- The Transcribed Letters

1. Frances Armstrong, b. 1807 in Fermanagh, Ireland, d. Jan 13 1883 in Huntingdon QC. She worked as a teacher. She married Capt. William Simpson, d. c1830 in England, married Aug 11 1826 in Quebec City, QC.

Children:

2. i. Margaret Elizabeth Simpson b. 1827 in North Shields, England.

ii. William James Simpson b. c1830 in Canada. (known as James)

Letters from Frances (Armstrong) Simpson

No 1 letter

Dear Father and Mother May 1831

I rec’d your sorrowful letter It is the worst news for me and my two Children that ever I got think of my Grief at hearing of my Dear Husband Death and I was expecting him arriving at time that I got your unwelcome letter. I got no letter from him but one since he left Quebec and that one was Wrote on 27 of April he was on his third voyage on the Kingston for he wanted me to come home that time he said that there was a good many ships gon from Shields(North Shields) to Montreal the letter was not posted in Quebec until the 8th. of October and I did not get it till the later End of the month and then the ships was all gon that I had no chance of Geting a Pasage so late in the season he said that if I did not come to Write to him at your house or else at London I did so Suppose he never Got it I wrote one to him on the 14th of August I hope he Got that one but if he did I never Got any answer to it Dear Father you will be pleased to let me Know Whether he did or not but when it was the will of God to take him from me I Rejoice that he did not take him in a storm at sea but that he died at home and Hapy in the love of the Lord and Resigned to the will of his Redemer I can securly say wellcom be the will of the Lord but like Job that it was with me in Days that’s passed when he was with me I was hapy I spent many a lonesome Day and Night since I came to this Country but hope of soon meeting With him some time made me forget that I was so far from him at Meeting that I often Prayed for to God but that was Denied me and him on this Earth Dear Father David says I can go to him but he cannot come to me Dear Father let me know if he joined any Chaps of the Methodies and if there is anything about him in the Magazines I will be glad to hear Let me know if he said anything about me and his poor Children I hope you and my Mother will not forget us the more he is Gon from us if ever you see his son you will say that he is the image of his Father My poor Daughter does not mind him at all She says that her Dado will send her no new frocks My Father says that as far as he is able he will not let them as me want as long as God spares him he will help us all he can he has seven of it standing Family of his own beside me and my two Children that makes ten it Gives him it Enough to do to support us all this is a new Settlement but with the help of God he expects it will be Giting beter to live every year it is one Mile in the Woods and one Mile from the Road to Montreal where he live there is a village three miles from this and I have been there 3 times and that is all the time I have been out of the woods since I came hear yet and it was with my Father I went then I have gon some times to a School house to hear Mr Lacy he is a Missionary belonging to your people he comes out in the two Weeks the have missed a Class and my Brother and Sister has joined it I would have joined before this but waiting to go to Shields which likely I will never see myself or Children there again to my loss I am sorry that I have no means to pay that bill which is standing against him and I would I sent my China to Montreal to sell to see if it will Buy Mourning for me and my poor Childen for my friends has plenty to do to support me and my Children for I have been a burden since came here I had no money Comming hear nor since but what my friends give me the Winter is Cevere and long the first winter I came hear Margaret was a long time sick and my son was bourn after that and last fall after ------------Wrote to William I had a severe Feavour ------- and had Doctor Attend on me and Margaret that bill stands against me I was to pay that when William would com my Father says he will pay that bill if you Could send me his Bed and his Cloaks and his Book it meby the will be some use to my children if there is any of them that you want you can take them in wellcom send them to Montreal by some ship and be left at Mr John Jonston at the sign of Johny C(G) Iroat at the Foot of the old Market Montreal & for Mr James Armstrong Sherrington

(Note-d.m.: James Armstrong family in 1831 Lower Canada Census (Sherrington, east bush settlement):

St. Normand, L'Acadie, Quebec, Canada

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-11352-5123-36?cc=1834329&wc=14241690

