To Mr. Thos Manning

Dear Uncle

Many years ago I remember my mother telling me of her brothers and my uncles in America. And as a boy, I thought it very funny that I could have uncles there. And many times while she has been talking to us about you I have thought how I should like to see them. When the time arrived a few months ago, that we received a magazine from America bearing the name of Thos Manning and soon afterwards a letter in your own handwriting my imaginations became more real. And though we cannot see each other with the natural eye, we can observe that there is still the same brotherly feeling and affection towards your sister and my esteemed mother. As though distance had not separated you for so many years. And I am truly thankful to take up the relationship and feel though we have never seen each other and most probably never shall. Yet shall be able to realize the kinship and trust that some day we shall meet as redeemed children around the Throne of God in heaven.

My sister Hannah in some of her letters perhaps may have told you of some of mothers difficulties in her younger married life. At about the age of 34 she was left a widow with 5 children. I know it must have been a hard struggle for her but she always kept us clean and tidy and hunger away from the door. And I love her for her great care and goodness to us all. And I am also most pleased that now for 20 years I have been able to help her. And for the last 10 or 12 years have been enjoying the priviledge of entirely supporting her. And I trust her later years have been most comfortable and happy. And she lives with my sister Hannah. And I know she has every attention necessary. I hope she may yet be long spared to be with us. And when her time has come may be where there is no sorrow nor parting. And the great enemy sin destroyed forever.

I was married in the year 1871 and have no family. Both myself and wife enjoy very good health. I learnt the shoe trade and work'd at it for my living until 1877. Since then I have kept a boot and shoe shop. And with industry, perseverance and care have been able to improve my financial position year by year.

I enclose you a portrait of myself and wife asking that you will receive them with our best wishes for your present and future happiness. Raunds, our home, is a large boot and shoe manufacturing village with a population of about 3,500 is situated about 4 miles from Woodford in a southeasterly direction, 4 miles south of Thrapstone, 20 miles north of Northampton our county town. We are just on the borders of Northamptonshire and within 3 miles of where 3 counties meet, namely, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, and Huntingdonshire. We are 3 miles east of Little Addington where Aunt Kitty lives and 5 miles north of Yeldon, a small agricultural village where Aunt Mary lived. She brought up a large family of 7 or 8 and died about 36 years ago. Her husband lived about 10 years after. Three of their children are still living at the village and one lives 3 miles from us. One went to Australia, the others are dead.

I must draw my lines to a close or I shall weary you. But before doing so, I must thank you for your communications to Mother. And ask you to give our most sincere and kindest regards to your daughter Mrs. Balcome our cousin. And tell her we think her picture, also those of her son and his wife, very [fine] specimens of our American cousins.

I now close with my warmest sympathy to yourself and family. Wishing you all a very happy and prosperous new year.

Faithfully yours An English nephew John Bass

Raunds
Nov 13th /94

Dear Cousin

I am afraid you will think it unkind of us not writing to you before. We were pleased to receive your kind & welcome letter, but extremely sorry to hear of Uncles illness. Glad however to learn from a letter received from him since of his recovery & trust he may long be spared to you and for further usefulness in The Master’s vineyard. Will you kindly thank him for the book sent and also paper which we received quite safe. You mention in your letter that you are afraid you would not be able to write so interesting a letter as you do not know us. I really feel the same difficulty. There has been many years pass without any correspondence. Grandmother has often talked about her brother Thomas and has remarked that he must be dead before now, little thinking that she would hear of him again. It has been indeed a joy to her to hear from him her only brother and she is a bit proud to show his photo to friends who may call in to see her. She is keeping pretty well in health for her age. The weather here is rather mild at present for the time of year. Sometimes we get very heavy fogs in November and soon after frost & snow. I think Uncle says he does not like snow and I am quite sure Grandmother does not. She says sometimes the cold seems to go through her. Grandmother and Mother are both confined indoors nearly all winter. Mother suffers so terribly with Rheumatism and has done for five years, so that her joints are quite enlarged and out of place with the pain. We are sending a photo to Uncle of Mother and her six daughters, taken outside the home where we were all born and brought up and where Grandmother is now living with us. My sister standing at the back of Mother is married and has a dear little boy 7 months old. The youngest one is sitting beside Mother, she is training for a school teacher. The one at the far left of group is with Uncle John Bass in his shoe depot and two others with myself as dressmakers. It was a great trial to us losing father when we were all so young. He was such a good father to us and like yours one of the Lords own. He was a deacon at the Baptist Church here for 19 years. He was called home to his reward over 13 years ago. I hope that some of us are following in his footsteps. Perhaps Uncle would like to know a little about Raunds. The population is over 3,000 so is not a very small place, though only a village. We have four places of worship. That is the Church of England, Wesleyan Chapel, Baptist Chapel & Primitive Methodist Chapel and then I am sorry to say hundreds attend neither of them. We have a Temperance Hall where most Public Meetings, Concerts, or Entertainments are held besides Temperance Meetings. There is also a Coffee Tavern where all kinds of refreshments (except strong drink) can be obtained and accommodation for travellers with conveyances. We have a post office with Money Order & Telegraph Offices. The chief work here is the Shoe trade. At the present time it is flourishing. Several new factories have been built within this last four years. Will you please tell Uncle that Little Addington is about 3 miles from here by the meadow path and can cross the River at a small bridge call the Staunch. The road to drive would be much further as it is through Ringstead, over the bridge at Woodford Mill and through Gt Addington. The meadow path can only be used in summer and then only by foot travellers. We heard from Aunt Kitty last week. She was about as usual & sends her love to you & Uncle. Please accept the same from Grandmother. You may perhaps be surprised to see my name at the bottom of this letter but I am writing instead of Mother. Tell Uncle that he may perhaps get a letter from Uncle John before long. I don’t know that I can tell you any more of interest to you. Shall be pleased to hear from you again. Hope the photo will arrive safe and then you will be able to see something like the kind of folk we are. We should very much like to see yours if convenient. I hope this may find you well. With best wishes and kind regards from all to you and Uncle.

