| Title: | Beale, Joseph Sr to Beale, Margaret, 1853 |
|---|---|
| ID | 4473 |
| Collection | The Earth between them: Joseph Beale's letters home to Ireland from Victoria (1852-1853) [E.Beale] |
| File | beale/7 |
| Year | 1853 |
| Sender | Beale, Joseph Sr |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | store keeper |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Destination | Mountmellick, Co. Laois, Ireland |
| Recipient | Beale, Margaret |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | husband-wife |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 759 |
| Genre | sending money, savings, correspondence, bringing the rest of the family to the Colony, acquaintances |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Melbourne 2 mo: 8th 1853. My Best Beloved, I wrote thee a few days since, and as the Sarah Sands remains longer than I then anticipated. I add a few lines to say we are all well. Dan and Js. Kennedy so far very agreable, as the former wishes to provide for his family's weekly supply, he desired me to enclose thee £5, and to ask thee to have the kindness to let them [his family] have everything they may reasonably require. I purposed sending thee £10 to buy a gown along with the £5, but the boys disapproved of our letting anything interfere at present with our plans, they said "Father, let us get the horses and drays complete, and our store well supplied, and then we can send my mother a good round sum to help her." We enjoy good health, keep together, but as to outward comforts, they are unknown in the gipsey life of a tent—still when we know we are earning money pretty fast for you at home, it sweetens down many things. We found milk did not agree so well with us, as tea and coffee without it, and as it was our most expensive item of expenditure we gave up its use. I forgot in my former letters to tell thee, that the pota toe disease [which had led to the ruin of Ireland] was never known here. The report that it existed all the world over which we heard ;it home, was an eroneous report. I never saw finer potatoes than are here, but 5d pr lb is the price. I paid 33/- for a cwt (nearly £5 a barrell of 24 stone!) I sell at 5d pr lb, so that what we use, comes in comparatively low. I intend to write again by the Cleopatra steamer in about a fortnight. I expect to call on Capt Thompson [of the Sarah Sands] today, and should I meet him, will add a line to tell thee what he says about coming out here again, sh'd he come, or the ship be entrusted to the care of Washington Hsley, the first mate. I do advise thee to come by the S. Sands in preference to any other vessel, but thou must come and all the children first class passengers—Mary Brophy and Charlotte second class, but as thy attendants, they will have all the priviledges of first class, except dining in the saloon. Kiss all my flock for me, Oh I hope they are all spared to me, and that we may be favour'd to meet in this land, where industry has its reward. Be sure [to] direct to care of Raleigh, Locke, Thorp & Co otherwise I may never receive a letter, for the post office here is exceedingly badly managed. I never rec'd a letter from any one since I left Ireland, My dearest and most affectionate love is to thee, my darling —present my very dear love to sister Mary, bro'r Thomas and all their flock and remember me very aff'y. to my old friends and neighbours. I am getting a set of shoes today on one of the horses, for which I pay 20/- and the loss of his day is 30/- so thou sees time is money here—I met a friendly man on 7th day from Tu 11amore [Ireland, about fourteen miles from Mountmellick], who has made his fortune o( £1000 a year nett income, he has relinquished trade—such a man as [the Mountmellick produce merchant] Dandy Dunphy and lives as plain. He bought some things for me very low, less than half the usual prices. He told me never to buy anything without calling on him, that it was amusement for him, and that there sh'd be no charge to me and if I was short of cash when a bargain offer'd "I have it and it's at your service" so thou seest friends are found even here. Farewelll May every blessing attend thee and all my precious flock. Tell my dear [daughter] Sarah to write tor me to Eliz'th for I have but little time for anything of the sort. Thy ever aff'e husband Joseph Beale. I have just seen Capt. Thompson. On tomorrow he will decide abt. again tom'g here or not. I shall write thee all particulars in my next, farewell my dearest love. [Hurriedly added:] Abraham Grubb sits near me while I write —he and some others have been unsuccessful gold diggers— prospects for me and our children are pleasing. |
