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DOCUMENT REF : A/17

About 1871-1872

From Margaret Clarke

 

KingstonFair  Wether – Oct 25

 

Answerthis straight a way back for I want to know.

Mydear son and daughter, we received your letter and 1 paper and books and am gladto hear you are all as this leaves us at present except myself. I am not well Iam so lame I think it is the Bursitis some but it is my old age. I have not beento Kingston only 2 times this last twelve months. You want me to see Mrs Beck, Idont know where they live or whether they are dead or not. You want me to writeto John Clark, it is of no use of writing to John for he is as poor as me. Isent you a newspaper and put a mark on the paper to his name showing you hislosses with the great flood which was many thousands of dollars. Now I wish Icould help you but I could not send any that would do you any good for all Ihave is about 10 (70?) dollars.Our John owes me 25 which I shall never get.I went last winter (out?) towork for my meat and the varmint ran off with nearly all my chickens so if Ilive (worse?) I will stop at my house this winter. I have been reckoning that it hasnot cost me about 50 cents a week to live on since I came down here for thatmoney I lent John was the price of a cow and what I paid for this house wasprice of my other cow so I have had only to live on what I got for my place forI have never earned a cent but what I have made out of a few chickens and eggs.I have done pretty well with chickens this summer for I have never got less than2 dollars half and 2 and quarter dozen eggs is 20 cents, butter 35 to 40 that isa thing I seldom taste instead of butter I use stewed apples for Carolyn give meas many as I wanted for they had plenty but they had only one peach and MaryEllen cut it and let us all have one taste. I have about round half dozenof……….flour is about 7 dollars a barrel and wheat is 80 cents a bushel.William had a good deal of wheat but it will hardly pay him for his work so theweek before I got your letter I got him to let me have 5 bushels and take it tothe mill and I have a barrel of flour and 2 bushels of bran and about 20 poundsof (shouts). The bran will keep my chickens and if you come I shall be able tomake you a good loaf if I have no money but I dont expect you for I dont seeanything like getting any money to send for you. How I do wish you were allhere, Carolin is very sick, she began yesterday her back is bad and she canhardly move. There is no pity in that house but thereselves. Now you understandI may be a week or two before I get this letter finished as I can only write alittle bit at a time when my hand dont tremble so bad. Now Richard, I want youto come and show the Bimsons that you can come independent of any of them, myGod if I had the money I would have you all here in 5 minutes. I am so mad todayand all last night that I could not sleep. I have heard today that Mr and MrsBeck lives somewhere about (Liberty?).Now you say you can raise about 25 pounds, that will bring you if you go rightway about it and if really do want to come make a start and be determined and goright away to work. Let Julia go over to Wigan and get our Mary go with her to Liverpool to some of the America agents offices and see what they willtake you and your family to New York for all your chidren will go half exceptingEllen. Tell them the age of the three, the baby will be nothing and the 3 isunder(…..?). Ower Mary can talk, she went with me, that will be the leastexpense and you can stop at your work and nobody will be the wiser of you. Keepyour tongues still and so when…………………………….(?) and theycame in the way I want you to come. You come to New York, you have to come to aplace called Castlegardens. You make yourselves very poor, they ask you whereare you going to, you tell them you want to go to Illinois to a place calledQuincy. You have a mother and sister there, you tell them your money has runshort, ask them if it would be possible for you to get work for 2 or 3 monthswhilst you earn money to take you to Quincy. They will then ask you how muchmoney you have, you tell them but dont tell them quite as much as you have andask them to change what you say you have for American money. They will then wantto look at your luggage and tell you if will leave some of your luggage withthem they will not stop all your luggage but what they think will give you whatwill bring you to Quincy. Then you have to come in the immigrant train toQuincy. Now that train dont go from Quincy to New York but it goes from New Yorkto Quincy, it is a deal cheaper than the other trains and they say it is verycomfortable and you will see we will soon have your luggage now it is abenevolent society purpose that poor immigrants dont get cheated and they dontwant them to stop in New York. They want them to go North, dont tell them youwas here before nor dont go near Marshals nor dont say you have any body in NewYork that you know, if you do you will Ruin all. Dont bring anything for anybodynor dont buy any presents. Let everyone do for themselves, dont waste your moneysending books, nobody sends you anything they have little enough for finery andyou see what they will do for you, not even go security for me to get a littleto help you come. I am mad Carolin is no better this morning, she is worked todeath, I do wish you would let them you could come without any of the set (?)

