The Transcriptions |
Letter #3
Envelope address:
H.S.Knight Esq
Second right of way
Northumberland St
East
Collingwood
Melbourne, Australia
Henley,
Dec 17th 1859
Dear
Humphrey,
I enclose ????? Bill
of Exchange for ₤50, (Fifty pounds ). I do not see why ??? ??? be always writing letters; you give a
deplorable account of what is considered to be a most prosperous
colony.
Surely you might
find some more elevated occupation than that of sweeping streets; I should think
there would be a great demand for teachers of all degrees in such a
place.
Hoping you will soon
get this bill, Believe me
Your
affecte.(ionate?) brother
John Knight |
Humphrey
had arrived in Melbourne, Australia in May, 1853. Shortly afterwards,
in August, his father Thomas died in Papcastle, Cumberland.
Whatever financial support Humphrey had been promised by his father now
became the responsibility of his eldest surviving brother, John,
widowed, aged 50. |
Letter #4
NO ENVELOPE
Henley,
Jan12th,1861
Dear
Humphrey,
You will receive
with this a letter of credit for
₤70..0..0, I am sorry I have not been able to send it sooner; I have been waiting
first of all to receive a small sum of money for you, but have not yet
succeeded; so I have been obliged to send it out of my own money. To explain
this, I am sorry to inform you that our poor sister Marion died last Oct.; of the
money I allowed her she left ₤160, or
thereabouts. ₤60 went to pay her debts;and there remained a sum of ₤10, which
the family think proper to divide amongst themselves; amounting for each to ₤20;
your share I have the goodness to say if you have any relation, or acquaintance
connected with the shipping to Australia, who could take it over for
you. Mr Mansfield is the person who has been managing the affairs of poor
Marion; ??he has been performing through unnecessary
formalities.
If I cannot get
anyone to bring ?? ₤20
Before June; there
will then be a remittance at that time of another ₤70 for you. As my son now is
not at Liverpool I was not able to get a letter of Ct. on Knight &
Co.
Hoping that now you
will get on better, and meet with a better position,.
Believe me dear Humphrey
Your
affecte.(ionate?) brother
John Knight |
John informs Humphrey of the death of their sister, Marion in October 1860.
Mr Mansfield probably should be "Mrs Mansfield" who is Humphrey and
John's sister Henrietta. Probably a formidable woman who managed a lot
of the family's affairs. Referred to respectfully as Mrs Mansfield even
though she was John and Humphrey's sister.
John refers to his son having previosly been in Liverpool. John, James or Charles?
Marion left £100, of which £20 was Humphrey's share. Marion
had five surviving siblings; Henrietta, John, Edward, Humphrey and
Maria. Suggests that Marion left neither husband nor children
|
Letter #5
NO ENVELOPE
Henley Hall,
Feb 15,
1861
Dear
Humphrey,
I now enclose the
second letter but trust you have already received the first. I meant to say,
Letter of Credit.
I have suffered a
great bereavement since I wrote to you last, in the death of my beloved daughter
in Childbed.
Hoping you and your
family are well, I am dear Humphrey your
affecte.(ionate?) brother
John Knight |
John's daughter, Henrietta Kent (Knight), wife of Rev. Charles Kent,
Vicar of Ludford, died in February 1861 at Ludlow, Shropshire.
She died giving birth to their third child, John Henry Kent.
Henrietta's husband, Charles remarried one year after her death when
aged 55 to Blanche Easton, aged 19. Charles had a further seven
children with Blanche.
John Knight had three sons and one daughter (Henrietta). Henrietta's three children were John's only grandchildren. |
Letter
#6
Envelope address:
For Mr Humph: S. Knight
411/2 Hoddle
Street
East Collingwood
Melbourne
(Australia) Victoria
Post office
franking
Ludlow JY 11 61
Melbourne SE 18 61
Henley Hall,
July 10, 1861
Dear
Humphrey,
I now send you ₤73;
fifty of which are the half yearly allowance; ₤20 my share of Marions money; ₤3
belonging to the two shares, each share being ₤21..10’ but as I sent your share
before receiving the money, I did not know the exact amount.
I am glad to hear
your children are recovering.
Is the Comet seen
where you are?
Mrs Mansfield has
sent away the clothing,and has paid the land carriage as far as Lverpool; you
will have to pay the sea carriage;
always in a hurry, I remain your
affecte.(ionate?) brother
J.Knight |
John sends Humphrey and extra £20 being John's share of Marion's estate.