10 persons in family, as in Frances' letter.)

if you could sell his Quadrent and Charts and sea Book it mite help to pay them Bills that is against him Let me know where he Died was it in your house I hope you will write to me every opertunity you have Give my love to all my friends and tel Edward if he should come to Quebec if he cant come to see me that if I can I will go to see him and bring the Children with me I will be Glad to see any of his friends Give my respects to the Mrs Sails an Mrs Robinson and Family and to Mrs Lodge and them to write to me and you can Give them the Directions I did think I would be in Shields this Summer but my hopes was all destroyed my Father and all his family sends ther Respects to you and all yours I am your unhappy Daughter the Lord Bless you and and my Mother Frances Simpson

No2 letter

Dear Father and Mother Hemmingford Sept 28 1833

I take this opportunity of writing these few lines to you hoping to find you and my Mother and all the rest of the Family in good Health as this leaves me and the Children and all my Fathers Family in at present thank God for it and all other Mercys Dear Father I have been looking for a letter from you all this Summer and got none I hope you will not forget to write to me every opportunity you have as I have no Chance of sending you a Letter but very seldom if I don’t send it by the Post A Capt in Flinns employ is to take this Letter for me he says he Know you and he will Post it in London Dear Father let me Know if my Mother gets Good Health or has she got her Eys Sight better than when I left Shields Dear Father I have kept a School 5 months last year and I am in the Fifth Month this Summer I have one Month longer to keep yet the Winter is to cold for me to keep school for there is as much as five Months that the frost and snow is not of the Ground and some days in the Winter you Could not go one mile for the way it snows and freezes and the Summer is as Warm again as the Winter is cold Dear Father my Children gets good health thank God Margaret is going to School and learns well my son is not Christened yet and I will call him William James I did intend to call him James Armstrong but since it is the will of God to take his Father from him I think it is rite to Call him after him as my poor son was not to see him some of the people in Shields said that Margaret was like her Father She does not look near so like him as her Brother he is strong and Healthy looking such another fat looking Boy as William Matthews was when I left Shields I go home to my Fathers once a week it hurts my mind much to be separated from my Children but I am getting hardened to trouble for I can say since the day that William left me in Montreal I never had one Contented Day from that time till this Day and while I write this letter I am Depressed in mind more than what I should I don’t have good health as I had in Shields My Father tells me I am killing myself and that I may be the means of leaving my poor Children without a Mother I was not content in Shields at being so far from my Father and Mother but I can see my folly now for the loss of my Husband is harder to bear than all my friends on Earth it is my Constant Prayer to God to make me resigned to his will for I know that it is for some wise end that the Lord took him from me but it Grieves me to the heart to think I had not the happiness to see him before he Died I think I would be better content if it had been the will of God but when I look round and see how many poor ida---- and orpants Children were left here since after the Cholera I am thankfull to God that I have a Fathers House to go to with my two Children my Schol money keeps them and me in Chlose(clothes) and my Father finds them plenty to Eat Dear Father a Great Deal of them Things that you sent me last Summer will be no use to ^(me) I wish you had kept sum of them and all that belonged to the sea for I can make no hand of them here I have no chance of being where they mite be sold if you or Edward would come to Montreal write to me as soon as you land and I will go and bring the Children I would be glad to see anyone belonging to William Simpson the most Distant Relation Dear Father write to me as soon as you get this Letter don’t mind the Postage I will soon pay for the Letter from you let me hear how Mr Smith is doing at London I hope he is doing good My Father and Mother sends their Respects to you and your Family No more at present but is your affectionate Daughter Frances Simpson give my love to Edward Simpson and Wife and Son and to Edward Matthews Wife and Children and tell them I would be Glad to Get a Letter from any of them Give my Love to Aunt Diana and Uncle Neddy my Respects to Mr and Mrs Robinson and Mrs Lash and likewise to Mrs Lodge and let me know if she has heard from her Husband since he left Quebec(lost at sea) and my Respects to Mrs Younger farewell (on the spine) Have wrote this letter in School (at the side of the first page) Direct your letter to Mrs Frances Simpson in Care of Mr James Armstrong of Hemingsford Laprairie Lower Canada