 

Carolinis a deal better, she will be starting to (weat? wheat?) tomorrow.I have not let her see this letter she would be mad at me for telling you aboutthem you know she has to live among them, dont, when you answer this, sayanything I have told you.

 

Ihave not asked William for any thing to help you come for I know he has nothingfor I know when he builded his house he had to borrow money of John as much as250 dollars and he has to pay now as John is dead. They dont know I know but Iknow everything. I dont believe Carolin has anything for one of our friends toldme the other day Carolin asked her to write for her a letter to you, so you mayexpect a letter her.

 

Iswear he would not part with the smoke of his back side if he could help it forany of us. Thank God he has never had anything to do for me yet and I hope hewill never have to do if you will come Richard. Bring Carrie a doll, Julia shetold me the other day her Aunt Julia would bring her a doll. She is a fine younggirl. I believe her and her mother and Ann is all that wants you to come. I dontknow how our John is, I have not seen him since last fall, I believe he is inthe hospital yet. Give my love to Ann and tell her I wish she would come withyou, give my love to Betsy and Ellen.

 

NowRichard, be determined to come for you see there is nothing but the workhousefor you and your family if anything happens to you. You have two fine boys ifanything happened to you they would be able to keep you here. If you had notgone back you would have been well off now. Answer me this and tell me whetheryou will or will not come and how soon for I cant sleep for thinking. Do come ifyou be determined Richard, where there is a will there is a way, give my kindlove to William and Mary and the boys and girls, tell them I wish you was allhere, good by and God bless you and bring you all safe here from your old MotherM.C.

 

DOCUMENT REF : A/19

Carrie Bimsin Sr to Richard and Julia undated but estimated approxSeptember 1871.

dearSister and brother i hope that you are all well as this leaves us at presentthanfk God for it i thought i would have wrote sooner but i have had so much todo excuse me for it   we have agreat deel of fruit this year of every kind only peches none good crops onlycorn corn it was so wet that it was drowned out we have had such floods andsince harvest it has been so dri that what corn did stand wont make anythingthere is a great maney  that has notanything to begin winter with and it is very sickley alteady i have been to seeAnn and was there 2 weeks i think that they have got a very nice place for a newcuntry.

 

theyare going to build and then i think that they will be very cumfertable they havetwo hundred and fortey acres land five hundred of prarey 40 acres of timber she sends her kind love to you all she would have rought to you when iwas there as i intended to write from there but i was called home sooner than iexpected she would have like your photograf if you had one her address is BentonCity ladrain County Mosuri i will try to have ours taken this fall if nothinghappens well i dont know how our jhon is for i have not been to see him foralong time for she is there every little while but he is in the hosptle andwanted her to take him out but she tould……..driver that she was not going todo that but we might if we wanted to for he could not do anything for her he gotso can hobel around but i think i have enuf of truble without her bother and ithink that he is as well whear he is for they would be togather if he was outand she could make a good liven if she was a mind to but condfound her i wish ihad never seen them for you dont know i could not tell you give my live to Ann and the girls tell them to write if they can any timeto me  well what did Jane salthousehave to say but i dont care for i never disgrace the family yet and try to mindmy own bisness  Mother saw her andgave her a talking to but she said she had never said anything about jhon andthat you must emagined it i tould her that you was not one of them sort she said she would ask Mary about it i tould her that you did not saythat Mary tould you and she said that she rought to nobody elce so you will hear i tould Mother that she had no business of saying anything but she wasmade and has been ever since and Mother is very strange but say nothing about it it is all i can do to get along sumtimes she is failing sum but verystrict (?) for his we have given up jhon.. .. girls…money for his familybut….is the Lords…all..his ways past finding out Carrie would have liked thedoll she said that know you….would…so much she….you and all her cusens CB

 

written variously around edges of letter,

 

Elleni want you to get in sum …. you ….march….lot and send them….. etc

 

…Carolineis all wants but  never there iwould get…..i think we shall give…….

