Written 4 November 1836

Poem

Transcript

John Shore came from England to America in 1832.  He received his American citizenship in 1834 in Philadelphia.

Here is a poem he wrote in 1836 at "Cats Creek", Ohio.  He had traveled from the settled lands of the East to the new West frontier.

He was a young man alone in a new country.

Ohio was then the American 'northwest' with new territories being opened to settlement.  Many people were moving there to make new lives in the open areas.

The poem might reflect some of the isolation and loneliness John had felt just four years after leaving England.

When John Shore penned this poem in 1836, he was about 150 miles away from Mary Ann Brandenburg, who had moved with her father's family to Erie County, Ohio a year earlier in 1835.  Somehow their paths crossed.

John Shore and Mary Ann Brandenburg were married in Erie County, Ohio on 14 February 1838.  Our family is descended from their marriage.

- - -

John Shore's great-great-grandson James Roberts has traced the poem's source.  It was written by Elizabeth King Mills (1805-1829) only a few weeks before her death.

The poem's transcript is provided by John Shore's great-great-great-granddaughter Debra Tasker.

She notes:

"A very dreary poem.  John Shore must have felt much alone in this relatively new American town.  He arrived just when steamboats were making trips on the Ohio River possible.  A very interesting time in history."

Debra researched "Cats Creek" in our nation's history.  She provides this information:

"This is how the town of Cats Creek Mills, Adams Township, Washington County, Ohio came to be.  What a small world.  Settled by pioneers from Danvers (old Salem) Mass., it is directly west of Pennsylvania.  Many town names reflect the Danvers connection (Lowell, Lawrence, etc.).  The township is named after John Adams.  Many Bavarian immigrants moved to this area to flee Germany.  Lowell, which encompasses what was Cats Creek, is 166 miles from Mt. Gilead - county seat of Erie County, Ohio.  This is the first incorporated county in Ohio.  The Big Miami (Grandpa Roberts' school located in this area) is also within the confines of Washington County."

An interesting site:   http://www.washingtongov.org/

Source:  Carl
Scan by Carole, and transcript by Debra.

These three letters were written in 1843, 1849, and 1850.

They are written to John Shore in America from his brother and sister-in-law in England, Thomas and Mary Shore.

Empty envelopes show that other letters were written, but these three are all the contents we have.  Also John Shore wrote to his family in England, but we do not know what became of those letters.

19 March 1843:  Page  1   2   3   4     Transcript

5 June 1849:  Page  1   2   3   4     Transcript

27 July 1850:  Page  1   2   3   4     Transcript

All three letters give insights into the family's life.  They record births, deaths, and the family's fortunes and lives.

The first letter (1843) identifies the month and year when John Shore left for America, by mentioning a child who was born a month later.

The last two (1849 and 1850) describe the family's life in England.  The Potato Famine, so widely chronicled in Ireland, also blighted crops in the west of England and caused widespread poverty there.  The Shore family's trade (they were skilled furniture "joiners" -- cabinet-makers) was suffering from the loss of business.

The last two letters are poignant requests for John Shore to send funds to help in paying a ship's captain so that the family might come to America.  They assure John that the money will be repaid.

1851:  Money Sent to England:

Three documents (1851) show that John Shore sent 23 Pounds Sterling to his brother Thomas Shore in England.  The cost was 117 dollars.

A letter (30 June 1851) from a banker to John describes how it can be done.

The second document shows a table of currency exchange rates.

The third document (25 July 1851) is a receipt from a banker to John Shore for the funds.

1851 Money draft to Thomas Shore:  Letter   Table   Receipt

Here are transcripts of the  Letter  and  Receipt.

Envelopes with Postmarks:

Several envelopes have been found, addressed to John Shore's family in Illinois.  One is postmarked 1 October 1857 from Warminster, England.  Others are postmarked from New York and Illinois.  They all have the same handwriting.  The envelopes are empty; whatever their contents might have disclosed is unknown.

