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. 1, 1869 Robert Benjamin-1795 to Richard Jones-1850

Bagillt
Oct. 1, 1869
Dear Richard,
I send these few lines to you in hopes to find you all enjoying the best of health as these leaves us but very indifferent, but your mother’s leg has gotten very near well thank god for that, for it has plagued her very much, and you must allow me for not writing to you sooner for I have got a very bad leg myself and it makes me very downhearted to do nothing, and as you can see by my writing that my hands is shaking very much, and as you was saying that your uncle meant to help you with a little money for to send home, we should be very glad and thankful if you could send by the twelfth or thirteenth of November.  It would do for the rent day and we shall not be here long for to trouble you nor nobody else.
PS – You wanted me to send your Uncle James’ address to you.  I cannot get his address nowhere nor I cannot give it myself and we have never heard from him nothing as yet, and I saw Rowlang Hughes about a month or six weeks back and I gave him your address and he said that he would send to you there and then and I have never seen him since, and as for Mary Ellen Davies I cannot say nothing about her, only that she has got a place in some part of Liverpool to play her piano, but I cannot say where for I never see none of her family for to know nothing, and it seems that you wanted Mary Ellen to get herself ready by August next and that you would send money to fetch her and that you would come to New York to meet her and I thought that a very good chance for her myself, but her mother says she shall not come.  They say that they are going to write to you themselves, but I don’t know when you said in your last that you would write to your Uncle John and send him my letter in yours.  I should wish to know if you have sent to him and if you have had an answer or not from him for he has never sent home this two years if not more.
PS – Your mother desires me to tell you that she is praying very much that God will give her health and strength for to live until next summer, that is in expectation to see your Uncle Edwin coming home to England once more according to his promise in his own letter as he sent himself that we should see him then if all would be well, and we should be very glad to see him and your Aunty Corning then I am sure.
PS – Humphrey & Charlotte and all the children send their kind respects to you and also Mr. & Mrs. Thomas send their kind respects to you and also Mr. Judson and all.  Old friends and acquaintances send their best respects to you and they all say that they would be very glad to see you.
PS – Thomas and Harriet Roberts sends their kind respects to you.  Thomas is going to sea now.  He is mate and a fine schooner coasting being to Plymouth last and going this next time to British Channel just the same place called Bridgemaster.
Now at last from your dutyful father& mother, Robert & Sarah Benjamin, in hopes that the whole family will take this and it all as can.  Write soon again and don’t take it unkind of me for not writing sooner for my leg has been very troublesome for me and indeed is yet no better hardly.
RB

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