THE STORY BEHIND THE LETTERS OF

ELIZABETH (KILLETT) GRAY

WRITTEN BETWEEN 1860 - 1871

These letters were written by ELIZABETH GRAY to her Grand Daughter REBECCA JANE KIRBY (nee GRAY) daughter of WILLIAM GRAY and MARY WHEELER.

They were passed down to Blanch Silcock (nee KIRBY) and now in the possession of GLEN KIRBY.

Berenice Pollard obtained the originals from Blanch and transcribed them, copied them and passed copies onto the following FAMILY MEMBERS.

I write to tell you I received yours dated 15th for which I was very glad to hear from you and to hear you were all well it gives me the greatest comfort I can have but there are some of them that I know that do not think it worthwhile to send me the scratch of a pen. But if they live to be a grandmother they will feel it maybe as I do for nothing gives me so much comfort as to hear that they and their children are all well. I am glad your dear mother is with you I hope you are all very comfortable and may the Lord keep you ever so are the prayers of your poor old grandmother.

My dear I have been very much cast down this last week for MARION and ANN is your two cousins. ANN is married to young man from London and she and her husband are gone to England and MARION is gone with her they cannot be parted MARION would not let her go by herself as she will soon be a Mother. I have been very low for I did not see them before they went and to make me worse my right arm is so bad and so painful I cannot scare do anything with it.

Your Uncle RICHARD and all of them were all well when I heard last and send their love to you. Your Uncle JOHN is well he came to see me last week AUNTS MANSON and ATKINS, HAYWARD and wife and ROBERT send their kind love to you and Mother and dear children. CHARLOTTE say she wish she could see them. HAYWARD lost his dear little one. Mrs Rosherton and girls send their respects to you . Now my dear I must conclude and may the LORD bless you and yours dear hear the constant prayers of your poor old grandmother till the LORD shall call her oh may she be found ready. Pray give my kind love to you. I remain my dear child may the LORD bless you and your Mother and your dear children so pray your affectionate GRANDMOTHER TILL DEATH

I received your letter dated December 3rd on this 19th day. I was glad to hear from you all for it is the greatest comfort I have in my old age to hear my dear children are well and comfortable. I had letters from England on the 20th from MARION and her sister Mrs WESTLEY they are in good health and very happy and her dear little boy is grown so fast and husband health is unstable she says we should be astonished to see him she says they hope to be in SYDNEY again in 12 months she say cold and sick to live and die in Brighton if all her dear belovered kind were there too but as it is she cannot forsake old Sydney.

But she is sick of England a very much she sick the ways and money of it and everything is so very cold. I heard from your Uncle RICHARD GRAY he and all the family are all well and send their love to you and your Mother and MARY LOVELL they are glad she is with you and love to the dear little one he say you must bless his Namesake for him

FURTHER PART TO THIS LETTER INCOMPLETE

I hope he will do well there is no fear if he keeps study I suppose the swamp is a Town now may the Lord bless him and his family my Dear Jane you say you have not received any letters from me I do not know it is for I always answer yours I do not know the reason you do not get them I am so glad to hear from you and the dear grandchildren I cannot forget to write for I want know how you are so as to hear I am very glad and thankful to you for kindness in writing for there is nothing gives me so much pleasure as to hear now in my old days how all my dear children and grandchildren are well.

Your Uncle Richard and family were all well when Ellen wrote last and gives their kind love to you, your Aunt Manson and Aunt ATKINS, Howard and wife, Robert Charlotte, and Richard JONES send their kind love to yourself and all with you when I write again I think I shall be able to tell you when we expect the girls out may the Lord send them safe. Mrs Roshesten and girls sent their kind respects to you they have been all ill but are better now there has been awful sickness in Windsor lately................ now my dear child I must conclude with my best love to you kiss the dear little ones and thank you for your kind letter

I have just got your kind letter ...........safe and glad to find it that you and all dear ones and well as this finds me and all in Sydney on Tues last. CHARLOTTE is quite well and staying with me for a few weeks. I heard from the girls in England they are well, on the 6th of September they say they will be out soon. But I fear they will not be out before Christmas but I hope to live to see them again if god will

Your Uncle RICHARD is well when I heard last and all join in kind love to you, all Aunts and cousins sent their kind love to you and your Mother and dear children and to their cousin MARY LOVEL. Well my dear I have bad news to send and much good your dear cousin RICHARD JONES is dead at the diggings at land...........

Oh it is a melancholy task to write it was by the ground falling in while he was sinking that killed him. Oh it grieves me to hear that such a good son as he was to his mother and to the young ones as he was for five years he kept his and all the children he was a son a husband and brother and father to them all for he laboured hard to do it and paid a nurse to wait on his Mother and a Doctor to tend for 26 weeks and then paid all the expenses for her Funeral he had everything very neat and the children all now choose to follow their Mother and he the dear soul has be kind to me the Lord bless his soul hear the prayers of his poor old Grandmother. I cannot help grieving that such a son should meet with such and end the Lord bless you all hear the continual prayers of your affectionate Grandmother

I received yours yesterday and was very glad to find you and the dear children were all well as this leaves me at this time in body health but my right arm is very bad and never will be any better but I am thankful to almighty for his great mercies to me while at my age that I am able to do my own work in my house my washing and keeping my place clean.