Humphrey could indeed see "the comet" which was visible in the southern
hemisphere first before John would have seen it from England.
Humphrey's daughter, Janet had died in 1860, aged 1.
Mrs Mansfield has sent her brother, Humphrey a parcel of clothes. Possibly Marion's
|
Letter
#7
ENVELOPE
ONLY
Envelope address:
For Mr H. S. Knight
411/2 Hoddle
Street
East Collingwood
Melbourne
(Australia) Victoria
Post office
franking:
Ludlow SE 26 61
Melbourne DC 14 61 |
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Letter
#10
Envelope address:
For Mr H. S. Knight
411/2 Hoddle
Street
East Collingwood
Melbourne
(Australia) Victoria
Post office
franking:
Ludlow JU 16 62
Melbourne SE 8 62
Henley Hall,
July 16, 1862
Dear
Humphrey,
I have just time to
send you this letter of credit for ₤ 50.
I am always very
busy, and have been for the last ??? 10 years.
I suppose the box
will have arrived by this time.
We have a bad summer
here; wet, and cold, and cloudy; I imagine you have your winter at this
time.
I have nothing
particular to say,
so believe me your affecte.(ionate?) brother
John Knight |
John hopes the box of clothing has arrived! |
Letter
#11
Envelope address:
Mr H.
S. Knight
411/2 Hoddle
Street
East Collingwood
Melbourne
Australia
Post office
franking:
Ludlow JU 15 63
Henley Hall,
July 10, 1863
Dear
Humphrey,
I enclose your
letter of credit for ₤ 50, together with Duplicate of the one
preceding.
You seem to complain
of my not having written. The truth is I have little time for it; I neglect even
the greater part of my business letters; I am always obliged to be very busy; at
the same time I should have little to say even were I at leisure to write; we
have a very hot ????,and this also indisposes me a good deal.
Believe me your
affecte.(ionate?) brother
John Knight |
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Letter # 12
NO ENVELOPE
Henley Hall,
Dec 14th,
1862
Dear
Humphrey,
I send you the usual
letter of credit for ₤ 50,
I cannot give more
at present, I have too much to pay for the last six months. I have expended in
donations to the family ₤ 700; with
exceptions to a small amount. I thankyou for the seed , but you might have told
me the name of the tree to which it belongs; as well as the class it represents;
there is a word in your letter indistinctly written, which looks like Wattle,
but wattle can apply to any tree that is tough and lithe, and fit for hurdles,
We must have a name. You say I will find it useful, but you do not explain how.
Altogether you are a defective exposition of this sort of
particulars..
How many seed were
there, according to your estimate, in the little bag you sent, half full; I
particularly want to know this; If you could continue to send me the same
quantity,as for as you remember, in just such a bag, you will oblige me
much.
The gardener says he
counted them, and found them a certain number, which I strongle suspect to be
wanting.
Maria has been very
ill for three months, it is her second attack of insanity, within the space of
six years. She was not expected to live; the Dr. gave her up, but I was of quite
a different opinion, and told him and others so; since then she has been
improving; and the last report is that the Dr. says she could not be doing
better.
Believe me your affecte.(ionate?)
brother
J. Knight |
John gives Humphrey a lesson in botany and tells him of their sister Maria's attack of insanity.
Meanwhile John asks Humphrey to tell him exactly how many seeds
Humphrey has sent him. John is very angry and suspects that his gardener is stealing his
wattle seeds.
Maria eventually did die in 1870 of insanity |
Letter
#13
Envelope address:
For Mr Humphrey. S. Knight
No.
411/2 Hoddle
Street
East Collingwood
Melbourne
Australia
Post office
franking:
Ludlow JA 13 64
Henley Hall,
Jan 9th, 1864
Dear
Humphrey,
I enclose you the
usual Letter of Credit for ₤ 50 together
with the duplicate of the last.
I hope you, and your
family are well; I am very busy, and have little time for writing. I cannot even
get through my usual business letters.
I have been working
here for eleven years, and the work is not yet half completed; it will take
another ten years.
