Nine letters from Sydney, 1839-1851, from the collection of Captain T.G.S. Ward

MLMSS 9845

fonds

1839-1851

1001319

0.03 metres of textual material (1 folder) - manuscript

Captain T.G.S. Ward went to sea in 1946 as an 18-year old midshipman and began seriously collecting letters around that time. His particular interest was in the history of the mails between the Australian colonies and Great Britain, with a collection that eventually amounted to more than 3000 items.

Reference:
Library correspondence file

Nine manuscript letters from colonial Sydney, 1839-1851, aquired by Captain T.G.S. Ward from 1946.

1. Letter to Berry (Other Windsor) from W.B. Bannatyne, 10 October 1839, sent on the ship William Mitchell in 1839. Handwritten on three pages, Bannatyne reflects on his new position in the Sherriff’s Office and comments that NSW is a 'sad place this for having children'. Bannatyne also considers resigning from his current position in the Sheriff's office, to instead go into agriculture.

2. Letter from William Dumaresq to his sister-in-law Sophy, 5 August 1851. Handwritten on one page, Dumaresq discusses legal and financial issues relating to his late brother's estate.

3. Letter from Francis Halhed to his cousin Alfred, 27 May 1843. Handwritten on a single page, Halhed discusses their need to repay a section of their loan to the bank, and some methods that will not be succeed in saving 100 pounds. He discusses the Colony's financial problems, stating that most residents are in a state of bankruptcy.

4. Letter from Francis Halhed to his cousin Alfred, 16 August 1845. Handwritten on a single page, Halhed discusses the exchange and payment of finances, as well as his intentions of returning to England. The letter was sent with a Bill of Exchange for 450 pounds.

5. Letter from H. Meinertzhagen to Huth, 24th June 1840. Handwritten on three pages, Meinhertzhagen discusses his business connections and recent sale of 100 barrels of wine and four cases of hats.

6. Letter from John Saunders to the Baptist Missionary Society (BMS) in London, 14 October 1842. Handwritten on three pages, Saunders discusses Christian missionary work in Australia, emphasising Australia's part in a global mission to preach the message of Jesus' death and resurrection. The letter also announces a 50 pound donation to the African Mission, raised by local Baptists.

7. Letter from E.G. Savage to unnamed solicitors in London, 22 January 1842. Handwritten on two pages, Savage provides a frank explanation of his financial failure in the colony, and his subsequent departure from Australia and arrival in England.

8. Letter from Robert Thomson to Forbes, 21 September 1841. Handwritten on three pages, Thomson addresses his bankers, providing an overview of the market and conditions in New South Wales.

9. Letter from George Whitfield to Robert James Tennant Esq., 16 March 1839. Handwritten on three pages, Whitfield discusses his attempts to bring out his young orphaned nephew to the colony, and the finances of this boy left in his care. His nephew would later carry on Whitfield's gunsmithing business after his death.

Copyright status:: In copyright - this collection has multiple copyright holders
Research & study copies allowed: Authors have been deceased for more than 50 years
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy copyright holder