Bagillt
March 13, 1851
Dear John,
We duly received your letter this week on the 11th
of the 10th of February and was very glad to hear that you are both
enjoying good health, as I cannot tell you about our family this time as well
as the last for I have been three weeks very near upstairs without coming down
hardly through having a very bad cold. I
had a very bad bout of it, but thank God I am coming a little better of that
now, and I went to Pentre Mills last week, and by shifting one of the full bags
I caught it in the bad leg as I have, and it has set me that I cannot ___ about
again and I am sadly vexed that it is gardening time and I can’t do nothing in
it, and your mother has been very bad before me, but she is getting a little
better, and indeed Charlotte and Mary Ellen has been the same, and indeed I can
tell you that the engine had very nearly stopped for we had gone very nearly that there was nobody
for to work it, but thank God we have all come about a little better, only
myself being lamed, but I had to go to Pentre today for wood and I could not go
and I should not know what to do, only Edwin came here yesterday at noon, hurt
his thumb a little that he could not work for a day or two, and he could go in
my stead, and indeed for to inform you that I have no thoughts of Robert Williams at all for he has taken
Edwin for to work for him this good while, and does not behave to him at all, he
only allows him 3/ per week altogether, and the lad shall not work, nice work
for him, and it lets the lad quite down-hearted for to go to his work at all,
and indeed for to inform you I don’t think that there is one as likes him
through the concern as far as I can understand, coming to me one day as I was
there for to ___ about the lad, and I was quite wild about it until I spoke to
3 or 4 of the chaps about it and they
all told me the same story, for not to believe him, that was the way with him with all as was
working for him, and so when Edwin came home I told him what ___ had told me
and he told me the same as the rest, that it was the way with him with all,
therefore I do not wish for you to send nothing to him about it, only I wish
for to let you know about it, for the lad means for to get from him as soon as
he can. He has asked Mr. Gleave
yesterday and he has promised him that he shall as soon as he can.
Therefore, about receiving your letters, Elizabeth brought
it down herself for she was going to Flint to her uncle about the money, but we
cannot inform you no further for she went with the train from Flint to Holywell
but she has made a promise for to come down on Monday or Tuesday next for all
day, if all is well, and we had sent your sister Charlotte to her to Holywell
for to see about a letter when we saw that the post man had none, and your
sister went through the old road and Elizabeth through the new road and missed
one another, and therefore I think they must have some very similar to this
with the mails for your letter has been 4 weeks within one day in coming to our
land, this time with the Camada, and then the Abrica arrives in the river on
Sunday last after a run of ten days and eighteen hours, and I cannot think how it
is, and this is the second or third time for to be the same, and I am saying
altogether that you are now in these days, are anxiously waiting for our answer,
and us only writing now, and therefore
you can see how it is, and about this house you were sending, I sent in my last
but however he has never been here since for I told him then when he was asking
me how I was going to pay the rent, I
told him that he could see by the rent book that the twelve month’s rent
was not due until the latter of June next, and that it would be all right then,
and the answer he made was very well, and Thomas Edwards told him the same for
they were both together in the parlour at the same time over____ my rent book
together. Therefore your poor mother and
myself is hoping you will not forget us in our necessity along with what you
have before you at present, for neither of us does put you out of our mind, I
believe, not one hour in a day hardly, and indeed often at night, but however
we have not the least in the world to say against you, nor should you wish to
do nothing but wish for you to enjoy the best of happiness as possible you can
in this world, as likewise both you and her has thought about meeting another
in the land of liberty. Over the wild
ocean we hope that you will meet, all four of you. Indeed I should say that you
will have the happiness of meeting in each other’s arms, like angels in a
strange land, and we hope that we shall hear nothing as is worse, that is all
of our wish, and that the Lord will hold his hand over you all, and that God
will bless you all likewise.
I have sent to you about Samuel Hughes, the blacksmith. They are anxious to hear something from you,
and you have not sent in your last nothing at all about things. I should wish very much for you to do, if you
would be so kind, in your next for they are here often for to see if there is
anything about them.
I have to inform you that they have buried William Holly last
Monday. Died very sudden only a few
minutes notice I believe getting himself ready to bury some other person and
was taken ill and died in a few minutes as we was informed, and they say there
were different other people in the neighborhood of Caerwys as died very sudden just the same
time.
All of your relatives at Caerwys, and likewise Mr. Jones the
watchmaker and family, sends their kindest respects to you and that they are
all in tolerable good health and always wishing to hear the same from you. All of your brothers and sisters likewise
sends their warmest respects to you and that they are pretty well in health,
only the two little girls in Flint has been very bad with the measles, but they
are coming better, and as you were glad to receive a few lines from Miss Ellen,
she can not do nothing this time for her head is not very well, but she &
your sister Charlotte is very thankful to you for your good promise, for they
think that it is a good thing for to be ___ of a good promise for they think
they have a chance sometime of having a fair promise toward having no promise
atall, but after a little you may expect a long letter from her and Edwin and
James and all, for they mean to write one between them very soon. I have not informed you that James is got
work at Pentre now this 4 or 5 weeks since, and they only allow him 2/ a week,
and Edwin complains to him that he is sent about shocking for there is no other
labour lad beside him, but he does not complain himself. He is very ready in the morning every day.
I must draw to a close for my paper is getting short. Therefore we remain your most dutiful father
and mother, Robert & Sarah Benjamin, and all as we have to say is that the
Lord keep his hold fast on you all the days of your life.
You have not sent to us whether you heard from William Jones
journey or not. My aunt has had a letter
this week and she says he likes his place better every week he thinks and that
he is very well in health and sends for his brother Robert for to come to him
Father Robert is still behind on the rent, and he thinks Edwin is getting a raw deal at work......everybody sends their kind regards.
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