I find it a lot for sometimes to much for me but I do feel thankful to almighty god for his goodness to when I can see so many not old as me cannot do everything for themselves or see walk about not as me by 10 or 15 or even 20 years. Oh how ought I to bless the Lord for his mercies to unworthy me for sure. I may bless the Lord for his goodness and mercy has forward .... life I am glad to hear your Mother is well and with you pray give my kind love to her and Mary LOVELL may the Lord bless her and make her grow up a good woman may he lead her by his unerring spirit and guide her by his council hear the prayers of her poor old Grandmother and all her dear sisters and brother tell me how they all are the dear children and how is BETSY and MARY your sisters girl give my love to WILLIAM from your affectionate Grandmother till Death

I received your kind letter yesterday and was very glad to find by it that you were all well as this leaves all of us at this time thanks and blessing and praise be to almighty god for his mercy and loving kindness to me and to all of us may the lord bless you and all that are near and dear to you lead by his holy spirit and give you by his council and at last may we all meet where parting will be no more. Oh may the Lord pray many long years a poor woman of the earth yet I .......................... and the Lord has ......... put the bucket of life and give me to see another on Saturday last I entered my 87 year and bless the lord he still gives me the use of all my senses and all are very good considering my age the Lord has been to me to his ................ for fond blessings be his where love is my day .............so has my strength been glory be to God for his merciful goodness to me. Your aunts and cousins send their kind love to you and Mother and all cousins I do not know anything of your Uncle John I have not seen him near 3 years. My dear Jane I thank you for your kind letters it gives me the greatest comfort I have to hear that my dear children all that are near to me are well and are doing well and comfortable. I went up to Windsor a month since to see some of my old friends I stayed there 10 days and I came to Sydney they were all glad to see me and wanted me to stay longer. Mrs Roshesten and Mary send their kind regards to you she has no one at home but her Betty. Jane Ann are all married to three brothers. Stuck to her ...... to me ....God Mrs .......... is still there and she still walks to chapel she is 76 years but she is very ......... still live in the old house ....... yet now my Dear I conclude with kind love daily to all prays. Give my kind love to your Mother till death call her.

This is the HARD work I have to do is to write for my right arm is so bad sometimes I can scarcely hold the pen

I hope this will find you and all of you in good health. I received your kind letter which I should answered before but I was sick in bed when I got yours and only now just able to sit to hold my pen, but I bless God he has once more saved me from the mouth of the grave blessed be his Holy Name for his mercy and goodness that has favoured me all the days of my life and still comfort me Oh my soul bless the lord and all that is within bless his Holy name for all his blessings to me and to all those that ever were and dear to me. Pray give my kind love to your Mother and Mary Lovell and your dear children and to yourself and all the rest of the family and ley me know how Mary husband is I hope he is all right again. Aunts and cousins join in love to you all I shall return to Windsor again next Wednesday God willing and now may the Lord bless you all my dear children. I hope you will excuse this short letter for I am not able to write I am so weak.

May the Lord bless and keep and give you all till we may meet in a better place so pray your ever affectionate Grandmother till death.

I received yours and should have answered it before but I waited for the England letters. I have sent you my for you to read and send it back to me when you write again. I was glad to hear you were all well as it leaves all here but myself and I am very poorly. I am so weak I cannot do anything now if I go to do anything I am done up I cannot .......everything at my .......I have not ......... a sixpence these last eighteen months nor I suppose I will ever shall again. But it is the will of God so I will not pine for the Lord now bless the Lord the judge of all the earth cannot do wrong for he is to wise and to good to be unkind for he has proven That No Good Thing Shall Be Wanted To Those That Walk Up Rightly and we know that his promises cannot fail I know by past experiences that his promises are all sure and so goodness and mercy has followed me all the my days and he will not save me now in my old days bless be his Holy name oh may we all meet in that happy place .............will be no more and sorrow and sin shall be no more but God himself shall wipe away all tears from our eyes.

Your Uncle Richard and all of them were well when I heard last they have 2 girls and 6 boys. You heard Ellen is married and Jane is living with her they all send their kind love to you and Mother and all of you and Aunty MANSON and Aunty Nancy as do Charlotte, Howard and Uncle John he was with me 3 weeks since they all join me in fond love to you all. Mrs ROSHESTER sends her kind respects to you give my kind respects to Mr Glinfince now may the Lord bless you and your dear children and may they grow up to be blessing to you in your old days may the Lord bless them and keep them from all evil hear the daily prayers of their poor old great grandmother. Now my dear grand daughter may the lord bless you and be merciful onto you and all of you and may we all meet in heaven for I do not see you or them again in this world of tears I was glad to hear your brother and Mary are well, where is Betsy staying, good bye from your affectionate old grandmother

I received your kind letter this morning and was very glad to hear that you were all well as it leaves all here at this time bless God for his blessings to me to all of us for I am better this last three weeks than I have been since this day twelve months bless the Lord oh my soul and that is .............................all his goodness to me for I never thought to see this day but the lord is good. We heard from the girls this mail they are all well but Ann's husband he is not very well the doctors say he must not take to the sea so they have settled in England and Marion is coming out she expected to go on board on the 5th November last month and Lord bring her safe she has not good health may the Lord strengthen her now may the Lord bless you and all belonging to you Aunt Ann, Charlotte and Aunt Manson send her kind love to you all and we all join in kind love. Uncle Richard and all of them well when last wrote I will more next time

From your affectionate Grandmother and Great Grandmother

I received yours and pray do not think me unkind not writing to you before but you will not think so when you see scars of it. I have been nearly burnt to death but the Lord was merciful to me and spared me a little longer. I had a very narrow escape for my hands and feet were more burnt and my right side to the waist and only for your Aunt and cousins being in the house I might have been burnt to death. Your poor Aunt got her right hand badly burnt bless the lord we are all well again from that. Marion gone up to Forbes to see Howard her brother so we do not expect her down till this cold winter is gone. We heard they all got a letter the other day they were all well as I hope this will find you all well we here pretty well at present, but my dearest I am loosing my strength very much in old I can say I have not had a days good health since I have been in Sydney. I cannot expect to be as I was 20 years ago I am in my 86th year. Your letter was posted in Brisbane on my Birthday 28th

