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. 16,1855 Robert Benjamin-1795 to John Benjamin-1823

Bagillt,
November 16, 1855
Dear Children,
I take the pleasure of sending a few lines once more to you in hopes to find you in good state of health and was very glad to hear in your last that it was so, but these few lines does not leave us so well as when I wrote to you last for your mother has got such a severe cold about a fortnight back and it got as a blast all through her, and she just at the same time got a bit of a cut on the fore part of one of her legs and the blast got into that and it has caused her through all to keep her in bed a few days, but she has got up in the room this morning while I am writing, but am in hopes she will recover soon, but it makes her a great deal worse that is to think about your brother James , that is knowing nothing about him nor the name of the vessel nor nothing, but in hopes she will be a little easier now about him for we received a letter from Liverpool today from Richard Hughes, Nancy Hughes’s son.  He made a solemn promise to me while I was in Liverpool to see for James that he would do the best endeavor he could to find out the name of the vessel and it seems that he has found it out for he sent a letter here this morning .  The ship as James went out with was the Asignessed [?] to Liverpool that arrived in the West Indies on the sixth of November and the name of the vessel is the Majestic as I have had it this morning and they think that she will arrive back again in Liverpool about Christmas.
PS – We are in hopes that you received all our letters for you did not mention anything in your last that you had or had not received the letters as I wrote last to Dedham to Edwin for I had sent double envelopes on it for fear that he had gone off to you.  And also we are in great hopes that you will bear it in mind and take it up between you two of what I have sent to you in my former letter that is about the rent, that you will send it by the first of January, for Mr. Faulks says that he is wanting a twelve months for his rent that he expects to have it in the day, that he can get tenants as will pay him every six month and we can easy believe him for there is a great many sick that we are in it.   So are in great hopes that you will not deceive us for this time to try again for I know and indeed you are well as ever yourselves & it would be putting your mother out of the way so much that it would cause her to break her heart happen after being  here so many years and all.   And another thing is it is yea as has the praise from all the neighbors always that we could never live in such a place only for you two.  We are three weeks in receiving your letters now.   We should wish to know something about some newspapers that we don’t receive none at all and there is so many coming to the house for to see for them, and I sent you the Flintshire Observer last week to see how you would like it.  It comes out the first of every month and you must send if you like to have it.
PS – I have to inform you of the death of old Mr. Jones the watchmaker on the night of the first of November, eating their supper as usual and by going to bed.  When upstairs she says to Miss Jones that they were going to bed like man and wife and just gave one turn or two in bed and groaned once or twice and expired there and then, and it makes both him and his sister very troublesome since, and there has none of us been in Holywell since we received your letter, and have not seen Mr. Gardner this good while and also Mr. Gleave, I have not seen him this good bit and the last two or three times I did see him and told him of not sending to you and all he has to say to me is that you might think that all is right by him sending the newspapers altogether.  They have begun working a little there again this last week or else closing nothng this three months or better. 
Therefore I must conclude for the present with all your brothers’ and sisters’ kind regard to you all, and your sister Charlotte says that Edwin does not fulfill his promise with her.  You Edwin must excuse this time.  I was thinking to send a few lines by themselves to him but my time is all taken up now, being without your mother’s helper  and getting the carpenters wood to cut every day and everything.  And this from your dutyful father and mother,
Robert & Sarah Benjamin
You must give all our respects to R.G. Benjamin and M. A. Ellen Benjamin and we are very glad to hear that they are getting such fine fellows and here is some kisses for them. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

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