Of Whitchurch Shropshire. Clockmaker.

Copy of letter from Thomas Joyce (1794 - 1861) to his Son, Thomas Joyce (1830 - 1895) addressed to: Mr. Thos Joyce, Mr. Kings, Accadia Estate, Rio Bueno, Trelawney, Jamaica and postmarked 16 June 1846

My dear Tom
We have at last recd. a letter from you it was dated 14th April but you could not have sent it of ten days after as your Mail did not leave until 24th so it did not come before the Packet which left Jamaica on 9th May and was delivd. to me 9th June, you should try to get your letters in time for the packet for you would find by the one I enclosed to Hyde Clarke how much we were distressed at not hearing from you, but your letter which came to hand last Tuesday has set all right, it was a most excellent letter & well written some of the spelling wanted correcting but that you will get better of if you take pains, I read it to Mr. & Mrs. Bromfield & family, he said it was much better than Jas. writes, his are full of small talk, and fit for Ladies, but yours is full of pith & a good business like letter, I say so too and poor Mamma is delighted with it, I dare say it will for a while be a trouble to you but if you use yourself to letter writing it will be as easy as talking, you must not expect much news from me I am only a business body & as you seem to be full of business I shall at once commence, I have seen Wycherley, he wants to double your order but I tell him not, for although it would be no more expence to send out a large stock than a small one I think you had better not deal too largely at first, I believe he will send 12 bridles 4 saddles &c, you do not say whether you have sold any Saddles but as you are ordering more, I told Wycherley I would pay him for what you took out when he forwarded the next lot, you do not say from what port we must send them nor who to direct them to, I suppose they should be left to the care of somebody at Falmouth, Mr. King would advise you what to do, also whether to trust the man who sells for you, you know we told you to look after your money and trust nobody, I think you had better sell articles that are good rather than fine looking, I shall send you 6 doz. of our 8 penny knives at 6d. each, & a doz. of better ones, I think you had better have some Razors of different patterns, I do not understand what description of watch you want to sell at £5 we retail such as your spare one was at £6.15 but you ought to get more, when Jas. returns I will talk it over with him, I am determined to help you all in my power and will get what you want at the wholesale price, but you must adopt some plan of remitting money if I am to pay all, when you send accounts always calculate in English money, according to agreement Wycherley was not to be paid until you had sold his goods but I thought it better to pay for the first lot & you can remit to me when you sell them, be sure keep your accts. as you can understand them, let me know when you sell his goods that I may pay him, you do not whether you have sold a watch, or which it is you could sell if you had a glass, you took spare Glass's for the spare Lever, I have the size of your own for which I will send you a doz. if none fit you could give a Watch Maker two to fit you one, do you think some second hand Watches at about £2 would sell, I shall give you a pr. of spurs & £20 when you can assure me you have gained that much so mind how you speculate I have just lost £33 by a Malt Customer at Ashton that Thos. Peacock recommended to me, last week I was at Middlewich & got the order for the Church Clock at £200 Harris will finish the Broughton & Bowden Clocks this week Jas. went last Monday to survey them and Emma went with him, he goes to Liverpool next Monday & John is to meet him, they will proceed to Dublin to see Con, I told you in one of …………….. letters that he got honours at the Feby …… also of the sudden death of Doctor Beacall, & ……………. Wirswall for £260 Mr. Cotton will arrive …………….. in a day or two when he will either enlarge …………………. or build one in another place, they are m…………… 100,000 more bricks, he bought Tapleys ………….. being a cool bottom the land there looks as …………………….. we have had three weeks of the hottest weather ……………. -ber, & but little rain, the land is burning in …………………… I made 8 thousand bushels of Malt last sea ……………. have unfortunately sold two thirds, from a ………………….. we shall have short crops of barley, this ……………….. will be more trying to you than if you had been ………………… Island, but it is the will of an allwise Prov. ………….. he does all things right, I dare say the differe………… living is as great a trouble to you as ……………….. Griffiths is here and has given me a Sovereign to buy you a Cheese, it is very kind of her for which you must thank her when you write, if the weather continues very hot it may be better to wait a while before we send it, should you like a ham or bacon sent, it would be expensive by the time you get it, but if it would be a treat to you we would send some - I expect Mamma will send you a Plum Cake, you should say how your two cheese eat & thank the giver telling them you do not forget them although at a distance, I hope your fit out was considered sufficient & that you would have £20 to put by, did you count your money when you settled down that you may know when to call upon me to perform my promise you are not to reckon the money which you sell the articles for that I gave you as part of the £20 which you were to make, I intend to give you that amount when you gain that much by trading & saving out of your wages, I suppose wages will be very small, let us know what your employment is & whether you think you shall like when you become accustomed to it, be sure you keep respectable Company & improve yourself with reading the time may arrive when you fill a higher station in society many great people have had smaller beginnings than you, it will perhaps be better for you if I give you £10 when you gaind. the first ten, instead of waiting for the £20 if you strive to do the best you can I will help you all in my power.
(Unsigned)
N.B. Great-grandson's comments: the dogs above refer to portions of the letter which are now missing. The punctuation (or lack of it) as appearing above is exactly as it appears in the original letter.
P.C.J
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Copy of letter from Charlotte Wood (nee Joyce) (1819 - ?) to her Brother, Thomas Joyce (1830 - 1895) enclosed in a parcel despatched to the latter

