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. 2, 1864 Robert Benjamin-1795 to John Benjamin-1823

Bagillt, Jan. 2, 1864
Dear John,
I send these few lines to you in hopes they will find you and family all well as these leaves both, your mother and myself, but very sorry indeed, and you must excuse us for not sending sooner for we was expecting to hear from your brother Edwin after we received your letter, and we received a letter from him on Saturday last and telling us that they were all well in health and sent their likenesses both of them and the two little children, and that was all and said in his letter.  He expected to hear from us on the receipt of his letter and then he should send soon again, and we are sending to him the same time as to you and sending his letter in his thinking that you may have it better, and I’m in hopes that you will receive this for we have sent a good many letters to you and him and neither of you getting them.
PS – Now I am turning to ourselves to inform you how it is with us at the present.  We have been forced to leave the old house, for Mr. Faulks himself and family to go and live there themselves for their family is getting very large, and now we are in lodgings and getting three shillings per week from the parish since the commencement of the new year.   But we expect to have a little place after a while with a bakehouse to it for to help us to live, or else we don’t know what to do, and we are letting you know all of our circumstances, how all things are, but we don’t tell these things to Edwin for fear his wife should see the letter and that it should harm him with his wife’s family, should we live to receive a letter from him again.  We happen should know better how to send to him.   And as you was talking about your brother James and who he married, I cannot tell whether you knew the family or not.  They did call her father Hugh Hughes.  Panty Crabus, she lived in Liverpool with the same family about ten years and a very nice girl she was to,  poor thing.   And the children has been with us for some time but was obliged to send them off from us on account of applying to the parish.  If we kept them we should have nothing and we got to send then to your sister Louisa to Mostyn, for Robert is a gaffer plasterlayer on a piece at Mostyn and they live very comfortable, and your brother James live out in Galway in Ireland .  He manages a mill in for a master there.  And your sister Soph has just buried her eldest son now lately and it is very lone on her indeed.  And you sister Charlotte lives in the Kings Arms, that’s the house as Chesters built, but very little business at the present for it is sorry for all at Bagillt.  Humphrey has been very ill indeed now this seven weeks back but getting a little better this week, but he has a good place of it.  When he is at work he works bricklaying work at Walkering Parker at Chester going of twelve years.
I should wish very much if you could have the kindness as to send to your brother Edwin if he could to assist us in our present circumstances.  We would be very thankful for we cannot think of troubling you upon the account of all your troubles, and thank God that you have had your lives and that it is as it is with you and no worse.
I must conclude for the present with our kind regards to you, Elizabeth, the children and all and shall expect to have something from the children and you soon again .  And your mother is ready to come see you all any day if the week if it was possible.  It is no use then of me thinking of going anywhere for I am too clumsy.  I was not from the old house as far as Bagillt village until now this three or four years and now obliged to bring me on a hand barrow.  You must allow us this time for we don’t know what to say to you much for we have been disturbed so much for the present.  And this from your dutyful father & mother,
Robert & Sarah Benjamin
PS -  Send soon again if you please.  We have been in great trouble with your mother about all this trouble being in the place four and twenty years.

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