| Title: | Normile, Michael Jr to Normile, Michael Sr, 1855 |
|---|---|
| ID | 4242 |
| Collection | Oceans of Consolation [D. Fitzpatrick] |
| File | oceans/4 |
| Year | 1855 |
| Sender | Normile, Michael Jr |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | storeman, carter |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | West Maitland, N. South Wales, Australia |
| Destination | Derry, Co. Clare, Northern Ireland |
| Recipient | Normile, Michael Sr |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | son-father |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 973 |
| Genre | description of the colonies, labour |
| Note | |
| Transcript | West Maitland Novmr. 11th. 1855 My dear Father I take the liberty to inform you that I received your Kind letter on the first of this month bearing date July the 7th., which gave me an ocean of Consolation to hear from you and to find you all in a perfect state of health and in a way of prosperity thank God, as this leaves me at Same time and my Companion in a perfect State of health thank God for his kindness towards us. I am to inform you that I received a letter from my Sister Susy at the Same time I got yours. She informed me that She and her family were in good health and doing well. Her sister Bridget is gone to her before I got your letter. She left Maitland on the 3rd. ultimo and I got no answer from her as yet. I expect a letter from them every day. I am to inform you that I worked 6 months for Mr Brown Lochinvar. He paid me what was due besides my Pasage Money. He was a fine young man and I licked him very well. In a few days after he went to Sydney for to buy some goods and Scince that day there is no account of him dead or alive. He owed some money to the Merchants of Maitland and when the came to hear of it they Said he turned insolvent and his Brother went in pursuance of him and got no account of him. After he returning the Creditors Came and took charge of all the goods, after 40 days time they Sold all his goods be auction. Then I left and came to live in the town of Maitland. This town is situated on the Banks of the Hunter River and is Soround by a deal of fine Land for Miles around and all the River Bank is Beautiful land for 180 [?] [erased: Hundred] miles up the Country. There is a great deal of townships Situated on the Bank of the River too. The River runs very crooked you could not find one mile of it straight. River looks beautiful on the Banks all along grows a vast large oak trees always green. My Sister Bridget stoped with her old Misses after I leaving, and then She came to live to Maitland and Bridget left her and went away to her Sister to Mortenbay. The Harvest is Coming in rapidly here we expect to have a very good harvest. The most of the wheat will be fit to be cut on the first of Decemr. Wheat and flour rateed very dear, this las 4 or 5 months wheat was 25 shls. per 6o lb that is a Bushel. American wheat was sold cheaper. Flour is raiting from 40 to 45 shillings per 100 lb. at presant but it will shortly get a downfal with the Blessing of God. As far as old Experienced people think there will be plenty wheat to support the population on this year besides any Emports. There is no Starvation or anny thoughts of it thank God. Potatoes grew first rate these two last Crops I mean winter and summer crops. Farmers of this Country are too leazy. There is Hundreds of them that dont sow any potatoes they think them too troublesome a crop. I work in one place Almost since I let Lochinvar with two of the strongest Merchants in the Town at 45 shillings a week without rations. There names are Solomon, Vindin and Co. Millers and Store Keepers High Street West Maitland. I do be at work hard sometimes loading Teams for up the Country such as the diggings sheep & cattle stations sends out all kinds of Goods. Flour sugar soap tea Rum Brandy wine &. There is a great alarm about the Country at preasant Concerning a new diggings that was discovered of late within 100 miles of this Town and if these diggings turns out favourable there will be scarcely a man to cut the harvest. You spoke of Bryan O'Loughlin in your letter to me that he had so much money as that he did not know what to do of it. If you believe me the most he could count for himself was from 200 to 250 £ and he reduced that before he gets himself to this Country back again. I heard about Bryan not long ago he went home to try to get a fortune at home but that failed him. He thought he might get an estate at home that one of these rich swells of Burn [Burren] that has properties very extensive might give him a part of it and one of their daughters in Marriage. I dont mean to say annything to him but I would not like to say I had a pocket full of money and when I put my hand in it I could find none. I dont like to say to much concerning one thing but if Ihad so much money as he said he had and to go home, nobody would ever see me again in New South Wails. I am to inform you that I have a friend which I did not know she being in this Town until of late, Michael Healys daughter from Ballanagun. She is in good health and doing well. Let her Father know of it. When I heard she being in this place I went to see her directly and she did not know me for a good while. You might think I fell from the heavens to her when she knew me. I am very glad to hear of Bridget O'Neills Marriage. I hope they are all in good health both uncles and Aunts relations and Neighbours. [no continuation] |
