Pentre (Wales)
August 1849
Dear John,
I now take up my pen to answer your letter which I received
duly on the 21st ____. I was
glad to hear you were quite well and I also hope this will find you as it
leaves me at present in the engagement of good health. Thanks be to the Almighty for it. I had been expecting to receive a letter from
you for some time indeed. I had almost
thought you had forgotten me, but as you say that you have not much time to
spare and that the hours you work are from five in the morning till 7 at night
constantly. Certainly you cannot have
much time for yourself and therefore I must excuse you. I was rather surprised to hear you say that
the Yanby Turners turns the head of the bobbin with the small gauge (?) but I
suppose they are accustomed with it as we are with the chisel. I am happy to say that we manage to work all
the time. We got last week 55 gross of
bobbins and we have been turning for the last three weeks on Kingston Cotton
Mill and a few cotton bobbins for Segwick Whittaker and Drury. As you see we have not been idle. Thompson has ______ on week after you left
but indeed I have now a prospect of getting enough to do. After you left we have been working short
time for a few weeks on account of the water being short.
I was very glad to hear that you were getting busier for I
believe that ___ has been duller now than for many years. Indeed I know I wish both you and Thomas
Price every prosperity that this old world can afford; and shall be very happy
to hear you both well and are doing well.
I think a great deal about you at times.
I often fancy that I see you in the arm chair in the office reading the
paper as you used to do.
You say in your letter that you were rather astonished to
hear that ___ Jones, timber merchant, was married I did not know the young man. He was a Master at the British School in
Flint for a short time and you heard that Will Davis was courting if not
married. I have not heard that he courts
anyone but we teased him very much about someone that comes to our minds. __ __ me tell you to look out for a black
woman for him and he say she must have ___ ___ or he will not have her.
There is no particular news that I know at present about
Flint. Just what little I know I will
tell you. Peter Hunt is very thick with
O. Robert. ___ the way she comes by the
8 o’clock train to Flint every Saturday
__ __ so there must be a something in that. Perhaps you will be ____ to hear that Robert
Roberts from the X shop is courting Mary Ann Bern from the Oak Flint, so James
Coolbeck has given her entirely up. I
was told it cost him 4 shillings for sending her over to her. And Robert Jones, the son of the X is
courting the Lord Mayor of Flint’s daughter.
And I know Lloyd of the new shop Fling is very much for Mr. Jones. It is no use him trying for I have been
hedging and have just strong thorns in the gate so he can only look, and that’s
all.
I am sorry to say that the cholera has been very prevalent
about the neighborhood. Among the number
that died of it Sam Perkins is one. I
don’t know whether you heard of the death.
Mary Williams, Pentre, the night we sent you off for the last time. Robert Davis and I were going home together,
we met John Williams and his son in law going for ___ Hargwood. She died in about 2 says after. I almost forgot John the Blacksmith’s
request, he said he would be much obliged to you if you would in your next tell
him the smith’s wages if you possibly could.
John ___ Cryda says that his saw is very ____ and you better
____ your ____ for him to repair it. Old
12 and all his family send their best respects to you and Old 12 says he expects
to have his Xmas box at Xmas. Do you
understand that he means to write his name Young 12 or young dumpling? He told me to tell you that Mrs. Garner is
going to his house to tea this evening and he for telling her that her that she
must cheer up because you will be coming to England again. Your old carrier Anita Burden, now Mrs.
Armstrong, was confined last Thursday the 23rd ___ and was safely delivered of a boy. He is to be called Thomas after his
grandfather.
I have nothing more in the news line to tell you at present but
I trust the next letter that I will write that I will have got more news to
tell you. I took the note that you
enclosed in my letter for Miss G. It was
about 8 o’clock; I went over but did not know exactly the house she lived in. She was in the ___ of the first house. I passed it and I turned back and found her
out. The old man was in the lobby. I have it her and wished her good night. I have not seen her since.
P.S. Do not forget to write soon.
Robert Williams
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