Letters from William Duodecimus Halhed to Francis Halhed, 6 February 1840, and to Alfred Caswall, 19 October 1846

MLMSS 11928

fonds

1840-1846

9675409

0.01 metres of textual material (1 folder)

William Duodecimus Halhed (1808-1856) and his brother Francis (1804-1880) arrived in Sydney in 1837 on the East India ship Neptune. By the following year they had taken up land near Guyra in New England, naming the property Wandsworth. Their distant relatives, the Everetts, took up their property Ollera at the same time. Finding colonial entrepreneurship more difficult than expected, Francis returned to England in 1845. William remained in Australia, marrying Mary McVittie in Sydney in 1847 and moving to Port Fairy (Victoria) two years later. Both William and Mary died in 1856, leaving four young children – one of whom was Harriet (1850-1933), who would become a recognised painter and artist.

Reference:
Compiled from the Library's acquisition file

Letter from William Duodecimus Halhed to Francis Halhed (1840) has formed part of local and overseas postal history collections since at least 1993. The letter from William Duodecimus Halhed to Alfred Caswall (1846) formed part of the collection of Captain T.G.S. Ward around 1960, was subsequently kept in a private collection in the United Kingdom and then in a private collection in Australia.

1. Letter from William Duodecimus Halhed to his brother Francis Halhed who was staying at Mr Anlaby’s Hotel in Morpeth, dated 6 February 1840. Autograph letter, cross-hatched on wove paper, one page, 22.6 x 18.3 cm. Includes various postal stamps and a red wax seal.

Halhed describes the damage the heavy rains and floods have caused to their property and to neighbouring properties in the New England region. ‘The creek rose to within two feet of the corners of the Paddock and I went to bed in great fears that the next morning would show a breach in the fence’. Fortunately, their wheat crop ‘is not much hurt’ but they have lost four ewes and two lambs. Halhed writes that their bullock and the ‘E’s also’ were almost drowned in the Peel River but were saved ‘by a man swimming off to them’. (Halhed mentions ‘the E’s’ twice, which almost certainly refers to their neighbours and close associates the Everett brothers.) Halhed is worried too about the dingos (‘native dogs’) which are becoming very bold and approaching their sheep in the daytime. There is also mention of McKenzie [sic] whose wheat was washed away and another neighbour named Dangar who lost hundreds of sheep.

2.Letter from William Duodecimus Halhed to his cousin Alfred Caswall in London, dated ‘Liverpool Plains, Oct 19 1846’. Autograph letter, wove paper, three pages on bifolium, first two pages cross-hatched, 25.2 x 20.3 cm. Includes various postal stamps and a red wax seal.

In this letter written to his cousin, the London barrister Alfred Caswall, William Halhed comments on pastoral life in the New England district, a life he is eager to leave. Halhed also reports on his impending marriage to Mary McVittie: ‘I have fallen in love of all things in the world, with a girl without a penny’. Halhed is worried about his future prospects as he has little money and cannot expect any assistance from home. He confesses that many in the country do well with less than he has, but that the constant looking after other people’s property, particularly sheep, has been wearing him out. His labours have only benefited others and he is tired of the solitary life he has led for the past three years. Halhed writes that Mary ‘will not mind coming into the Bush if I remain but what I should like would be to employ myself in some more domestic occupation than looking after sheep, for instance agriculture in some part of the Colony where such occupation is successful.’ Voicing concerns about not being able to provide Mary the happiness and comfort she deserves, he also adds that he should not like to leave his wife ‘here where there is no lady within 50 miles or Post Office either’.

A typescript index card containing additional shipping and postage information about this letter is included too. The index card was created by Captain T.G.S. Ward, a collector and one of the previous owners of the letter.

Out of copyright: Author(s) died more than 70 years ago
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