Bagillt
October 26, 1855
Dear John,
I for the third time send a few lines to you without receiving
an answer to what I have sent, and I hardly know what to say on that subject,
but in great hopes that all of you are not forgetting us altogether, and also that
you are not all vexed to us about your brother James. I can assure you that it has grieved both
your mother and myself, as you may be well aware, as it must so more so than
yourselves, though we must allow that the thing must take a great affect upon you
all, that is by you being upright and honest and also trying to get on in the
world in an honest way as well as you can, and as you may think that we wish
you to do well, and in great hopes that you are doing well.
And about your brother, after we received your letter and
read it to him, he did not rest at home only a day after, but he must have a
little money in his pocket to go to Liverpool for to see for something to do,
thinking about Mr. Thomas Gardner that Tom Jones works there with him. But, howsomever, he went to Liverpool on
Tuesday and we received a letter from him on Friday morning for to send his box
and a few clothes, and keep his best clothes and his boots at home and that he
had shipped himself for the West Indies, but that he would send home again and
the name of the vessel and where he was for.
But, however, I wrote a letter on Friday night for him to meet Cunnah on
the landing stage by eleven o’clock for to receive his clothes, and I went with
his clothes myself and made as much enquiry as I could, but found out where he
put up at, but all as they had to say was that he had shipped himself for the
West Indies and he was on board of the vessel and she was in the river and that
they were going out that day, but they wanted his clothes that he had told them
to keep them until he would return. But,
however, I left his box and clothes at Mr. Herbert’s and Mr. Cunnah carried the
key with him for three weeks and not to deliver it to no one but himself, but
no one came to see for it and we ordered Cunnah to bring it home at last. Therefore you may judge by yourself what a
sorrow it is to us both, and indeed to all the family, to think that he has
gone in this manner, and we don’t think nothing in the world about him, but am
in great hopes to see him return and hope that the Lord will keep his hold in
him and that the voyage will do him a great deal of good. And we were very very sorry to hear your
letter about him, that is to think that he had gave you the liberty of saying
so, yeas and showing himself so much different than his own brothers and in a
strange country.
And we are in great hopes that these few lines will find you
all in good health as these leaves us pretty well just as usual, but thank God
we cannot expect never to get any better in these days, for we are not to be
here long, that we have to prepare for a new world altogether. Now you must be so kind as to not leave us so
long as this time without sending for it sets your mother so uneasy you would
not believe.
PS – We are in great hopes that your brother Edwin does not
forget his poor father and mother that is working hard every day and that for
very little hard work to maintain ourselves with a little meat and some little
to put on us. And indeed I had gone
fairly out until you sister Charlotte had the kindness to send me a pair of
best trousers and vest, and on the cold wheather [sic] last winter I could not
turn out to go to church for the want of a top coat. And if God sends this next winter is coming
on next Thursday, whoever will live to see it, and it is striking hard times
here, such times that the oldest persons in the place does not recollect such
times; four pound only to pay for a shilling of ___ butter, 1/3 per pound beef
& mutton & bacon 10, and every article of food in proportion that it
sets a poor man with a family that they cannot get much above half of what they
should have.
PS – Your mother desires very much from Elizabeth that she
does not keep up her promise with her at all, that is that she would write to
her very often and that she does not.
She sends some kisses to the young Yankees. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
PS – We are in hopes that your brother Edwin does think
about us against ____, that is that our rent is on the thirtieth of December,
and we hope and trust that he will not deceive us, that is in sending it for us
according to his promise. For as I have
told above that we have not the means of doing it ourselves and that we have
not troubled him since the last rent at Christmas and as he well knows what a
large bill we had to pay over the two to the man at Chester and of which your
mother pays as much as she can every fortnight and has not half paid it yet,
but, howsomever, she does her best. And
as I have sent to you different times you know that our rent is now is twenty
four pounds per year and we have to pay it twice a year of poors rate upon the
account of having the license, but the business is shocking slack at all the
whole place at the present. But they
are talking of the Donenhill Colliery going again and whoever lives to see that
it will set the place of here. Am in
hopes it won’t be long for ___ very comfortable.
So I must conclude for the present with all of your brothers
and sisters kind regard and respects to you all, and they are in hopes that you
prosper well in your undertaking of new.
And also I should like to know what I have done now that I have not
received one newspaper this three months or more. Therefore I should like to
have some for people to look for them in the house and they have not the
convenience of seeing Yankee papers in any of these house in the place.
So all this from your dutyful father & mother,
Robert & Sarah Benjamin
PS – The Lord may be with you. Amen
Here is your mother’s receipt and I hope that you will
receive it with much gratitude and respect and with our best love to all and
when we shall hear from James.
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