Aunt Atkins and Charlotte and Robert all join me in kind love to your Mother and the Dear Great grandchildren and Daughters. I they are grown man and women by this time I hope they all grown good children and grow up in the fear of the Lord and may Lord give them by his kindness and lead them by his council hear the prayers I say by day of their poor old great grandmother that we may all meet in heaven. At last Charlotte is writing to Uncle Richard to say he poor boy they have had a very grievous affliction poor Aunt Mary Ann has lost her senses I expect to hear from them again soon and he fret so much I........ say may the Lord bless and comfort him hear the prayers of his poor old Mother. Now my dear conclude with kind love to your Mother your self dear Richard, Elizabeth, Mary Lovell and all the rest of the family may the Lord Bless them all give my kind respects Mrs Campbell when see her in ........ living in Ipswich. Mrs Mary Roschester send their respects to you..

And now the Lord bless. I trust in the Lord I shall have better news to send next time. Now may the Lord bless you all so pray your Grandmother and Great Grandmother till Death,

I hope this will find you all well it leaves us better than we have been all of us have been ill this winter one after another now your poor Aunt Atkins is very poorly now but thank the Lord we are all better than we have been for a long time..that ...... me I cannot expect to be much better had for I have some days better and then the next I am bad but bless God I am still able to do my own little things for myself. I am well as I find it in the will the best but bless God for his goodness and mercies to me I am 90 YEARS old though many trouble and strife he has bought me to old age .......... and now I am poor and ........... Lord I trust will keep the last he will save me......... well at the last he has to old....... and members witness pray give my kind love to all the family I hope they are all well and till that day in a very he send me. Give my kind love to all your family I hope they are all well I hope I am able to write and it better than this.

I have not been able to write for more than twelve months. I have ......four days then and I do not expect you will to make it our for I cannot ...... has still to hold the pen. May the Lord bless you all from your poor old Grandmother / Great Grandmother.

I have just received your kind letter dated Oct 10th. I am very glad to see by it that you all are well as it leaves all here at this time. Bless the Lord for it. I have great reason to bless the Lord for his mercies to me. Thank you for your kind letter this morning for I was very much cast down, but the news from you has cheered me up for there is nothing cheers me so much as to hear from my dear children it is all the comfort I have. Besides going to Chapel for I do not like this place at all for I am staying here and I do not feel at home I am going to Windsor for a few weeks a change it will liven me up. I will write from there to you and let you know how I got up and what news I hear then I shall give your respects to Mrs Roschester your Aunts send their love to you Mrs Atkins and Mrs Manson and cousins Charlotte and Marion is still with her brother at the .............. we got letters from Ann this mail they are still much the same. Your poor Uncle Richard has got great trouble I have sent you his last letter you can send it back when you again pray give my kind love to Mother and Mary Lovell and to all the rest of your family now my dear I am I conclude with much love to you and dear Betsy and Richard and may the Lord bless you and yours from your affectionate Grandmother and Great Grandmother

I write now in answer to your last kind letter. I hope this will find you all well as we at this time. Bless the Lord for it I should write before but stayed to hear from your Uncle Richard I got a letter from Ellen yesterday and your Aunt is no better she say the Doctor say she will never be any better Ellen say her father do fret so at it he is very poorly. Poor man he has little strength and now this is the worst of all oh that he may ....... him to bear his troubles Ellen say it makes her heart bleed when she see him poor Ellen has just confined with a fine girl and your cousin in England has got another girl born on the 23rd May and Ellen's was born on 20th May. I am still in with your Aunt Ann she sent her kind love to you as do Charlotte she is grown a fine young woman she just out grown all the rest she is head and shoulders tall over I am.

I should like to see your two dear ones but cannot expect to see any of you or them anymore well may the Lord bless you and them all that I am glad dear little Betsy got well with her lettering. I should dearly like to see how she is grown so much by this time. I had a letter from Richard Jones your Aunt Hannah's son he is at the snow diggings and his brother John. I have not heard from your Uncle John since he left 5 months ago. I know not where he is or in what part he is in . god only knows where he is. Now my dearest Jane I must conclude by giving all kind love from Marion and Ann and Aunt Nancy and AUNT Manson, Hayward, Robert, Charlotte to you and Mother I be joy to hear you are all well as this leaves me at his time bless the Lord for his goodness to me. I am in good spirits to hear of so many of my dear ones are so well and happy this Christmas time. I thank the Lord for it Mrs Roschester and girls send their respects to you and Mother now my dear may the lord bless you and grant you health and peace and long life to rear your dear children and may they be a comfort to you in old age this are the daily prayers of your affectionate Grandmother give my kind love to your Mother accept same your for yourself

I write tell you I received your last letter and thanks to almighty God and his blessing to you and all of us. I thank you for kindness to write to me for there is nothing gives me so much pleasure as to hear all my dear families. Well it is such comfort to me to receive a letter from any of them and bless God that he gives me sight to read and hear and to write to them again as my soul bless the Lord for all his trust and care ours, me and all of us and may we forget not his mercy. Your Mother ............ and it ............and all the family as ....... your poor Aunt Mary Ann is once again in the Asylum I would have wrote sooner but I wanted to hear from them and may the Lord bless them all and all my dear children and grandchildren and great grandchildren and every branch of the family. Even though distant branches of the family ............. the daily prays of your .........of your Grandmother till death.

