Letter
#49 to son Alex in Australia
Renton, Sept'r 24th, 1860
My Dear Son,
Yours of 23 July has arrived, it gives me great
pleasure to receive kindly and affectionate expressions of your esteem and your
solicitude for my welfare and contributions to my comfort cheer my evening
days.
The climate of Australia put me so much about that
I do not feel any longing for a second acquaintance with it. Yet if any one had
anything for me to do and a comfortable house, I would certainly be disposed to
serve on more convenient terms than any one else would serve, I would no doubt
be inclined to be among my sons, did circumstances favour, in the meantime I
must put off. I had intended to write Jack by this mail and I sent him a (a
post) paper. He is off, I suppose, to the north east of Victoria and a bittock
farther. He will meet with a bit of good luck, some day and it may be in that
same umpromising race. It is not an inviting locality, severe weather a great
part of the year that stops all traffic and all labour. William's £3/10/-a week
on Ballarat was a bit of good fortune; I hope it will be permanent. I still jog
away at Cordale. There is nothing passing among our friends of any note.
That old Saunders was the veritable Struan, I have
no manner of doubt. The Struan, contemporary with his father, told his father
that he had his genealogy aming his papers and to have no fear of the estate
not coming to his family should the heir not leave a family. The heir, however,
informed old Saunders through the Laird of Floss, that there would be nothing
for him at his death; that the estate would be done before himself and that it
was done before he got it. So he left it by will to Captain Robertson of
Glenlyon. The Captain was of the same Robertsons and, having money, was able to
keep a part of the estate and passes for Struan. I have heard that his heir is
a poor man in Athol. I may find time to give a full account of the family as I
got it.
Annie
Russell's news to William: Peter Dallas is joiner on his account in Islay. He
married Gertrude McArthur and Ralph works with Peter. Matthew Barrow man is a bridegroom.
The joiner trade is very slack in Camlachie district.
Agnes Barr has raised a din in Busby. She had a
child to a son of John Todd's and the Banns of Marriage were proclaimed. Agnes
had signed a contract of marriage with Andrew Turnbull, baker, Cathcart, either
party to forfeit £100 by marrying another. Andrew sent a man of business to
claim Agnes or £100, The agent got into Galbraith's and showed the contract to
the friends.. John and James Thompson snatched the contract. They were
afterwards taken to Paisley and liberated on small bail.
Cutting and printing are given up at Busby. The
engravers have been slack there and everywhere. The pentegraph machines have
superceded the engravers to an extent that is severely felt in lowere wages and
less work. There is another machine besides the pentegraph being introduced.
The painters, too, are getting less to do. I mean the girls that waxed the
rollers. I hear that John Nimmo has got a job at superintending steam bans at
14/- per week.
On the Moss of Balloch day I took a trip to Stirling
and visited the field of Bannockburn and the bore stane. 19 years ago we were
all at the fair; you will mind of that. Notwithstanding our cold and wet summer
there is some appearance of an ordinary crop, but it appears we will require
large importations. The shawl printing shops are doing nothing. Block printing
is almost confined to Turkey Red shops and as they are always increasing their
cylinders and presses and big blocks, the small blocks are likely to decline.
Our famous Printfield trades that made some noise of old are getting into the
sere and yellow leaf.
I will feel a little anxious about Jack until I
hear of him. It is a long journey and not unaccompanied with danger. William
wont be greatly in love with his tent on Bakery Hill on winter nights. Has he
turned a ready and good hand at cooking and redding up? When alone, he will do little either way, I am
inclined to think. What has become of Falkirk (Bob Marshall)?
Aunty and Annie are still
at the bonnets. Annie will get some money next year and Sandy and her are likely
to start on their own account.
I am, your affectionate
Father,
Alex'r Dick.
Names
& Notes on Letter #49
Saunders
Laird of Floss
Captain Robertson
Peter Dallas
Gertrude McArthur
Ralph McArthur
Matthew Barrowman
Agnes Barr
John Todd's son
Andrew Turnbull
John Thompson
James Thompson
John Nimmo
Bob Marshall
Mary Russell, Annie & Alex'r (Sandy)
- transcription and
Names/Notes by Ian A Scales, c.1989
Scans of the original letter (click
on the thumbnail below for a larger image:
p.1
p.2,3
p.4
No comments:
Post a Comment