| Title: | McCance, John to Orr, William, 1862 |
|---|---|
| ID | 4281 |
| Collection | Oceans of Consolation [D. Fitzpatrick] |
| File | oceans/43 |
| Year | 1862 |
| Sender | McCance, John |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | gold-digger |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Victoria, Australia |
| Destination | Grey Abbey, Co. Down, Northern Ireland |
| Recipient | Orr, William |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | old neighbour |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 1313 |
| Genre | news, labour |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Chewton August 23rd 1862 Dear Sir In reply to your very welcome letter of June the 16th. and Fathers of the 13 th. I now write these few lines and I am very glad to hear that you are all in the injoyment of of good health when it left and that my old parents were still alive but I am very sure they must be very frail indeed at their stage of life. Even if the times had been good it is certianly a wonder to me how they have got through such trublesome times but I am very thankful to hear that the times is a little better. I am happy to be able to inform you that we all that is here at present are in the injoyment of good health with the exception of one of Hamiltons little Children. Its name is Nathaniel. It is ratherly ill looking at present. You ask me is Hamilton home from New Zealand. I must tell you that he did come home I beleive in April last both him and James and began to puddle but they could not make much. So they have Sold off their horses and cart and allmost everything and is off again to New Zealand Hamilton John and James McMillan and John Regan all four in a party and two others aquantance from the County Derry. But the have both left their families here. Things here are very dull indeed at present and not much work to be had. I have been only at the Stone Breacking this last year and you Know thats not a very high station in life but anything in honesty. But I am very sory to say that in one week from this date that this job will be done also and I do not realy Know what to turn my hand to next. But I will not despare as there will still be somthing and my old hope is the Lord will provide. It may be that if the boys (as I call them so) falls in with anything that will be likely to pay for a Summer's work they may send for me to go over to New Zealand also as I think James would have took me with them only it did not suite me to go with them as I had my garden to labour or finish out in the Spring. And also the wether has been very bad for some time as you will See by the papers that I send. And the storms has nearly carried away our Calico house so we are about to try to get some sort of a more lasting sort of a one and to pay it as we can as I have got some Credit here. We are thinking of having a frame and wetherboard one but I supose you hardly Know what that is. It is something like a boat built, only upside down with some sort of a lasting roof, as calico is as much as a rent and we are never safe in it so. I am thinking of building it myself now when we have finished this job. And also I was left one of the executters of the Late John Leckeys will and I could not get away untill his little affairs was settled and to see if anything would be left for the Widow and Children. But alas for the poor Widow I am begining to think there will be nothing for her as there is a great many heavy debts coming in that we never expected besides some of his debts we have tryed at the police Court and we were beat and had to pay cost as we could not prove the work was done. And if we have to pay all the debts that is claimed we will not have money enough to pay them with. But some of these I objact to and they will have to try us by law and if we loose that will still be more expences but we cant help it as we have done and will do all we can for the best. Things here is enormious in Charges. The attorneys charges for getting the will proved was £22-9-4. The Auctioneers Charges for Sale and advertising &c £17-17-0 so you see there is nearly £40 for these alone but I am determend to see it out. If you ever see Mrs. Leckey you might tell her so as I seen she had giving you a call before now. You will wonder why you got no papers by last mail and so many by this one, but I will explain the reason. I had them tied up and directed and the stamps on and went away to the bush that day with Hamilton John and James and John Regan to get a stock of firewood home for us and their wives before they would sell off the horses and go away and I forgot to give them orders to post them and they did not Know it Closed that day. So when I come home and found that the were not posted I was very much greived and as the were directed and stamped I send by this mail. You might see something new in them if you got none from any other. Robert Byers has been over to see us and made my Mrs. and present of a one pound note for anything we might have had done for him and I must say this was the first money we ever received in the manner since we came to this country. He left here on the first of June and he was thinking of goeing off him and his mates to British Columbia but we have not heard of him since. We have heard that his mate is a month sail'd at this date but whether he is with him or not we Know not. Alexander is at a new diggins in New South Wales called the Lachlan but I think I was telling you before. I will ask him to make inquiry for Mr. Hutton. He had not mad one penny the last time He wrote although his Share in Claim was worth £200 but they were begining to sink but he might not get 200 pence out of it. But it is nothing venture nothing have but I think I would sell at £200 but some people must venture. We hear Thomas is in a place call'd Wangaratta that is in Victoria but it is 200 miles from us. He was breaking in horses but he does not write to us. Nathaniel we hear is in Dunedin Otago yet but he does not write to us You may tell my Father if he is still alive that I felt very glad indeed and very very thankful to see a letter as it was from his own hand and I think he said that Widow Matthews was dead about a week before he wrote. We would wish to Know who it was. As we heard of Mrs. Matthews of Ballybrain being dead some time ago we presume it is of Inishargie. Tell him also that if I hear nothing new by the next mail that I will write to himself by it and I realy cannot write what I would write. My mind is so confused concerning my old Father & Mother in their old age and I hope the next news I send will be better. So I will cut this short with the Kindest Love to my old parents and Brothers and Sisters and with every Respect for your Father & Mother and Brother John and the same for your self we remain Dear Sir yours very humley John & Agnes McCance |
