Wm Moodie Letter 4
Jany
2nd, 1855 - Bonhill,
Scotland
William writes of local news
& Busby people, including:
- John Nimmo (met in the Glagow Music shop of Messrs Muir, Wood & co)
- John Waddell – met in the city hall
- Bella Munn & Hugh Arbuckle – married (note- record found of marriage 14 July 1854, Mearns); Bella died of cholera 3 months later (no record found)
- Miss B. Semple - died of cholera 3 days after Bella Munn (no record found)
- Mrs. Semple – moved to Paisley, then returned
- Hugh McLechtie – married “a few weeks since” to Miss Cathrine White (no record found)
- Miss Margaret Anderson – married “some months since” …. then left home…;
- ‘Old’ Anderson & a daughter (Elizabeth?) died of Cholera 2 or 3 days before Margaret left
- Andrew Waddell – married “some months since” to a lass in Campsie (note- probably Marion Malcolm, m. 14 July 1854, Campsie)
- The Total Abstinence Society – lacklustre meetings; speakers W. Stewert, John McCubbin (who has sail’d for Australia)
- W. Wilson and his sister Agnes - sail’d for Australia
Also briefly mentioned by name: McIndoe, Barr’s turnip field; Mr. & Mrs.
Steven; the Maxwells, including Joe; W. Smith; the Mises Scobie; P. Robertson
Wm Moodie Letter 5
Apr
15, 1855 - Bonhill, Scotland
This
newsy and entertaining letter was written after Alex had gone to Ballarat to
look for gold as a ‘digger’, and had written back home to William with his
account of the Eureka rebellion (and also with a specimen of gold, evidently).
William
has now finished his ’prenticeship with his uncle James and has had irregular work
with Mr Brown (engraving); business is poor due to the depressed money market –
a result of the war.
He
describes the poor management of the war with Russia and the dreadful
conditions and heavy losses suffered on the British forces in the disastrous
winter siege at Sebastapol; the disaster was lessened by the help of the French.
He goes into some detail, as he suspects that the Government may be intercepting
newspapers sent out to the colonies, “to prevent the Government being brought
into contempt among the colonists. He is sending newspapers (generally the ‘Glasgow
Sentinel’) fortnightly in the hope that they may reach Alex.
The
Militia that has been raised is so far only voluntary, so Wm is not intending to
join.
People
he mentions:
- John (= John Dick, Alex’s younger brother, still in Scotland) – working at Govan – more pay, better work; “would like very well to go out to ‘Austriel’”
- W. Stevens – sail’d for Australia, no word heard yet
- William’s father (William Moodie snr)– no employment since (selling his shares and) leaving James (his bother’s? engraving shop)
- William’s brother John – still working with Mr Glen at Millburn; John and Wm are to move to a house in North St, Alexandria, Dumbartonshire, in May, as they are both “being employed on the other side of the water”
- Louis napoleon – to be made a Knight of the garter, much to Wm’s disgust
- The Duke of Grafton – proposed “a day of humiliation & prayer” and fasting “to see if God forgive the sin which was the cause of our disasters in the Crimea” (W.M. Reynolds proposed that the sin had caused the curse of the Duke of Grafton etc.)
He also
briefly mentions: Mr Maxwell (& etc.); Messrs Smith and McNicol; Mr &
Mrs Stevens.
Wm Moodie Letter 6
July
28, 1855 - Bonhill, Scotland
Wm
has little to say here and struggles to fill the pages. He mentions the war;
also that he and brother John have plenty of work at present, “John at the
steel now too, at Milburn” and Wm at Brown’s; neither have any prospect or intention
of marriage or militia.
Wm
misses having a close friend, as he finds there is a division between ‘Old’ and
‘Free’ church people, so it is difficult to talk freely without being judged.
He
talks about Dan’l McKean, a local ‘poet’, who works at sketchmaking with Wm at
Brown’s, and is working on a poem of 5-6,000 lines.
He also
describes the Local Literary society which has started in Alexandria - Bonhill,
involving essays and debates on various
topics….
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