L is for Letters

Letters can be a magical find in family history. They can include, birthday wishes, anniversaries and death details, as well as what was happening in the family, the town and the country. Sometimes even overseas news of family who moved away.

Letters can turn up when spring cleaning, de-cluttering and selling or moving house. 

Another way of finding them is through relatives. Your folks wrote to their siblings and family members, meaning that information that they shared about themselves could be in other relatives’ possession.

 

I have been lucky with distant relatives (also distant in location) who have saved media on their family trees online. 

I was thrilled to read letters referring to their correspondence back and forth between my Great grandfather in Australia and his brother in England.

They became so much more real to me, and as always, left more questions for me, that will probably never be answered. 

I have typed them out as written and added some bits in brackets.(see below)

 

My ancestor, James Cottam lived in Culcheth, Leigh, Winwick and came by himself to Australia from Lancashire, England sometime around late 1852. Other friends and an Uncle had been over and given good reports.  There are 2 letters written by James’ brother John in England reporting on family happenings.  They include excerpts from their half-sister’s letter (Mary Ann) and their father (Joseph Cottam).

John is concerned for James in this foreign land and is missing him.

 

* * *

 

Louisa Street, Leeds

December 8, 1856

Mr. James Cottam

My dear brother,

I can scarsely make any attempt at apology for not writing to you before this, but I assure you, I am very sorry for not doing so, I have had several from my sister (copies from you) one stating that you was very ill, but the last one was dated March 17th to my Father, part of which runs thus.

‘ I cannot say when I will pay a visit, not if God spares me health and strength, until I have enough to start me in a farm, in England, if I could make up my mind to settle in that cold, miserable part of the globe, not like Australia where money is plentiful and losses few, etc — in another place you say you have a favor to beg of my Father by sending you a wife and that one to be Elizabeth Stringer.’

 

 I afterwards received a letter from Sister saying that Elizabeth would not come to you, only by you coming over, to fetch her and marry her previous to going back, your proposal as been honorable and would have been accepted, had she had the love for you which I feel assured every woman out to have, for her husband, there is something very cold and collected in my sister's letter which I don't understand when she is writing of Elizabeth going to Australia, but I hope you have shook the apathy from you before this, and got another before this or looking sharply after one, to make your home more congenial and happy- for depend upon it, my dear brother, there is no such felicity and true enjoyment as a own fireside a good wife and family around you. I should feel at home, content, and happy even at the other side of the earth with my wife and family around me, but I will first describe them to you. My wife, you know, my oldest is a boy born April third 1853 called Joseph, but generally gets Joe, the next a girl born October 28th, 1854 called Elizabeth Pashley, but gets Lilly Cottam, in general; the other a fine little boy called James, born June nineth 1856. So you see, I have a fine little family nearly all of an age and size.

 

I have only been in Lancashire since you went away and as not heard from my Father since. Mary Ann wrote, saying that Elizabeth Stringer refused, to come to you, so you see although you are so far away, you visit the place of your nativity almost as often as I do. I scarsely ever think anything of them, last I heard from grandmother (Esther Dixon widow of John Cottam) she was very well and looking much younger than she did at Risley- poor old soul she is the best friend we have and I think of going over soon if it be only to pay her a visit, my Uncles I have not heard of late, but farming is very good now in England as provisions is so high, so that I have no doubt they are most of them doing well. Uncle Tom was working for Uncle Will last time I heard from them. Uncle John has been in Australia, and is come home again, but is at Speakman's now. There may have been some strange alterations in this time as they don't let me know things, for they never let me know of my Grandfather's death (05 Sep 1854, 2 years ago) until I went over to visit them. I assure you I felt it very keenly, not to write and let me know of it, but my dear brother even though we have not been brought up in one house, or educated by one master, we are nevertheless brothers, we are one mother's son. I feel there is a tie exists between us; such as there is not between me and Mary Ann, although we are all of one Father; but my brother I envy not Mary Ann's station, I want nothing my Father as, I feel as if I was not welcome at his house as if a jealosy existed between my stepmother and me, but she wrongs me if she things I want anything besides a bed and a meals meat when under there roof, but enough of this, I hope for the present.