 

Goodby my love to you all

DOCUMENT REF : A/18

 

Margaret Clarke to Julia and Richard. This letter written aparentlybefore she moves to the house in Bimsons orchard, she clearly thinks Libby and Mary Ellen Bimson  (the‘Ladies’) are above themselves,  Juliaa bit better and young Caroline OK.

 

KingstonJuly 26

 

Mydear son and daughter

 

Itake up my pen to try to wright to you all hoping these few lines may find youall well as this leaves us all thank the Lord for it I have sent you a paper with this you will se some dredfull murders in it Carolin and William will have over 400 bushal of weat but the oats is afaliur about hear anf thear will be very littl corn if it dont rain soon  we have had a very hot and dry summer I ham very near roastid alive and the next thing I shall be frose todeath I have bene sowing a few turnips this morning Cary as just come down andshe wants me to tell Mary and Carolin she wants her to come over she says theywould have a fine time  she is afine girl if the Ladies dont spoil her they make me sick to see them they…… (offcopy) Mary Ellin and never come Lisabethis so big she dont know any poor body Julia is rather better, they are expectingAnn and her husband this fall Carolin (Snr) is goin to quincy to bye carpits and Paper to Paper thare fine house odear I ham so sick I think many a time if I had mony I would come home I dontwant anything thing I have too many good friends hear that will not se me want Ihave not quite don my mony yet I hope it will last will I live if I be carfulyou know I canot live long and then you lnow ower poar John when he died hecould not pay me thear was 25 dollars that would have kept a good will Now I will tell the News that I think that you know about I down to seeAunt Betsy last Monday she sent her kind love to you all and henyry (Henry?)said he wishid Dick (Richard Potter?) wouldcome   him and Charly has alarg steme saw mill and thay have to hiar help all the time for John Hennick is maryed and lives on his own farm at Kingston and has 2 children andTomy is maryed and has one child and he Rents a large farm down hear and LittleWilley is maryed and has one child he works yet anywears Aunt Betsy told me that Tomy was goin to bring me 50 weight of flowerwhen he as thrashed his weat Tomy and Willie has a uncal dead and left them 800hundred dolars apice Tomy is Willie gaurden (guardian) wilstWillie is at age thay have it in the Bank they all live about 3 miles from hearthay are all kind to me  KateLighton (is maryed and has had one child but it is dead she maryed that LittleFrank thats Nelson used to live with Lisa Lutner Lisa Lutner as Bought I think 40 akers and they live the other sideKingston thay have a small cabin I went to se them a few wkes since do you knowMrs Lighton has bene dead 5 or 6 years the old man lives wear he did hisyoungest daughter kepes his hous Sam is maryd I think 3 chidren Dick is maryedand 2 or 3 children old man Sims is dead 3 or 4 years I tell you thay got a goodpull thay got all but a few Blacksmith tools that Dick Sims got. Old Mrs Akers is dead and old Mr Akers is married again Charly was maryedbut is wife is dead and left one child Henry is maryed has 2 children George William died in the army she maryed again long sinc my hand doesnot tremble so bad this morning or I could not have sent you all this news  I ham goin to send Mary a letter and Paper she sent me 2 papers a fewweeks sinc Maybe I shall take all thos thing Kingston tomorrow dont derect yourletters to Beverly we dont go thear so no more at Prisont from your ever afecnatMother MC

 

Kingstonfare wether

 

Godbless you all

goodmorning

DOCUMENT REF : A.20

 

Julia Bimson  daughter ofWilliam and Carrie Snr Bimsonto R & J Potter and family

Fairweather,Ill.