Whitchurch July 31st 1846

My dear Tom
I am afraid I shall not be able to fill this sheet of paper, as I did not intend writing to you by this packet, but Papa wished you to have a letter and he has not time to write to you today, and it being the last day for this packet some one must write today, I wanted Conway to write to you but he is too idle, I have not much time today but I will try to do the best I can towards filling this sheet. Fanny Clarke is here Aunt Sarah is at Aunt Ruscoe's, she has been there for more than a fortnight. Sarah Clarke came with her and stayed at my Aunts nearly a fortnight. Mr. Wood and myself returned with Sarah to Bryntysilio and a very pleasant visit we have had, we returned last Wednesday and brought Fanny with us, I like my Uncle's house very much and I think the country very beautiful. My Uncle sent Letty a very pretty little dog, a very little black and white Spaniel called Pedro, she is quite delighted with it, she goes to school now to Miss Stonehouse (where Mr. Broughton Clay used to live) Letty is a day boarder, the little dog goes with her to school in a morning, and goes with Nurse to fetch her home again in the evening , so you may easily imagine how delighted she is, Mr Wood is on the look out for a nice little pony for them, they will then be quite set up with pets, I hardly known which they will like best they are very anxious for Uncle Tom to know they have a little dog. Johnny often writes to you on scraps of Paper but I do not think his letters are worth paying the postage, so I let him write and then I make the letters into spills, I intend to let him write to you, when Papa sends a box out to Jamaica and then his letters will help to fill up. Conway has been in Manchester a long while enjoying himself and now he is come home he has to work hard to make up for it. James and John have been to Dublin they went to fetch Conway home, John is out of his time today the last day in July, I do not know what he intends to do he has not heard of any situation yet, I think we had better send him to Jamaica to take care of you, we expected to hear from you by the last packet, I hope by this time you are settled in a new situation, if you had been with Mr Shawcross a little longer I have no doubt you would have been able to have managed to do all Mr King required. The Broomfields in the Green End have received letters from James he did not say anything about you he says he has to work very hard. Emma is still in Manchester she is making a very long visit, Mr Hughes baby was christened while Conway was in Manchester, Emma was the Godmother and James and Conway where the Godfathers, Johnny and Letty are very much amused at the idea of Conway being a Godfather Mr. Hughes is going to remove to another house much larger and nearer the Botanical Gardens. I do not think I have much news to tell you there is not much going on in our little town Mr. Wilson in Doddington is dead, his property is all advertised to be sold. I think you know Mr. Brookes is quite blind he has had two paralytic strokes, one very lately, he is now very poorly, I should not be at all surprised to hear of his death at any time as he will always be liable to more attacks of the same kind. Mr. W. L. Brookes is very busy altering the house Mrs. Kirkpatrick lived in opposite to us he is going to be married soon. George Venables the Blacksmith is dead. John Edwards sent to invite me to go to Liverpool Prince Albert was there yesterday and today the town is very gay, it was to be illuminated yesterday evening, almost everybody is gone to see His Royal Highness there has been very great preparation for him, I believe he went to lay the foundation stone of the Sailors Home. Mr. Wood is very busy in the corn harvest, the weather is very hot, and we have had very hot weather this summer. If I have an opportunity of sending to Chester before Papa sends the box to you I intend to send for a tin box of biscuits for you we have had one and very good they are. I think I have told you all the news. We every one unite in a great deal of love for you.
G. E. WOOD

