Family:James Williams and Ann Bucknell (1)

Identification of James William's wife Ann as Ann Bucknell is inferred from her birth-place listing as Raddington on the 1851 census combined with the 1804 Raddington marriage registration which provides a suitable James Williams plus Ann match. Further evidence would prove the connection. Baptism records for the children, particularly Mary, which include Ann's maiden name and or provide further supporting date and location evidence are needed.

Transcript of March 1853 Letter: James Williams in Durston, Somerset, to his aunt Elizabeth Williams Tattle, Toronto, Canada

Editor's Note: Original capitalization, spelling and punctuation has been retained and clarification provided in square brackets ([]) where needed.

For

Mr. George Tattle

Market Gardner

Toronto

Canada West

Durston March 29th 1853 Dear Unckle And Aunt I have Now Taken The Opertunity of Embracing You With These Few Lines Which We do hope in Trust that They will Find you All In Good Health As it Leaves us All Well At Present Thank god For it For We have No wone Else to Thank For it Butt him )( Dear Unckle And Aunt I have Now taken My Pen in hand to Fullfill Your Desires Which you Proposed In your kind And Welcombe Letter That is you wants to know where All your Friends And Relations Are

Dear Unckle And Aunt I Am Sorry to Say That Your Sister Gane is Dead. Shee Died in Child-Bed And the Child is Now Living. Shee Died in 1843, October 10th) And thy [the] Boy Lived With her Father Untill he Died And Your Dear Aunt And Your Mother is Dead Shee died the 31st of May 1852) Dear Aunt Shee Was Found Dead And there Was No Wone in the house Except the Little Boy of Ganes. For Your Dear Father Was Gone to Kingston A Sheepshearing And Some Wone Went to him to tell him of it And he Returned Directly So Fast As Possible. Dear Aunt And he Almost Broke hiss hart About it, Dear Aunt And Your Dear Father is Dead he Died the 13th of March 1853, And Wee Received your kind And Welcombe Letter the 17th of March 1853) And he Was Buried the Sunday As Wee Received Your Aimable Letter on Thursday the 17th hee Was Buried the 20th of March in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Eight-hundred And Fifty Three) Dear Aunt Your Brother James is Living in London And he is Married And Doing Well) Dear Aunt your Brother Liass is Living in London And he is Married And Doing Well) Dear Aunt Your Brother Rubin is Living in London Also And he is Married And Doing Well) And Your Brother henery is living At Creech And he is Not Married Butt Ane Fry keeps house For him) And your Brother William is Living at Langhaller And he is Married And Doing Well At Present. Dear Aunt Your Brother John is Living At Durston Still he is Married And Doing Well For he Lives in his Own Estate For he Bought that Place Where Baker Parsons used to Live When you whare home. Dear Aunt Your Sister Mary Is Gone to Texese in America And Shee is Married Shee have Been Gone a Boutt 4 years And Shee Married A Man By the Name of John Burge. And he is A Baker By Trade And When She Was Married hee had 6 Children And Shee have had 4 Children By him Wen Shee Went Away And the Youngest Was About 3 years of Age When Shee Went Away. Your Sister Mary have been Married About 8 years Butt Shee have Not had the kindness to Send us A Letter Since Shee have Been Gone to America And When Shee Started Shee Went From Our house We Thinks it Overy hard of her in Not Sending Us A Letter When Shee Arived Over There) Dear Aunt your Brother James have Got No Children your Brothers Liass Wife have Got 2 Children Ditto Your Brothers Rubin Wife have Got 1 Child Ditto Your Brother William Wife have Got 1 Child. Dear Aunt your Brother John Wife have Got 2 Children And I Am The Youngest of them And I Am the Author And Riter of this Letter

