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The Knight Family Humphrey's Black Box |
 Humphrey's Black Box |
| In January 2007 my uncle, Daryl Marsh transcibed a series of letters that had been sent from England to his great great grandfather, Humphrey Senhouse Knight in Australia. The letters had previously been in the possession of Dorothy Alice Hart and before that had been in the possession of her mother, Florence Knight. |
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Humphrey's Black Box was
in the possession of Francis Henry Hart when first seen by Daryl as a child . At that time it
contained inter alia heavy parchment type paper documents bound with pink
ribbon. These documents related to legal proceedings in England, and were read
by Daryl as a teenager. These documents have been lost; however the Black Box
contains documents apparently related to the proceedings. Arthur? P.? Slade? Notary Public Melbourne Daryl Robert Francis Marsh 1 January 2007 |
| UK National Archives |
UK National Archives
hold documents which may be relevant to Humphrey's Black Box. It
is possible that the following archived items hold the other side to
this correspondence, that is the letters from Humphrey to John.
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| Related Pages |
| Humphrey Senhouse Knight John Knight (Humphrey's brother) John Knight's Archive Box The "Male Tail" The Humphrey Knight Line |
| Photographs |
 John Knight 1803-1872 |
 Henley Hall |
| The Transcriptions |
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| Letter #3 Envelope address: H.S.Knight Esq Second right of way 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 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 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 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,
Dear
Humphrey,
Feb 15, 1861 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 ( 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 ( Post office franking: Ludlow SE 26 61 Melbourne DC 14 61 |
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| Letter
#10 Envelope address: For Mr H. S. Knight ( 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 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 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 Ludlow JU 20 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 Post office franking: Ludlow JA 6 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?) brotherJ. Knight |
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| Letter # 16 Envelope address: For Mr H. S. Knight 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; 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 Post office franking: London 6 JY 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 |
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 Collingwood Nr. Melbourne Ludlow JA 9 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 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.  |
| Letter # 20 Envelope address: For Mr Humphrey. Senh. Knight Post office franking: London 8 JY 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 Post office franking: 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 Try Post office franking: Ludlow JY 4 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 | |