Langholm

July 10 1870

Dear Mother,

I sit down to write you a few lines to let you know how I am getting on as well as some of the particulars about myself and your brother and sisters. We were very pleased on receiving the likenesses of yourself and Walter and John but you do not say anything in your letter about what you and Walter are doing, what circumstances you are in nor what health he may enjoy, for myself I am as a tweed finisher at the mill of Mfsrs Reid and Taylor that was Renwicks mill although it is quite a different affair now than it was then and employs somewhere around 300 hands, throwing off about 180 to 200 pieces of tweed every week. I have charge of the cropping machines or yankees as they are called for cutting the rough hairs of the face of the cloth and giving it a smooth and level appearance. I have plenty of work and my wages are 22 shillings per week.

I am married to Margaret Borthwick a daughter of Thomas Borthwick and Nelly Scott. Her father is a brother of Alick Borthwick the mason and Matthew Borthwick, and her mother was a daughter of little Rob Scott the mason of Wauchope row but she died about a year and a half since. We have 5 children, 1 son and 4 daughters. Helen aged 11 years, Janet between 8 and 9, Thomas 6 years and Mary Jane nearly 4 years and Maggie is 18 months old. The have all enjoyed wonderful good health but the three youngest have had the measles and they all took the whooping cough after, though they are getting a good deal better now. We live in the Kirkwynd and your sister Janet lives down the stair in the same house. She is a widow with 2 children, Janet about 16 years old and John 14 years. Her husband’s name was John Stewart, a ploughman in Teviotdale but she came to Langholm when he died 8 or 9 years since. Mary lives at the Wellclosefoot and is a widow too but of a different sort. She was married to a baker named James Oliver belonging to Denholm but he went off to America about 14 years since and she has had very little word about him since. She has 3 children, Helen 19 years old, Alick about 16 or 17 and Agnes 14 years past. Alick took an income (infection?) in his knee and they wrought on it for a long time but they could do nothing for it so the leg had to be taken off above the knee but he has been very stout and healthy since. Mary keeps a small shop and Janet washes and dresses (sp?) while their daughters all work in the mills for there is plenty of work and good wages for women, from 10 to 12 per week being quite a common wage amongst them and some of them more. John Stewart is an apprentice to the painting trade and Alick Oliver is still at the school.

Jane lives at Galashiels with her husband. They have 1 son named William about 18 years old. Jane's husband's name is Thomas Bell. He is the son of Betty Bells, if you knew her. One William Armstrong a son of your Aunt Jean's was his father. He is a spinner and is working on selfacting jenny at Galashiels and has a very good job and their son William is an apprentice joiner. John is married again although I do not know whether Bella was dead or not when you left. He has 2 sons by his first wife. His oldest, William, is in New Zealand ans was married about a year since. Robert, the second son is a widower with one daughter 2 or 3 years old and is living with John. John is married to Margaret Scott, a daughter of James Scott, a weaver whom you perhaps you might know by the name of Corunna, as he was called after a battle in Spain, for he was through the peninsular war. They have one son about 11 years old and live in the old house. John is not very strong for the last year or so. For your uncles and aunt, your Aunt Jean died a few years since and your Uncle Willie is dead too since my Grandmother died. All the rest are alive but Chirsty is very silly at this time. I sent you two Langholm papers last week. I put them both in together and I will send you them regular, but you must write and let me know if you get them all right. I think I have no more to say at present, but to write soon. I remain your loving son

address James Ritchie
Kirk Wynd
Langholm