Wishing you a happy
new year,
believe me your affectionate brother
John
Knight |
John has been working at Henley
Hall for 11 years,. He had therefore arrived about Jan 1853. John's
father, Thomas Knight had died in 1853 which suggests that John
inherited Henley Hall from his father. Thomas, however lived and died
at Papcastle, Cumberland |
Letter
#14
Envelope address:
For Mr Humphrey. S. Knight
No.
411/2 Hoddle
Street
East Collingwood
Melbourne
Australia
Post office
franking:
Ludlow JU 20 64
Melbourne SE 6 64
Henley Hall,
June 20th, 1864
Dear
Humphrey,
I send you enclosed
a Letter of Credit for ₤ 50.
I have nothing to
say except that I am always very busy;and have hardly time to write my business
letters; so many of them lying unanswered; so that you cannot expect long
letters from me.
You will be in
winter now in your part; June in winter and December in summer; c’est le
monde revverse'
Believe me your
affectionate brother
John
Knight |
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| Letter
#15
Envelope address:
For Mr H. S. Knight
No.
411/2 Hoddle
Street
East Collingwood
Melbourne
Australia
Post office
franking:
Ludlow JA 6 65
Melbourne MA 15 65
Henley Hall,
Jan 5th, 1865
Dear
Humphrey,
I enclose you a
Letter of Credit for ₤ 50; I have little time for writing, and not much relish
for it; besides this is my busiest season, bills to pay and letters to write.
The work of labor goes on; and will take another ten years to complete it; no
man ever stepped into so onerous an estate.
I wish yoy a happy
new year; Christmas I suppose is in your summer; so that you will miss the
snow, and robbin-red breast. It is now very mild here; almost like
spring.
Hoping your family
are well believe me your affecte.(ionate?) brother
J. Knight |
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Letter # 16
Envelope address:
For Mr H. S. Knight
No.
411/2 Hoddle
Street
East Collingwood
Melbourne
Australia
Post office
franking:
London 7 JY 65
July 5th, 1865
Dear
Humphrey,
I am so very busy
that I have no time to write.
We are now getting
in hay; considerably building is going on; farm outhouses; and besides that
there are eight masons working here at the Hall, and have been for some
months;so that I have my hands full.
Believe me dear Humphrey your
affecte.(ionate?) brother
J. Knight |
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Letter # 17
NO ENVELOPE
Henley Hall,
Jan
1st, 1866
Dear
Humphrey,
I again enclose a Letter of Credit for ₤ 50; I had not
observed the 10/1 until you mentioned it; it is an act of generosity on the part of the London Bankers;and I suspect it
has some relation to conditions of Change between the currency of the two
countries; I see they have again added the ten shillings, which is all to your
advantage.
I am still engaged
int eh external work of re-edifying ruins; this never ends. At all events I have
set my mark upon the Estate; Henley was never
such a place before; all people now admire it.
I am dear Humphrey your affecte.(ionate?)
brother
J. Knight |
John is very proud of his work at Henley Hall.
Unfortunateley his son would sell Henley Hall shortly after John's death in 1872 and squander the proceeds. |
Letter # 18
Envelope address:
For Mr Humphrey. S. Knight
No.
411/2 Hoddle
Street
East Collingwood
Melbourne
Australia
Post office
franking:
London 6 JY 66
Melbourne SE 11 66
Henley Hall
July 3rd, 1866
Dear
Humphrey,
I have just time to
send you a Letter of Credit for one hundred pds.
I have increased the
₤ 30 you asked for to ₤ 50. You must
send no more newspapers, I never read them, they do not interest me.
Believe me your affecte.(ionate?)
brother
John Knight
Then upside down scribbled
across the top of the letter:-
Always put your full
address to your letters;I have no time to waste to search about for them. If you
do not do this you will run the risk of not getting your money some day; to your
last there was no address except Collingwood |
John is not interested in the Melbourne newspapers Humphrey has sent him and instructs him not to send any more. |
Letter # 19
Envelope address:
For Mr H. S. Knight
No.
411/2 Hoddle
Street
Collingwood
Nr. Melbourne
Australia
Post office
franking:
Ludlow JA 9 67
Melbourne MA 16 67
Henley Hall
Jan
8th .1867
Dear
Humphrey,
I send you the
Letter of Credit for ₤ 50;they have ceased adding the 10/0; why I know not. I
have nothing in the word to write about, I am not well; and have little time for
it. You are in a strange land, and yet you never have a word to say with respect to the natives; or
its peculiar vegetation; you never speak of the gum trees, some are found as
high as 400 and 480 ft! the “Eucalyptus Colossea” the “Eucalyptus Amgandalina”?
etc.etc. I have one, the “Ficus elastica”
I suffer from a
terrible pain in the right shoulder, from Rheumatism, which prevents me
writing;still I have too much of that to do, and am greatly in
arrear.
