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…………









Nov. 10,1854 Robert Benjamin-1795 to John Benjamin-1823

Bagillt
November 10, 1854
Dear J. & Elizabeth,
I take the pleasure of dropping a few lines to you in hopes of finding you enjoying the best of health as this leaves us better than we have been since we wrote last, for your mother has been since then that we had Michael Jones and Robert Taylor to attend to her, and indeed I got afraid that we should loose her, but she has got a good deal better, and another thing she has got sadly vexed after we received your letters that you all of you took good care that none of you said or mentioned a word in your letters about neither Elizabeth nor the children, nor Elizabeth herself did not send one word to her.  Therefore she is so tedious after being ill that she took it so unkind that you would not believe.  She has been crying here and going on at all rate about it.
Another thing we were very glad to hear you say in your letter that you had got settled in your new house, in great hopes that you will be comfortable and it gave your mother and myself great satisfaction about your brothers been together with you in great hopes that they will be sober and steady and strive their best for to please you and be comfortable together.
Another thing I have as I am sorry to relate to you, and you can know yourself how to go on further about it, and that is Mr. J. Garner of Holywell is very ill, and a person from Holywell has been telling me that he has been talking to the doctor about him and he had no great hopes of him, that he thought that was in a ____ but we are in great hopes that he will come better again.
PS – I have to inform you that we received the money all right and William Pierce was rather vexed that he did not get the whole for he thought when he was giving them to me that he should had them all before this and I shall be obliged to pay some interest on them.  Therefore I hope they will be sure to send as soon as possible for he says he is upon laying money out altogether now.   Therefore we are in great hopes that you will be so kind as to look after them in such things as these as a father, and it will be a great blessing to you and in great hopes that you ___ them well though being in a distant land. Even forget your poor father & mother as is striving their best for to get a crust and very hard it is to be got for everything is so dear with us altogether. 
And another thing I have to tell you of is they know very well according to promise before they went from home, that is our rent is due on the first day of January, and Mr. Faulks has been with your mother the other day I was not home and telling her that he hoped that there would be no mistake with us with him in the latter end of the year, for he is about buying some place again then and that he expected to have his money all then, and it let your mother so lame when she saw only half the money for William Pierce ___ that you would not believe.   There is a twelve month rent one half six pence and the other half twelve pounds.  Our rent now is 24 pounds and Mr. Faulks was so kind as to lend your mother to commence business with between four and five pounds and he works also then and if you could make it up then with them they should have quiet for some time after, and if we shall loose now, the place is very ready for somebody to come in to it, and we don’t know one out of twenty as would be for it. 
So I must conclude for present with our kind regards to you all, and this from your dutyful father and mother,
Robert & Sarah Benjamin
Must leave room for your mother…….
PS – Your mother’s signature.



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