Letter #14 to son Alex in Australia
Busby 30th Sept.
1854 Saturday
My Dear Son,
We have all been preserved in good health since my last. Cholera has
been very virulent in this village. There were 4 deaths in one family named
Nugent. I mentioned Bella Muns's marriage in my last. I have now to mention her death. She died on
Tuesday morning of cholera and your favourite Bathea Semple died last night,
also of cholera. One of our engravers, James Taylor, (now dead & buried, he
was from Perth) is very bad today and a
woman at the mill Cathrine White, another of John Leckie's favourites, and Hugh
McLechtie intend getting married. Their house is getting ready. The
Lochlomond Regatta was an unfortunate affair this time. A rower missed his stroke with the oar and upset the boat. Two of the crew
were drowned and the racing stopt. Nothing else remarkable has ocurred here.
Block printing is still very slack generally as well as here and Busby Company
are cutting very little, so that our printers have no chance of a good Spring trade. Cutting however
is reviving at Kilmarnock & Barrhead. The reasons our masters assign are
there have been by far too many de Laines done by cylinder and prices are so
low they have no profits on the goods they print by machine and for block work
they cannot get a paying figure
Jack & William still stick at the wright trade and are fully bent
for Australia when William's year expires and it ends 27th.April. So that
unless Halt comes from Australia, we are off. The Overland mail is getting more regular now.
It has just arrived. The news from Melbourne are not so flattering. Trade gets up
and down as at home. John Leckie is thriving now. A great business and great profits are making him a happy man. Rachel will be
grown now that we will not ken her.. John's friends are sending him a deal of
stuff. William Wilson, the baker and his sister Agnes (the lame one) sail for Melbourne next month. Cunningham Gray's
folks are well and have their compliments to Mr.& Mrs. Leckie. Cunningham is sick of cutting. Were he
not bound he would be off to Australia. He says Peter Robertson is very sorry about Bathea’s death. James Wilson, foreman printer, has his compliments to John Leckie
& his fireside. James is now an Elder and wishes John to let him know if he is still alive. I believe that
an answer to this letter will be received by us in good time for our guidance. Will we take any of our furniture with
us, any bed clothes or anything
else we posses, any dishes &c. What clothes and provisions, any books?
Be minute.
But I expect all the information is on the way already. Our Harvest is nigh over and though not top mark is much better than last. But
prices are not getting down so fast as was expected. Meal 2/8d per stone, 41b.loaf 7 1 /2d., butter very middling 1
/1d., salt, fresh 1 /3d & 1 /4d, eggs 1 /-, potatoes 9d per stone. David
Alexander was very bad with a bilious attack. He is now at work. My cousin
James Dick has opened an office in Oswald Street No.6 and his lodgings are 47
same St. He gets a paper from you now & then. I had a paper since my last.
I expect a letter about the 6th.This leaves on the 4th., rather annoying..
William Wilson will likely take my next but he has not fixed on his ship yet.
Michael Bruton and family sailed for Melbourne this week & John Brown (John
Aitcheson's son in law) sails for
Sidney shortly. 2 papers will let you know all about the war.. It is expected
that Sebastopol is destroyed by this. In the north Bomarsund alone has been
destroyed. It was done in good style and the newspapers have it that Charlie
intends trying his hand on Kevel. He has kept up a strict blockade and that alone will through time tame the
Emperor of the Russians.
I hope, my Son, you are still prospering and a faithful servant in all
things. I think your brothers will likewise do well. They are both getting stouter and should be good tradesmen in a few
years. Jack is doing a little to improve his scholarship, but William gets
nought done in that way. I am afraid I will be a drawback on the general
prosperity, but would fain believe I will find a job to suit me and I trust we
will share in the general prosperity of the Colony and I hope that by steady
perseverance we will obtain a competent reward. It has just been telegraphed that
Sebastopol is taken. The City Bells are to be rung for 4 hours today 2nd.Oct. Hope springs eternal in the
human breast.
Your Affectionate
Father,
Alex'r Dick
Names & Notes on Letter #14
Nugent
Bella Munn
Bathea Semple
James Taylor
Cathrine White
Hugh McLechtie
John Leckie
Rachel Leckie
William Wilson
Agnes Wilson
Cunningham Grey
Peter Robertson
James Wilson
David Alexander
James Dick
Michael Bruton
John Brown
John Aitcheson
- transcription
and Names/Notes by Ian A Scales, c.1989
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