Transcription
My Dear Cousin Esther,
When I was in Toronto last winter I and Mrs. Pegg called at Mrs Angers for the purpose of spending a few hours with Oliver and Lizzie(?) Austin and we enjoyed a most pleasant and enjoyable afternoon in reminiscensing and calling up pleasing memories of our boyhood days.
Little did I then think that in this life we would not meet again on the shores of time. Among other subjects about we conversed at that time was the numerous grandchildren of your Grandfather Solomon Austin and his wife Joanna Thomas. Who lived and grew up to adult age. Few of norfolk's Pioneers contributed so great and increased to the population of the "Glorious" old County as they. "There are names which peculiarly norfolk name - names which were planted in the virgin soil of the county and so firmly rooted to the foundation of our social fabric that each succeeding generation adds to their strength.
Among these old elementary names are the Austins of Woodhouse. Love of home is a leading characteristic with such families and tends to good and desirable citizenship. When a family becomes numerous in the locality where the grand ancestor built this pioneer cabin. it denotes on their part loyalty to country fidelity to local interests and affection for each other." I think Oliver and I counted up the following children and grand children of your grandfather Austin.
1. Solomon Austin. [?]. Sarah Slaght. They had six sons and four daughters.--Philip. John. S. David Jonathan Abraham Samuel. Susan. Julia Ann. Mary Ann and Elisabeth. 10.
2. Jonathan Austin. [?]. Hannah Potts. had two sons and six daughters.-- William. John. Charlotte. M[?]ary. Joanna Catherine Elisabeth Rebecca Ann 8.
3. Philip Austin.[?]. Mary Slaght. had six sons and eight daughters--Aaron Isaac. Philip. B. Joshua Joseph Oliver, [?]aney. Elisabeth, Rebecca, Mary Hannah. Esther An Emily Jane and Pricilla. 14.
4. Moses Austin.[?]. Mary Misner (?) [??] had four sons and four daughters. Lewis(?), Edward, Nathaniel, William. Margaret. M[?]ary, Sarah Julia 8.
5. Mary Austin.[?]. Henry Walker and they had two sons and two daughters-- James Solomon Rebecca. Esther 4.
6. Amy Austin.[?]. Selah Styles had two sons and one daughter, Peter, Selah, Lar[?]ina 3.
7. Esther Austin.[?]. Ray[??]a[?]d Potts and had two sons Jacob and John 2.
8. Elisabeth Austin.[?] John Pegg. and had eleven children six boys and five girls. Philip. Nathan. Joseph. James. T. Solomon. John, Joanna Rebecca, Esther, M[?]ary, Elisabeth .11
9. Anna Austin.[?].David Marr. had six sons and three daughters.--Solomon, Joseph, Edward, John [????]. William Duncan David,, M[?]ary. Esther. Jane .9
Total number of cousins .69
Aunt Esther Murray father's sister who lived here in Port Huron with her son Wesley Murray. after a two weeks illness of Pneumonia died April fifteenth 1910 aged 82 years and 4 days and her remains were taken to Waterford to be interred in Greenwood Cemetery beside her husband who pre-deceased here some thirty years. On receiving the Simcoe Reformer last week I saw the obituary of Duncan David Marr (the last of the Marr family) whose death took place April 20th 1910. aged eighty.
I think that you are the last surviving one of those sixty nine cousins about whom Oliver and I was conversing and I hope and pray that a [??] Providence may prolong your life that you may see many more [???] of your natal day. If one were to go out into Townsend and enumerate your cousins among the Slaght's, Barbers, Woodley's, Shearers etc. I think you could find nearly as many cousins on the side of your mother. I only know of two who are yet alive-- Mary Jane (mrs. Samuel Schuyler) Villa Nova Uncle Philip Slaght. Oh yes! I think that (Sarah Woodley) Mrs Solomon [?]line of Denver Col. When I was in Minnesota three years ago I went to Spring Valley. [????] and spent a few days with (Catherine (?) Ross) mrs Hiram Marr who was living with her niece mrs S.H Leonard and enjoying fairly good health.
mrs Pegg and I spent a year and a half very agreeably with here (?) daughter mrs re[?] B [?]errill in Toronto and then came to this city in Sept. 1908 and my sister Julia and my daughter Beatrice are living with me(?). We are enjoying very good health. My son George is married and is employed as chemist in the wholesale drug emporium of E squibble (?) Brooklyn. N.Y
Our youngest daughter g[??]la is married and lives in Detroit. My sister Sarah who received a paralytic stroke thirty years ago which sendered one side powerless is living at Milford .Mich in comparatively good health except her affliction. My youngest brother Robert with his wife and daughter is in the coal business at Danville .Pa.
Perhaps you are already cognizant of the fact herein recorded yet I thought some of them might intersect you. Life is very uncertain and perhaps we may not meet again on earth but I feel every day more grateful to God for the blessed hope through faith in Jesus Christ of meeting with all loved friends who have died trusting in Him and spending an eternity with Our Blessed Saviour. Mrs Pegg joins with me in sending our kind regards.
Your affectionate cousin W.W Pegg.Transcriber
Sopie Neang
