Letter #45 to
son Alex in Australia
Renton, 9th. March 1860
My Dear Son,
I had a letter from you last mail as well as one from William. I did not
expect one from you as William did not mention it in his. So I wrote before I received
yours. I doubt the Australian mail will be too late this time for me to answer
per Marseilles.
I see you are likely to leave Mr. Slater. I would much rather you had J
or W for a cheap assistant, but I hope you see your way to as good a job. I
spoke to James Dick about an Australian trade, but I saw he was not inclined to
venture. His speculations had not paid satisfactorily and he has given up doing
anything on his own account. He is still agent for Mr. Sim.
Mr. Rattary said to me in Glasgow that had he got you for clerk he
believed he would not left Australia. He said he could have depended upon you.
He still sends out goods to Australia. The goods have sold pretty fair but he
has not got his money by £200. One cargo of butter paid him well. If you would
write to him and let him see that you could do his business, he might join you
as he had a very high opinion of you. He keeps the Commercial Hotel, 8 John
Street, Bristol. It is conducted on temperance principles.
I hope John & William will be successful in pushing in to their trade.
I would like to hear of them being able to lay by a little money to enable them
to begin housekeeping when their spirits soar that way. It is one great comfort
that we all enjoy good health.
A. Russell leaves his master in Alexandria next week. Annie is now 21 and
she is to borrow £50 or £60 to start him in the spirit trade. He wishes me to
join him; he is to make me a full partner. I have consented and parties are
looking out for a suitable shop for us. I have not the greatest confidence
either in him or myself, but I have resolved to venture. But it may be some
months before we get a place. I believe it is to make some amends for the £15 I
lent his father and because of his youth that he gave me the offer. And Annie
may get a job in it if we succeed. She is not stout and seems to be one that
will do little good at the looms.
We have had a long and pretty severe winter. Loch Lomond was partially
frozen since my last and two men drowned in it. In the North the ground has
been upwards of 4 months covered with snow; sheep and cattle have been starved.
There was a cloth shop in Renton broken into by night and robbed of
upwards of £100 worth of cloth &c. Peter Colquhoun has been apprehended and
lodged in jail as one of the perpretrators. Peter has been working in Paisley
this some time; his wife lives in Renton. Peter had little or no work all
summer and was very badly off. It is believed Peter and others not known had
come from Paisley in a boat, broken into the shop and taken the goods to
Paisley. A man in Paisley had made some of the cloth into slops and taken them
to a pawnbroker. The broker suspected the cloth; the man said he got it from
Peter Colquhoun.
The portion of the mail by Marseilles has arrived and I see you are
likely to get your land bill. It comes far too late; that cannot be helped now.
It will undoubtedly do some good. It is a right move. I cannot see the use, the
policy, nor the good that is to come of taking the land from the squatters by a
certain day. Wha is to be done with the large herds of sheep and cattle. Let
the land be taken from them as it is purchased and let them give it up when
they please. The change must be gradual.
Our friends and
acquaintance around are in their usual; nothing worthy of remark. Marjory
Maxwell was safely delivered of her third child last week.
I have sent you papers containing our Reform bill. Our Budget and a
commercial treaty with France Italy is not settled and France covets Savoy.
There may be some fighting, but not what we would call an European war. Morroco
has got beaten by Spain; peace will likely be concluded. The-Chinese quarrel is not settled. France
and England are each sending ships and soldiers.
There has been several steamers wrecked this winter. The 'Nimrod' from
Liverpool to Cork and the 'Hungarian' from Liverpool to Portland, America are
lost; no one saved from either. The joiners in Glasgow work 10 hours per day. I
see there has been a great rush to new diggings at Avoca. I hope you were all
better employed than to pay attention to it. No objection to you going as
merchants, I hope you have all shaken hands with the good time coming and that
henceforth you will class with the fortunate.
My next will be addressed to J. M.Dick. Expecting
to hear of an improvement in your circumstances and of Jack & William
polishing up brightly with brilliant prospects
I remain, your affectionate Father
Alex'r Dick.
Names & Notes on Letter
#45
Mr. Slater
James Dick
Mr. Sim
Mr. Rattary
Alex'r Russell & Annie
Peter Colquhoun
Marjory Maxwell
'Nimrod'
'Hungarian'
- transcription and
Names/Notes by Ian A Scales, c.1989
Scans
of the original letter (click on the thumbnail below for a larger image; note the order of the pages p.4-1,
then p.2-3...):
page 4, 1
page 2,3
page 5
page 6
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