November4th 1871

 

DearUncle, Aunt and Cousins, I will write a family letter this time as it is thefirst I have ever written to any of you. We are all well and hope these fewlines will find you the same. I am going to school this winter, sister Lib isteaching school she is teaching what is called the mo(ssrr un)d school south east of Beverly shehas a 9 month school at 50 dollars a month We all went to Kingston last unday,the missionary Baptist are holding a protracted meeting. There was 15 Baptist (baptised?) sunday

fatherand mother has been to Misouri to visit Ann ( Ann has married George W.Stauffer) she was well we expect them homeabout Christmas but it has got so cold I do not know wether they will come ornot.

 

WellI will let mother tell you the rest,

 

Writesoon from Julia Bimson

 

willsend you my picture

 

DOCUMENT REF :  A/21

 

Letter from Carrie Bimson Snr to Julia and Richard Potter.

About 1871

This letter is written on a folded sheet and appears to be the beginningand end page the photocopy shows the reverse outline of writing on the otherside of the sheet and these can probably be researched from the originals in NZ.

 

BeverlyJan 9

 

DearSister and brother,

 

wegot your letter sumtime ago intend to answer it right of but Mother kept it andall the cards that was in the letter and she still has the cards i dont knowwhether my famley has all seen them or not it makes me feel vext when i think ofit but i wont ask for them one day she asked me if i had answered your letter itold her no that i did not know what was in the letter and that she need notthink that i was going to answer it when i did not know what was in it so shebrought me the letter like it was a great secret but she kept the cards

NEXT TWO PAGES MISSING ON REVERSE

thisis the 14

iwill tri to get this letter off so you will get it sumtime but i have so muchrunning to do and it has been so cold

 

butMother is sum better and she tould me to tell you that she nether wanted forclothes Money or meat so you see she is as indepent as ever

 

writas soone as you can from your sister C Bimson i will send you a peace of mydress.

DOCUMENT REF : A/22

 

Carrie Snr to Richard and Julia, possibly  around 1872

 

Beverly,Fairwether, Adams Co. Dec 4

 

Dearsister and brother i hope that you are all well as this leaves us at preasentthank God for it  Mother has had avery bad cold and it uses her very bad but she is better i would have wrotsooner but have had so much to do all the fall and we went to see Ann thiswinter, they are all well and they have just finshed bulding thire house i thinkthey will have a nice place when they get it open but it takes a long time i amlooking (?)  for them home and it is as cold as Greenland we went to Quincylast week with my Turkeys and chikens and it rained and frose all the way and itwas all the horses could do to stick on their feet and today it is cold enoughto freeze a nager (nigger?) head ofMother just come down and tould Carrie that tow of her Gunies (Guinea?) chickenswas dead, they froze to death so you may know it is cold.

 

AuntBetsey is well and sends her kind love to you the boys is all married, jhon hastow childrun and so has Tomey Willey has one john has joined the church and wasBabtised yestrday he is a fine young man elijah Cullner (?)has a place sumware in Ritchfeeld but dont ever see them.

wellI must conclude with my love to you have you ever heard from cuson jhon

 

Writesoon i wish you a merry Crismas and a happy New year from your sister

 

C.Bimson

 

DOCUMENT REF : A/23

 

From William Bimson, brother in law to Julia and Richard Potter

March25 1873

Dearbrother and sister I hope this will find you well as it leaves us at presentyour Mother is well  we have had thehardest and coldest winter I ever seen I have done nothing but chop wood andtend to the stock all winter it is snowing now but we ought to be thankful wehave plenty to eat the winters in England always frighent me worse than the colddoes here  Billy Carlyle has soldout and gone west, Deightons have all gone but the old man hey have gone to

 