I have been up to Windsor this 4 weeks I shall go down again before ........... up. I write to you as soon as I get to Sydney again, but I do not like Sydney at all I am not contented there my dear. Give my kind love to your dear Mother and to all loved and dear children and all the rest of the family.

I sincerely hope you are all well as this leaves me at this time. Bless the Lord for it all at Sydney send there kind love to you. Now may the Lord bless you all ........ been a great.........of sick hear.......,,,,Mrs Rochester sends her kind respects to you.

Now my ever dear Grand Daughter I join all to you and all of you may the Lord Bless you all.........the prays of your poor old Grandmother till Death

My Ever Dear Grand Daughter and Great Grand Daughters and Son,

I would have wrote before but I have been very poorly myself. I was very bad in bed when I got yours and the likeness, I was very much pleased to see them and rejoice to see how they are growing since I was there. I think Mary Lovell is growing like her Mother and your dear one will be the as much like you. But why did you not take your Son for I assure you I feel very proud of my great grandchildren oh may the lord bless them as they grow up they may grow good and be a blessing to you in your old days and the Lord will bless them, nothing gives me so much comfort in my old days as to hear of my dear children are well and comfortable. Oh may the lord bless them all and may they be all be lead by his holy spirit and love by his council and at last may we all meet with him sometime. ............... everlasting there all over graceful ...... I hope this will find you all well as it leaves all here at this time. Bless the Lord for his mercy and goodness and kindness.

Pray give my kind love to your Mother and your dear daughter and son and Mary Lovell and to all the rest when you see or hear from them I hope they are all well and ........will you send your sons likeness next time. I have not heard from your Uncle Richard since I wrote to you last they were all well, we got a letter from Marion the same time we got yours they were all well there and send their love to all Mrs Rochester are well and all the family Mary is not married yet there is some of the family at home now Mary Butchy has got six children James his got 5 Jane 4............2 William 3 Charles 2 now my dear give my kind love to your Mother now is Betsy daughter is married to and now her son is married I have got a letter from your Uncle Richard whilst I write this they are well now but have been very poorly your Aunt is at home but Ellen say leads your poor Uncle such a life that........... grieves her to ......the heart to see him for he fret so they send their kind love to all I have sent you their ........... now may the Lord bless you all and prayers your poor Grandmother till death call her

I am glad to see by your very kind letter safe that you and all the family when all well as this leaves all here at this time thanks be to the almighty Lord his mercy and goodness to me and to all of us may the Lord us all and all that are near and dear to you may the lord bless them there is nothing gives me so much pleasure as to hear all my dear children and grand children and great grandchildren are well and if I hear that they are walking in the good and right way oh what a blessing that will be to meet in heaven at last after all trails and troubles will before ever over and God himself shall wipe away all tears from our eyes where sorrow and sin shall never come, but all joy and gladness for evermore. Oh that all that are near and dear to me may meet there at last now my dear I have no news for you but your Aunts and cousins are well and send their kind love to you and yours.

All here are glad to hear you were all well I hope you have had a good socking rain before this there has been fair rain in all round the country and was very much wanted for every place was burnt up, but now everything is looking green and lush if we trust in the Lord he will give us the farmer a ...and better rain in season. Heaven oh may the Lord bless you all give my kind love to your Mother and to your dear daughter and son and to Mary Lovell and all the rest of them. Dear I am enclose the envelope for you to direct your letter to me as that is district if you send your letters to Windsor I have to pay the post from there to Sydney so if you take the direction of that you have it. Bye you God bless you and all of you

I do not think John can read the letter I enclose in yours you will read it for him and write soon to me so I can know where he is gone to.

I received your welcome letter yesterday and am very glad to hear you were all well and was very thankful to you for your letting me hear of my son poor man he is always away in the bush I never hear of him for two or three years together and it gives me great unease and many sleepless nights thinking of him poor and his brother I have but two and I cannot see either of them and when I cannot hear from them and know not where they are I am miserable to know what is become of them oh may the Lord bless them and take care of them I pray to him day and night for them that the Lord will lead them by his holy spirit and guide them by his council and at last may we all meet to part no more. Oh may the Lord grant that all my dear children and grandchildren and great grand children and every branch of my family even the most distant branched of my family. I hope to meet in that happy place where all is peace and joy, oh what a happy meeting that will be oh should we may all seek the Lord while he may be found ........................... as we call on him while he is where for he will rescue all that come to him in the name of JESUS CHRIST he will not cast him off .... my ever dear children I conclude with to all give my kind love to Mother and all the rest to Elizabeth to Richard Mary Lovell.

Your Uncle Richard lost his youngest son he was five years and six months and his poor father took it so much to heart, Ellen say he was all the comfort he had for his wife lead him such a shocking life that he is miserable with her.

Now may the Lord bless you and yours hear the prayers of your poor old grandmother and great grandmother.

I was glad to hear from Mr Kilcary that you was at his house for I was very uneasy about you not hearing from you since you left me, it has me many hours grief and pain not knowing were you where you were or how were or weather you was living or dead. If leave where you are let me know where you are for it is the greatest comfort I have to hear from dear children where they are and how they are. Pray do send me word when ever you can to let me know where you are staying.

