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The William MARSHALL Letters - Letter 7

Another letter written from Plymouth Hospital on the 7th September 1855 - In this William MARSHALL says he is not returning to Peterhead because of his wild ways.

Transcribed by Ruairidh Greig

William Marshall Correspondence – Letter 7

William Marshall was the second son of John Marshall and Sarah Lawrence, born at Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, in October 1830. The following letters were kept by his niece, my Great Grandmother Helen Urquhart (ms Marshall). According to Jessie Urquhart, her daughter, William was a whaler who returned to the Arctic and married an Eskimo. Auntie Sissie (Sarah Urquhart) met him on a visit to Peterhead and said that in his hand knitted vest and long pants, he looked to her like a polar bear. – Ruairidh Greig

There is a transcription of this letter following the images.

WM_Letter_7a.jpg

WM_Letter_7b.jpg

Letter 7

Plymouth Hospital

Sept 7 1855

Dear Brother

I write you this few lines to let you that I am getting better thank god for it hopeing this will find you all enjoying good health I received your kind letter yesterday and was happy to hear of your safe arrival and a middling voage you said David Gray[1] wants you to go mate with him you ought to go to school to and do some good for yourself for young men has got all the chance now by what i can hear some of them I do not know what sort of captians they are but i do not think that they last long i was rather wild when i was in Peterhead last and my 3 years and half in Andrew[2] has not made me any better i think but if i do come down we shall have a sprey again i can live without the ships or the captians in Peterhead and i am independent of them i shall not be out of the hospital as soon as i thought i would be

Dear brother you might think it very strange for me writeing this way but i know them all to well and i would disown the place if it was not for you being in it i do not know whether i am clear of the sea or not till i get my discharge from the hospital the ship is paid of l--- i think i will be clear when i get out here send me 2 pounds send it in four letters for they are very particular with money in here i want to buy a pair of shoes for i have not got any and tobace I have to buy in here and many other little things tell margret that I have got some pictures for her write to the hospital as before give my respects to margret and her mother and sister I am happy to hear my mother and family is well write me when you get this excuse my writing as I do for I cannot help it Goodbye

Your loveing brother

William Marshall




[1] One of the best known whaling captains, nicknamed the “Prince of Whalers”

[2] Richard Collinson informs me that this is still a slang term for the Royal Navy



Owner/SourceRuairidh Greig
Date26 Nov 2008
Linked toWilliam MARSHALL
AlbumsThe William Marshall Letters

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