Next page headed

ForRichard Potter

Kansaseach one gets 80 acres a peice just for setling on it and improving it thegovernment (grants)  a 80(acre) toeach man that is 21 years of age right on the Buffalo range, there is hundredsand thousands of them there so you see they will not be short of Beef if theyhave good guns and plenty of amuniton  Ithink you mist it by leaving when you did if you had of stayed with your familyof boys by this time you would of been doing well now land has got so high thereis only a slim chance here poor men must go west to farm

 

Iremain yours William Bimson

DOCUMENT REF : A/24

 

Carrie Snr to Richard and Julia , April 19 possibly 1878 as GrandmotherBimson dies in Aug 1879

 

Beverly,April 19

 

DearSister and Brother, and all of you we got your letter of Janery 30 and was gladto hear from you that you was all well as this leaves us at present. We have hada very hard winter and late spring the roads is awful i got a little garden maidon monday and it has rained ever since i have just finished weaving a peae ofcarpet and am awful tired and am making sope and next week will have to haveGranmother Bimson, and, Oh deer i dont know that i shall have any sence left weshall have her 4 weeks, she is so much truble and i have a great deel to weaveyet and house to clean and gardens to make and it takes 2 or 3 to take care ofher i dont know what I shall do for i have as much work now as i can stand under

 

WellJhoney, tell wiley that i have not seen a gold dollar for 15 or 16 years but ifi ever can get one i will, but we have not had silver since the war till aboutthree munth ago and not much yet we have nothing but paper

 

Carriwas very much pleased for her present but she thinks that her cousen Carriemight writ to her i told her that she had to go to work and she did not havetime as she had she said she would not go to work neither i told her that shewas not there so what do you think about it she gose to school but she can donothing else so it is a good thing for her that she is not there Granmother wasvery much pleased with her ribon and sends her kind love to you all she is wellfor her I dont know wether the wheat is hurt much or not for it has not startedmuch i have got 25 little chickens and 8 hens on 15 eggs and 4 geese seting so ishall have more work wee milk 3 cows well i think i have told you all i canthink of at this time all sends their love to you i think your dresses is verynice

 

wehave not got the other letter you spake of but if you sent it to Kingtsson orFairwether i dont know where I shall

nowi want you to send my letters

 

To:

                               Beverley, Adams County, Illinois,

 

writesoon from your affectionate sister   CBimson.

 

Wehave got Grandmother Bimson and Oh Dear

 

iwould have sent this before now but Carrie marked (?) a little bird but i could not get a envelope so i cant send it i havenot got your second letter

 

Ihave cents for Jhoney

 

CBimson

DOCUMENT REF : A.25

 

Carrie Snr to Julia and Richard, probably 1878

 

Beverly,Adams Co  Dec 2

 

DearSister and Brother and nefues your letter Nov 14 arrived in due time we got itlast sunday the 25 of Nov and was I glad to hear that you are all well as thisleaves us all myself am not very well but keeps around Mother is about the saimas she has been for a good wile sumtimes she is a great deel of truble and is socontrare i cant do anything with her and at times she will cri like a child andi dont know what for and ask her she say i dont know i tell you it is hard on mebut i will tri to bare it pachently the Lords will be done we cant tell anythingshe says only once in a while and gese at the rest when we got your letter lastsunday i asked her if she knew Richerd Potter and she began to cry and said yesi asked her who it was and she said it used to be julias husband i told her yesand that he had sent me a gold ring she said well if ever  that was all she said for it went out of her mind in a momentshe cant think about anything she dont know that she ever lived by herselfsumtimes i tell her her (as written) how long she has been sick and she isastonished but only for a moment i dont talk much to her for it get her excited  Well old Mrs penney was Buird about a mounth ago she had a stroke about 3years but not so bad as Mother and dide with the dropcy well i dont knowanything elce

 

welljhon you will have to wate a while for i am hard up this winter i will tell youa something Mary ellen is going to chang her name at Crismas and it will takeall that i can rake up to fit her out her intended name is Grammes she andCarrie will send you there cards so i will conclud tell Carrie to kiss herFather for me and tell him i am ever so much obliged for his present good bywith my love to you all from your sister and Aunt

 

cBimson.