The ?????? ???? has
been over to Paris to bring under the notice of the French
government the new Rifle, Carter-Edwards; he had a letter of introduction to
General Flenry ? Grand Ranger? From the General’s brother in London, a friend of my
sons. The General promised to report the matter to the lissip?; and ask him to
receive them personally; my son waited four days; at the end of which ???????
forced him back to London,??????? His companion to the ?; he was then sent for by the military
secretary of the Fch. ????; who said that if they had been sooner in
the field his governt. would never have
adopted the Chassifat?.
I am dear Humphrey your affecte.(ionate?)
brother
J. Knight |
Another lesson in botany.
Unfortunately "ficus elastica" is neither a eucalypt nor an Australian native.
The Generals brother is likely to have been a friend of John's son, John The Squanderer |
Letter # 20
Envelope address:
For Mr Humphrey. Senh. Knight
No.
411/2 Hoddle
Street
East Collingwood
Melbourne
Australia
Post office
franking:
London 8 JY 69
Melbourne AU 30 69
Henley Hall
July 31, 1869
Dear
Humphrey,
I send you the usual Letter of Credit for ₤
50. I received the seed, there was a strong musky smell from the bag; did it
proceed from the seed, or was it in consequence of of fumigation on board of
ship.
Maria is always the
same;and will never recover; it is the cause of great trouble, and anxiety to
me.
Is your health good:
I can not say that mine is; and I do not look out for many years more. I have amply provided for you, and your
family after my death.
Believe me, dear
Humphy your
affecte.(ionate?) brother
John Knight
written after it
was folded up
Always put your
full address on each letter, it takes me half a day in searching for it, most of
your letters have not got it; I cannot remember so many addresses especially such
an odd one as yours. |
The seeds sent by Humphrey continue to cause problems for John.
John did provide for Humphrey in his Will. However, John left almost
all his property to Sir Charles Henry Rouse-Boughton, a descendant of
Thomas Knight the horticulturalist. Sir Charles was John's 3rd cousin.
This was an attempt by John to keep his money away from his son, John ("the squanderer")
Unfortunately the Will was contested and overturned.
Humphrey lost his financial lifeline and John junior squandered his inheritance. |
Letter # 21
Envelope address:
For Mr Humphrey. Knight
No.
411/2 Hoddle
Street
East Collingwood
Melbourne
Australia
Post office
franking:
Ludlow DE 30 69
Melbourne FE 16 70
Henley Hall
Dec
25th, 1869
Dear
Humphrey,
I enclose the usual Letter of Credit for ₤ 50 which no
doubt will arrive late. I am not yet well; and not in my house for want of
servants. I have nothing in the world to say; except that James Scott died last
September, and that Maria has recovered a little from her late illness, but is
still very crazy to judge by a letter she has written me. Do you ever see the
natives, and converse with them; we had some over here not long ago. They have a
peculiar machine that they can drive through the air in a wonderful manner,
called the Boomerang; it remind me of the description Will Robinson gave of a
machine which he pretended to possess, but which we never saw; that if we gave
it a “Pick” it would go through the air like Wincam for miles; this wonderful
machine was always put forward, when he wished to have something from me in
exchange.
Believe me, dear
Humphy your
affecte.(ionate?) brother
J. Knight |
James Scott - nothing known |
Letter # 22
Envelope address:
For Mr Humphrey. Senh. Knight
No.
411/2 Hoddle
Street (crossed out)
East
Collingwood (crossed out)
Try Punt Road Richmond
Melbourne
Australia
Post office
franking:
Ludlow JY 4 70
Melbourne AU 30 70
Henley Hall
July 30th, 1870
Dear
Humphrey,
I enclose the usual Letter of Credit for ₤
50.
I have nothing in the world to say, unless I
mention that it has been a very cold summer, and that we have been suffering
from a long drought; and that there is scarcely any hay. I am not well enough to
write, and cannot get through my business letters.
Hoping that you and
your family are well; believe me your affectionate brother
| |