| Title: | Beale, Joseph Sr to Beale, Margaret, 1853 |
|---|---|
| ID | 4480 |
| Collection | The Earth between them: Joseph Beale's letters home to Ireland from Victoria (1852-1853) [E.Beale] |
| File | beale/14 |
| Year | 1853 |
| Sender | Beale, Joseph Sr |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | clerk |
| 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 | 1445 |
| Genre | family, acquaintances, news, business dealings with the ship, happy he emigrated to Australia, living costs |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Melbourne 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. |
