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William Scholes came from England to
America because he won a lottery on New
Year’s Day 1849. The Potters’ Emigration
Society sought to make more jobs for its
members by paying to help randomly selected
members leave England. Originally based in
Staffordshire to help unemployed potters
there, the society expanded its reach, allowing
non-potters like William — who worked in a
cotton factory — to join.
William and his family were thus enabled to
leave the “dark satanic mills” of the
Manchester area for rural Wisconsin. He
wrote the following letter five months after
they arrived. Writing at length, he
enthusiastically promotes Wisconsin and his
return to the land, and defends the Potters’
Emigration Society against criticism.
Historical accuracy compels us to note that the
society went bankrupt late in 1850, making
the new settlers’ lives even more difficult than
usual. How exactly this affected the Scholes
family isn’t clear, but it can’t have been good,
especially since William appears to have had
no farming background and no sons of an age
to help.
I received this letter through the good offices
of Roger G. Bentley, 4874 Parkinson Blvd.,
Pierretends, Quebec H8Y 2Z3, Canada, who is
researching the history of the Potters’
Emigration Society in England and America.
Spelling has been retained exactly as
published in “The Potters’ Examiner, and
Emigrants’ Advocate,” Volume IX, No. 74
(November 1849), pages 587-588. Some
paragraphing added for readability.
Fox River, Winnebago, [Wisconsin]
September 23rd, 1849.
DEAR SIR, — I take this opportunity of
writing these few lines to you, and to all our
friends of the Branch [the Oldham branch of
the Potters’ Emigration Society], hoping they
may find you all in good health, as they leave
me and family at present. I promised when I
left you that I would write, and give you some
account, and that a correct one, of the land
and of our future prospects, as far as I was
able to judge, and I am now about fulfil that
promise to the best of my abilities.
We arrived hear on the 19th of May, and
found Mr. Twigg at his post, where he ever is,
and he received us very kindly, and he set us
to work immediately, and have been at it ever
since, with little intermission.
The land is rather of a sandy nature
throughout Wisconsin. As far as I am able to
learn, it is so on this settlement; some parts
are more so than others, some of the bluffs or
small hills are sandy, but the low flat lands are
of the finest black mould; some people said
that it was too sandy to produce anything, but
I only wish I had it in my power to send you a
sample of some potatoes that have been got
up this week, and I think the most prejudiced
would admit that finer potatoes were never
grown, they have not had one particle of
manure, the sets were put under the sod; and
that is all they have had, except hoeing up,
and the crop is a surprising one; and Twigg
has sown near 100 acres of fall wheat; on the
third day after sowing, it was up, and at this
time is four inches high, and looks beautiful, in
fact, the land will produce anything and in
abundance, but there are some men that
would grumble even if Manna were to come
down from heaven.
I have got five acres of fall wheat sown and it
looks very well; I have also got a cow, and a
young stear, that will soon be ready for the
yoke, with poultry and pigs, I think this is no
bad beginning for so short a time, but any
man may get on here if he will work, and if he
will not work he had better stay at home.
James Grey has left here for England, after a
stay of three months, during which time he
has saved 40 dollars, besides paying his
board, but he was never content, he was ever
grumbling about something, and never
content; he was afraid that the winter would
be too cold for him, and he could not live; he
owed me some money, and he agreed that his
shares in the Branch should be transferred to
Samuel Mills, of Bow street, my
brother-in-law, and enclosed is the document,
signed by himself, and witnessed by the
store-keeper and Twigg, and there are more
besides Grey that have left here. There is a
man from Birmingham named Farmer, who
only used the axe one hour, when he threw it
down and would work no more, and he is
telling the most pitiful tales about the
settlement.
I could say with Sterne, “alas! poor Yorick,”
there has come a set of men out who would
rather grumble than work, but I hope our
friends will not be discouraged by such men,
men who are not content to work any where;
heed them not, for their statements are false;
they have gone to Milwaukee, and told people
that we had nothing to eat, and were starving,
and numbers believed them, when nothing
could be more false.
We have had plenty of food ever since I came,
plenty of the necessaries, and many of the
luxuries of life, and that is something,
considering the distance from any town or
market; we are ten miles from the post office,
and about 120 miles from Milwaukee, about
the same from Galena, but in a few years we
shall have a market of our own, and every
thing requisite to make man comfortable. I
expect next year to have 10 acres of wheat
with my yoke of oxen and plough, which,
together with my labour for others in a few
years will render my work much easier, and
my family out of the reach of want.
How many of our friends in Oldham can say
the same? Not many, I think. For my part, I
would not come back for the best shop and
two pounds per week in Oldham, for I think I
can do much better here; I am only sorry that
I did not come sooner, but perhaps I might if
the Potters’ Emigration Society had come into
existence sooner, but I shall always feel
thankful that ever I heard of it, and so will
thousands besides me, for I assure you that
the exchange to the back woods, from the
stinking factory is greatly in favour of the
former, and I often wish that more of our hard
working townsmen would leave their sickly toil
and come to one of the healthiest spots on the
earth.
