Dear Mother
I take the pleasure of writing you this to let you no that I am
well at present and hopes this will find you and all the rest enjoy
the same blessing I wrote you about 2 months ago and sent you ten
pounds which I hope you have received the last letter that I received
from you was dated the 16 may I was sorry to hire that Alxer daughter
your namesake was dead I have never got any letter of hir birth many a
time do I think of them all but I hope I may see you all yet I
mentioned in my last letter that I intended to leave the diggins soon
since I wrote you last this diggins has turned out first rate a good
many has made handsome fortunes and a good many has done what we term
good shuck as 2 too three hundred poud but hundreds has done nothing
such is the way of the goldfields but people that is will to work in
most case can make a living but it was not my luck to do much at this
time I have been upon this diggings since they were oppend that is 5
months ago I got 15 ounces of gold we are sinking another hole at and
if it does not turn out anything I shall go to town it is about 60
feet to sink to men can sink that in a fortnight I like the diggins
verry well but it is so uncertain I would have made more money in town
but I am sending for Betsy and I will then be more settled
I send you an order with this for ten pounds and I send hir forty
pounds so as you mentioned that you would see hir shipped I wish hir
to come with the white star line of packets write me when you receive
this and let me no what ship she will come in she might leave in a
month after you can advise hir to take an immediate passage you come
through Glasgow to Liverpool in these places you must take good care
of where you have your money as there is a good many sharp customers
about these places you would not need to have above a weak before the
ships sails the last letter that I got from hir it was 13 months from
it had been wrote before that I got it but I no there is letters for
me in Melbourne I have sent for them but has not got them up the
lettre that you sent to Alxer Fitch I have now got it was rather a
strange place to send it to but I may get it when I am going to town
this place is about 120 miles from Melbourne you would think it a
rather strange sight to see this place just now to see a town with 50
thousand people all living in tents William Lowrie is upon this
diggings he is close by me I see him every day I told him that his
Mother was anxious to here from him but he did not seam to take much
notice of it he said he had wrote home often and had never got no
answer back Alxer Samwell is here to neither of them has done much
good upon this diggings James Collie is well he is to write with this
mail to I was sorry to here of my brother being so badly poor man he
is getting into a large family I have not wrote him since I have been
upon the diggings but I shall write him soon I would have wrote Mrs
Rust long ago but you never sent me hir address the lettre that you
sent me Instead of Helen was one that I sent you from Glasgow before I
left you wished to no about my property I have it still it is let for
12s per week I sent Mrs Sharp hir letters I have not seen any one that
has seen hir this twelve months the place where she is is about 50
miles from here I had a lettre from my partner since he went to town
he mentioned that he saw William Combe he is still with Lawerece I was
happy to here that John Marchal was getting on well and I hope he
will continue to prosper give him my respects and Margret and all
other enquiring friends I have little other worth mentioning I hope
you will get this all safe and write me when you get this when you
settle what ship Betsy is to come with I hope you will have no trouble
in getting every thing arainged for hir Dear Mother although that I am
sending for hir I will write still have the same will and I hope the
same means to do as much for you as ever I have done I was sorry to
here that you was falling so fast but I hope that I shall have the
pleasure of seeing you once more before that you leave this world of
care I think that I shall be a deal more comfortable with a wife and
it wont cost me any more for living for a single man has a deal of
expense in this contry but still if I had not promised to marry hir I
don’t think that I should have ever sought a wife and I
don’t think that it is against your will that I am taking hir I
will conclude by hoping that this will find you all well no more at
present but remains
your affectionate son John Cramond
Address care Mr D Bryde
No 59 Leveson Street
North Melbourne
John Cramond is the brother of my Great Great Grandmother Margaret Marshall (ms Cramond). He married Betsy Cardno at Melbourne on the 22nd June 1857. A little over a year later she and their baby, Helen Amelia Cramond were dead. John himself died just over three years later, never seeing his Mother or family again.
Letter transcribed by Ruairidh Greig, 15 Nov 2008. The spelling
and punctuation are as far as possible the same as in the original.
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