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PUBLICATIONS

OF THE

STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
OF WISCONSIN

EDITED BY

MILO M. QUAIFE

SUPERINTENDENT OF THE SOCIETY

WISCONSIN HISTORICAL PUBLICATIONS
COLLECTIONS, VOLUME XXV

CAPTAIN THOMAS BOTTOMLEY, RECIPIENT OF THE LETTERS

Reproduced from a Contemporary Silhouette

PUBLICATIONS OF THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
OF WISCONSIN

COLLECTIONS, VOLUME XXV

AN ENGLISH SETTLER
IN PIONEER WISCONSIN

THE LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY
1842-1850

EDITED WITH INTRODUCTION AND NOTES BT

MILO M. QUAIFE

SUPERINTENDENT OF THE SOCMTT

\^.

-1

PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY
MADISON. 1918

,1^'^'.

Y.3lS

COPYRIGHT 1918

BY THE

STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WISCONSIN

1250 COPIES PRINTED

DEMOCRAT PRINTING COMPANT, MADISON, STATE PBINTBR

CONTENTS

Page
Preface 9

Historical Introduction 13

Letters . 21

Appendix 223

Index 237

ILLUSTRATIONS

Page
Portrait of Captain Thomas Bottomley . . Frontispiece

Home of Edwin Bottomley 58

Martha Bottomley . . . . . . . 104

The Bottomley Homestead and Its Surroundings . 172

English Settlement Chnrch 194

'PREFACE

For the greater part the preliminary information which
should be put before the reader of this volume is included in
the historical introduction. Here, it seems desirable to call
attention to the editorial principles which have governed me
in the preparation of the volume for the press. In general
the original manuscript has been reproduced verbatim. In
a few cases obviously inadvertent and meaningless errors of
the writer have not been reproduced in print. Commonly,
however, such errors have been reproduced, accompanied,
where deemed advisable, by the editor's interpretation
printed in brackets. The original letters are without para-
graphing; for this feature of them as printed the editor is,
therefore, responsible. With respect to capitalization and
punctuation, the original manuscript has been carefully fol-
lowed, with one important qualification. In the manuscript
the sentences commonly run into one another without any
indication of the close of one and the opening of a succeed-
ing sentence. For the convenience of the reader, in such
cases, the transition point between sentences has been indi-
cated by the introduction of the spacing known to typesetters
and proofreaders as the quad. To do this involved the fre-
quent application of an editorial interpretation, not neces-
sarily infallible, of the manuscript. However, the careful
student who wishes to see the copy, with respect to this mat-
ter, just as it runs in the original manuscript, may do so by
the simple process of ignoring these printers' quads. The
great majority of readers, it is believed, will welcome the
editorial assistance which is thus afforded them.

10 PREFACE

I desire in closing to express my appreciation of the
public-spirited generosity of Miss Arminal Ann Bottomley,
of Eochester (deceased in 1916), whose gift of her father's
papers to the State Historical Societj^ has insured their per-
manent preservation and rendered possible the preservation
of the record here presented to the world of scholarship.
The facts concerning the early life of Edwin Bottomley were
largely supplied by her. I am under much obligation, also,
to Mrs. I. W. Moyle, of Mukwonago, who first informed me
of the existence of the Bottomley papers and has at all times
displayed an active and sympathetic interest in the matter,
first of their acquisition and later of their publication by the
Society. For indispensable editorial assistance in the sev-
eral processes of preparing the copy for the printer and see-
ing it through the press I am indebted to Annie A. Nunns
and Marguerite Jenison of the Society's staff; and to Lydia
Brauer, now of Greenwood, Nebraska, and Mary Farley,
now of Chicago, formerly members of the Society's staff.
The index is the work of Miss Jenison.

M. M. QUAIFE.

Madison, March 1, 1918.

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION

The papers presented in tMs volume require but little edit-
ing. They themselves tell with sufficient completeness, for the
most part, the story of the life and strivings of the sturdy
Wisconsin pioneer who wrote them. It remains for the his-
torical introduction first to sketch the career of Edwin Bot-
tomley prior to his coming to America and second to place
both his papers and his life story in their proper historical
setting.