I am now living with your sister Nancy in Newtown when you come to see me when I lived there before they were not content til they got me in town and I do not find myself at home there at all but I suppose I must put up with it now my dear son look to the Lord and for his for he is our help in time of need and the only comfort I and now in my old days and he has taken care of us so many years will not leave us now when our strength fails us in ......old days for he is at present healing at time of new........ Oh may my dear son trust in the Lord and commit all your fears and cares into his hands and he will ........ your slips for he is ever present healer in time of trouble for he has said call me in trouble and I will likes thee and glorify me my dear his words cannot fail Oh pray to at all times for he is a prayer heaven and pray answered God I know by experience. Now my dear son let me know if you are coming in if not let me know where you stay now. May the Lord bless you and keep you from all evil are the prayers of your poor old mother till death

I have been waiting to hear from your Uncle Richard but I hope they are well. Your Aunt is gone home again I hope she will continue to be well. I will write again as soon as I hear from Ellen how her mother is your Aunt Manson and Aunt Nancy , and Charlotte and Robert send their kind respects to all their cousins and are all very pleased with the likeness. I have sent you Ellen and her Husband likeness to see them you will please my dear send them back to me a ............ keep them .........and now may the lord bless you all and may the Lord grant we may all meet in heaven at the last where ...........will be no more.

I was in Windsor for six weeks and I did enjoy myself very much Mrs Rochester send her respects to you all my old friends were so glad to see me. Oh I am I cannot think myself at home on Sydney but I must put up with it Kind love to you my dear Jane and give my love to Mother and all the dear children. May the lord bless you all hear the daily prayers of your poor old Grandmother and Great Grandmother till death call her Oh that she may be found ready when call for Jesus Christ sake answer so.

I would have ............but waited to get the English mail but we got none till yesterday poor Ann is well but her poor little boy is ill if she loose him she will have sorrow and to loose his father and then her only son and he is such comfort to her he is so good help he .............and send ......... the little boy and put them to bed and fold up all their clothes and do so many little things for her while she sit writing and take care of the two little girls. She write for the same ........... he did she make a bought 21 shillings a week poor little dear she has to struggle hard with 3 children and in a strange country poor dear she say the people here all very good to her and very kind to the dear children may the lord bless them and he will take care of the fatherless and ...... to the .....and his powers cannot fail for he is not man that he live no the son of man that he should .....but God is good to all and his tenderness is here over all his works and no good shall they want that walk .... Now my dear I must tell you something else you cousin Marion is married on the 15th of last month. I did not think she would ever get married she is with her Mother I do not much ..........of it but old women like me, we have no right to find fault. Your Uncle Richard and all the family are well but the Mother she is much the same they all send their kind love to you. I have not heard no word of your Uncle John since I heard from you I may not ever hear or see him it causes me many sleepless nights thinking of him. Oh Lord he is in thy hands I save him to thy care those has ......... him.

You see I would have sent this before but we did not get any letters the last mail so I waited for this and we got them this time last night. Poor Ann is well but the baby is very ill she thinks will die poor dear it will be a great blessing if the lord take it she is coming out if the baby get better or if the Lord is about to take it. That is all that keep her ok may the Lord bless her and send her safe to her broken hearted Mother and all of us your cousin Marion married on the 15th August she is with us at present we are all pretty well, but myself I have been very bad with pains in my leg and arms but must not forget how good the Lord has been to me my hands are so bad I cannot guide the pen may the Lord bless you. Your Uncle Richard are much the same. May the Lord bless all.

I will write soon if my hand get better

...................... and to hear they are all well it gives me the greatest comfort that enjoy on the ........ of the .......... Oh that they may all grow in grace as they grow in years may the lord lead them by his holy spirit and guide them by his council that we mat meet to get them in heaven at last where parting will be no more. Oh my dear child joyful a meeting that will be where all will joy and peace evermore I hope this finds you all well we are better than we have been lately for we have had so much trouble lately it has bought your Aunt and me to the grave. I think no told that cousin Marion is married she is now in Newcastle and we have Howard's wife and child with us she confined 3 weeks last Sunday with twins two girls both dead. I consider it was a blessed thing the Lord was pleased to take them for ..........as she is I do no we will do.

Now expect Ann here and her dear children in the beginning of next month. Marion will be back about the same time so we shall have a full house then and God only knows how I have not heard from your Uncle Richard since I wrote last I do not know how we shall do ...... for I am .........,here for now ...............and all are......and ..........I am sorry I that I left Windsor for I was comfortable then what I never have been nor never shall for Charlotte is such a bad temper there is no bearing her I suppose these are some of me in old days travels to ....me more from the move but I feel it had to be .......... by. I am getting very old and sharp word go to my heart I was never was used to it and it comes hard for me to put up with it now, do not take any notice of what I said here or t shall a worse than I have give my very kind to your Mother and my dear Elizabeth dear Richard and dear Mary Lovell and all my dear grandchildren and great grandchildren. I have not heard anything of your Uncle John since now I may Lord bless you all are the constant prayers of your poor old grandmother and great grandmother till death call her home

Elizabeth Gray



LETTER NO 22
FEB 4th 1867


My Ever Dear Grand Daughter and Great Grand Daughters,

I received yours last night and was very glad to find by it that you were all well for I bless the Lord for his great goodness to you may the Lord bless you all in health and peace hear my daily prayers, you cousin Marion is married and Ann is come out England. She has got three children the is ......... liked poor dear little thing she is very wastefully poor little Ann has had a bout of trouble and we have had our own share of trouble and sickness amongst us all and now we have one of the younger ones ill we do not think she will get over it. Your Aunt is most worse out with one trouble on them may the Lord strength to bear it she has got a young family to care for now she sends her kind love to you and your Mother, daughter and son and is glad to find you all well. Marion, Ann, Charlotte and Robert all join in kind love to you. I have nothing of your Uncle john since you saw him, now my dear as I have no good news to you I shall make it short Your Uncle Richard when I heard last from them poor man he has his troubles to pray give my kind love to your dear Mother dear Elizabeth and Richard and Mary Lovell and may they live to be a comfort in your old age pray give my kind love to your brother and all the rest of the sisters and families. I hope they are all well now may the Lord bless all and accept of my kind love to yourself and my prayers for.....for your soul and body till call me from your poor old grandmother.