Some of our grumblers complain that there is
too much marsh to be healthy. There are four
of us from Oldham here, and we have all
better health than at home. Any marsh, or
the greatest part of them are quite dry at this
time; we can go over them without the least
wet, except where there are springs. We
have some Yankees here who say that this
part is the most healthy.
So much for the marshes. But what can
people know who come and go back the same
week; but go who may, or come who may,
there is a goodly number here that are
determined to stay and carry out the plans of
our society, in spite of all our enimes, for you
will see that we are not without opposition
here. There are men not far from this, who
are doing all that they can to upset the
concern, but they will fail in their diabolical
attempts.
As we were coming about 10 miles from this,
we met with Pickering, [Editor’s note in
original: This man owes the society upwards
of £70; and left the Pottersville estate to get a
more comfortable living by preaching the
gospel. To escape his debt, he has done all
he could to break up the society, and to
defame the characters of its managers.] who
told us some dismal tales. He said it was a
pity that we had come, and we asked him why
we could not do as well as him, and he said it
was not a pity that we had come into this
country, but it was a pity that we were going
to the Indian land to be starved to death; and
there are others who complain that there is no
company.
Why, there is as much company as any one
could expect in the Back Woods, but it is the
wrong sort; there is not the jerry shop — there
is not the swill bowl to bezzle in, in which
some men delight so much — there are no
fairs and wakes — there are no such
amusements as these, and some people
cannot endure it; but it is as the Indians say
chop, chop, chop, and make the Dear
Puckagee, that is, run away ten miles back. If
men must come here, they must ply the axe
or the plough; and if they come with a
determination to do that, they need not fear.
I have got 35 acres of first-rate ploughing
land, and six acres of marsh land for the
cattle. We mow our hay from the marshes,
which some people grumble about so much,
indeed, the marsh land is very good; and now,
sir, you may assure our friends that they have
nothing to fear in coming here, but every
thing to hope for the best.
There has been some talk about Twigg leaving
here. I hope the society will keep him here
another year, at all events, for such another
man cannot be sent out, and get through the
affairs of this place as he can. I assure you
that he has the confidence of all well-meaning
men, and if he were to leave us at present, I
fear the worst, as the Colony is in its infancy,
and he is just the man to carry it through; he
deserves well of the society, and long as he
does his duty with the same activity as at
present, they cannot be better served.
Henry Matley is living with me, and has got his
forty acres of land, and cow and calf, and is in
very good health; he thinks it strange that he
should not hear from his family since he came
here, as he wrote to them, and sent several
newspapers since he landed at New York,
from there and Buffalo.
John Goulding is also with me, and in good
health, and with me he deprecates and
contradicts the false statements that have
been circulated by designing men, for if we
were so bad off as some of them say, we
should not stay here, for we can, any of us,
get away when we think proper. Ask James
Grey how he got away from here after a stay
of three months, for he had not a cent when
he came, but he was indebted to others for
getting up at all, so that he must have had
something somewhere from somebody to
bring him back again to Oldham.
There are a many coming out this fall; they
are coming in crowds, so much so, that I fear
some inconvenience will be felt for want of
houses, as every one cannot have a house all
at once; and we are all busy getting in the
seed, and attend to the new comers.
Mr. Haslam has arrived here, and is at present
with me for a few days, until his house is
ready. William Hallam is also here, and is
working for the society at present, till such
time as he gets on his land. He is in good
health, and getting on; and now I think that
sufficient has been written to put you and all
our friends on your guard against designing
men, and frightened old woman, who have no
business from home without some one to look
after them, and to take care of them, and to
keep them warm in winter, and see that all
their wants are supplied in summer. Poor
things! I despise the former, but I can but
pity the latter. The former may spit his
venom, it falls quite harmless, and hurts no
one but himself and the latter; but I will soil
no more paper with them, for if our friends at
home do their duty, we will do ours, and we
shall prosper in spite of them all.
Please to remember me to the Branch, and to
all friends of the society. I must now conclude
with my respects to you all, and hope that our
friends will not be led away by the false
statements of men coming from here, for
there no is one comes out but may do as well
as I have done if they will, if they wont, they
have no right to go up and down the country
crying the society down, and striving to injure
those that injure them not. J. Goulding wishes
you to remember him to friend Cole, and all
our Temperance friends, and to all inquiring
friends — Mallam and Mately the same.
I should be very happy to hear from you when
you can make it convenient to write, as we
hear nothing from Oldham concerning the
state of the society, and the affairs of the
town and neighourhood, and newspapers sent
from England scarcely ever reach here, not
one in twelve coming to hand, except sent by
some one coming direct here. Please
remember me to all our friends and relations,
and to all inquiring friends, I remain, yours
respectfully,
WILLIAM SCHOLES
born 14 December 1814 in or near Oldham, Lancashire
married Ann Mills 20 April 1835 Prestwich, Lancashire
died 13 October 1864 in Vicksburg, Mississippi
ANCESTORS: We’re still looking for William’s parents;
his baptism has yet to appear in or near Oldham at the time
he is said to have been born.
COUSINS: Probably lots if we could identify his birth
family for sure! Family tradition has it that he was the
youngest of thirteen, and that at least two married and had
children and emigrated separately.
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