My father died May 4th 1854.

Elizabeth’s father died April 25th 1854.

Elizabeth’s mother died July 6th 1854 and as her brother and herself were the only surviving children, the home left by their parents would have been completely cleared by Walter had not Aunt Allen told him he had no right to more than half. After all debts were paid however he took all the tools and the best of everything and though Elizabeth did not forbid him or upbraid him, he never afterwards came to see her, and only once was she asked to visit him and this was at the request of his sons John and Walter when we went together to Hucknall, a short time before he died.

Elizabeth still possessed some furniture and kept on the house, Aunt Allen living with her. This was the home I went to when I got married.

Uncle Allen had just come home from Australia. He intended staying here but finding great difficulty in gaining a living, he resolved to go again to Australia and take Aunt with him, but when the time came she backed out and he returned without her, and for 3½ years she received very little money or news from him, and suddenly he arrived with very little more than the clothes he wore. So for the time he was away she had a home with us doing a little nursing by which she gained a little money to clothe herself. He had a cousin who was wealthy to whom he went and got from him money with which he got a little home and tried to get a living by making and selling pikelets which he carried about to sell, but they could not get a living and he got a place on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway through the influence of an old acquaintance and I think also through his cousin, and went to live at Manchester where he died, and of course his wages ceased.

Aunt wanted to come and live with us again. I did not want her! She had not treated us well before I thought. This was while Uncle was away. What money she got from him she kept back. We got in 3 years as many pounds and the rest went in treating those who did nothing for her. We got to know this quite by accident. One of those where she went came to see her when she happened to be out, and it slipped out in talking “what a nice tea” Aunt had given when she was at their house the last time. Well, at this very time I had very little work and of course there was strait means and she had not thought to help. This was done more than once. Well the upshot was I was persuaded and she came, but before this time Elizabeth began to fail. I had to get some help in the house to do the work: while Aunt was with us we could not keep the guls as she was always nattering at them. I spoke to Aunt about it and she left us in a huff and went to live with John, my eldest son, who was just married.

Now to show you how ungrateful this was, she had just got an allowance of 12/- a week made her by the son of the cousin I mentioned before (the cousin being dead) so while she had no means she lived on us, and when she had, she left us, but for all that we were not sorry and she was a help to John as she paid him and was good to his children. My son John about this time began to be ill and died leaving a wife and 5 children. She (John’s wife) a little while after took to a man with whom she co-habited and had by him a child (a boy). She died 1906-7.

Uncle Samuel Caldwell, mother’s brother, was a frame smith and farmer. He lived at Hathern, Leicester. He married Elizabeth Caldwell, daughter of Samuel Caldwell, farmer, (of same place but not related). He had 10 children: Alfred the eldest, apprentice to Ed. Ackroyd of Wigan, Lancashire, where his father set him up in business when out of his term he died young leaving 3 children, 2 girls 1 boy. I believe the girls were sent to Miss Heathcote’s School but I do not know what has become of them. The boy was apprenticed to a printer at Bristol. Edwin, 2nd son, was with his father. Sam and Walter, Rose, Louisa, and Anne went to New Zealand. Louisa married and died in New Zealand. Fred was a Rosier at Loughborough where he died suddenly of heart disease. Maggie ³ married Mr Gumson who was manager to Fred. Jeanette died aged about 23, at Hathern.

Hannah, mother’s sister, never married.

Mary mother’s sister, married James Ubyett, framework knitter of Loughborough, no family.

There were 2 other sisters who died unnamed. Also Robert who died young.