Use the Join us button to contact others, via our discussion list, who may be researching your interests.
Please consider donating to the web site: use the Donate button.
Carbon copy, letter to Robert Grier Torrence.
1.2.78
Dear Bob
Many thanks for your most interesting letter. I am very sorry to hear
of your disability as you are still a young man, I can give you 20 years.
About your father's book, my son who found the copy in London borrowed
the copy and made xerox copies of most of the relevant pages dealing with the
Irish members (upto and including p.184), this he had bound for me. Naturally
I wished to acquire a copy of the original if this was at all possible, hence
my request to you.
As you have already a microfilm would it not be possible to save lot
of trouble and expense to have one of your children get it out of store,
and have it copied. A microfilm can easily and cheaply be copied and is not
difficult to post. Further copies might be easier to supply to your children although
I would be happy to have a copy of the film if you can arrange for it to be
resurrected. The cost of making photo copies and postage would make the folio
proposition unreasonable.
About Isabel Sarah Torrence Henderson, who died in 1937, there is a
note of her in Jared's book on page 244, but I can trace no further details
in your father's book. She had a great interest in our family and was in
possession of some material about the family. That is the reason why I wished
to contact her descendants.
I have ordered a copy of the Torrens Family Tree from New York
Public Library (mentioned in your father's book on p.35) This is apparently
about our line and may prove interesting.
In the book under my Father's entry there are a few details to
correct: MPST should be M.P.S.I. (Member of the Pharmaceutical Society of
Ireland), mother's name was Devine not Perine, and my date of birth is 4 not 14.
Do you know Robert J Torrens' son, my first cousin whose last
known address was 48 Washington St. New York?
It is a pity that all your father's genealogical material is in store.
If you do not think it presumptuous of me, I would suggest that this data
should be deposited in a safe place where it would be protected for posterity.
Possibly the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania would be glad to have it. The
possibility is that when your descendants come into possession of it they may
not value it and destroy it. The material in your father's book is valuable
as a great deal of the records in Ireland were destroyed in 1921 when the
Four Courts were shelled and destroyed during the rebellion. In fact I was at
Trinity at the time and watched the shelling from near O'Connell's Bridge.
What are your hobbies and interests? I collect cigarette cards and
stamps, books on the occult. I have had three books published. I also used
to grow Rhododendrons from seed, which are now fully grown and very rewarding.
Unfortunately wages are now so prohibitive I cannot any longer afford a
gardener so my plants are neglected. Being retired restricts the cash flow
and tax allowances.
That's about all this time, hoping to hear favourably about the
microfilm copy in due course. With best wishes and regards from
Bob
R G Torrens
Top of page
Page Information
© 2002 4QD
Page's Author: Richard Torrens
Document URI: 91.203.57.189/Torrens/Letters2/19780201E.html
First published 14th May 2002.
Last modified: Mon, 02 Mar 2020 09:07:32 GMT