Elizabeth Gray



LETTER NO 23
NEWTOWN
FEB 9TH 1867

My Ever Dear Grand Daughter,

I would have written to you before but I have been very ill for last 3 months. I lost all my strength till I am not able to walk in the yard and cannot get to chapel very often and that grieves me for that is all the happiness I can enjoy now, but I bless God I can read yet and that is a great comfort to me and I but very thankful to almighty God that he has still given me my sight and hearing and my senses which is a great blessing to a poor feeble old woman of the earth as I now are well I bless God that I have a hope of heaven may the Lord strength my faith and give me more of his holy spirit and grace to do that which right in his sight and know we may never meet on earth. My greatest wish may all meet at God right hand in heaven at least and may every sheep of the family be even the most distant branches of family be left in the wilderness but may all be bought in to that great and almighty fold of your Lord And saviour Jesus Christ may the lord grant it for his ................ name sake. Now my dear I write this as it may be the last I might be able to God knows if I shall write another. Now may the Lord bless you and yours and all dear children all dear grandchildren great grandchildren and all that are near and dear to me meet at .......to part no more pray give my kind love to your ......... Mother and your daughter and son and Mary Lovell all here join in kind love to all. I am not able to write and shall I have write I fear you will not be able to read it. Now may the Lord bless you and hear the prays of your poor old grandmother

Elizabeth Gray

You will excuse the paper for there was green thing.... I write on the other side and I did not know it till I turned it over.

LETTER NO 24
NEWTOWN SYDNEY


My Ever Dear Grand Daughter and Children,

I write to tell you I got your last kind letter Sat 22nd and was very to hear you were all well as we are at this time thank God for all his blessings us all I bless God for all his blessings to you and yours I was very ill when I got your kind letter before I had been in bed 3 weeks not able to raise in my bed, but bless God for raised me err again I did not think I should ever get up again. But I am very weak now but bless God I am able to walk about again but you cannot expect it long for all things wear out in time I must expect to get feeble. Now last Sunday the 28th past my 89 th birthday oh my soul bless the Lord and all that in me bless his holy name for all his mercy to me for they are great I am afraid my sight is got very dim and I cannot see so well I had bad eyes four months ago and........... been very dull ever since and they get worse may the Lord bless you all give kind love to your Mother and to dear Eliz, Richard and Mary Lovell and to all accept the same yourself and Lord bless you all hear the daily prayers of your ever love Grandmother and great grand mother till call her away my dear. I have never heard from your Uncle John since last wrote to me. Your Uncle Richard are when I heard last are well Mary Ann is home alright I His son Alex the other son was to see me six weeks ago he is growing a fine young man he is a Blacksmith by trade they are all well and send their love to all you and yours. Ellen has got a fine son she has two girls and a boy. My dear I cannot write any more family letters .......... and eyes are dim I fear you cannot read what is so bad I cannot see to write it. My love to you my dear child I fear this will be my last from your poor old grandmother.

Elizabeth Gray



LETTER NO 25
NEWTOWN SYDNEY
JUNE 1867


My Ever Dear Grand Daughter,

This I hope will find you all in good health as it leaves us all here at this time. Bless the Lord for it my dear I would have wrote before now but we have been got about so and my right hand has been si bad this cold winter I cannot hold a pen or guide my hand to write at all and when I do write I am afraid you cannot make it out but you may read some of it and my dear you must excuse me for I cannot do everything now for I cannot keep my hand still to hold the pen so I can only tell you that Marion is gone to New Zealand on the 20th that is on Thursday next she is well.

Your Uncle Richard and all the family Ellen has got a son the other son is working in Newtown they all send their kind love to you all and hope you are all well may the Lord bless you all Ann and children send their kind love to you all your Aunt Manson was down last week she send her kind love to you and Mother and Elizabeth and Richard and Mary Lovell and I join in all with kind love to self and all the rest of my dear ones I do not forget you almighty pray may the Lord bless you all I have not heard of Uncle John since I was ill in when your last letter came to me it was dated 22nd May I got it on 29th. You must forgive me my dear child I think you it was glad for me to write your poor heart to hear all well pray write soon to poor old grandmother to let me know how you all are. My dear you may see by my writing what is the matter it is old age my dear I have lived to see my 89th birthday

Elizabeth Gray



LETTER NO 26
NEWTOWN SYDNEY
SEPT 3rd 1867


My Ever Dear Grand Daughter,

I now write to let you know I received your last safe and very to hear that you and yours were all well and all your sisters and theirs were all well and your brother and his were also well it cheer my poor old heart to hear from every one of my dear children and grandchildren it comfort my heart when I feel cast down I get their letters out and look over them then I have a good cry then I feel very dull till I go to my bible then I feel comforted.............. so far one from another if they were near as I could see some of them sometimes but I shall never see many of them if they were only a few miles of that ........................... then I should be so happy but I shall never see that day or days again oh may the lord forgive me for ........... or ........this almighty ..........of God or at his will or .......for his ways are not as our ways nor his thoughts as our thoughts shall not judge of all the earth do right well if I cannot see them I can and do pray for them day and night and where there is a prayer heard there is a prayer in heaven God that will hear your prayers come un to him in spirit and truth in the son for he say come unto all ye.....and I will give you rest. ............ will come he will in no ways cast them out and ........come unto him spirits and trust in him may the Lord bless you and yours and if we err not to much ...... more in this world we may all meet in heaven at last where all our troubles may this be our happy lot all to meet to part no more.

