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…………









Oct. 30,1851 Robert Benjamin-1795 to John Benjamin-1823

Bagillt
October 30, 1851
Dear John & Elizabeth,
We received your letter of the 30th of September and was very glad to hear that you were both well in health, as this leaves us but very indifferent, and as you was anxious to hear from us so very very soon as you were saying, we have been that we did not know how to do nor what to do, for we have been so much troubled on our funds upon the account of our rent,  for we have been upon the blink of having all of our things sold, and we believe all this has sent your sister Mary Ellen that we thought we should loose [sic] her altogether, but thank God she is a little better these two or three last days and that is what kept us from sending sooner for to see how she would get on, and the money we have settled, it is there is eighteen months rent due at Christmas and that we must  settle all then or they must sell all, for Mr. Maurice he keeps calling her and he keeps blackmailing very much and we have begged of him to wait until we should have an answer to this letter, and we hope that we shall hear from you soon for we have been very anxiously expecting a letter from you every week, none altogether, and if in case you will not send, John, we cannot help ourselves but let everything go, and then what will become of us after that, nothing, but we will be obliged to go to the union, we shall have nothing else to do, and it is gone so sorry here that no one can help one another, & Mr. Gleave told me the other day that he had received a note from you ___ that ___ and he has none by him until he goes to Sheffield, and we don’ t know of any convenient way for to send them with for they would cast more duty on them, he told me, than they would be worth, for it is no use for to trust Samuel Hughes atall [sic] for they never come near our house none atall, and we do not know the house either but he has come to his father’s house to live and to take the business of his father altogether, for his brother Joseph had gone and left his father and business and all, and so today that there isn’t the thinking of them coming to America I should think.  
Your mother says she is very glad to hear Elizabeth saying that she does not forget her atall, but she is very much afraid that you are both very much in the way of getting for to forget of the whole of us, seeing that we are ever so long without a letter from you and believe to [sic] that you must know how it is upon us or at least you should consider how it is with us, that it must be very troubling upon us.
So your brothers and sisters send their kind respects to you both and that they are all very well in health excepting your sister Mary Ellen, as we have told you above, and she wishes for me to tell you that her hearing is very good, thank God, and though she is upstairs all together, every rap on the door as she hears it makes her think it is either Mr. Maurice or the postman and indeed Maurice visits us lately oftener than the postman.  So no more at present from your dutiful father and mother,
Robert & Sarah Benjamin
So good night and God bless you both. Amen


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