My dear Tom
It is a fortnight today since I write the first part of this letter, when I brought this for Papa to enclose I found he had written a long letter, and the postage would be double if I sent mine so I thought I would keep this for another opportunity. Papa will send a box from here for the next Monday I shall put some newspapers for you to read in the box they will help to keep the things stead in the box, Papa has received Hyde Clarke's letter enclosing one from you, since I wrote the beginning of this. I cannot stay to write more we are all well and send love to you from your affectionate Sister. August 14th
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Copy of letter from Thomas Joyce (1794 - 1861) to his Son, Thomas Joyce (1830 - 1895) addressed to: Mr Thos. Joyce, Etingdon Estate, Trelawney, Jamaica and postmarked "Whitchurch-Salon No 30 1846" and "Paid UP 1 DE 1846"

Whitchurch Nov. 20th. 1846
My dear Tom
The last letter I sent to you was dated Octr. 30th the last I recd. from you was dated 13th Sepr. by mentioning these particulars we shall know whether any have miscarried, on the day I last write I sent the gold Watch and guard which I hope you would now about receive safe, also a letter from Charlotte, you had better write to her next, you can tell her of anything that happens near you or about J. Bromfield or H. Clarke let her know your height & whether your clothes are got too small, any little thing will amuse them Johnny and Letty both send their love, they are getting very nice children, Mr. Shawcross is going to leave & John will go to Mr Peak after Christmas, Hyde Clarke has mentioned two or three times that he should like a Cask of our Ale, we filled a 30 Gal. barrel for him this day three weeks & Shall send it to Liverpool in a day or two to be forwarded by the Ship Mersey you had better let him know that he may look out for it, as I do not know how to direct it, I have sent twice to Bryntisilio for the directions & wrote again yesterday. I hope to have it in time, but you had better let Hyde know as there will be no Packet of a fortnight I hope you have all the goods &c that I sent from Liverpool the Vessel sailed the 11th Sepr. let us know how everything suits your market, Grove was here last week with Watch Glasses, he wanted me to send you a Cargo, you can enquire from the Watch Makers what they would give, I can get them for you as follows Common 9d. a doz. Patent thick ones 2/- a doz. Lunettes 1/6d a doz. I dare say you could get three times the amount for them & and if you ordered a large quantity of had any other goods to go out the carriage would not be much, I wish you could get us an order for Clocks, Spring Timepieces would be about £3 if made to strike about £5, we sell them at £8, they would be like the one in Mr. Peaks School, always name the price of your goods & trust to me to charge you as much lower as I can, I would rather hurt myself than you, Mrs. Ruscoe is here to tea she sends her love to you & is glad you write in such good spirits, she leaves her house in Jany. & will visit her friends for some time before she rents another house, Chas. Moyle is gone into a Bank at Manchester, before he had been there three days he wrote to say he was not content from home & would come back, Richd. had to go over & give him a good lecture, but he wrote in a week after to say he would come home, Richd. said he was Master & would not let him, Mrs. James has come home and brought her three children they are all quarrelling & Richd. says the shall not stop - Wm. Brookes was married a few weeks ago to Mrs John Mayow's Sister the bells rang for several days there was dining Tea drinking &c. Con, is not coming home these holidays, he was examined for five days & was recommended for honours, he gained the premium for giving the best answers on religious subjects - he cannot write so well as you when you take pains I hope in time you will get to spell better, read when you have spare time & notice how words are spelt, I was as bad as you once, you generally spell write wrong look to your Dictionary you will find the right way - & when you direct write England in larger hand than the other directions Mr. Cotton is now in the shop he says if you keep from drinking too much & not out late at night you will have a good chance in keeping your health, I hope you are doing as well as you expect, Mamma is often fretting about you, she fancies you are sadly punished & not content but wont tell, I say if you can only bear at present, you will every hear (every year? P.C.J.) be doing better, but that if there is no chance for you you may come home, but I then ask what is to become of you if you do come home, John is here doing nothing and cannot get employed, he has not a pound of his own, so you are better and of than him, if I could see any chance of your doing better in England I would send for you directly, but I think if you can carry on a few years & gain by selling what I send out you will be able to do better when you have money at command, mind not to trust & take care of your money or send it home - always mention Bromfield they never hear from him & are much distressed, all send their love to you, believe me your affe. Father Thos. Joyce
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Copy of letter from Thomas Joyce (1794 - 1861) to his Son, Thomas Joyce (1830 - 1895) addressed to: Mr T. Joyce Etingdon Estate Trelawney Jamaica and postmarked "Whitchurch - Salon JA 31 1847" and "Paid RL 1 FE 1847"

