Rosalie Hart Priour Autobiography "Adventures of a Family of Emigrants" with notes and commentary by historian Frank Wagner (indicated in green).
Chapter 7 That spring my father began farming, but he knew no more about it than a baby, consequently did not succeed very well. I went to school Killarney (sic) [Killeny] about a quarter of a mile from where we lived.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Tom Hart's 50 acre farm was in Killeny, about 5 miles west from Gorey, adjacent to Ballygarret, Wexford, home of Col. Power. Cf. Interrogatory of R.B. Priour before W. B. Hopkins, Corpus Christi, 13th February, 1891. Killarney was in the next county, and is unlikely.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Instead of taking lunch, I bought my dinner as there was no baker's shop, and a store across the street from the school house. My parents thought I would buy whatever I wanted for my dinner, but instead of that I would buy a penny's worth of caraway seed and sugar, and give the rest away. I was always delicate, and could not eat much.
In winter, the whooping cough was very bad, and I took it at school. My sisters took it from me, and my dear mother had a dreadful time nursing us through the winter. It only affected me like a slight cold, but was very severe on the other children; in the spring they appeared to be entirely well, when those who were getting better took something resembling croup. They would be playing around apparently well, and in about fifteen minutes they would be dead. Three of my sisters died with it in one week.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Pertussis (whooping cough) was and is a serious enough disease, but it was often accompanied by other diseases during the first half of the 19th Century. Croup (including streptococcus infection of the pharynx), diphtheria and thrush were often associated with pertussis. Pneumonia was a frequent follower of croup. It is not surprising that a single family would have three deaths among their children in a single week.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - My sister Elizabeth was apparently dead. The neighbors wanted to wash and dress her before she became too stiff, but mother stood over her, and would not allow anyone to touch her. Everyone thought she had been driven crazy with the loss of her children, and said to each other, "Let us take the child by force, and lay her out." But mother turned such a fierce look on them that none had the courage to put their threat into execution. After a while, there was a slight movement of her tongue and mother took a spoon full of the syrup she had by the fire and wet my sister's mouth with it. It went against her breath, and made her cough. Then she went to sleep.
When she awoke, the first word she said was, "Momma, I want a piece of bread and butter." Father was lying on the bed. He had just returned after having ordered coffins for the three children. As soon as he heard her speak, he got up an brought her the bread and butter, and she ate it and went to sleep. The next day, she was able to play while mother and father went to church to have the funeral service performed over the remains of our other treasures.
It was a fearful trial to follow the remains of three of our loved ones to the grave in one week, but what was our loss, was their gain. Had they lived, perhaps they might have lost their immortal souls, but now we have the consolation of knowing that they are bright angels and will be forever happy in the company of our Saviour. Death is the portion of all created things, and it is much better to die while young and innocent than to live and offend God, and perhaps lose our souls.
Chapter 6 - Chapter 8