| Title: | McCance, John to McLeod, Agnes, 1856 |
|---|---|
| ID | 4274 |
| Collection | Oceans of Consolation [D. Fitzpatrick] |
| File | oceans/36 |
| Year | 1856 |
| Sender | McCance, John |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | gold-digger |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Victoria, Australia |
| Destination | Grey Abbey, Co. Down, Northern Ireland |
| Recipient | McLeod, Agnes |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | son-in-law - mother-in-law |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 1206 |
| Genre | news |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Old Post Office Hill forest Creek October 7th 1856 Dear Mother No doubt but by this time you will be begining to think that we have intirely forgoten you but as the old saying is it is better Late than never. So at last I volenteer to write a few more lines to inform you that we are all as yet alive and in the injoyment of good health thanks be to God for his continued mercys to us and we would fondly hope that these lines will find you still alive and in the injoyment of the same Blessings. Indeed our good health is our best news at present although we have no great reason to complain as we still get plenty to eat and Drink with raiment to put on in decency but we are not laying up so much of fortune as we could wish to do. But I do asure you that it takes a good fortune to Keep so Large a family on these diggins but I think I have giving you a detail of provisons before and I am trying to make them as good schoolars as posable. We have three of them at the school at present and they are geting on very well in grammer geography in reading writeing spelling and in counting or figuering also and to Keep them fed and clad here to our likeing is not an easy task but we are still geting them Brought up as we hope to be of Some use but perhaps when they get up they will be of none. I doubt not but before you get this that you will be in the injoyment of your Small present which your grandchildren sent to you. Indeed you may not thank me for what I sent you but at the same time you may thank me for it as it was me that put it in adgation [?agitation] long before it was performed but I did only aply to the younger class of the boys as I think the older ones would have been above it. But Hamilton could not withhold his mite when the others was sending but when they did take the notion they took us very much unawares for Thomas was detemined to send I beleive five pounds. At any rate he would have made it £20. But as Thomas lives at a little distance from us and as I was down at the Back Creek as it is called Keeping the shop for Mrs John the time that they were at Castlemaine which is 14 miles from Back Creek where the money was deposited so Thomas did not get the opertunity at that time. No doubt but they would send you all the perticulars of who did send it but as I had not the plesure of writeing the letter I do not Know. At any rate I will state it here. Hamilton sent £5 James 5 Nathaniel 5 and Alexander the Remainder. I am also glad to Know that they have been sending you some little presents This oppertunity we were very greived to have missed as we had some little presents which we would have been glad to have sent but we were taken by surprise. We did hear some week or so before that John Lackey was goeing home in the ship Red Jacket and we were resolved to have a little percle [parcel] made up with directions on each present. But the next word that came was that he had altered his mind and so we left off then. William Patton came up one day post haste on his way to Castlemaine for the money which they had in the Bank saying that John L was goeing off in the morning but we had nothing Ready. Our presents would have consisted of Gold and speciments. I do not Know whither the boys has sent you any speciments or not as Agness forgot to ask when she was down last week. A specimen! is a mixture of Gold and Quartze or stone which is something like the little white stones that you will see on the shore beach from a burnt looking white till as clear as flint glass which is called Cristalized quartze. Agness will be down to Back Creek in a few days again which is 10 miles as Mrs John McMillin now expects an adation to her family and as it is a custome in this place to have some woman which they call a nurse for the space of one month. So she thinks that none will suit her better than her mother in law and I do asure you that Agness does think her worthy of any serveice that she can render her so that you may please to let Mrs Regan her mother Know that she has got a doughter here that is no discredit to her. She is a Kind open hearted and charitable woman she is ready to asist even a stranger which may chance to give her a call and she is Loving, affactionate and Dutiful to us as the only parents she has got in this country and allways showing too much Kindness to us. Indeed I often wonder at her and I must say it again that she is a credit to herself a credit to her parents & a credit to her country or neighbourhood. As for my own part I do feel happy and at home when in her presence as much so as if she realy was my own doughter when I beleive that I never would be under the roof of my other doughter in laws were it not for the Kind and Brotherly hand which Hamilton is ever ready to extend to me when ever we meet which I state much to his credit. So you may tell Mrs Regan that she need not think of nor fret concerning her child as she seems happy and contented with us as a family. No doubt but that you will be writeing as soon as you can find it convenient. We would like to Know concerning James how him and family is geting on and whether he is geting better in health and how Eliza and family and all our friends is geting along and perticularly when any deaths may ocurr amongst our old neighbours and do let us Know whether our old friend Jane McShane be yet alive. I forgot to say that John & Thomas will send you some more money when nessacery and Agness does Request me to warn you to look to yourself as it might be that if your pocket was empty you might not have many to look to you. We wish to Know who is your most atentive friend as we might have an oppertunity of some person goeing home to near Grey Abbey yet. The children all joins us in Kind affactionate Love to you and we inclose a little of little Agnesses hair to you with a little of our young Colinst's [colonist's] Francis Edwards. No more at present but Remains your affactionate Son & Doughter J & Agness McCance |