No 3 letter

Dear Father and Mother Montreal 11.12.1833

I take this Opertunity of writing to you by Capt/Higgins who has brought us all Poor William Clothes which I am sorry to Get you Need not sent me his Charts or any things that belonged to the Sea for I have no use with them I am in very good health at present both me and the Children and all my Fathers Family thank God for it I am glad to hear that you and all friends is well I have teached at school 4 months last winter and I am going to another one Sattarday I have 4 Dollars a Month and my Board it is 10 miles from Sherrington and Margaret and James stops at home with my Father and Mother I thank God that he is doing better for me than I deserve I hope that You or my Mother will not Neglect writing to me Every Opertunity you can get I would like to see you all but fear that I never will as there is Great Distincts between us My Boy is the Largest Boy of his Age in this part of the Country he is Getting more like his Father Every Day I wish you could see him and Margaret is Getting tall and Big and is Very Wise I wondered that you did not write to me since you sent the first Should Edward come to Quebec I will go to see him and bring the Children with me I mostly see the Ships in the News papers and like to hear of them and it Grieves me to the heart to see a ship But I seldom see them Give my love to all my Brothers and Sisters and Poor Aunt Dina for the more I am far from them I still have the same love for them that shall never sceace till Death for I lost a Good Husband as ever was born the loss of him was all that ever Distressed me I would never have stopped as long at my Fathers but I thought the longer I stayed he would have the more saved all that I lament that I did not see him before he died but thank God he died Happy in the Lord it will not be long before my time comes it was a Loud call to me to get ready I would write all day but my time forbids me Give my love to Mrs Last and Mrs Robinson and all their family and Mrs Lodge I am sorry to hear the account of her Husband I seen his name in the papers leaving Quebec 11 of November I went to him but he was gone Dear Father direct your letter to me to Care of my Father at Sherrington Nepervill lower Canada the all send their love to you and all friends I remain your affectionate Daughter in Law Frances Simpson Dear Mother I am glad you can see so well

Address – Capt David Simpson care of Capt Robt Higgins Stephenson Street No Shields Northumberland

No 4 letter

Dear &Mother Hemmingford Feb 27th 1836

I take this pleasant opportunity of writing those few lines to you hoping to find you and all your Family in Health as this leaves me and the Children and all my Fathers Family at present thank God for his mercies to us all I received your letter you post last September and this is the fourth letter that I have wrote since to send to you and sent them to Montreal their did not happen to be any Ships there going to England I did not want to put the expenses of Postage on you but I think so long to here from you I cant wait till Spring for the Ships Coming I am intending to send this one by New York and I hope you will Answer as soon as you Receive it I received a letter from Mrs Lash which was welcome token of Friendship it made me both glad and sorry for some weeks after I got to it made me think of all my old times with Sorrow and Regret that I did not improve the time that was gon by I shall Answer her letter this Summer if God spares me life I oftentimes I wished you or Edward would come to Quebec or Montreal I think long to see some one from Shields but my hopes has often been disappointed I begin to think that I will never see one of you on the Earth but Dear Mother I can rejoice in meeting you in Heaven where all Tears shall be wiped away I can inform you that I am a Member of the Primitive Church on Earth and trust my name is writen in the Lmbs Book of life in Heaven all my Fathers Family is joined the Primitive Church one of my Brothers and Sister is serving the Lord with Faith in Jesus Christ an my Father the other three Boys is seeking the Lord and I hope is not far from the Kingdom of God one Brother is Maried the oldest my Sister that is married has had Twins twice and one of them the Lord called to himself 5 weeks ago it was a boy of four years old I trust will be the means of bringing her and her Husband to seek the Lord while he may be found Dear Father the Preacher that Leads this Society is from England his name is Foster he a native of Lincolnshire I wish you would ask the Preacher of the Ranters Chapell if he knows him to be a Minister in their Commision Mr Foster was leading a class in my Fathers House when the Lord spoke peace to my soul I long looked for that comfort I can rejoice in a sin paid as my God cares Since I have gone on my way Rejoicing and the next day my Father was Blessed and my Sister it was the 25th July I keep School this Winter I did not Keep School last Winter my Health is not so good this Winter as it was last but I am happy I can see the hand of God in all things Give my love to all my Brothers and Sisters and to Aunt Dina I am very sorry to hear of Uncle Nedy Death if he had Religion it is well for him to Escape the Trials of this unfriendly world give my Love to Mrs Lodge and Mrs Last and Mrs Robinson and Family dear Father my Daughter and Son has good Health if you should have a chance to send me two Ranters Hymn Book by some one coming to Montreal there is no fear but I would get them Send them to be left at Mr Mullins Ship Chandler on the Wharf Montreal for me we have Camp meetings here which last 8 Day and some times there is as much as 100 people Converted to God Religion prospers here this is a very severe Winter people expects the snow will last 6 months Frances Simpson