Edwin Bottomley was born at Mossley, Lancaster, Eng-
land in the month of December, 1809, the oldest son of
Thomas and Hannah Bottomley, who were in comfortable
middle class circumstances. In due time the child was sent
to school where he acquired the elements of a modest educa-
tion ; from his Christian parents he received the usual ortho-
dox religious training; and as he grew up he developed a
marked fondness and talent for music. His father removed
to Huddersfield when the boy was twelve years of age to en-
gage in the manufacture of woolen goods, and here the son
began to work in the factory. In time the father again re-
moved, this time to South Crossland to become manager of
the Crossland mills, a position he continued to hold for
twenty-four years. Here, beginning at the bottom, Ed\s"in
Bottomley at length attained the position of designer of pat-
terns in the mill. By way of outside activities he became
leader of the choir in Crossland church and in December
1829 the husband of Martha Jessop. She was the orphan
granddaughter of a local physician, like her husband a typi-
cal representative of the sober, hard working, middle class
population of England.

13

14 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

In a limited way fortune smiled on the young couple. Both
in the mill and in the connnunity Edwin Bottomley's posi-
tion was a relatively enviable one. In the community he was
esteemed for his sobriety and industry. As the son of the
manager of the mill and the leader of the village choir his
social standing was not to be despised. The nature of his
work in the mill rendered his employment more constant than
that of most of his fellows. The services of the skilled pat-
tern-maker could not well be dispensed with, while in times
of business depression or laxity the weavers were sure to
suffer. In another way, too, the pattern-maker prospered.
Beginning with the autumn of 1830 additions were made to
his family with the regularity and frequency characteristic
of the period until, at the close of a dozen years, it numbered
one dead and five living children.

The birth of these children constituted the chief factor in
the epochal decision of Edwin Bottomley's life. Reflecting
on the miseries of his fellow-laborers and the practical cer-
tainty that his own children must in due time become factory
workers and partakers in these miseries, he determined to
make a different future possible for them by migrating to
America. This resolve was first made known to his friends
at a social gathering. Many of them found it impossible at
first to credit the announcement. It was persevered in, how-
ever, and within three weeks Edwin Bottomley was on the
ocean with his family and numerous household goods, their
destination the distant Wisconsin frontier.

At this point the letters of Edwin Bottomley to his father
take up the narrative of his career, carrying it forward to the
untimely end in the autumn of 1850. But eight years of life
and labor in the land of promise were allotted him. How he
made use of them, the letters themselves reveal. Our atten-
tion may now be turned to placing his life story in its proper
historical setting.

To this end our reflections may be permitted to take a
somewhat general range. Various conceptions have been
held concerning the field of history and the forces which de-

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION 15

termine its course. That history is chiefly made by common
men, and that he who would truly estimate its course must
acquaint himself intimately with the lives of such, is my pres-
ent thesis. The year of Edwin Bottomley's birth was the
annus mirahilis which witnessed also the birth of Lincoln,
Darwin, and Gladstone, and many another notable nineteenth
century leader. For our humble subject no share of credit
for the distinction which attaches to the year of his birth can,
of course, be claimed. Rightly viewed, however, his life story
does not yield in importance even to those of Darwin and
Lincoln. In all the world there was but one Charles Dar-
win or Abraham Lincoln ; while of Edwin Bottomleys, hum-
ble, hard-working. God-fearing, there were millions. And
the story of these millions is in the aggregate more impor-
tant, their contribution a more potent force in history, than
that of a Darwin or a Lincoln.

Such considerations lead us to a proper perception of the
significance of the papers which compose the present volume.
Unnumbered millions of Old World subjects have, like Edwin
Bottomley, hopefully set sail for America, their promised
land. Like him, most of them have been poor in worldly
goods but rich in anticipation and hope for the future. Most
of them, too, have been sturdy in body and mind, and have
come prepared to endure toil and hardship without stint in
order that their children's future might be wrought out. Not
all of them, alas, especially in these later days, have been as
well prepared to adapt themselves to the new environment,
or as fortunate in converting themselves and their families
into Americans of the best type, as was the subject of our
sketch.

