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…………









April 18,1851 Robert Benjamin-1795 to John Benjamin-1823

Bagillt
April 18, 1851
Dear John,
We received your letter of the 31st March and was very glad to hear you was well in health as this leaves us but very indifferent, but thank God we are a little better than we have been.   Your mother has been set just in the same state as she was this time two years to the same days exactly, that is that we had to send Elizabeth today the same as we had to send you, for I was in Holywell yesterday and talking things over with her brother &  her & that her brother had been to Bangor the day before talking to the agent and he being so busy that he could not give him an answer then and there, but promised him that he would go to the captain and arrange matters over with him upon her account, and that he should leave Bangor yesterday and that he should stop at Greenfield until the next day.  Therefore her brother went to Greenfield last night and he arrived with the train and brought the news that she had to start with the nine o’clock train this morning, that the diesel was starting tomorrow morning the 19th at 12 o’clock.  Therefore they were not in bed of all night and the two apprentices was down at __ house this morning at about half past four rousing us up and that she wished for to see us but she could not come down herself for to see us, and your mother and Edwin went up to Holywell there and then to have her for to go down to Greenfield with her, and I took the train for Mostyn, and  therefore we three went to Mostyn for to take her, and then we parted and she seemed to be in pretty good spirits and the hope and trust in the land and that she may have a prosperous voyage and that you will be on the watch for her and receive her in your arms with the greatest joy and pleasure, and I have told both her and her brother last night that both you and her are greatly indebted to him, for he has been very labouress and industrious about this concern altogether and likewise spent a deal of money before,  and another thing is was a day as was __ for a cheap trip to Llangollen today and most of the Holywell people is gone there and so is Gardner, but he has been so good as to send his apprentice with her to Bangor, and likewise he has promised her before your mother this morning that he should take the 11 o’clock mail tonight after coming home from Llangollen to Bangor and stop there with her until she starts, and when he was at Bangor the other day he was on board of the Ann Grant where the young man George is and was talking to him and he told him he was going to Mr. Benjamin and they were to set sail on the Thursday, and now this other vessel is called the Holy Oak as according to orders is to start on Saturday the 19th and Gardner was at Liverpool according to your request seeing about the ship Parliament, and he was informed that most of her cargo of immigrants was Irish and therefore he did not wish for her for to go along with so many Irish, and that same evening after he came home from Liverpool I heard from this George & brother and another young fellow as with him at Bangor to send his brother .  They called at our house by coming home and they informed me of this vessel as was in the river going again soon but they did not know when, therefore we sent to Holywell immediately and so Gardner set by the next morning for to see about it, and, as I have informed you before , he could not get no intelligence until last night when they received this short notice and that she will have all the comfort as possible can be given to her, for the captain’s daughter is to wait on her and three or four more young ladies like her and not so many more emigrants for she has part cargo of mates I believe, therefore she will be studying at sea.
Therefore I have informed you of this matter as well as I can as so I must let you know that we are greatly surprised at this rascal of a Price, that he has behaved as he has with you, but I hope you will give us better information in your next for I sent with your brother Edwin a little by word of mouth to Mr. Gleave and he is very much surprised and wishing to know what has to be done, but I expect to hear that he will receive a letter form you before you receive this, and about Samuel Hughes they cannot, as I informed you before, get themselves ready this spring until August and then, if God sends, they mean for to come over to the States.  They were here this week one night talking things over very much about coming but not until then, and they sends their kind respects to you and that they are well and are very glad to hear that you are the same, and Mr. Jones the watchmaker and his mother and sister sends their kind respects to you and that they are well in health at present and very glad to hear from you at all times and very thankful to you for the newspapers as you send to him, and Dear John we have sent you the Herbalist and we was ___ we could not get it for we had a sovereign on it and we had had hard work to borrow the money for to get it, and indeed, John, we never answered to Elizabeth that it was half so hard upon us that it was, but did our best to her as ever we could at all times, and Dear John we hope and trust that you will not forget us in our old days for you know how it is with us, for Mr. Morris giving us a call now and then and desires that our twelve months rent will be paid on the latter end of June or early in July, and I am obliged  to promise him so therefore we hope, Dear John, that you will not forget your poor father & mother in those days for we are gone that we cannot do no better in these days or else we would, for it keeps going worse and worse in Bagillt altogether and you will find, if God sends, that Elizabeth shall arrive that she has a book as Mr. Jones watchmaker of Holywell made a present for you, and your mother was obliged to go there for it herself and likewise I have forgot to inform you sooner in my letter that there is two very particular friends of yours in Elizabeth’s company as you will be glad for to receive.
So your brothers and sisters sends their kind respects to you and that they are all well and expect the same.  From you dutiful father & mother,
Robert & Sarah Benjamin
We unite in wishing you both much joy and happiness as can be got in this world.
Edwin Benjamin

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