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Title: Beale, Joseph Sr to Beale, Margaret, 1853
ID4480
CollectionThe Earth between them: Joseph Beale's letters home to Ireland from Victoria (1852-1853) [E.Beale]
Filebeale/14
Year1853
SenderBeale, Joseph Sr
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationclerk
Sender Religionunknown
OriginMelbourne, Victoria, Australia
DestinationMountmellick, Co. Laois, Ireland
RecipientBeale, Margaret
Recipient Genderfemale
Relationshiphusband-wife
Source
Archive
Doc. No.
Date
Partial Date
Doc. Type
Logunknown
Word Count1445
Genrefamily, acquaintances, news, business dealings with the ship, happy he emigrated to Australia, living costs
Note
TranscriptMelbourne 8 mo: 15 1853.

I have but little to add to my former letters by last mail, my
dearest Love, thy last letter to hand is dated 4 of 4 month. I
have a simple duty to perform daily, we go to the office ab't ½
past 9 in the morn'g—dine ab't one and leave off at 5. We enjoy
good health, except Joseph, for the past few days, but I
expect under Dr. Fox's kind care (who is a friend) he will
soon be all right again. Jos'h is grown quite fat, and Frs grown
very tall, they are both favourites in our office. Frs is employed
copying invoices etc and is very much improved in his writing,
he will write a very good hand, I think. I enclose thee Capt'n
Moreton's letter, it may interest thee.
This letter is very short, but I have really nothing new to tell
thee, except that Dr. Fox was greatly surprized on my telling
him of thy trip with me up the Seine, and of "Mon Mari" saying,
Quaker-, were honest people, for one returned prize money
to his (the Frenchman's) father. It was Dr Fox's G[ran]dfather
who sent his son over to France to do so—and an am't for
whom claimants could not be found, was appropriated to build
a school for the poor. I send thee a newspaper, by which thou
wilt learn that Geo: Black has applied for a publican's license!!
I learn he was almost of every religion, but latterly "I fear,
said my informant, he is of no religion." Farewell, my love, Kiss all the children for me, and believe
me to be thy most attached
Husband
J. Beale.

Come out as soon as thou possibly can, but don't come without
Mary and Charlotte Biophy—they will be very useful to us. D.
Kennedy and James quite well and look quite fat, as I do myself—
they have conducted themselves with great fidelity to us,
since we left Ireland.
17th. I was very much pleased indeed last even'g with a visit
from Joseph Phelps, thou may recollect he served his apprenticeship
to Jas Pim & Sons.—thou uften remarked to me what a
well informed young man lie was then. He still is the same
quiet, easy manner'd Gentleman, he and his bro'r have stations
and are very well off. Thou canst look at a good map of Australia,
and where the Munumbidgee River joins the Murray,
one of their stations is, where they reside. I have a kind invitation to spend a month with them, but that is impossible of
course. In (he course of conversation I said to Joseph Phelps,
people at home imagine that here there is nothing like society,
"like Ml Mk Society"—he laughed very heartily, and said, "thou
and I know what that is"—there is 710 comparison to be made,
for unfortunately too many of the people who come out here,
are unfitted for the Colony, too highly educated for the work
to be done.
Our son Joseph again quite well, and all going on cheerfully,
the weather delightful, fine clear days and bright sunshine, the
moon so clear at night such as never was seen in the skies of
Ireland.
Remember my very dear love to my sister Mary her husband
and their interesting family—and to all enquiring Fr'ds—I often
think of Ben'n Wood's and poor old Sally Simpson's parting
words of advice—dearly Farewell.
[P.S.] Please send this to Elizabeth, with my fond love to her
and all of her family—or Sarah can write extracts, thy choice.
I hope thou takes good care of thyself, and lets nothing be
wanted by the children, (except the want of their absent, loving
father, and this can only be remedied by our meeting here).
P.S.
17. of 8 mo. ½ past 7 P.M. [1853]
Just as I had finished my letter and had pressed the wafer,
I was handed by R. Webb's son (so unexpectedly!) thy welcome letter. I am surprized thou did not receive mine by the
"Great Britain" as I posted it myself—however as thou hears
of our safe arrival thro' D: Thompson, thou would be relieved
in mind, and perhaps, as ray first letter would not be so satisfactory as the second, it is as well both arr'd together, which I hope is the case.
Thy mention of what Geo: Black writes home really disgusts
me, he writes lies to his deluded wife, deluded by him—as to
travelling, Jos'h Phelps lives 300 miles from Melbourne, he told
me he never carries firearms!! and never felt any fear of being
robbed!7 Now thou may think, what G.B. is—I really did not
like to tell what I heard of him, lest it might appear detraction
—but as I have told thee (a portion only of) my opinion of
him, let it be to thyself—
Come out here as soon as possible. We can hand thee our
£12 pr week with delight, our wages without risk or speculation
and in addition we shall have our half share of profits in the
lighter "the Margaret," which if here at present could earn £25
pr week clear of expenses—all my friends here approve of this
concern, and so well satisfied is Captn. Morton of the spec
that he has written home to Dublin for his wife and family to
sell their property there and come out at once. He says his ½
share will support them even here well at 15/- pr ton lighterage
from the Bay. At present it is £2.15.0 pr ton! He is to
work the vessel as Captn and Joseph intends joining to assist
him with a lad in add'n. If they make only 2 trips in the week
at 15/- per ton on 30 tons each trip, they would earn £45 pr
week, but in case this did not succeed, which is possible but
not probable, there are many, many things one can turn t o -
after all, we are pleased we began Australian life as we did, we
learned a knowledge of the people and the country, and often
I am hailed by name, and people come up and shake hands
with pleasurable countenances, and who they are or where I
met them I really cannot tell. I expect thou hast reed in all
£65—£60 of which was for thy self—£2 for Sarah and one each
for Marg't, William and Mary Brophy. D.K. sent £5 to thee,
£5 to Jno Lalor and £5 to Wm. Parkinson for Kitty.
[Since this is the last reference to Dan Kennedy, it may be
here recorded that, his contract of service completed, he went
his own way; perhaps because of Joseph's change of work, he
may even have been released early. Be this as it may, contact was maintained, for the friendship went deep; there was often
a strong element of friendship in the old relationship of master
and servant. The time of Dan's wife's death is not known, but
by January 1856 he was married again, this time to a girl of
twenty. James, his son, had acquired a trade as a blacksmith,
and was going "very steady." They lived at Keilor, "10 miles
from town," where Dan and a partner had a wheelwright's
shop; and they were doing very well.8 One hears no more of
them after this. Joseph's letter goes on:]
I am sorry to hear of poor Rd. Leadbeater, but Ireland is
wretched and will be wretched.
This even'g at tea the butter we had was very bad—it cost
3/- pr lb. Carlow butter, Cork butter—Belfast or Limerick
hams are certain always to pay, if anyone sent out a venture to
Raleigh, Locke, Thorp k Co. who are very wealthy. I knew it
as their Book-keeper and occasional corresponding clerk—Timber
is ten times as dear in Melb'e as in London, and in this
house we are burning Singapore cedar, which cost Win Robinson
less, than he shd pay for firewood bro't 3 miles into this
cilyl—Again and again I say come out at once and bring Charlotte
and Mary Brophy, and if our lives are spared, you need
want for nothing required in this life—and any advance made
to enable you to come out, we will repay with interest—I can do no
more at present, or say no more only my unalter'd love is to
thee at all times. "Forget me not exists in Australia". All the
family could live cheaper than we pay, £4.10.0 pr week board
and about 12/- for washing.