trinkie
20-Jan-15, 08:59
Letter from Australia. I found this in an old John o'Groat Journal 1851........The following letter from Adelaide, July 1, 1850, has been received here from a respectable young woman (daughter of Mr David Murray, house-carpenter), who emigrated about 15 months ago, at the early age of seventeen, in order push her fortune in that distant clime. She appears quite delighted with her adopted country, and is most solicitous that her father and friends should join her:
Dear Father, I am ashamed to write you now, bat I hope yon will forgive for not writing you ;I am well, and happy, and comfortable. This is the happy land. I wish you were here; how happy you would be. You would not have to work half so hard as you do at home, nor have half the anxiety upon your mind that I know you have.
Dear father, come out here and let nothing prevent you; sell all and come out. Do not let the want of money prevent you, for when you have once left Britain you will have no need for any till you come to this place and then I will provide you with money.
If yon were here you would have plenty of work and good wages At home before you get work you will wear a pair of shoes going asking for it; And even when you get work you are not sure of your pay; but here you receive your wages every week. I will now tell you what the wages are: A joiner in town, 7s, and in the bush 9s per day masons the same; blacksmiths, 36s to 38s per week; shoemakers, £2 per week, but good cutter out of shoes has from £3 to £4 in the week; and labourers 5sper day.
My uncle and his family would do well out here, and would cousin Maria. Do come out here yourself, and take my dear brother along with yon. Give my kind love to him an all enquiring friends.
The sooner you leave for this the better, and be sure to write let me know when I may expect you.
Alex. Mackenzie and his brother are doing well here. William Waters is in very good situation. Miss Wald is also doing well, and her brothers are building houses for themselves. The Harveys from Wick are very rich, especially John, or black Jack as he is called. Mr Macfarlane, late of Reiss, with his family, doing well. Thomas Grant, from Wick, is a great sheep farmer, and Patrick Thomson is overseer of his farm.
I must now be done, it is rather late, but remember, dear father, there is nothing in this letter but the truth. Do not delay in coining out, and let my brother come with too. I wont marry till you come e out; I have made my mind for that. I could be very well married if I pleased, but am not inclined to do so till you out here.
I remain, Your affectionate daughter, Ann R L S Murray.
I THINK this is the family in 1841 census Dad Murray AGE:40 ESTIMATED BIRTH YEAR:abt 1801 GENDER:Male WHERE BORN:Caithness, ADDRESS:Coach Road OCCUPATION:Joiner
Lavinia Murray35 Ann Murray11 David Murray9 Hellen Waters30 Donald Waters8 John Waters5 Alexander Waters4 Ann Waters2 William Waters6 Months Catherine Ross35 Dond Mckay25 J anet Murry45 Isabell Murry40
Dear Father, I am ashamed to write you now, bat I hope yon will forgive for not writing you ;I am well, and happy, and comfortable. This is the happy land. I wish you were here; how happy you would be. You would not have to work half so hard as you do at home, nor have half the anxiety upon your mind that I know you have.
Dear father, come out here and let nothing prevent you; sell all and come out. Do not let the want of money prevent you, for when you have once left Britain you will have no need for any till you come to this place and then I will provide you with money.
If yon were here you would have plenty of work and good wages At home before you get work you will wear a pair of shoes going asking for it; And even when you get work you are not sure of your pay; but here you receive your wages every week. I will now tell you what the wages are: A joiner in town, 7s, and in the bush 9s per day masons the same; blacksmiths, 36s to 38s per week; shoemakers, £2 per week, but good cutter out of shoes has from £3 to £4 in the week; and labourers 5sper day.
My uncle and his family would do well out here, and would cousin Maria. Do come out here yourself, and take my dear brother along with yon. Give my kind love to him an all enquiring friends.
The sooner you leave for this the better, and be sure to write let me know when I may expect you.
Alex. Mackenzie and his brother are doing well here. William Waters is in very good situation. Miss Wald is also doing well, and her brothers are building houses for themselves. The Harveys from Wick are very rich, especially John, or black Jack as he is called. Mr Macfarlane, late of Reiss, with his family, doing well. Thomas Grant, from Wick, is a great sheep farmer, and Patrick Thomson is overseer of his farm.
I must now be done, it is rather late, but remember, dear father, there is nothing in this letter but the truth. Do not delay in coining out, and let my brother come with too. I wont marry till you come e out; I have made my mind for that. I could be very well married if I pleased, but am not inclined to do so till you out here.
I remain, Your affectionate daughter, Ann R L S Murray.
I THINK this is the family in 1841 census Dad Murray AGE:40 ESTIMATED BIRTH YEAR:abt 1801 GENDER:Male WHERE BORN:Caithness, ADDRESS:Coach Road OCCUPATION:Joiner
Lavinia Murray35 Ann Murray11 David Murray9 Hellen Waters30 Donald Waters8 John Waters5 Alexander Waters4 Ann Waters2 William Waters6 Months Catherine Ross35 Dond Mckay25 J anet Murry45 Isabell Murry40