My Name is James Williams And I Am 21 years of Age the 10th of April Next in this Present Year 1853) Dear Aunt I Was Born 13 Days After you Went Away Dear Aunt you Might As Well Stayed Untill I Come to Town For I have Not the Pleasure of knowing of you Dear Unckle And Aunt Please o Give My Dearest Love to My Dear Cosins And Please to Except of the Same Your Selves Likewise All of Your Brothers And there Wifes Gives there kind Love to you All) And Likewise All of Your Old Comerads Gives there kind Love to you All

Dear Aunt I Should Like to See you Very Much Perhaps I Might Some Day) Dear Aunt My Sister Mary Gives her kind Love to her Cosens And Please to Except of the Same yourselves And Please to Give Each of them A kiss For Each of Uss For James And Mary

Dear Unckle And Aunt Wee have had Very Severe Winter For We have had Snow 10 feet Deep And There have Been Several Lives Lost in the Snow Likewise Great Dea of Frost And Rain Butt We Do think that We Shall have A Good Crops it is Very Likely At Present

Dear Unckle And Aunt I hope That you Will Answer this Letter so quick As you can For We Shall Bee Very Anxious to hear From you Again Dear Unckle And Aunt I Should Like to Come to your Country to See That Part For I Am [Fond][Tired] of this Old Autdacious Lands) For I Am Not Married Nor Yet Any Likeleyhood At Present But My Sister Mary is Going to Be Married on Whiteson Munday That is the Time Fixed At Present Dear Unckle And Aunt We Was So Glad to hear From You We Thought that All of you Was Dead And Buried For You have not Send Us No Letter Since you have Been Gone your Brother John Said that you Must have Been Dead And Buried

Dear Sister I Am Prety Well of in Welth Thank God For it For I have Got A Very Pretty Place of My Own I Bought it Last Midsummer it Cost Mee 360 Pounds In hard Cash of English Money)

Dear Unckle And Aunt

The Things Which Are Seen Are Temporal But the things which Are Not Seen Are Eternall there is Nothing Permanent Or Lasting in this World And the tall Oak is As Easly Cut Down By the hand of Omnpotence As the Plant is Plucked Up I Feel Myself Growing Weak And Must Therefore Conclude May that Gracious God Who has thought proper To Continue to Support Us Under this And Every Other Trial Till We arrive At the Last At That kingdom Where he Wearey Are At Rest) And I hope that they Are All At Rest)

Dear Unckle And Aunt I Am Sorry to Say that We have had the Disease in the Potatoes We have had it For they [the] Last 8 years And We have None harley But We Lives in hopes that We Shall have some More this year) Dear Aunt your Old Mate Francey Gardner is Married to John keane [kearle?] And Shee have had 10 Children) Dear Aunt Sharlott Wilkins is Not Married Now yet James Wilkins And there Father And Mother is Now Living) Dear Aunt your Father Was 73 years of Age And When he died he was Living Along With his Son William At Langhaller) Dear Unckle And Aunt We Can Go Any Where kear [near?] in this Part Now by Steam to Any Part of England For We have Got A Station At Outwood Whare Old Mr Gready house used to Stand) And We have Got Likewise A New Church And Scoal house Durston is Improved Very Much in this Last Few years) Dear Unckle And Aunt I do hope that you May Come home to Old England to see All of us wonce More)

Dear Unckle And Aunt So Now I Must Conclude From your Dear Brothers And Sisters Laws And From your Well Wishing Friends) And Likewise your Respecting Friends And All your Inquirers

Dear Sister so I Remain your Affectionate Brother .. John Williams

Likewise your Affectionate Sister Law .....Betsey Williams

I Am Dear Aunt With the Greates Sincerity And Well Wishes James Williams

So I Remain your Well Wishing Friend ....Mary Ann Williams

Dear Unckle And Aunt Do Please to Rite So quick As you Can

Directions For Use John Williams Butcher Durston Near Taunton Somersetshire

[PS] Dear Aunt I hope that you will excuse such Bad Riting As This So Good Night And God Bless You All