Direct your letter as before when you get this Don’t spare postage

Addressed to-Capt David Simpson Bywell Bedford St North Shields County of Northumberland England

No 5 Letter

Dear Father and Mother June 25th 1836 Montreal

I take this opportunity of writing those few lines to you hoping to finding you and all your Family in good Health as this leaves me and the Children and all my Fathers Family at present Dear Father I received your Parcel of Books which I feel much Obliged to you for your kindness I was disappointed at not getting a letter from you I come here on Thursday and last night I met Mr Mill mate of the George and he knows all your Family and he was well acquaint with William he told me he would take a letter and another to Mrs Lash dear Father I hope you will try to come here some time with your Ship I would be glad to see you or Edward my Son and Daughter is growing well and has remarkable good health if you come here I will bring them to see you Dear Father I would be glad to get a letter from you or Edward at any time I still keep School in Hemmingford I intend to stop in the fall and stay at home all winter by keeping School it enables me to keep my Children in Clothes and to keep them at School Margaret is writing and she learns well Dear Father I think of sending you Wm Quadrant if I can for it is no use to me you might sell it there give my love to my Brothers and Sisters and their Children and I would be glad to get a letter from any one of them Ether by Post or by hand I will be here to get it No more at present from your affectionate Daughter Frances Simpson