Your Aunt Manson, Mrs Atkins and Mrs Westely that is your cousin Ann and Charlotte and Robert join kind love you and yours and I have sent you your cousin Ellen's letter so you can see what he has to put up with poor fellow I do not show the letter everyone out it is my son therefore I do not like to tell everyone our troubles it has been a great to me and when you write do not say anything about it because I do not tell Mary for she would be......... with for they always read your letters you may send the letter back to me. Pray give my kind love to your Mother and Betsy and Richard and Mary Lovell. I hope this will find you and them all well the Lord bless you all hear the daily prayers of poor old grandmother and great grand mother till death. Mrs Rochester and Mary were well when I heard from them have only Mary with them the old man and her breakfast and Mary is not healthy they send their kind respects to you. I have nothing of your Uncle John since I heard from pray give my kind respects to your sisters and brother when you see them may the Lord bless them all I do not if know if you can make this out it is such a ....and blotched over so bad.

From your affectionate Grandmother and Great Grandmother till death call her now in her 89th year

Elizabeth Gray

LETTER NO 27
NEWTOWN
OCT 31st 1867

Now Christmas is over I wish you a happy New Year. My ever dear grandchildren I received your welcome letter dated the 30th Dec and was glad to hear you were all well and also that your Uncle John and to hear he was well I should like to see him if he would come down, but suppose he will not come as I am not by myself. But tell him he will find a lot of us all together 5 women 3 children and sometimes four and 1 man and that is cousin Robert poor fellow he has a lot to do he has great games with the children when he come home. Poor dears they are all bad with the Whooping cough now it is very trying to be in the house with them and poor is worn off her legs with them but we not ....... for after all ...... we have great reason to bless God for all his mercies to us all.

We have great reason to sing and say with one of the old hear them to the Lord has bought us bless the Lord oh my soul and may I never forget his good and love and kindness to me and mine. I have been very poorly lately very often weak and low at times I bless God for the health and strength I have I am mostly able to go to the house of God and hear his word and read my bible but my eyes are dim.

Elizabeth Gray


LETTER NO 28
C 1867


My Ever Dear Grand Daughter,

I am sorry I have been so long in writing to you but I was very ill when I got yours and not able to write and now I am very weak and not able to do anything. I am note able to guide the pen or hold it but I am trying to scribble a line or two in hope the next will be better. I am glad to find by yours that you were all well in this trying times we have been all ill old and young the dear children have all been layed up with the measles and then with the Whooping cough but they are getting over it. But the baby and she is very poorly yet your Aunt and cousins are nearly worn out. Charlotte is keeping a day School. We got a letter from Marion she is safe arrived in New Zealand. .....................She is in New Zealand then I had a letter last week from your Uncle Richard they were all well. Ellen has got another little one a boy they all send their kind love to you all we here all join in kind love to all.

My dear Jane give my kind love to your Mother and Mary Lovell and Mrs Campbell and family and William and his family all my dear grand children , great grand children. I hope Hannah Lovell is comfortable married tell me where she lives, tell Betsy to say I think she is very unkind never to write a line to me I was never unkind to her. Do you know where her Daughter Jane is or if she live in Sydney or not. Now my dear I hope this will find you all well as it leaves at this time thanks to almighty for his tender mercies to me and all of us now may the Lord bless you and all of your dear friends and may the Lord grant we may all meet in heaven and to part no more. Give my kind love to dear Betsy and Richard poor dears for I have nothing to send them. God bless them and the Lord grant they may be a blessing to you and to all around them so pray your Grandmother and great Grandmother

God bless all
Elizabeth Gray


LETTER NO 29 NEWTOWN SYDNEY NOV 12th 1867

My Ever Dear Jane,

This is answer to your last I hope this will find you and yours all well. I would have written before this but was ill when I got yours but the Lord has raised me up again blessed be his holy name for his ...... and mercies to me as we are all for all his blessings to us my dear give my kind love to Mother and your dear young ones my dear Elizabeth and Richard and Mary Lovell. I hope they are comfort to you now they are growing up to be useful to you. Oh may they grow up in the grace of God to be blessing to you and to themselves and to all about them that others may see there good works and glorify their father love them which is in heaven may the Lord grant that they may all and all that are near and dear to me meet me in heaven, may not one be left behind but may even the most distant branches be bought to .... all at God's right hand. Oh that may welcome them all in that glorious day when parting will be no more where no sin or sorrow ever come, but all is joy and peace oh what a joyful that will be for me to see all my dear family come to greet me.

Oh bless Lord I say as I no not except to see may the bless you and yours and may all at last meet there is the prayers of your fond prays of Grand Mother and Great Grand Mother till death call. I am getting weak and my right hand so weak I cannot hold pen I am afraid you will not make this out.

