‘Hope for happier days’: happiness in the letters between siblings in nineteenth- century middle-class Ulster families

Siblings formed vital connections in migratory family networks, creating links between scattered family members and those who remained at home. This chapter uses personal correspondence and family papers to explore expressions of happiness in letters between migrated siblings. With a particular focus on Ulster middle-class families, this chapter reveals how siblings were instrumental in maintaining networks of emotional support and prioritised each other’s emotional well-being and happiness. These networks offered comfort and were implemented by siblings as a strategy to combat separation anxiety. When faced with debilitating homesickness or the stark realisation of permanent migration, brothers and sisters sought and relied on reassurance from each other to alleviate their unhappiness.