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…………









Jan. 6,1854 Robert Benjamin-1795 to John Benjamin-1823

Bagillt,
January 6, 1854
Dear Children,
I take the pleasure of sending a few lines to you in the beginning of this new year as the Almighty has presented us with great hopes that it will be better than the old, but, thank God for it, I can inform you that we don’t recollect such weather as it is at present hear [sic] not for many years, that is for frost and snow.  We hope that these few lines will find you all enjoying the best of health as these leaves us just as usual, thanks be to God for it, only I was myself in more pain with my ___ before this ruff [sic] weather than I had been for some months.
We were very glad to hear in yours of the 12 ult. that you were all well in health, and as we have been sending backwards and forwards about the house, we cannot give you greatly satisfaction upon the subject just yet, for when I went to apply about the license I could not get it until such time that the house was finished up, and then it was to be all in one house and then open from one end to the other, and that I must set no part of it whatever.  Therefore we shall try to let you know more in our next, but he says that he must get five and twenty pounds for all, therefore we think sometimes not to meddle with it at all for it is very large and we could never furnish it up.  For one thing, it’s the finest house through the whole place by far.  It looks more like a gentleman’s hall at present than anything else, and as everybody calls it so stone finished in the front and ruffcasted every inch of it all around, and we have eight large windows in the front and a stone wall from our door all around up to Tom Evan’s houses, and another from the corner of our house round the corner up to David Jones the broker’s house.  It will be a comfortable house now to a certainty and all I should wish with all my heart would be that I could find something for to do in it that would be a little easyer [sic] for your mother than it is, for she works to hard as she is, but howsomever we shall see if all is well, how things will get on after the place is finished.  Well I have told you a good deal upon that subject. 
Another thing I have, as I am sorry to relate to you, that we have buried your uncle John Parry of Caerwys.  He died on the 9th of December and they buried him on Thursday 15th.  Your mother and your brother James was there in the funeral that we both could not leave the house together, and Mr. Faulks was so kind as to send his horse and dray the Sunday following to go there to church, and they were very glad to see us for I myself was not there since we buried your grandmother.  And another thing, they have buried old Robert Gavies, king of Coleshill.  I could not go there for your brother was endeavoring to bury your uncle for it was one day before they buried your uncle.
I have another thing that is a little trouble on my mind.  That is about your brother James.  That is he only works three quarters and often stops a day now and then besides, and as far as I can understand that they did not care if half the men was to go away anywhere, and they are talking of turning most of them away but I don’t know.  We have got him to walk home this week and we have put him at the right school with Mr. Saunders and he talks sometimes of going away somewhere, and we have persuaded to write to his brother Edwin to see what he would say to him, and you can see what he says in that for I don’t know, but we know this, that both your mother and myself could make  ourselves very comfortable if it would be that you and your brother could make it convenient and find him employment and send for him out this next spring, for I can assure you that your mother has never received one penny more from him since your brother came over, only 4/s one week and ¼ after.  So you can see how it is.  Therefore we should think it the greatest of blessing if it was possible that it could be done.
I must conclude for the present, with a great many blessings to you all from your dutyful father and mother,
Robert & Sarah Benjamin
I must write a few lines to your brother Edwin, and all your brothers and sisters sends their kind respects to you all.  Kisses o-o-o-o for little M. A. Ellen and your mother sends a great big one for Elizabeth. So we wish you a happy new year and a great many of them.  Write soon again. 


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