Whitchurch Jany. 30th. 1847

My dear Tom
Last Tuesday we received your letter which you began in Oct. & finished 19th Decr. I am very sorry to hear of your having suffered so much, but it is a great comfort to us to hear you have so kind a friend in Mr. Tharp, I have written a letter to thank him which you must send or take to him the first opportunity, I have said that I should be glad to send him some hams or preserves or some Ale but I should first like to know how Hyde Clarkes turns out & what is the best time of year to send, I suppose Novr. you should not be so long without writing, it causes your Mamma to think you are ill, you could have had no excuse for want of time when you were at Mr. Tharps & as to your writing neither I or any of your brothers can write so well, your spelling also is very much improved & you can never want a subject to write upon, for we are always glad to hear any thing however trifling you may have to tell us, write free & easy as if you were talking to us, but more particularly mind to answer questions, we are glad to hear you are beginning to like the country & I daresay you will like better after a while if you have your health, you had better not attend funerals if you can help it, but take medicine occasionally, tell us how far you are from Mr. Tharp and whether you go to see him often but dont stop too long lest you should be troublesome, when you have another box sent out let us know whether you would like to make his daughter a present, I hope you got the Watch in time & have got paid for it & the guard, you should ask Mr. Tharp to tell you how you can remit money home as it is getting time to send some & if anything was to happen to you we should get nothing, there has not been a penny of John Ruscoes sent to England, and I have to pay for all I send to you, if you send an order upon any house in London I can get it cashed, do not be too close but let us know what your wages are & what you get by Merchandise, as you are payg. 3/- a week for a boy I hope you are doing pretty well, what have you for him to do, if he saves you trouble & you can afford it keep him, but try to save in time lest you should ever be served like Hyde is, let us know, on a slip of paper why he left his situation & what he is likely to do, I fear he has not laid much by, John Clarke is not able even to write a letter, I suppose he is kept by Mr Hodgson, Two of the Miss Ashworth's have died lately & there are fears of the other young ones going, they have been ordered to the South of England, Edwd. Clarke is gone there to see them, Mr Evanson has been confinded to the house six weeks & last Saturday Mrs. E. died, it is said Dr. Brown & Mrs. Kennurly are married, Richd. Hassall is still alive & drinks three bottles of wine a day, but he cannot last long, Mr. Bromfield is got well again, he told me to say they are all well but sorry to hear of Jas. being sick, they had a letter from him lately saying he was very well & that he liked the country, but that you always shyed him, he did not know why, if there is any thing wrong let us know, we shall not mention it, do not forsake him altogether, but do not go to see him or any one else when they have fever, when he wrote home he did not mention having received the parcel we enclosed in your box, I hope you sent it to him as soon as you unpacked, you should always write when we send out goods to say whether you receive them in good condition & whether they are the right kind, you will not do for a Merchant if you do not correspond, I hope the goods afford you a good profit I will any time send out as much as you can dispose of, you should enquire what articles sell best, you will be this time be able to form some idea whether you are likely to do best in England or Jamaica, you know the difficulties in getting a situation here (for John is idling at home still) & you know what you have to put up with in Jamaica, so put one against the other & let us know what you think will be best for you Sugar is now to be used in distilleries & Brewerleswhich will make your trade better, there are hundreds dying every day in Ireland for want of food, I have sent Con, £4 to give away, his examination is on now, we expect him home in a week, Mrs. Ruscoe has given up her house she has been a month with us & is now gone to Mr. Woods, Johnny sends his love & Say he hopes you will answer his letter, he goes to Mr. Peaks now, you must write to Charlotte next she will perhaps write next Packet, I always write by the one that leaves the 2nd. of each month, always offer to enclose a note from J. Bromfield it will save them postage, I send you a paper just recd. from Miss Hughes, when I get an illustrated London News I will send one, Barley fetches 8/- a mead, I continue to work the three Kilns which takes a deal of ready money.

Sunday 31st

We have all been at Church I hope you attend regularly, if you wish to prosper you must try to be religious whilst you are young, I attribute my prosperity to having a delight in the way of Godliness when I was your age, seek God in prayer & read His book & he will bless you all send love & hope to hear from your soon

Believe me your affectionate father

Thos. Joyce