74 Henry Riddell on 



invited to Ireland, and on the death of the Laird the young heir 

 Walter was brought over to learn the linen trade at Ballydrain. 

 "While there he was lodged at Newbridge, afterwards Lismoyne, 

 where he was an especial favourite of Nathaniel Magee's first 

 wife, who was Stewart by blood through her mother. He fell in 

 love with and five years later married Jane, living first at Bally- 

 drain and afterwards at Maryville. I have already mentioned 

 his descendants Basil and Walter, and we have as a member 

 of the Society Mr. Alec Wilson, of Croglin, the son of the 

 second Walter and the great-grandson of Jane Stewart. 



I propose now to read you a few of the old family letters, 

 and shall choose first, as showing the nature and difficulty of 

 travel at the time, a letter of Mrs. Mary Isabella, wife of Kobert 

 Stewart, written from AVhitehaven and dated — 



"Sunday, 29th August, 1784. 



My Dear Sister Ellen (Miss Ellinor Stewart, of Bally- 

 drain). — I make no doubt you received an account of our 

 jaunt to Donaghadee from John, and of our very uncomfort- 

 able situation there in the worst inn in Ireland. Mrs. 

 Moorehead came to visit us and invited us to tea, where we 

 went, but we were scarcely half-an-hour in the house when 

 we were summoned aboard. We made ready as fast as 

 possible and embarked about 8 o'clock. 



I very soon grew sick. As the cabin was very small I 

 determined to keep the deck; accordingly, I had a bed made 

 with some hay covered with an old sail. On this I lay until 

 about 12 o'clock, when the wind increasing Robert insisted 

 on my going down below into the hold, where Mrs. Turnlcy 

 and M. T. G. had been for some hours. As I was by this 

 time totally unable to assist myself either with hands or feet, 

 Robin and one of the men lifted me up and deposited me in 

 the hold like a sack. But, my dear Miss Stewart, if I could 

 give you an idea of the place where I was put by way of 

 being comfortable — only conceive a parcel of large cobble 



