| Notes |
- Barbara Hogg was the sister of Elizabeth Norman (nee Hogg), my great grandmother. She was born at Felton, Northumberland the middle of 5 children born to Martin and Elizabeth Hogg. She and her sister Jane remained at Cowslip Hill, Felton, whilst her sisters Ann Graham and Elizabeth Norman went to Australia with their husbands (John Graham and John Norman) in 1853 and 1869 respectively.
In 1851 living at Cowslip Hill, Felton, Northumberland, England, occupation dressmaker.
Barbara wrote letters to her sister Ann in Australia. Despite fire ravaging the office of the Grahams' winery, letters Elizabeth and her sister Barbara wrote to their sister Ann in the 1850s survived as they were kept in a metal box which escaped the blaze. They were passed on to Ann and John's great-grandaughter, Jill Graham. I received copies thanks to Dorothy Singe, my cousin.
Below are transcripts of letters written by Barbara to her sister Ann and her husband, John Graham. Original spellings are kept. Parts of some letters are missing or illegible.
In the following letter, "Befsy"(Bessy) is Elizabeth Norman (her sister), "Robert" is her brother, "Mary" is Mary Anne (Robert's wife). "Norman" is John Norman, Bessy's husband. "Tom" is John Graham's brother.
Cilla Chapman
Cowslip Hill Jan 1856
Dear Sister and Brother,
We received your letter with the check on the last day of December and we are very much obliged to you for it. I hope you received our last letter dated August. We were very glad to hear you were all well and your dear littel boy is growing so (interesting?). We would like very much to see him. I am happy to tell you Befsy has got a fine littel girl on the first of this month and her and baby are both doing well. Jane has been staying with her for nine days and family Pickering is with her for a few days. Both Norman and Befsy are very pleased as she is doing well.
They had a ball at Lindan on wensday last and I was there. All the work people and (tenants?) with tea and Casper the heir has ...lately and he is going to be married. They have a great deal of company. We have not heard from Newbragh lately. Befsy wrote to Dinah the last letter we had from you but we have not heard from her since we saw in the news paper Mrs Coulson has had another daughter but Mrs Coulson and all of them thought you were unkind never to write to them after all there kindness. I rote to John's sister and things are all well and his father is much the same. They were very glad to hear from you. I sent them John's letter but I think you cannot be in earnest about me coming out when you know I have a good bufsnes at home to leave it to come to uncertanty. You know no one said more against it than I did but as you talk of coming home in a few years I hope to be able to leave of working then. I can never think of coming there. It was very different you going with your husband but I never thought about coming. I was always to much against it.
Robert was here last Sunday. They are all quite well. Mary has had another son lately and they only have Befsy at place. Every thing is very dear and has been for a long time. Flour here is three and twopence a stone and bucher meat 7 and 8 pence per pound that brother Robert has not much chance to get much for himself so my father and me bought him a sunday coat between us out of your present. We have not got it cashed yet. Befsy sends her kind love to you and is much obliged to you. Father is wonderfully well except a littel cold. He is much the same as when you left. He sends his kind regards to you all and is obliged for your present. Jane is well and joins in love to all. I hope Tom is well. Tell him he must be sharp and get rich and come back and marry the girl he left behind him. Give our kind regards to him. Befsy Pickering has been to see her frinde lately. She sends her love to you all and Mary (Lifsy?) and (Tanny?) desires their love to you . Mary is still in the same place. I think I have littel more to tell you but we are going to call the baby Jane and I mifs Befsy very much but I must conclude
with kind love to your dear littel boy and all of you
Your affectionate Sister
Barbara Hogg
In the following letter, probably written in early 1859, "Befsy" is Elizabeth Norman (her sister), "Robert" is her brother, "Mary" is Mary Anne (Robert's wife), and Anne and Mary are their daughters. "B. Jane" is Barbara Jane, Elizabeth and John Norman's eldest child
Cilla Chapman
Cowslip Hill....(date missing - most probably Jan. or Feb 1859)
My Brother [and Sister],
You will think w....from us. We are all quite well and very comfortable in our house. They have made us a nise littel room through the parlor. It is smal but very nice. We were so glad to hear you were getting on so well. I hope it will continue and your dear boys we would like so well to see them. I hope John has good health and all your frinds. I hope you are all happy together.
I am sorry I cannot give you a good account of Robert's family. Mary seems to do nothing but gossip with (neighbours?) and like a begger........children are not....you never saw...but she does but goes to....a good deal. Befsy and Mary both live in Newcastle and Anne works out. Robert seems quite happy here and works all his spare time in the garden. There has been plentiful crops of both fruite and grain here and bread is very cheap. I have had a very bufsy summer with mourning. Isabell Stephenston died in Feb after a lingering complaint and Mifs Larra Riddell died in June at scooll very sudenly only three days illnefs. Mrs Riddell is very bad aboute her being her only one. Mifs Terisa has gone to be a nun and Walter has gone out to New Zealand. Last month they have only Mifs Riddell and Gertrude at home now.
