This wonderful, gossipy letter was sent in 1849 by Mr. R. Scott of Ilford, Essex to Mr. Joseph Harrison in New South Wales, Australia.
It contains dozens of personal name references and events of interest to the family historian.
Original spelling and punctuation (or lack of) has been retained. Transcription at right. Name list below.
INDEX TO THE LETTER
Numbers refer to the line of the letter
Arnold 47
Bacon 44
Benet 66
Bertie 11
Biggs 66
Briggs 75, 79
Budgeon 83
Butle 39
Coleman 79
Coxhead 44
Coxhedge 51
Falkner 40, 80
Filewood 41, 49
Garret 40
Gatty 48
Gun 74
Howell see Howl
Howl 79
Hoy 72
Hunsden 46
Leader, Reuben 14, 31, 34, 62, 79, 85
Lee 67
Marks 49
Moore 62
Morris 54, 70, 71
Oldaker 42
Palmer 65
Pasfield 46
Raymond 30
Reuben, see Leader
Reynolds 6
Ruff 68
Shiggs 60, 67
Smith 41, 43, 47, 69
Sorrel 8
Staines 50
Stock 11, 37, 89
Tabrum 63
Taylor 65
Thompson 51
Tuck 36, 76, 78, 82
Watson 41
Wilson 45
Woolmer 63
Wright 48, 52, 53, 90
Ilford March 20th 1849
Dear Joseph
1 With great pleasure i have to acknowedge the receipt
2 of yours of the 30 of August 1848 on the 10 March 1849 which
3 gave to all that felt the least Interest in your wellfare the
4 greatest satisfaction -but i am sorry to say many would not
5 beleive the letter to be genuine or that it was yours at all
6 Old Peter Reynolds for one said he was well acquainted with
7 Foreign parts and he knew it was not all right or the letter
8 would not have been so long coming Sorrel the Sergent of Police
9 said you must have been bribed to write what you did from so many
10 talking so. And the multitude of lies daily been spread that
11 Mrs Stock feels some doubt about the matter the Rev H Bertie
12 received is the same time i hope long before the time i am
13 writing this that you have all met togather in good health up to
14 the present time the 20th i have not received any from Leader
15 since he left Plymouth I have Sent you a weekly dispatch of
16 the 11th & 18th & 25th of March and bespoke several weeks more
17 And I wish you to be particular in making memorandums of the
18 dates of letters and papers that you may receive from me and
19 when you write to me which i hope will be frequent to say when
20 you receive a letter of such a date and the name of the newspapers
21 for this reason what miscarry that i may make enquirey here
22 after them also that i may know how long they have been on there
23 passage the old proverb say out of sight out of mind but i
24 wish to remind you that with me vicer versa is the case if it
25 it Should be convenient to you ii circumstances will admit i
26 should like you to Leader all whatever i may send you also
27 what i may send him i should like you to see so that if one
28 miscarry the other may not as mast of the little memorandums
29 will be very near alike that i send the first letter that i
30 sent to Sidney was to Mr Raymond Post Master of George Street
31 wherein I Spoke of you and Leader also begging of him to care
32 of letters and Newspapers for either of you till i could receive
33 your directions that one i sent on the 30 of June 1848 the
34 next I posted to Leader on the 28th August but Loyds paper i
35 have regularly sent since the 18 June '48 besides one or two
36 I directed one for Tuck on the 29th July And another to for
37 Mrs Stock to her son John on the 29th August the fowlowing
38 is a list of Births- deaths - Marrigges - Removals - that have
39 taken place since you left Old Mr Butte died 19th June
40 Mrs Robert Garret confined 19th June Mrs Falkner confined
41 22nd June George Watson killed 18 July Mrs Smith later Filewood
42 confined 11 July and died on the 5th August Henry Oldaker died
43 12th July the Infant of the above Mrs Smith died the 16th August
44 Mrs Bacon of the Red Cow died 23rd August Charles Coxhead
45 Married to Miss Wilson of the rose and crown 7th August
46 Mr J Hunsden of Ilford died 24th Sepr young Tom Pasfield
47 married to the Girl Smith 15th Octr young Mrs John Arnold
48 died 26 Octr Old Mrs Gatty died 27th Octr Alf Wright the
49 linendraper Married to the widow Marks 2 Novr Old Mrs Filewood
50 died 19th Novr Mrs Ben Staines of the Mile end road died 8th
51 Janry 1849 Mr Coxhedge Carpenter died 8th JanrY Ben Thompson
52 wife confined 22nd Janry Old Mrs Wright the Laundress died
53 27th Janry Young Mrs George Wright confined 6th Feb'
54 Mrs Morris on the Green went out of her mind but not so as the
55 family to take any notice of it at the time on the morning of
56 the 15th Febry she rose very early went into the kitchen
57 took the clothes line put it twelve times Around her kneck
58 and the same round the beam and throw herself of the chair
59 her husband see her first called the rest of the family
60 weent to Ilford for Policeman to cut her down while Mrs Shiggs
61 the Daughter and a son 17 years old and one or two more stood
62 and see her hang like a dog Tell Reuben Maria Moore was
63 Married to young William Woolmer that work at Mr Tabrums on
64 26th Febry And I am Sorry to Say will very soon increase
65 Mrs Palmer Confined on 2nd March 1849 Joseph Taylor left here
66 by the Ship St Vincent for Sydney Richard Benet- John Biggs-
67 Henry Lee- James Shiggs left here the 6th Novbr for the ship
68 ospray for Port Philip Ruff the Carpenter withe his family
69 And T Smith the Bricklayers daughter of Chadwell heath
70 Kingsworth the Blacksmiths daughter and John Morris son of
71 the above Mrs Morris left here 23rd Novbr 1848 for the ship
72 Calphnira for Port Adelaide Hoys daughter of Ilford left
73 here for Port Adelaide the 1st March 1849 And Gun with wife
74 And 7 children left here for the Ship Saxon the 12th March
75 for Port Philip I Briggs left Mrs Wrights 26 August 1848
76 and lodging at the horseshoe Barking Side Candler Tucks
77 relation attempted to cut his throat his wife pretend to say
78 it was through Tuck leaving but he is all right Again tell
79 Reuben after Briggs left Howl and I crownd Coleman king 23 Octbr
80 1848 also tell him Henry Falkner got himself into trouble for
81 Selling his horses food and got 6 months Imprisonment
82 Edward Tuck i believe will lose his place in May for raising
83 some false reports About Mr Budgeon the Clergyman What
84 newspapers i send you i shall put the Number on the outside as
85 i have done Reubens of late so that when you rite to me you
86 have only to say No so And so i have received And i shall be
87 able from that which you have lost so that i may enquire after
88 them here as i book the date and No of them for that especial
89 purpose tell John Stock that i can inform him for certain that
90 Harriet Wright had another chicken About the midle of Janry
91 but it only lived about a fortnight everything here is in a
92 dreadful state since the Ports have been opened I must now
93 conclude with best wishes for your health wealth and prosperity
