Letter from John McCready FitzSimons (Hendersonville, N.C.) to his sister Ellie, Aug. 12, 1948 — sheet 1
Book 1, Page 517 ·1948
Transcription
[Letterhead, printed in blue at upper centre, with the writer’s pencil overwriting it at upper right:]
TELEPHONE 326-J 305 SOUTH MAIN ST.
BARROVIAN LODGE MRS. T. R. BARROWS, OWNER HENDERSONVILLE, N. C.
[Hand-written at top right, in pencil, the writer overriding the printed address:]
Rosemary Inn, Aug 12, 1948
[Letter body, in pencil:]
Dear Ellie:
Received your letter of Aug. 9th, yesterday morning and as usual was very glad to get it.
I sent your letter before this out to Uncle “Gaillie” by Frank and I saw Frank yesterday and he said he had not yet delivered it, but would.
I suppose you know that
AI Notes
First sheet of a five-page pencil letter on Barrovian Lodge stationery (Mrs. T. R. Barrows, owner, 305 South Main St., Hendersonville, N.C., telephone 326-J). The writer has overwritten the printed letterhead with the pencilled location “Rosemary Inn” and dated the sheet “Aug 12, 1948.” Addressed “Dear Ellie” — i.e. the writer’s paternal aunt Ellen Milliken FitzSimons of Charleston (the Charleston Library Society Librarian 1898–1948; sister of the writer’s father Theodore Stoney FitzSimons). The signature on the closing sheet (p. 521) reads “John”, and the compiler’s later inked identification on p. 522 confirms the writer as John FitzSimons — the same hand as the 1918 Halifax letter (p. 446) and the 1928 Manila letter (pp. 447–451), establishing John McCready FitzSimons (b. 1890, USN officer, son of Theodore Stoney FitzSimons; nephew of Ellie and brother of Louisa de Berniere FitzSimons) as the writer of this 1948 letter cluster.
Sheet 1 (this page) acknowledges Ellie’s letter of August 9th and reports that John has sent her previous letter onward to “Uncle ‘Gaillie’” — i.e. Gaillard Stoney FitzSimons of Spartanburg (per the Tote/Gaillie pair established on p. 512) — by way of Frank (Frank Lockwood FitzSimons Sr. of Hendersonville, whose ‘Golden Glow Farm’ is a recurring family stopping-point in this album). John saw Frank yesterday, who reported the letter not yet delivered. The text breaks at the bottom of the sheet with “I suppose you know that” and continues on p. 518. The pencilled letterhead override “Rosemary Inn” is preserved verbatim — the writer evidently used Barrovian Lodge stationery while actually staying at the nearby Rosemary Inn.
Continues on page 518.