What Edwin Bottomley 's contribution to America was we
have briefly seen. Summarized in a sentence, it was his
own sturdy. God-fearing character, thoroughly disciplined by
his years of industrial service, the hope to achieve a future
for his children, and the will to endure all necessary hard-
ship to this end. Not to be omitted from the inventory was
the wife, of like characteristics to those of her husband, and

16 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

their still-increasing brood of offspring. To the newcomers
America offered the opportunity to become members, on
terms of economic and social equality, of a new society.
The virgin Wisconsin prairie might be had by anyone who
would take it, at a merely nominal price. What should be
made of such an opportunity depended, as always in this life,
upon the qualities which the newcomer might bring to the
task. What Edwin Bottomley made of his opportunity can
now, after the lapse of seventy-five years, be measurably
told.

Settling in western Eacine County, he acquired a tract of
land in a community which quickly became known as English
Settlement, a designation it still retains. To the original
acres others were added from time to time. The rude hut,
hastily erected for a shelter after arrival, shortly gave place
to a substantial brick house. A neighborhood school was
erected, and within a few years a church. A plank road, built
inland from Racine, gave commercial outlet to the lake
shore. In all these enterprises our subject took an active,
often a leading, part. Suddenly, with but little more than
the foundations of his New World enterprise established,
came the dreaded fever, and therewith, for Edwin Bottom-
ley, the end.

Well and truly had the foundations been laid, however.
That future of opportunity for his children, the aspiration
for which had driven the immigrant from England, was se-
cured. Already the eldest had been married in the new
church — the first marriage to take place there — to a sturdy
young farmer. Other marriages followed in their turn. To-
day upwards of 170 living descendants of the original im-
migrant, representing four generations, are scattered over
Wisconsin and the states farther west. Almost without ex-
ception those of the first and second generations are farmers.
Of the third generation but few are farmers — carpenters,
mechanics, tradesmen, civil engineers, and electricians being
among the occupations most numerously represented. The
fourth generation is still too youthful to permit of any oc-

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION 17

cupational classification. The church which Edwin Bottom-
ley took a leading part in founding is still in thriving condi-
tion. The shares of stock taken by the original subscribers
seven decades ago are still held, for the most part, by their
descendants. In the graveyard adjoining sleeps the pioneer
himself and many of his descendants. His influence, like the
soul of John Brown, continues *' marching on," its circle
ever widening.

Edwin Bottomley was a common man who, like thousands
of his kind, came to pioneer Wisconsin and assisted in laying
the foundations and developing the material resources of the
commonwealth. His story is important not because it is
unique, but wholly because it is typical. In the long and
sometimes tedious letters which with filial love he penned to
his faraway parent is revealed not simply the soul of one
English immigrant to America, but the souls of millions of
his kind who have made the journey to the New World be-
fore and since his time. In the intimate pictures of his daily
life are mirrored with marvelous fidelity the lives of thou-
sands of our Wisconsin pioneers. In the story of the unfold-
ing life of English Settlement we may see the development,
in similar fashion, of hundreds of Wisconsin communities.

In one respect only was Edwin Bottomley 's career unique.
He told its story minutely and the record has been preserved.
The annals of the poor are short and simple chiefly because
their makers commonly lack the inclination and the ability
to record their life stories. In the present instance both the
ability and the inclination were present. That the record
was made not consciously for its own sake but rather in the
form of intimate letters from a son to a father does not de-
tract from its value. Month by month the epistles received
by the father in England were carefully filed away, so that
with but few exceptions the original correspondence still
stands complete. Although not written in the form of a
journal the record constitutes virtually a diary of the writ-
er's eight-year career in America. It contains, moreover,
much in the way of family and neighborhood news and a»-

18 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

counts of daily trials and aspirations which would hardly
have been included in a formal journal. Some years after
Edwin Bottomley's death the father himself came to Ameri-
ca, and the package of letters was thus returned to the very
homestead from which they had originally gone forth. Here
they were lovingly treasured by a daughter, the Arminal
Ann of the letters, until in the autumn of 1914 she turned
them over to the custody of the State Historical Society.
Their interest and value as a typical record of the way the
foundations of the Commonwealth were laid is felt to be such
as to deserve for them the wider access and usefulness which
comes with publication.

