Friday 10 April 2015

10th April 1815: Thomas Holden's family write to him from Bolton

Haugh y/e 10th April 1815

Dear Thos. Your uncle Richd holden is dead and was interd the First day of this present hear all the Rest of under is well

Dear
Husband Yours of 17 of Sept 1814 Came safe and welcomly to hand by which I am very Glad to find that you was in good health at that time. hope you still enjoy good health as there leaves me and the child together with your father and mother and Brother /love to you\ William, Dear Thomas you appear in your letter to want to know Wether I am for coming to you believe me It Certainly would be the greatist pleasure to me In this life to be with you be in what part of the world you may Or let your situation in life be Prosperity or adversity It woud give me great satisfaction to share the toil with you, but Wether it will Ever be Our lot to meet at NS Wales or not I canot tell for Very soon after you left home I together with the rest of the Bolton /[    ]\ wives sent ut a Petition to the prince Regent of England for to let us come after you but we got for Answer  that the time you had to stay that is your term of stay or stop whas so short that nothing Could be done in that Cace so you see how we as well as you are placed, so you need not have the least Doubt but I should have been with you before now

If I could have found any way that was legal at the same time We all Consider it a miracle That you exeaped being shi[ ] with [  ] I [    ] as it would at Once have [   ]led all Our hopes of ever enjoying your Company again, which we Trust will not be long you wish to know Our mind Concerning your comeing home believe us we desire that if you have to stay the time you was Convict\ed/ For at the end of that tim[ ] you will make the Best of your way home, for we are inform'd that [  ] your master can do a deal for you by way of saving the Expense you speak of, a[t<s] the same time It gives us all the greatest pleasure notwith stand ing the attention you have to pay to find that you have mett with such a master and we [      ] say a Friend a Esq. Allen hope you will continue with him [wil – scored out] while you stay in the Isleand and at the same time we think of our Duty to say as he hath placed so much Confidence in you we have not the least doubt but you will study to merit his Future Trust or Favours he may Chuse to besto[  ] on you, we beg to say we wish you to look forward to tho[  ]  happyer days when you shall have to Return to us all  again which we hope in the almighty will be your lot To Conclude we Remain till death Mary and Ann Holden

[In margin]
If you desire to know how trade is with us [   ] it is very bad and getting worse Every day and where it will old we cannot say [  ] provisions are deare and geting higher very Fast

Thos Fishers wife and knowles wife desire that if y[  ] know anything off their husbands that you will say it or let them know in your n[  ]t letter to us as the have had no advice from the[m] [ ]ince the went to NS Wales

[On reverse]
Write us again by the first sh[   ]at departs from Sidney Cove as we have duely Answerd all your letters and [   ] surprised that you have not got them as y[  ]

[To] Thomas Holden
at Commissary AllansEsqur Sidney Cove
New South Wales

This letter can be found at Lancashire County Records Office, ref DDX 140/7/16.

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