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…………









March 21,1851 Robert Benjamin-1795 to John Benjamin-1823

Bagillt, March 21, 1851
Dear John,
We received your letter on the 19th and I was glad to hear that you and Thomas Price was well in health, only the cold as you said as you had.  We hope that it is ere this got well as these leave us both.  Your mother and myself is but very indifferent, and my leg keeps very bad indeed, and as you sent about Samuel Hughes and wife, they were both at our house last night and they are greatly obliged to you for your good recommendation and very thankful to you, and they hope that they shall have the pleasure of seeing you again for to thank you by word of mouth themselves, but as it is you can not expect them until about next August for they cannot prepare themselves until then, for he says he should  likely to have a little cash about him if God sends that they should prosper in having their feet upon American ground, and they hope they shall for they are preparing as fast as they can in gathering a little money together, but they keep it a secret to themselves until the latest end when they shall be disposing of their house furniture and then everybody must know, and when they shall be ready they shall ship themselves for Boston for he thinks that it would be better for him amongst the manufacturing districts than anywhere else, but we mean to send you a long letter very soon & between us again, and then you shall know more about it and we do not know how it will be, nor we do not know what you will say about the things for Samuel, and his wife says that your sister Mary Ellen must go along with them for in case that they should go sea sick or should something take place that they would be ready for to wait an answer to them, and that they would pay her passage and that they would settle with you when they would arrive in America, but we hope that we shall receive a letter from you before you receive this, and in regard of Elizabeth we can not inform you of anything at all for we have not had the pleasure of seeing her  __ to ___ this week for she did not come down, but you sister M. E. is going to Holywell today for to see her and  to deliver this note to her as she is so kind as to take them these last times as you can see yourself by receiving them and, indeed, it saves us a good deal as the times is so bad altogether in Bagillt.  Your brother Edwin informs me that there is one of the chaps from the Pentre Mills is coming over to America, that he has been over to Liverpool last week to ship himself along with a ship as is starting from Bangor, they say, on the first of April next bound for New York, all Welsh people, no English nor no Irish, but all Welsh people, and Edwin says he means for make for you  as soon as he arrives New York,  He is the eldest son of Thomas George.  There was two or there more talking of coming, but there is only the one coming it seems.
All of your brothers and sisters sends their kind respects to you and they are all well, and accept the same from your dutiful father & mother,
Robert & Sarah Benjamin
Samuel Hughes will be anxiously waiting for an answer from you.  Again, excuse haste, 2 o’clock Friday afternoon.     



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