The U.S. postmarks show a day and month, but do not show the year of mailing.  The U.S. postage stamps were issued from 1857 to 1861.  We do not know where their letters were written.  Often mail in England was handed to someone on a ship bound for America, and it was mailed after arrival there.

Here are the envelopes:

Envelopes -- England and USA

More Envelopes with Postmarks:

Here are more envelopes that contained letters to John Shore.  Their contents have not yet been found.  One of the envelopes has the last part of a letter written inside it.

 29 May 1851   Front  Back

 12 January 1852   Folded  Unfolded  Back

 1 October 1857   Front  Back

 4 September 1858   Front

 13 January (Year??)   Front  Back

1849

1850

1851

1852

1857

1858

and

year ??

Written 29 June 1850

Letter:  Page 1  2  3  4

Transcript

Written by William Thomas Shore in Ireland to his uncle and aunt, John and Mary Ann (Brandenburg) Shore in America.

William is a British soldier on duty in Mullingar, Ireland.  The letter mentions his soldier's life, including his battle wounds and a medal he had received.  It describes his yearning to see his uncle and aunt and cousins.

The nephew's name 'William Thomas Shore' is the same name John and Mary Ann gave to their son, who was born 1846 in Illinois.  It may have come from the grandfather or another paternal ancestor.

Source:  Carl
Scans by Carole, and transcript by Debra.

Written about 1860

Poem and Letter:  Front  Back

Transcript

Written by Alfred Thomas Shore to Louisa Cedelia Shore.

His poem is "The Evergreen", describing that tree as a symbol of love.

Source:  Carl
Scans by Carole.

Postcard:  Front  Back

Written by Jesse Shore to his aunt Louisa Cedelia (Shore) Winn.

Describes his enlistment in the US Army and action in the Philippines 1899-1900.

New Year's dinner was beans, hardtack and coffee.

Source:  Jim

"The Song of the Anglophile Snobs":  Page 1  2 & 3  Transcript

"A Soldiers Prayer":  Page 1

Letters written to Jesse from his cousins (Winn family, Illinois) mention one of his songs, "Keep Old Glory Flying" being played and sung, with the audience applauding and asking about who had written it.  The song has not been found in our family so far.

Source "The Song of the Anglophile Snobs":  Joe
Source "A Soldiers Prayer":  Carl

Letter:  Page 1  2

Letter:  Transcript

Envelope:  Front  Back

Written by Jesse Shore to his grandson Joseph Roberts Jr.

The letter mentions the family coming to Panama for a visit "next month".  They did, but the USA entered WWII after 07 Dec 1941, and the family had to return immediately.

Source:  Joe

Letter:  Page 1  2

Written to his daughter Anna Agnes (Gaffney) Shore on learning she has married Jesse Shore.

The part showing the year is missing.

Only the first two pages have survived.  The remaining pages have not been found.

Source:  Tom

Year
Unknown

Christmas Card:  Front  Back
Written to her father, James Owen Gaffney.

Valentine Card:  Front  Back
Written to her husband, Jesse Shore.

Their dates are unknown.

Source:  Joe

Letter:  Page 1  2  3  4  5  6  7

Letter:  Transcript

Envelope:  Front  Back

Written to her son-in-law Joseph Roberts, who was then stationed in Panama, Canal Zone.

Source:  Jim

Letter:  Page 1  2  3  4

Letter:  Transcript

Envelope:  Front

Written to her nephew, Jesse Shore.  The letter also contained photos of Louisa and her family.  They are shown in the Family Gallery.

Source:  Joe

Letter:  Page 1  2-3  4

Letter:  Transcript

Envelope:  Front

Written to her nephew, Jesse Shore.

Source:  Joe

Poem

Here is a poem sent to Ann and Joe Roberts on their marriage, by their friend 'Dot'.  We have no record showing who she was.

Source:  Carole

Letter

Transcript

Written to his son Joseph Jr on his 6th birthday.

He was stationed at Albrook Field, Canal Zone, Panama.  WWII had started in Europe less than two months before this date.

He tells his son to "kiss Mother, Carol Ann and Jimmie for me."