 

DOCUMENT REF : A/26

 

Carrie Bimson Sen. to Julia and Richard, probably 1879.

 

The first page is badly faded and the second illegible, third and fourthpages are readable and it looks as though two different inks were used. Itfollows a suggestion from Carrie Snr earlier that little Carrie Jr would likesome shells

Beverly

Mar11

 

Page1

 

Dearsister and brother and all we got your letter and the box of shells all rightand in good order we have not got the paper yet but it may come up in the nextmailbag we was glad to hear that you are all well and of poley *getting better well we are all back (?)??well????only Mother and?????laying helpless as child about twoweeks???????bad???????

 

 

Page2 -illegible

 

Page3

 

askif Julia has come but i think she means my julia soon forgets all about it

WellWilley what shall i say to you for i dont know i expect you give me goos (?)for not sending you that little bit of adollar and think i am awful stingy and it makes me sick everytime i think aboutit for i know you are disapointed if it was your Mother i would not care muchabout it is Willey but dont blame me for i sent it and when i sent my lastletter to the offis i sent it with jhon Grammer, Mary ellen husband and he justhapend to give it to the post master and he said he you are the man i just wantand my letter had been there 4 or 5 weks and they could not find anybody that itbelong to for i had not sined any name to it only William and they could notfind out who William was and so the next mail was goin to take it back to theDead letter office so we had to go after it and such a lot of stuff about theLaw you never heard so i wanted to register it but he told me i could and saidit st?? way i could have cried

 

iremain your loving sister C Bimson

 

nowsend me word if you can get our money changed so i will send a paper dollar ifyou can get it changed so it will help to pay for the Postage on the shells oranything

nowsend me word if you can get our money changed

 

* ‘poley’ is Mary Elizabeth Potter youngest daughter of Richard and Julia , known as Aunt Polly, she wasstill alive in the mid 20th century and had a daughter or companion JaneyMildren, who in 1976 was still living in Roscowell, near Helston, Cornwall,close the the Pilchard Inn.

DOCUMENT REF : 26a

Caroline Bimson to Richard and Julia, first 2 pages only, possibly restof letter on other side, yellowish faint blue lined paper.

April9 Adams County

 

dearSister and brother and all i will try to writw a few lines hope they will findyou all well I would have writ sooner but when I gor your letter Mother was verybad about 4 week before she took fits on Saturaday night just as i was going tobed and had 3 before we could get anybody in and had them all noght no bodythought she would come out of it but she did not notice anything till Mondaymorning and she came to a lafing just as hard as she could for about 10 minetsand then she slept sum through Monday…..

…….slepa good dele before she had the other  well the rest is all well i think spring has opened and if we dont haveno more frost we shall have a grate dele of friut wheat is looking well we havehad one of those awful winters for mud the roads has had no bottom people couldnot get out without 4 horses i could not put a only wagon we have not had muchsnow but rain rain all the time and the roads are not fit to travel on yet Liband Julia think you slighted then with not sending them a valetine Mary Ellensend you thire likness it is just like them very good she willwrit sumtime they are living at hisfathers at present Carrie well….to school….

top and bottom cut off on copy, wriiten over top,

tellJhoney that i have not forgot but when times get a litle better I will sendthat….(probablydollar)

ElizaCutnear is dead but Margaret is….be well provided for she will get onethousand dolars from the Masons they have……

DOCUMENT REF : A/27-28

Carrie Snr to Julia    Probably1879 as her mother dies in 1879

 

Beverly,April 19

 