Elizabeth Gray

LETTER NO 30
JAN 9th 1868

My Ever Dear Grand Daughter,

I hope that this will find you and all yours well. We are better but the children still very pale the little one is very weak yet I have been very ill myself but am a little better thank God for his goodness to me. I still am able to keep on my feet but my legs are very weak which I must expect now I am thankful to almighty God that I not confined to bed but I do hope I shall be able to go to Chapel on Sunday. Your Uncle Richard was well when I heard last the girls sent their love to all as do your Aunt Manson as do all here and I have no good news to write and writing is pain to me I shall conclude with my kind love to your Mother and Mary Lovell and to dear Eliz and Richard and all the rest if the family. I have enclosed Richard Grays likeness in this your Uncle Richard's son now may the Lord bless you and yours with everlasting blessings hear the prayers of your old grandmother and great grandmother til death call her. Well my dear ones for this may be the last I shall write God bless you all this is my constant pray every day of my life.

Elizabeth Gray

You will return likeness when next you write

LETTER NO 31
C 1869

My Ever Dear Grand Daughter and Dear Family,

I hope this will find you all well and in good health as it the greatest blessing that we can enjoy in this world for if we have all this world can give and not have health with it we cannot enjoy in bed and friends are tired coming to see you.

Sydney is a bad place for that might lay and die and your next door neighbour not know it. I am sorry I have come to it. Oh may the Lord save me from temptation for he has been very kind to me for many long years and though I am old and poor yet the Lord (just me) he has taken care of me so many years will save me at last but bring me to the last I trust in him for his mercy is great and he's been to me. My dear I would have written before but my right hand is so bad I cannot hold a pen and now it is so bad I cannot feel pain in my hand. Ellen came to see me at........... she is your Uncle Richard's daughter she has got two fine children a girl and boy and a good husband and father. I had Mrs Manson send their love to as do your Uncle Richard and cousins Ellen and Jane as do all here .Pray give my kind love to Mother and also to Elizabeth, Richard and all the rest of your family and excuse me for this short scant. You may not be able to make this out. Now may the lord bless you all hear the daily prayers and except of my kind love to yourself. If my hand and arm get better I will write again but I must expect now I think I shall be not much better now old age are on me. I do not know what would become of me if it were not for Mrs Manson, for your Aunt Ann has nothing but I depend upon her son Robert he has his mother and Hannah, two sisters Charlotte and Ann and her three fatherless children yet he is fond as if they were his own may the Lord bless him and all the rest but is very trying for me but may the Lord give me patience to bear the noise of the children for been so long by myself it often make me very uncomfortable but I must put up with it.

Now oh may the Lord bless you and belong to you are the constant prayers of your poor old Grandmother and Great Grand Mother give my kind love to all your .....to them. I remain your affectionate and fondest Grand and Great Grand Mother till death call me Oh that I be ready.


Elizabeth Gray

LETTER NO 32
EMERALD COTTAGE
NEWTOWN


My Dear Jane,

I received your very kind letter some time since and I should have replied only I was not able to write myself my hands are so painful to me I am better thank the Lord I am as well as I can expect to be at my age. I suppose here all very busy preparing for Christmas I wish you a very merry one and a happy new year. Aunts are quite well and send their love to you. Uncle Richard is quite well his daughter Ellen had another Baby they have three children now. Write to me soon and I will answer sooner than the last time very feeble and week though I am better than I was one day I feel as though I could not be strong that day and the next I am better again with kind love I remain your loving Grand Mother.

Elizabeth Gray

I hope your mother is well remember me to her. I hope I shall be able to answer your next letter myself.

THIS LETTER WAS WRITTEN BY CHARLOTTE ATKINS




LETTER NO 33
EMERALD COTTAGE
EGAN ST
NEWTOWN
C 1870


My Ever Dear Jane,

I received yours of the 14th and I was very pleased to hear you and yours all quite well I am sorry to tell you I am not any better I am unable to go out anywhere except it is on the front verandah a little while. We have had very warm weather here ......... but today is very dull.

Your Aunt and cousins all send their love to you and all the family , write soon and let me know how you are I suppose your children are growing up nicely now. Your daughter must be a great help to you as I have no more news to send I must conclude I remain your affectionate Grand Mother.

Elizabeth Gray

Uncle Richard and family are well also Aunt Manson.

THIS LETTER WAS WRITTEN BY CHARLOTTE HOLDSWORTHY NEE ATKINS

LETTER NO 34
C1871


My Ever Dear Grand Daughter,

I received your kind letter on Monday 31st and was very glad to see by it that you were all well and that Uncle John has been again for it give me great was to my poor old heart it is thus here. I have is to hear from my children and grandchildren that the ..... may pour down his blessing upon them all my prays day and night and we may all meet in heaven at last after and that parting will be no more but one hour there will make us forget all our troubles here may the Lord grant that we may all meet where parting will be no more. I was very glad to hear Mary Lovell is married I hope she made a good match of it and for it is for life your cousin Charlotte is married. Your Uncle Richard's son Alex is married he got 2 children a boy and a girl and Ellen has got 3, 2 girls and a boy. Your Aunt Manson was down last week to see me Uncle Richard when I heard from them they all send their kind love to you all. May the Lord bless and hear my prays day and night my dear am very old and feeble now I have not been able to do everything for the last 12 months and I feel it very much I have used I have not .....to request often for a penny still bless the Lord that I have some more

Elizabeth Gray



The Early Years ¦ Elizabeth Gray 1803 - 1836 ¦ William Gray 1805 - 1851 ¦ Jane Gray 1808 - 1880 ¦
John Gray Jr. 1810 ¦ Hannah Gray 1813 - 1856 ¦ Ann Louise Gray 1815 - 1874 ¦ Richard Gray 1817 - 1896



Letters from Elizabeth Killett Gray ¦ Trials ¦ Trips & Ships ¦ Letters from William J.B. Gray ¦ Crest & Tartan ¦ Special Acknowledgements




In the Beginning