Edward Godfrey Hester to Sarah Bracher, 10 September 1859
| Title: | Edward Godfrey Hester to Sarah Bracher, 10 September 1859 |
|---|---|
| Identifier: | archives.org.au/Edward_Godfrey_Hester_to_Sarah_Bracher,_10_September_1859 |
| Parent item: | |
| Storage location: | |
| Date: | |
| Authors: | Edward Godfrey Hester |
| Source: | |
| Format and extent: | |
| License: |  This work is free of known copyright restrictions.
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| Related people: | Edward Godfrey Hester · Sarah Louisa Bracher (née Hall) |
| Related places: | |
| Keywords: | Transcriptions by Ian Berryman · H.M. Wilson Archives |
| Description: |
File: E_G_Hester_1859_09_10.doc File:E_G_Hester_1859_09_10.pdf
Transcribed 8 August 1988 by HMW, typed by IB 26 September 2012, checked against MS 6 April 2013, amended 14 April 2013
Cover: “Mrs G Bracher / care of Mr Smith Tailor / Rowan Street / Sandhurst / Victoria”
Transcription
Bunbury 10th Sept 1859
My dear Sarah
We are just in receipt of your note of the 12th Augst and are sorry that you have not been able to do better with all your industry you ask the reason we leave Bunbury it because it appears to me we have been here long enough trade was becoming worse and our family and expenses increasing there are a number of shops or stores and all endeavoring to compete with each other all the shopkeepers wives have been servants and all the Farmers who have done well came here servants it is a difficult thing for one having any pretention to gentility to do well in any business here as the lower class seem to oppose it but would rather assist one of their own kind I was Butchering one year and then there were a number of others when I left off so did others and now theres only one and had I undertaken anything else it would have been the same so I was obliged to give up even the Eliots and Cliftons were not our supporters as they did not like to see us surpassing them in comfort. Theodosia and children are still here but I expect to move them all out about the end of next month I have been out on the Blackwood the greater part of the time since April and have been working very hard putting up a House which is obliged to be a good size in consequence of our large family where I hope to make Theodosia comfortable and happy which I have always tried to do even to the sacrifice of a little of my own. We have seven little ones the Baby Girl a little more than two months old a pretty little pet our last Boy is a very fine fellow —
I hope in a twelve month time to be able to keep a Governess to teach my children
On my place on the Blackwood I shall have an acre of vines this season and a number of Fruit trees and I shall have five hundred acres of land fenced with a good three railed fence and a number cleared ready for sowing and by the end of the year I shall two hundred head of horned stock and I have a very good run and a great deal of good land I have
Thirty working Bullocks and three carts ploughs [?&c] in proportion and although theres not much wheat grown on the Blackwood I intend sending to England for a Steam Mill which I can make use of for thrashing wheat or any other purpose
I assist my father a little some times I have directed a sack of Flour to him today
Robert & Letitia are not making their fortunes they are sufficiently industrious they wish to be fine people without means they alwas [sic] keep a man & Girl and ½ doz natives to help them and they both are determined not to labor I mean work Robert is still living on a piece of my land about a mile from where I am building and to see him riding by some times you would think he was an independent Gentleman and me laboring like a poor man there are so many things to do upon a new place that I am obliged to work and I cannot see how to be able to avoid it for some time
One great draw back is the difficulty of getting ones debts after having a good deal of business Frank has been kept on the other side the Blackwood River in consequence of it being so very high its a positive fact that Frank intends marrying one of Earnshaws Daughters She is pretty well educated but Theodosia will not be pleased with the connection its a pity he could not find one who was of better origin although we have nothing to say against herself Robert was here for a few days while I was at the Blackwood and had the ring worm on his wrist which he had shown me however in his careless way did not tell Theodosia nursed the Baby and Godfrey the second youngest and gave them both the disease
I have been at home for a week this time which I have not done since we left off business We have such a lot of little ones that we are almost distracted some times
Our families appear to be particularly unfortunate when you think of the two you cannot say that we are comfortably off, our Brothers have not been as fortunate as they should have been I thought when once out of Western Australia no one would wish to return Had I been single I do not think that I should thought of returning1
If Fred is doing better than the others it because he begins in a small way and thats the only sure way in the world of people with little or no means began largely they are sure to fail
I do look forward to leaving Western Australia some day when I am well enough off to live on my means, which I hope to do if I realize my anticipations but the great uncertainty of every thing in this world plenty have been like my self and have become very poor My family have been a great expense and will continue to be
I have been trying to write but the children have greased the Ink or some thing a matter with it that I cannot get the pen to write
My love to you all I am only writing any thing I can imagine
I remain
dear Sarah
affectionately
E G Hester
1 Hester probably means ‘should have thought’