 

I hope to carry on a continual correspondence with you for the future so long as I remain in England and you in Australia. 

I am now engine driving- I am getting 5 shillings and 6 pence a day- I have only been driving about a month- I have been fireing going for 6 years- and as been earning 3 shillings and 9 pence a day- but you know living in a town here with a wife and 3 children is very expensive, but I mean to lay a little money away- for the masters are getting very queer, and it is more than we can do to give satisfaction to them, if I can save a little money it will come in very useful should I happen to lose my employment, or be disabled in any way- there is every appearance of a bad winter here. I hope I may be mistook, but trade is but very bad now, and provisions very high, so that a working man as plenty to do to make things meet even if he is kept in emplyment and there is plenty of able men walking about that can't get any work, but let us hope that things will get better bye and bye- it seems only the other day since I used to come to Grandfather's on a Christmas to spend a fortnight when you and Tom Turner used to live there, but now what a change- you are in Australia and me in Leeds, you are still in the farming district while I am employed on a Railway running a distance of one hundred and Fifty miles a day- I like my employment very well, if our masters were not so tyranical, but we must put up with such things as we dont exactly like, but I hope to see a day when no man will tyranize over us.

 

I have now a drawing before me of Melbourne, the capital of Victoria? It appears by the drawing a beautiful place, there appears a splendid lake in front with a railway running across it in 2 places over the Yarra Yarra., between the South end of Sloanston and Elizabeth street. I was not aware before this that there was any railways in Melbourne, but I see it is a Second England and will soon be nothing wanting in Architecture and Grandeur; I see there is a Garden and a race course. It is also well fit up with churches and fine buildings- surely the wanderer may find a home for a time in so nice a place as Melbourne is here described.

 

My dear brother, I hope you will write by return of post and send me all particulars of how you are coming on and of how you have come on, ever since you come out to Australia- Let me know how long you was ill, how you enjoy yourself whether you are leading a hermit's life or a busy life. I know it must be very dull without any women. I think it stated in one of your letters that you was living with English people, if so you will not be so lost as if living with foreigners. I hope you have met in with some very nice folks to look to you and make you comfortable as contentment is a great boon to bestow upon us, but my dear brother, don't in all your wanderings or your capacities of life forget your God. Remember He is near to you here at Melbourne as at Risley.

 

I have had a good scholling, as been educated by pious men, men who feared the Lord, and men whose very soul was centered in another world, but although you have not had these privileges, you will find great comfort in your bible, and by attending to the house of God — but above all avoid bad company, avoid it as you would a serpent, there is never nothing gained by attending ale houses, or houses of any kind of ill fame, they may think of just going once and no more, but a habit when once nursed, wants a deal of weaning to break right of, as I have before said there is more solid enjoyment in a chat by your own fireside, than all the fetes and balls this world can produce. It is now getting near Christmas as you can see by the date, but wish you a Merry Christmas and I hope you will write by return or post and you shall soon hear from me again if alls well and I hope we shall soon meet face to face when we can talk confidentially together, and if you do come over, make right off to Leeds, and see me as soon as you arrive for it is now a long time since I saw you. You know I only used to see you about once a year but now it is nearly 5 years since I saw you so that I think you must be changed by this. With these few lines I bid you adieu for the present ever remaining your fond and affectionate Brother,

 

JOHN COTTAM

My address is: John Cottam, Louisa Street, Princess Field, Leeds, Yorkshire, England.

 

* * *

 

And a second letter one and a half years later:

 

32 Mosscar St, Leeds Road, Bradford

May 11th, 1858.

