Photocopy of a fragment of a letter from William Parkinson in Widnes, Lancashire, to his cousin, John Monaghan, in Michigan, introducing himself and his family, and asks after news of their aunts in common, Judy Duwan (nee Monaghan) Bridget Harrison (née Monaghan), all of whom had emigrated to America, and where he would like to emigrate to in the future.

Photocopy of letter from William Parkinson, Widnes, Lancashire, England to his cousin John Monaghan, thanking John for his letter and remarking that he had found his address in an old book of his father's, and remembers the correspondence of the previous generation. He asks after the Herrig and Dewan families originally from Cloghan who had emigrated many years previously. Repeats his intention to move to America and asks for assistance.

Copy correspondence between two generations of Perkinson and Monaghan family members, all connected with Croghan, near Birr, Co Offaly and the Irish Hills area of the state of Michigan, USA. Following the devastation of the Great Famine, John Monaghan emigrated firstly to Suffolk and then to Michigan, where he received letters from his sister, Mary and her husband William Perkinosn, pleading for assistance to also enable their family emigrate to America. The correspondence describes the effect of famine and emigration on the Croghan area. Their son William, who emigrated to Lancashire, also writes to his cousin in Michigan of the second generation with much the same request.