William Marshall Correspondence - Letter 8
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.
Letter 8
Dear brother
I write you this lines to let you know that I am
well at present thank god for it hopeing this will find you enjoying the same
forgive me for not writing before I have been here five weeks I shipped onboard
the ocean of shield bound to babada[1]
and went to Gravesend with and she was leaky and I left her and came back to London
and shipped on board the siam bound to balaclava and from their to east indes
and china about two years voage and then I will come and se you Dear brother I
am in debt here 4 pounds and if you will oblidge me by sending it you will get
my watch and chain sent down to you and if you write to balavece i will get your
letters give my respects to margret and her mother and sister and all inquiring
friends excuses my writing
Goodbye
No More at present
But reiamians your
Fool of a brother
William Marshall
Send the money
to Ann Murphy No 1 John
Hill saint georges east[2]
tyle='text-align:center'>be sure and send it
William Marshall
Seaman
on board the siam
of newcastle black
Sea
Cpt Wilson
[1]
Barbados?
[2]
John’s Hill, St George in the East, London
Written from the Siam of Newcastle bound for the Black Sea under the command of a Captain Wilson
Transcribed by Ruairidh Greig