Source:  Joe

Letter:  Front  Back

Transcript

Written to his son Joseph Jr from the Canal Zone, Panama.

His family is in San Antonio, Texas.

He writes that he wants the family to come to Panama.

Source:  Joe

Letter

Transcript

Envelope

Written to his son Joseph Jr in San Antonio, Texas, from APO 602.  He was stationed in Surinam, South America.

Source:  Joe

Letter Page:  1  2

Transcript

Written to his wife Margaret Ann Roberts in San Antonio, Texas, from Surinam, South America.

It is the day before Mother's Day.

Source:  Joe

Christmas greetings from Tokyo, Japan to his family in San Antonio, Texas.

Telegram to his wife Margaret Ann:  Telegram  Envelope

Card to his son Joseph Jr:  Front  Inside  Envelope

He had been transferred to Tokyo following the outbreak of the Korean War, 1950.  His family had returned to San Antonio and were living at 716 Denver Boulevard.

Source:  Joe

Letter

Written to her son Joseph Jr on his 63rd birthday.

She was then age 86, living in Tarpon Springs, Florida.

Source:  Joe

Letter

Written to his mother Anna Shore, 22 Sep 1943 from "Somewhere in England".

Here is the Envelope.

Source:  Carol

Christmas Card

Outside  Inside

Sent to his sister Margaret Ann (Shore) Roberts and her family.

Source:  Carol

Card

Ernest is at the left.  The names of the other men are not known.

Sent to his sister Margaret Ann (Shore) Roberts and her family.

Here is the Detail of the photograph.

Source:  Carol

Christmas Card

Sent to his sister Margaret Ann (Shore) Roberts and her family.

Here is the Envelope.

Source:  Carol

'Taimen Kotsu' -- Letter to the Editor (1952)

A letter to the editor of the Mainichi Shimbun, Tokyo, Japan, published in the newspaper.

Tokyo's postwar increase in automobile traffic had caused many pedestrian injuries and deaths.  The newspaper had editorialized that pedestrians should walk on the side of the road facing the oncoming traffic, to see it better.  (It's called 'taimen kotsu'.)  Another reader had said that pedestrians should go along with the automobile traffic.  Here is a juvenile reply to that letter.  The reference to the "occupation" of San Antonio was meant to allay any resentment to a suggestion from a dependent of the U.S. military (it was written during the temporary occupation after World War II).

The newspaper column had been saved by the boy's mother, Margaret Ann Roberts.

Source:  Jim

Joseph Roberts Sr died on July 12, 1952 in Tokyo, Japan.  Margaret Ann Roberts returned to the United States with their children.  She and the three youngest children remained in the US.  Their oldest, Joseph Jr returned to Japan.

Here are some letters and radiograms he sent to his mother.

September 2, 1952:    1  2  3  4
September 19, 1952:    1  2
September 28, 1952:    1  2  3  4
October 4, 1952:    1  2  3  4
December 9, 1952:    1  2  3  4
December 26, 1952:    1  2
April 19, 1953:    1  2  3  4
July 16, 1953:    1  2
December 21, 1953:    1  2
February 6, 1954:    1  2  3  4
July 12, 1954:    1  2

Here is a radiogram to his brother.

January 7, 1954:    1  2

Source:  Joe

Joseph Roberts Sr died on July 12, 1952 in Tokyo, Japan.

He had more than 27 years of service to his country, including overseas assignments before and during World War II and the Korean War.  He and Margaret Ann Roberts looked forward to retirement and being together with their children after so many years of being apart.

On his death, five days before Margaret's 42nd birthday, she made arrangements to return to the United States with their children.

Here are letters of condolence from United States military officers.  Two were written on her birthday.

July 17, 1952   --   Commanding Officer, 1808th AACS Wing:    1  2
July 17, 1952   --   Chaplain:    1
August 1, 1952   --   Commanding General, Far East Air Forces:    1
September 20, 1952   --   Chief of Staff, United States Air Force:    1

Here is his Presidential Accolade, signed by the President of the United States.

January 5, 1953   --   Presidential Accolade:    Letter   Accolade

Source:  Joe