33. Gilmore Place

Edinburgh 30 july 1846

My Dear FriendSherwood, Eliza Neill

Eliza Neill Sherwood (c. 1830-1912), was the daughter of Robert and Letitia Neill, with whom Douglass and Garrison visited in 1846. She moved to the United States around 1850 and was living with her brother in Mobile, Alabama. Eliza then married Robert Sherwood, another Irishman, living in San Francisco and working as jeweler. Later in their marriage, Robert became the president of a mining company and the family became quite wealthy. She wrote to Douglass in 1892 and lamented that they had not seen each other since “those weeks [she] spent in Lynn,” perhaps in 1853 when she is known to have visited Boston. “Sherwood,” San Francisco Chronicle, 30 May 1912; 1860 U. S. Census, 10th District, San Francisco, California; 1880 U. S. Census, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Eliza W. Sherwood to Frederick Douglass, 5 January 1892, General Correspondence File, reel 6, frames 371–73L, FD Papers, DLC; Jim Powell, “The Family of Robert Neill & Letitia Ireland,” Jim-powell.net, 5, 8, 21-24. ,

I deeply regret that it was not in my power to visit Gray Point again before leaving Belfast on Saturday. I wished very much to see you all again before leaving. But what cant [be] remedied must be indured. You will not I am sure set my not coming down to any want of desire on my part. As you will remember that I sought every opportunity to be there during my stay. I passed Gray point about nine O'clock on Saturday nightーAll was darkーI looked but I could not see see youーI sighed but I could not be there. it was darkーquite darkーreal dark, painfully dark. But amid all the darkness I could not bring myself to the belief that I was leaving Belfast foreverーnever to return againーnever to see youーnever to see your sisters Mary Helen and Jane, all so kind and good that I felt like parting with near relatives, when leaving them. But whither we meet again or notーknow this That you have in me a sincere and devoted friend, one that will think of you and speak of you under all circumstancesーwhether at home or abroadーamong friends or among enimies any where and every whereーI shall always be proud of thinking of you and speaking of you as my friendーand so also of your Dear Sisters. I have time only to send you this hasty scrollーwritten on my manifold Please make my warm regards to my friends the Neill family.

Believe me very Sincerely yours

Frederick Douglass