Dear Ruth,
Thankyou so much for transcribing these letters to the list. He sounds like a
wonderful old man! I hope the others enjoy them too.
Marion
list admin
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ruth Challener" <dchallener(a)nc.rr.com>
To: <CHALLENGER-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: 06 September 2002 06:47
Subject: [CHALLENGER] Letters found
I was recently at the home of the daughter of my grandfather's
cousin, and she
showed me some old letters from England. Lots of neat stuff in
them. They were
sent from Joseph Challenger, living in Lower Bristol Road, Clutton on January
12th, 1900 to Sarah Challener's father.
They mention Joseph's two boys, Joseph and Charley (Challenger) in England,
and
a third son, Isaac, who had emigrated to America and was staying with his
Uncle William (my G-grandfather). Joseph mentions he is 67 years old (Baptized
Jan 19, 1834, so he was pabtized at an age of about 1) and mentions Mrs. Edith
Simmons, 3 Manworthy road, W. Bristol, Brislington (relation unclear).
There are at least 2 letters, a second from 1912, mentioning Charles is Clerk
to
the Great Western Railway Company.
I reproduce them, transcribed, here. The poor grammer is in the original
Lower Bristol Road, Clutton January 12th, 1900
My Dear Nephew and Niece
I was very glad to receive your very kind letter and was thankful to learn you
were
all enjoying the invaluable blessing of health and strength. I am happy to
be able to inform you we are well at the present time. And I thank God for his
loving kindness and tender mercies toward me for the last 67 years
There have been so many changes in the last 30 years by deaths and people
leaving
for other parts. We have a very nice organ there and Mrs. Eben Tiley
plays it and I try and lead the singing as usual. We don't get many accessions
to the church, I am sorry to say. Although God's word is faithfully preached by
his Servants. I was sorry to learn that your Mother was poorly when Isaac wrote.
I hope that I shall hear that she is better. Please remember us kindly to her if
you should see her and tell her I often think of her and pray that God may bless
her and be with her in her old age and fit her for his presence where is fulness
of joy and pleasures forevermore. Joseph and Charley send their kind love to
you. And we wish you and your Wife and Son a very happy new year. And if we
don't meet on earth, may we all meet in Heaven, to part no more for ever. May
God bless you in all your ways. Love From Uncle Joseph
Edith's address as follows:
Mrs. E. Simmons
3 Manworthy Road
W. Bristol, Brislington
There is so many employed at the Colliery that there was no houses for the men
to
live in . There are from six to 700 men and boys working at Grayfield. I am
very sorry to learn that my Son Isaac has been laid up, by an attack of Typhoid
fever soon after his return to America which brought him down very low and weak.
He told us he was in the hospital for over a month not having any solid food,
only milk. He is out of the hospital and gone over to Mackeesport to his Uncle
William. I am expecting a letter from him every day when I hope to hear he is
better. I still attend the same old Chapel. We leave no resident Pastor we get a
fresh minister every Sunday from Bristol. I am sorry to say we have no Sunday
School, now as we once had.
They are going to put up and 100 houses in Clutton if not 200. They have 8 of
them
already up. They commenced at Greens Brook by Groves gate and going on till
they reach Greyfield Colliery. Lord Warwick and Co. Is having it done . They are
building them with brick so it will be almost new Clutton after a while. It will
be for the rising generations to come. WE have a very nice House to live in now
I am glad to say.
Remember me very kindly to your dear Mother and the rest of the family. How
much I
should like to see you all once. But I don't expect to in this world. But
I hope we may in the upper and better World. You wanted to know if I still
attended the Chapel School as usual where you once attended. I answer Yes, I
have a Bible class every Sunday afternoon numbering over 20 young men. Married
men, married women, we have a very good school apart from my Bible class, but
sight is getting very defective
>From you, and was glad to learn that you were all well and enjoying good
health. How thankful we ought to be for such a blessing. I am thankful to say
that God has blessed me with very good health, but there is one exception and
that is I suffer a great deal from rheumatism in my knees which unfits me for
much work, although I am at work every day with one of the Horses. I can ride
and drive about and deliver some of the parcels form Clutton Station. My Son,
It seems wherever I am and whatever I am doing My dear Wife is uppermost in my
mind. Sometimes I am vain enough to think I loved her too much and my affections
was set upon her more than they ought to be and God sought fit to take her from
me that my affections may be centered more on Him, and to show me by this
bereavement that here we've no abiding place. One must be first - but let us all
prepare toward our God. That we may be found within not in our won righteousness
which are as filthy rags, but in the righteousness of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ - We had a very quiet Christmas together But there was one thing missing,
a vacant chair we were not in a mirthful state of mind after such recent
trouble. We have a housekeeper to do for us, and keep the House bit tidy and
prepare our meals for us. Joseph stays at home with me and is obliged to do the
work, as I have not been able to work with the house since my hand was hurt nor
is it likely for I am disabled for life t!
o do anything with my left hand. The wound is healed over, but no use
of the 3
fingers which is left - I cannot bring them together no more than I could
a
stick. The cord or tendons was torn out so that there is no elasticity in them.
But I must be thankful It was no worse. It cost me near 5 pounds for the
Doctor's services as I was not in any benefit Society. My Son Charles comes home
every night with us, so that makes it a little better for us. He is Clerk to the
Great Western Railway company. He has been there about 9 years and gets on very
well.
I begin to feel that I am not so strong as I once was, And as it hast pleased
God
to take my Dear Wife, my helpmeet in life from my side, it has been a great
trouble to me, and I cannot rise superior to it as yet nor forget it. But I take
it to the Lord in prayer and He is the God of consolation. Was it not for this I
don't know what really I should have done in my hour of twofold troubles.
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