Dearsister i got your long looked for letter this morning i have expected a letterfrom you ever since Chrismas and have been very unesay for fear sumthing hadhappened for i wrot you a letter the next week after i got your last letter andi think it was early in November or the later part of October and sent JhoneyPotter and a peace of Mother hare and I do hope you got it befor this time for dont know when I can get another for thins is awful bad in this cuntrymouney is worse to get than when we first came hear porke only sold at 2 Dollarsfor one hunderd pound and every tile it is very low we have has a very coldwinter and a great deel of snow well Mother is still living yestearday she hadanother bad spell and to day she has been asleep all day she is hardly awakelong enuf to eat and she has had a good deel since Christmas it is just awful Idont know how she ever stand it but i dont think she will live much longer forshe is got very weak for every spell she has leaves her worse and i dont knowone word she says oh dear it is awful and i do pray for her releace but theLords will be done the rest is all well at present i was glad to hear that Poleyis geting better poor girl Oh how i would like to see you all if you could behear sum night with me to watch with Mother for i have a good deel of it to domyself it would be a great comfort the Lord give me strength and (pacl)on to bare up  jhon Salthouse is dead and jane is very sick i dont knowwether she will get better or not

 

welli must conclud so good night i hope you have got my letter and if you do let meknow

 

fromyour sister C Bimson

 

Carriesends her love to Poley and is glad she getting better.

DOCUMENTREF :  A.29

 

Carrie Snr to Julia, probably 1878-9

 

Beverly,Adams Co  Aug 18

 

DearSister and Brother and all i will tri to writ a few lines hoping they will findyou all well as this leaves us at present only Mother she still lays as helplessas a child and i dont see a very great deel if defence (difference)sumtimes she is worce tha other but shechanges so much that i cant tell you sumtimes she is so silly i cant make anything of her for i dont know one word she says she will laugh and talk so much ihave to feed her she lays on her back all the time and dose every thing underher i have awful hard work to keep the skin on her she will get sore in spit ofall i can do sumetimes well Granmother Bimson is Dead she dide on the 2nd Augustshe suferd a great deel at the last poor old women she has had a hard time thislast 2 or 3 years she has been nocked and kuft a great dee (sn..) ohdear but we could not take her since Mother has been sick for she was so muchtruble and i could not stand to take care of tow (two) so William pade 250 (thiscould be 2.50 the 2 is also similar to the d in dolars following))a week for hisshire (share?) he now has to pay 10dolars for her it has been very hard on us but he has allways card for hismother and has allways been kind to our Mother and no body can say that she hasnot been treted right well tell johney that i will send him that present nexttime if i can send to Quincy to get it changed i have had hard work to get itfor things has been so very bad eggs is now 4 cents a Dozen and Butter has beenfrom 3 to 6 cents a pound and every thing in perporchen and the rats took all myyoung chickens

Wellnow i will tell you what Carrie would like to have if she could get them sum seashells for we cant get them hear if you think you could get a smole past boardbox and send it by mail but you had better see what you can send by mail you canin this cuintry

Welli will  for this time and I want youto writ often for you know i have my hands full so good by from your sister andAunt CB

DOCUMENT REF : A/30

Letter from Carrie Bimson (Clark) to Julia & Richard Potter in 1879

BeverlyOct 9

 

DearSister and Brother i hope this will find you all well, Mother has gone at last,she died the first of this mounth, she has been worce all sumer but a few weeksbefore she died I thought she was as well as last fall she looked worce on Friday night and died on wedensday morning i thinkshe knew me on Tusday afyternoon  iasked her if she knew and she smiled but could not speak, she died vey quite Iiwas so afraid she would go in spasms but she did not she looked verynatral  we had to get a very largecoffin for she was so dron up and did not come streat but they got her inwithout and force  i would have hada coffen made for her if they could not have got her in without hurting her buti was afraid they would have to do sumhing, she is buridd by Granfather Bimsonas there was no place beside our graves  wellmy health is very poor and has been all sumer the rest is all well at present we have had a very dri  andhot sumer i never saw it so dryiin this cuntrey lots of peopel and catel sufferdfor water and it is not much better yet and if it dont rain enef to fill thecreeks before it freases up i dont know what people will do for water

