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Archiver > Scotch-Irish > 2003-06 > 1056653011


From: "Linda Merle" <>
Subject: [Sc-Ir] The Irish Sketchbook
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2003 11:43:53 -0700


Hi folks,

Most astonishly, on www.sacred-texts.com, is
Thackeray's "An Irish Sketchbook". Composed in
the 1840s, about 10 years after the Ordinance
Survey Memoirs, it details Thackeray's tour of
Ireland. His view is very much that of a Londoner
of his time. As such, parts of it will offend
everyone though his comments are typical and without a lot of insight. Still it is a rare glimpse of an Ireland, pre-Famine, pre the flight of the aristocracy due to the land wars. His interest in church services and architecture provide a glimpse into worlds. He stopped in at poor houses and orphanages so the account is a bit more indepth than many such works.

Tour of the North starts here:
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/isb/isb27.htm

Of Armagh, settled by the English he says:

"The physiognomy of the people too has quite changed; the girls have their hair neatly braided up, not loose over their faces as in the south; and not only are bare feet very rare, and stockings extremely neat and white, but I am sure I saw at least a dozen good silk gowns upon the women along the road, and scarcely one which was not clean and in good order. " ..."The people speak with a Scotch twang..." Learn about the pink heels of the Belfast chambermaids....

Linda Merle








http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/isb/

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