGhee and my mother, also the Miss Cummins.
I am getting very sleepy and must conclude by subscribing myself
Your affectionate cousin | Maria Payne
P.S. They say a woman’s postcript contains the most important part of her letter I believe that it is true Write soon remember I will be expecting to hear from you daily
Farewell | M.Payne
RI MS JT/1/11/3838
LT Transcript Only
Nov. 10th 1840: 10 November was a Tuesday; hence the letter may have been written on 8 November.
B’town: Bagenalstown
the Races: Held at the Ballybar course on 27 and 29 October (Freeman’s Journal, 29 October 1840, p. [2] and 30 October 1840, p. [2]); see letter 0015, n. 1.
In July there will be another: The race meeting was held on 2 August 1841 (Bell’s Life in London and Sporting Chronicle, 8 August 1841, p. 2).
hallow ee’n: Halloween – the night of 31 October – has strong Celtic, especially Irish roots, marking ‘Samhain’ the end of summer.
some highly prized friends absent: including ‘my uncle John and family and Tom Wall’, mentioned in letter 0015.
buried in Old Leighlin with his ancestors: On 26 October 1840 Vigors died at his London residence, Chester Terrace, Regent’s Park, and he was later buried on St Laserian’s Cathedral, Old Leighlin; see letter 0019, n. 2.
George: probably George Payne; see letter 0015, n. 7.
Emma: probably Tyndall’s sister, but possibly his cousin, Emma, daughter of Caleb Tyndall.
Please cite as “Tyndall0020,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/tyndall/letters/Tyndall0020