 

iwill go to the Docters and get you or Mary a certiaf if i can and send it withthis

 

welli will conclud with my love to all  goodby writ soon from your afactnat sister C Bimson

Motherlay sick 2 years and 3 mounths i have got her age at 87 but dont know wetherthat is right or not if you know send me word for i would like to know good by iwill send you a lock of Mothers hear

A handwritten certificate attached states

‘BeverlyIll. Oct 10 1879

 

Ihereby certify that I have been the family physician of Margaret Clark for thepast ten years, and that she died of Paralysis and old age on October 1st 1879.Her age was about 87 years, James Sykes MD’

 

Theforegoing information was sworn to before me on the day and year above writtenand I certify that I know the affiant to be a credible person and that he is aPhysician in good standing.

Subscribedand sworn to before me this 10th day of October 1879 A L (?) Robertson Justiceof the Peace

 

AD1879

 

DOCUMENT REF : A/31

 

Carrie Bimson Snr to Julia and Richard. probably 1879 as the baby WilliamCarl is later referenced as being photographed at Harvest time 1880.

There is reference to grandmothers family etc, there is a separate sheetshowing Whinfield family baptisms in Kendal and this is almost certainly thepaper referred to.   

 

Dec9

Beverly

AdamsCo

 

dearSister and brother and all of you we got your welcome letter and was glad tohear that you are all well as this leaves us i am sum better my arm is getingbetter sloly

Maryellen has got a fine Boy she is not very well it is about 4 weeks old its nameis William Carl

wellabout Granmother i dont think that you have got her name on the paper do youthink that that it is her famly or her realtion or kin at all for i am shure idont know any thing for she never told anything about her family only that hermother dide in bed one night with her and that there was nobody with her butherself and i never heard her menchion her Father in my life i would think thatMary might know sumthing but i would like to know and as regards uncle jhon Ithink that are all dead for Mother was the youngest  yesterday i got all her old letters but could not find nonefrom jhone but a dection (direction?) andwill send it  there is 3 or 4 fromJoseph they are most of them dated in 50 but one in 52* and will send that but idont think you will make anything out  well about the Cards i am so glad you got them and would like if youcould send me 3 or 4 more for there is 3 of my naburs that was so kind to herand one that i dont know what i should have done  Mrs Moor Mrs perknes and Aunt Ann Mother thought a good deelof them my  (Sneaby?) wasall very good but i Betsey never came to see her not even to the funeral

 

welli must conclud with my love to all writ soon did Mary get anything from the (Club?Church?)

 sincei got your last i had a paper from cusin jhon with his silver weding 25 yearsand will send it next time but i would have sent it this time but i sent it toAnn and she has not send it back yet.

 

The paper referred to is probably the separate sheet in handwriting thatdoesn’t match any in the other letters and has a more clerkly style. It readsas follows,

 

Baptismsat Kentmere in the Parish of Kendal

1790- June 20, Elizabeth and Agnes daughters of John and Agnes Whinfield

1791- November 13, Thomas son of John & Agnes Whinfield

1795- February 1, George, son of John and Agnes Whinfell(sic)

1797- April 23, William son of John & Agnes Whinfield

1797- July 16, Thomas son of George and Peggy Whinfield

1800.November 9, Peggy dau. of George and Peggy Whinfield’

This paper appears to have originated in England andthen returned by Caroline Snr to Julia. Peggy is a diminutive of Margaret andthe entry of the name as proffered by parents at a baptism, diminutive or not,was not enquired into but would be that entered by the parish vicar/curate ordeacon deputed to send the return to the Bishop’s Records. If the Peggybaptised in 1800 was in fact Caroline and Julia’s mother Margaret, she was78-79 rather than the 87 estimated by Caroline Snr.*this is the surviving letterfrom Joseph and Mehitable Whinfield dated Oct 24th/52 to Margaret Clarke DOC REF: A/1


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