Dear Brother:

I received your welcome letter on the seventh of April and I should have answered it by the first post but I could not hear anything from Lancashire. I have never had a letter from there since I wrote last to you before this morning. I received one from my Sister the copy of which I will send to you. I knew I need not write without saying something of Risely, so I postponed my letter until now. Sister goes on to say —

‘We received a letter from Brother James on the sixth of last month. Elizabeth as received one too. She was at our house when we received ours. Mrs. Thornby as had a son come home from Australia, he looks quite frightful, his hair was a foot long and his beard hangs on his breast. Elizabeth says if James comes over in that sort of way he may go back again. John Thornley is going to go back again but he is going to spend the summer here he says he would not stop here in this country, he says Australia is far more healthier than England quite a nice clear atmosphere, not thick and foggy like it is here. He gives a first rate account of it He says a man that is married may very soon get his independence if he will be steady and not ramble, about but fix himself down to farming. I got confined on the 20th March of a son and have called his name Joseph — I am going to write to James as soon as I can conveniently do so —’

 

That is the whole of her letter- she does not mention Grandmother or Uncles- but I suppose by her silence of them, they must be all well. I used to correspond with John Winstanley- when he resided in Bacup but since he left I have had had no one to correspond with for you know my sister is negligent in writing. John Winstanley was living in Bolton last I heard from him but I wrote to him there six months ago but has had no answer so that I cannot give you anything more than what my Sister as said in hers but I doubt not but you will receive a letter from Elizabeth with the transpirations of this last 12 months —

 

My dear brother nearly six years as passed away since you left our shore, to wander in a far and distant land, but I hope you will be none the worse when you land again on your own dear Isle, for traveling is a rare opportunity for stocking the mind with animation there will be sights of Foreign Lands and various impressions stamped on your mind never to be effaced. You see from the small space of time you have been away from amonst us, you have been made Uncle to half a dozen youngsters so that there will be lots of faces to look at you have never seen before. Rebecca says if you don't be quick back and get married both you and Elizabeth will be too old to have any children but you need not be dispirited about that for both me and sister is going in the right directions for having plenty, so that we can stock you with a full half grown family to begin housekeeping with if you require it, for it would be well to add here that we have another little son born last December. He is a fine little chap and we call his name Charles, it is quite out of the family name but I thought as the Cottams was such an extending family it would be well to introduce some fresh names into it. Joseph and Elizabeth is often talking of their Uncle James in Australia. Little Jimmy is only just beginning to talk and I am happy to say, Thanks be to God for it that we are all very well and I hope these few lines will find you enjoying good health- few troubles and crosses. I say few for if we never had any we should grow indolent and useless- but I hope and trust that the few remaining months you spend in the Antipodes will be months of pleasure and sweet enjoyment and I hope to shake you by the hand in the 12 months on the shores of old England, a jolly hearty healthy man- you will I feel satisfied, by your nature, have a heavy heart at parting from men whom you have made acquaintance with in Australia, for when sons of one soil meet on a foreign land they will not be bound by the tie of friendship alone but by brotherly love.

 

You must give my love to Mr. Young, for I feel confident he has been a friend to you, from what you say of him in your letters, as this will be the last letter I can send you, You must write previous to leaving so that we know when to expect you for I shall defer my visit to Lancashire until you come home, then I can perhaps meet you in Liverpool. Until then believe me dear Brother, and I was forgetting to add that my wife joins most heartily in love to you, and we remain

 

Yours affectionate Brother and Sisters

John and Rebecca Cottam.

 

I may just fill up by saying that Farming as been a first rate job in England since you left- corn and provisions being enormously high prices but it is the reverse no- we can get the very best Flour at 1 S 10 D per stone of 14___ and other articles is cheap in proportion only potatoes they are high but the cause is scarcity on account of the denuic (?) that is amongst them. Horses and cows as fetched very high prices, but they are lower than they was a considerable deal. I am engine driving yet. I run into Lancaster and Leeds and other places South wards. I have 7 shillings a day which is first rate wages here and to got by no class of mechanical skill in Lancashire except driving- So I must now say farewell once more and may you have sweet dreams and a cool brain throughout your stay in Australia.

 

 

 

It is unknown whether James made the trip back to England, but I think not, as two years later James had found a suitable woman for his wife and married Eliza/beth Shanks (Cruikshanks) in Kilmore, Victoria, Australia – the nearest town to Chintin on 23 Aug 1860. He stayed for the rest of his life in Australia.