Photocopy Letter from Gertrude M. Holmes [wife of Samuel Holmes], New Jersey to Esther Hackworth

615 North Broad Street Elizabeth NJ October 10th
My dear Miss Hackworth
It was a very great shock and also a sorrow to hear of your Brother’s death. I knew him quite well. He was at our house several times, always a most welcome guest & we had gone over his place with him in Toronto. My last letter from him was from Montreal & he then said he would later send me his changed address & my last letter to him explaining what we liked about ’the Stephenson letter’ was never answered.

The letter is in the safe deposit box in Co Trust Vaults, as soon as I can arrange to go there, I will send it to you as requested. I wonder if you know that your Brother and my Husband had decided it should finally be placed for preservation in a museum with other records and spoke of one ‘I believe already in existence’ at Shildon – of this Robert Young is better informed - as he and my husband were making ‘Timothy Hackworth’ their chief interest in life.

For yourself & your family I send deepest sympathy, your loss is very great and unkind and so much liking Albert, whom we felt to be a relation I can so well realize how great is your loss – I am very sorry for you all – Thank you for your kind wishes to myself – life is and must be unbearably lonely – I try to accept -

With warmest regards I am most sincerely yours Gertrude M. Holmes