John Benjamin was born in England in 1823. In 1849, at the age of 26, he immigrated to America with the goal of seeking opportunities in the new world and improving the life of his family. During his immigration and eventual settlement in Hutchinson, Minnesota, John saved many personal letters that were written by and to him. These letters, the subject of this web site, bring to life his immigration and the life of others during this courageous adventure. The most recent letters posted on this sight are on this front page. To see all the earlier letters, keep pressing the “Older Posts” button on the bottom of this page. The earliest letter recorded here is June 20, 1849. The letters…………









August 19,1853 Robert Benjamin-1795 to John Benjamin-1823


August 19, 1863

Bagillt

Dear John & Elizabeth,

I take the pleasure of sending a few lines to you with your brother in hopes to find you in a good state of health as these leaves us but very troublesome, that is that you have taken so much trouble and so much expense and that you have showed yourself so kind towards him that we hope that he will return a great many thanks to you for your kindness, and according to his promises now altogether that if God grants to him to have his health that he will do his best endeavor for to please you and we hope that he will, and another thing I have to inform you of is that, as I told you in my last, that his passage money was fifteen pounds, and as you can see in the newspapers that it was so at all times and I thought as you had sent the money, and another thing that you wanted him to come against the latter end of the month that I could not do any better than I did, and another thing and for ____ truth so that all the money that you sent, and we have been obliged to borrow two pounds besides that is by I shall start him out of Liverpool, l shall have but just what will carry your brother James and myself home, for we could not do no less than letting him come and send his brother as far as Liverpool, and this will be the third time for me to be in Liverpool upon the account of him for to come over, and against I bought him a few things he was short of, and clearing his expenses and everything in Liverpool they very soon went, and as he can inform you that we were as saving as possible with everything for he has been out of employ for some time in Liverpool, and it is now fourteen weeks since we had anything from him at all, therefore we hope that the Lord will grant him health and strength and that better times is coming that he might make this breach up yet and that before long and he makes a faithful promise of it here, and another thing he can tell you of is that Mr. Faulks has passed the money over us at Denbigh and he is waiting on us upon this account, and I told you before that Mr. Faulks has settled everything about this place of ours and that he is going to make it into a fine public house and that he should give us the privilege of being in it if we like, but your brother can tell you all about everything, only I thought that I would write these few lines for you to ask him or else I thought he would not think of half of what was for him to think of, and I can assure you that it troubles both your mother and myself very much that we could not purchase some little ___ of something for the little girl and her mother, but howsomever we cannot as we are very sorry to say, but your sends a small little silk handkerchief for the little girl and she hopes it will be acceptable . 

So your brothers and sisters all send their kind respects to you and except the same from your dutyful father and mother,

Robert Benjamin

PS I have finished my father letter and I am sorry as I can’t come over with Edwin Benjamin. And so no more from your brother,  James Benjamin


 



 







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