Befsy her husband and two children are quite well. We had Befs a week in May. She was quite [pleased] with our house. It was far better than she expected and we have had littel B.Jane five weeks staying with us. A very sharp mischiefous child and very fond of her aunts and Cowslip Hill. We would like so well if we could see your dear littell boys. I am shure we would like them. We often wonder if you will ever come back but I hope you are very comfortable with all your friends. I hope Tom is quite well. Our kind regards to him and we were much obliged to him for his kind letter and if he comes back we will be very glad to see him.
We mifsed my dear father very much at first every time the carts came in but Robert came on the first of March and we shifted into the other rooms and after Mary came we never thought of going in there. [It] was such a change in the house. We put up a nise head stone for my father. He was laid beside my mother. There is a new burial ground made last year behind the church and a great many has been buried there but my father spoke to Wake long before he died for a place beside my mother and we were so glad there was room. Befsy and John sends there kind love to you and I must conclude with kind love to you and John, Tom and Mary (and?) your dear littel boys from Aunts Jane and Barbara Hogg.
We hope to hear from you soon.
Cowslip Hill Feb 9 1859
My Dear Sister,
We received your letter the 13 of January. We were very glad to hear you were all well and doing well with your husband and dear littel boys. I would like so much to see them and hear their talk. They will be brought up to love their aunts as Befsy's are. They are fine children and the young one I think is so like you and Barbara is rather like my mother but she likes Cowslip Hill so much. I think your darlings would like it toe if they were here but you promised to send us there portraits but they are so long coming that I think you must set them in gold for [us] and we would wear them for there sakes.... darlings I hope this gold field being so near you will not bring a lot of loafers about you to do any harm. I hope John and Tom and all your friends are well and if the gardner's wife comes out we will see her.
John Pickering...at Sunderland. He is married and there baby ...dead. He married the brewers daughter and Tom is a bucher in Wardles shop. Felton is very ...littel stir. They are going to have a consert to get a harmonia for the church. They had good singing at the Cathlick Church but it is not so good since Mifs T. Riddell went to be a nun. We have not heard from Mrs Coulson lately but I hear they are going into Cumberland to live. The house at Newbrough was too small for both Mrs (Nestle?) and then they have six children now - five ladys and dear Henry. We have not heard from Dinah for a long time. George Wilson the draper told us her sister was coming out to Australia and Befsy was to write to her but she had not time. Old Cornal Coulson has been very ill but he is well again but old Aunty Coulson is dead. (Bobson?) was with her when she died and she left her something to live on. Mrs Thompson has a room in Swinburne House and comes to (meat?) but dose not meddle with anything and Mrs (Watcham?) still comes to see them once a year still the same. The boys are all young men...almost all from home I have littel news to tell you. Swarland House is not let just now. Mrs Croser and John Hale has married since and they are in the house. Scot and Taylor are the only ones left at the (Moor?). Scobie is still at Brinkburne. They have found a grand iron stone there and they have a great many men employed and if they can get a branch line from...they will do very well. I have (Jaristone?) Adams daughter for an aprintice and Lissy Pickering is to be the next.
I hope you got my last letter. I was so bufsy when I got yours in June I could not write then. I hope you have got the harvest well over by this time. I would be very fritened of the hot weather and blackguard people that come aboute the diggings. I hope you will keep clear of them. I often wonder if Tom will come back to Mary the girl he left behind him. We would be so glad to see him and I hope you will not be long in makeing your fortunes and come back with your dear children. I hope Mary is going well. You did not mention her when you wrote. We have heard twice from Carlisle. They were going to write to you. The Rochesters are quite well and the (Ineses?) but neither Margaret has got married or Jane...As yet they are still the same can talk aboutnothing but the money.
Mr Burden lives at Linden now. Mrs Burdon has died lately and Rickard is curate at (Tramlanton?). The Bigses are quite nocked with the bank that they cannot live at Lindon. Woods wife is laundry maid and Woods keeper. It is a long time since we heard from John. Give my kind love to him and we will be very glad to hear from him and Tom we are so glad to hear from him. Poor Mary Taylor is dead and Befsy (Brivis?) and Crozer and Mrs...some time since. I hope this will find you quite well as this leaves us all at present. We are getting on very well and are very comfortable. Mrs Givson often askes for you and lives in Johathan's yard but is not able to come to Cowslip. Still now she often talks aboute you and the ...I hope Tom will write to us for I think John is out of the (?) he has so much bufsnefs in [hand]. Be shure and dont forget the portrats.
I must conclude with kind love to all,
I remain your affectionate sister Barbara Hogg
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1819 - 1899 (80 years)