Joy Hall to Sarah Bracher, 7 January 1901
| Title: | Joy Hall to Sarah Bracher, 7 January 1901 |
|---|---|
| Identifier: | archives.org.au/Joy_Hall_to_Sarah_Bracher,_7_January_1901 |
| Parent item: | |
| Storage location: | |
| Date: | |
| Authors: | Joy Hannah Emma Margaret Clifton (née Hall) |
| Source: | |
| Format and extent: | |
| License: |  This work is free of known copyright restrictions.
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| Related people: | Joy Hannah Emma Margaret Clifton (née Hall) · Sarah Louisa Bracher (née Hall) |
| Related places: | Cossack |
| Keywords: | Transcriptions by Ian Berryman · H.M. Wilson Archives |
| Description: |
File: Joy_1901_01_07.doc
[2008 October 4: typed by IB from a typescript made by Kaye Thrupp 13.1.1975. Original MS not yet found]
Transcription
Cossack
North West Australia
January 7th 1901
My dear Aunt Sarah
I have very sad news to communicate. Poor old Val died suddenly in the Roebourne hospital on the last day of the old year. None of us dreamed that the poor old boys end was so very near. I suppose you know Auntie that Val had a share with my brothers in a cattle station, which he was managing at the time of his decease, he was taken very ill at the station & was obliged to drive down to see the Dr, about 170 miles, he thought his lungs were bad, because he had such a terrible cough, but the Dr said it was heart failure, the heart was too weak to pump sufficient blood into the lungs, thereby causing the irritation of the throat.
He stayed with us about a month, & at the end of that time he seemed a new man the poor fellow was worrying so much about leaving Tillie on the Turner with only two natives & a man that the Doctor thought it better for him to return, he had gone about a fortnight, when we heard he was in the hospital, they said he was not very ill when he started but the long rough journey in the heat proved too much for him, he was in a terribly exhausted state when he came in, he could only talk for a few minutes, & then would become unconscious.
There was only Dr Maunsell with him when he died, he asked to be lifted up, that he felt dreadfully ill, & expressed a wish to see his wife, he became unconscious & died in about ten minutes, after he spoke.
It was terribly bad for poor old cousin Tillie not to see her husband before he died, Aubrey sent a messenger out for her, but as he died the day after he came in, it was utterly impossible for her to reach him.
We had a wire from Roebourne tonight, saying Tillie was in, she has just been about a week travelling down. She is going to stay with the Teesdales for a while, she badly needs a change poor woman, she will go back to the station I suppose as there is an agreement for them to stay three years on the place.
We have had such a pleasant Xmas, we had quite a big party on Xmas day & were particularly jolly for this time of year, we have also had two English men staying with us for a fortnight (who are on their way home) so Val’s death cast a shadow over everybody.
Goodbye Auntie
With love from Mother & self
J M Hall