I write this in haste or I would say more

Capt David Simpson North Shields Northumberland

No 6 Letter

Dear Father and Mother March 31st 1838 Hemmingford

I take this opportunity of writing those few lines to you hoping to find your Family all in good Health as this leaves me and the Children and all my Fathers Family. Dear Father I write this letter to you convinced that if I did not write to you you would not write to me I would not have you think I did not want you to write to me after I would like to hear from you every month if you would take the Trouble to write to me I am able enough to pay the Postage, and I don’t grudge paying for a Letter from you or any one of your Family if any one of them will write to me I will be glad to hear from any one of you, Dear Father don’t think I am scolding you for not writing to me I am only pleading with you in my own behalf you will I trust send me answer to the letter when you receive it Dear Father I thank you for the Hymn Books & Testament you sent me the Testament I will give to your Grandson he thinks it is a fine present from his Grandfather to send it to him from England Margaret is growing a fine Girl she is a very smart Girl to learn and so is my son he reds well if the Lord gives them grace it is all they want Dear Father you have heard of the Rebellion in Canada there was Tereble times here this Winter in November & December and Jany the rebels had four Camps within 40 miles of this place and 3 in Upper Canada they were defeated in all their undertaking all the Loyal inhabitants of this place volunteered to join the British two of my Brothers is in the volunteers at present they expect to be dismissed in the Course of 2 months this rebellion has been a Great back set to the Christian people here this is 30 miles South of Montreal we can leave this at 4 O clock in the morning and be in Montreal at 4 in the afternoon, there is peace in this place just now we know not how long it may last, there was always a great number of the Canadians killed at the scattering of there Camps but very few of the soldiers or volunteers the Yankey seem to take part with the Canadians Some think there will be war between the States and the British it is not declared yet as I hope it wont, I think I said enough about the war Dear Father my oldest Brother Wm had his little son Burnt to Death a year past October and last month his House was Burnt up while he and his Wife was at a Class meeting it was done through the neglect of his hired man leaving the House alone they could not save anything in it I believe he and his Wife is Serving the Lord these is hard trials, we must submit to the hand of the Lord I sent a letter to Mrs Lash last August most likely she got it I did not write to you since I got your letter that Edward Henderson brought out with him I got it about ten days after I got the Book I wish you to let me Know how you and my Mother are prospering in your Souls if I was able to go and see you all I would gladly go believe me it would rejoice me to see an one of your Family I fear I never will have that pleasure on Earth, Bless my Mother if I never see one of my Friends in Shields on Earth I hope to meet some of them all of them in Heaven my love to my Mother and all my Broethers and Sisters and all their Children you said I mite see some of the Lads in this Country if any of them should come to Montreal if they write to me I will bring their Cousins to see them let me here how Mr Smith is doing I heard he was in gaol let me hear how Mrs Lodge is and Mrs Lash Mrs Robinson and all their Family give my Love to Aunt Dina if She is living no more at present from you affectionate Daughter Frances Simpson

Direct as before

No 7 Letter (final letter) February 25th 1841 Hemmingford

Dear Father and Mother

I take this opportunity of writing those few lines to you hoping to find you and all friends in good health as this leaves me and the Children at present my Fathers family is all well except my Mother She is confined to her bed this 14 Months with the Rheumatism the Doctors can do nothing for her I hope you are all well in Health now the last Letter I got from you I was sorry to hear of Ellens Death it was a soar trial for her Childen to be left with out a Mother I would like to hear how many Children she left behind her let me hear how they are all doing I would have wrote to you long before but as I thought you were sick and out of employment that it might not answer to send you too many Letters last June was a year I was in Montreal and I always go to enquire if there is any ships from Shields so that I may hear from you I seen a man of the Name of Christy he told me that he knew you and that you were well then and was going to sea which I was Glad to hear Dear Mother Margaret is very near as tall as me I think sh is going to be as tall as her Aunt Ellen Sis very Healthy and so is my Boy they often say they would like to see their Grand Father and Mother that is in England I wish you would come here Dear Edward and Mary I should like to see you both once more on this Earth but I fear I never shall let me hear how your Son is doing if any of them should come to this Country if they let me know in time that the Children could get to see then they will go I should like them to see some of their Fathers friends it is 40 miles from this to Montreal but we can have this in the morning in Summer and be in Montreal in the evening with a carriage Dear Edward if you think well I would send you the Quadrant & the Piloinr they are no use to me you would have a chance of selling them to some one, you might pay your self for your trouble and if their was any left after you mite send me the worth of it in Clothes for the Children if it was but a Handkerchief it would be useful if you dont want me to send it to you let me know how you think I could sell it and you will oblige me I remain your affectionate Sister Frances Simpson Dear Father I hope if you have any Tracts or any other Books that you can Spare if you will send me some I would be glad to get them from you Direct your Letter as before give my love to all enquiring friends let me hear how Mrs Lash Mrs Robinson and Mrs Lodge I wrote to Mrs Lash and got no Answer I remain your affectionate Daughter Frances Simpson The second Missionary Meeting in Hemmingford will be on Thursday next they seem to do well here I still keeps School we have peace in this Country now

To Capt David Simpson Bedford Street North Shields County of Northumberland England