I am
Yours Sincerely
Eliza Beeby

Dear Cousin Laura

Again I must apologise for the very long time that I have kept you waiting for a letter. Yours came duly to hand and was welcome though we were all sorry to hear of Uncles illness. We hope however that he has partially if not wholly recovered before this, although I believe a Kidney Disorder is usually a very troublesome one to persons in this country especially old people. I am sure you would find it a great comfort to have your son and daughter with you at the time your father was so ill.

Grandmother and Mother have hoped to have heard from Uncle again before now do hope it is not ill health that is still keeping him from writing.

We have had a very anxious time lately. My Sister Kate has been brought near to deaths door with Typhoid Fever. You may perhaps have seen some account of the fever outbreak in Raunds as I believe Uncle John sent a newspaper a few weeks since.

The first cases occurred about July and August from what proved to be impure water from a Public well.

The cause could not be ascertained for some time not until many cases of fever appeared. We don’t know in what way my Sister caught the disease but about the 24th of September when the weather was extremely hot for that month she was seized with a dreadful headache and chill and became worse so fast that she was soon delirious.

She scarcely remembers anything that took place for the next month. Then when we hoped the crisis was passed, she took a relapse, which kept her back for over another fortnight without any improvement, only that she was conscious. How we passed through that time I can hardly tell but are thankful to say she is now recovering. She is spared thus far while others about 12 in number have been taken off by death. She is now able to walk out a short distance with help but on very cold days she cannot go out as her chest is very weak, she having bronchitis with the fever. Emily and myself were nurses, Mother helping when able. The younger ones Mary and Amy did not see her for 9 weeks. That was the time she kept her bed. Then had to be carried downstairs as her legs seemed to have lost all use. I never remember such an outbreak of Typhoid before in our village before. There are still some bad cases but I think now they are in the decrease. One specially sad affair happened near us. Husband and Wife both taken with fever. Their only child had only died a few weeks previous. They had no relations in the village. The Husband died in a fortnight . His Wife only lingering 8 days after him.

But I am afraid I am filling my letter with doleful news. We have many blessings mixed with our trials. What a blessing that the rest of us have been kept in health and preserved so near the close of another year. Grandmother has kept comfortably well until last week she got a cold some way. She has been in bed for two days but is something better today and hope with care will soon be as usual again. We have had a week or two severe cold weather but just now it is mild for the season.

Grandmother wishes me to say that John Mann’s eldest Sister (Sallie) whom your father would perhaps remember, died at Woodford. I think this is all I can write at present. Please give our love and good wishes for the New Year to your father and all who may care to hear of us. Finally accept the same yourself. Shall be pleased to hear from you again. I expect you are having severe weather now which I am afraid will be trying to Uncle. Trust you are well. Believe me

Yours Sincerely
Eliza Beeby

Dear Cousin Laura

Mother reminded me three days ago that it was just two years since we received the first intimation of your fathers whereabouts. That Magazine which was sent to Grandmother and which has led to our correspondence so thought I would commemorate the event by sending another letter. The correspondence has been pleasant and cheering to me and I hope to you and yours also. Your last letter which was full of interest came duly to hand. We were sorry to hear of Uncles great sufferings. This seems to indicate that not many more years will he be spared in this lower world but when the Master calls will he not be found a shock of corn ripe for the heavenly garner. Grandmother was poorly I believe when I wrote last. She had a cold which lasted on her for several weeks and made her quite poorly but she is getting about herself again now. My sisters health has greatly improved since I wrote last although still feeling her weakness especially her head. She is quite overcome with the least worry or excitement. She is invited to visit a friend in Cambridgeshire so think she will go there this week to try it, a change of air will be beneficial.

It is rather hazardous to go out at this time of year but we are having nice weather for this last month or so, not at all cold, some days like spring. The winter all through has been mild with the exception of a few days now and then, and we have had scarcely any snow at present. Hope we may get through without now. Your experience of the winter has been very different I learn from your letter. Now I think you will be wondering what these pieces of Twill are sent to you for. Well I must explain as well as I can. You will see by enclosed Circular that we anticipate holding a Bazaar. In connection with this there is to be a Friendly Bed Quilt made. It is to be made of red and white Twill and as Amy & Myself are on Committee for the bazaar and have some squares to sell we have thought perhaps you would help us in this way. The price of the squares is sixpence each (but larger sums we do not refuse). Then would you kindly work your name or initials or perhaps Uncles name on one or any design you think proper. If it was something to say where it was worked would be a curiosity as the Quilt is to be exhibited at the bazaar at a trifling charge for a look and then to be sold.

Altogether we hope it will be a success. Shall be very glad to hear from you and receive back the squares at your convenience. The red is to be worked with white and the white with red cotton. I hope you will not think I am taking too much liberty in sending to you. I hope by this time that Uncle is convalescent and therefore not needing so much of your time and attention. I know night watching is very wearing and it must have been a very trying time to you. Grandmother and Mother send their love and best wishes to you and Uncle and to all friends over in your country. We are all well I am thankful to say & have been preserved from that dreadful fever. There are still one or two cases in our village but we hope that the outbreak is now over. Uncle John and his wife are well. He is a very busy man and perhaps does not get time to write to Uncle, but likes to hear of him and always sees your letters when they come to me. I must draw this to a close with sincere wishes and love from

E Beeby