M. M. QUAIFE.

Madison, June, 1917.

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY

LivERPOLL May 11*^ 1842
Dear Father :

We have arived Safe at Liverpool and Both W°^ Morton &
George Armitage' are very well Satisfied with the the
Ship and Captain. I have asked the captain when he thinks
we shall Sail and he Says it will Be Satnarday. if My
Brother Henry comes on f riday he will find her Lying in the
Princes Dock I Shall Be Glad to See him You mnst Ex-
cuse Bad Inditeing as we are all hurry and Bustle the Shipe
is very Clean and the Captain appears a Sober and Inteli-
gent man Give my Love to my Mother and Brother Henry
and his wife and all our freind[s] and Kelations and accept
the same yourself

From your Affectionate Son

Edwin Bottomley
Pleas to Let George Armitage Mother See this Letter

Satuarday May 14' got to Black rock cast anchor and
Lay wile 4 next morning George was not very well rather
stuff in his Breast But all the rest where well in health But
all Bustle could not find the things we want so well owing
to the Box Being cramed

Sunday May 15^^ 5 0 Clock this morning we are being
towed out into the Irish Chanel By a steamer George is a
Deal Better this morning and all the rest are very well and

* These men, newly married, with their wives had decided to come to
America also; the entire party, under the leadership of Edwin Bottom-
ley, thus included himself and family, William and Sarah Morton, and
George and Sarah Armitage.

*From this point to the close of the entry for June 13 we copy from
a small blank book used by the owner both as a diary of the journey
and as a miscellaneous memorandum book.

21

22 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

we have all had a good night [ 's] rest consider [ing] the Place
we are in 2 0 Clock we have just had a very good Dinner
some good ham and Pottatoes and I am very near roasted
with cooking we are sailing very steady and the sea is very
Bentyful and the welch hills are on the left of us

Monday 16^^ 6 0 Clock we have Passed a very good night
and are all very well not one of us as been Sea Sick the
chilldren are all as lively as can be and Skip about like little
lambs 2 0 Clock Our friends at Crossland may be wishing
that we where enjoying as good a Diner as they are and we
think they ave not relish [ed] theirs any better than we have
Done ours for we have good app[e]tites and that mind a
bad Dinner But ours was not amis good ham and Pottatoes
and our entertainment as good as theirs every bit our Sar-
rah is astride off the cannon on the quarter Deck and the
others Singing and Skipping

tuesday 17^^ 2 0 Clock we still remain in good health and
good Spirits But Sarah Morton is rather cross with the oth-
er passengers which come past wile we are getting our meals
we Pass our time as much as Possible on the Deck as the
wether is very fine and we have Ireland on the right of us
wich is the starboard side of the Ship 8 0 Clock we are
Sailing with a head wind and the Last Point of Ireland is
just in sight and I think we may take a Last Look at [it]
when w^e go to bed as it will have Disapeard Before [morn-
ing]

wedensday 18^^ 6 0 Clock this morning we are Driveing
throug[h] the waves with a strong head wind and the ship
is all on one side the chilldren and women are all sick W"^
is Sick and myself not very well But so that i can go about
and assist those that cannot [help themselves] George is
very well 5 0 Clock Hannah & Ruth are got well and my-
self e all the rest are sick yet

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 23

thursday 19 6 0 Clock this morn we are in sight of [a]
wreck and we are making all the [speed] we can to theire
asstance the vessel is in an awkard situation for getting to
her as the wind is completely an head of us while going to
her assistance 10 0 Clock we are getting to her but the
crew must either be lost or have had assistance before as
theire is not a living person in sight their is nothing can
be seen of the ship excepting her hul and masts the captain
says she is water lodged and must be loaded with goods of
a buyant Discription so that she cannot Sink but will soon
break up 5 0 Clock George and Myself e Hannah and ruth
are all that is well the rest are all sick

Friday 20^^ 5 0 Clock afternoon nothing but sea sickness
and gruel making and emptying the chamber vessels william
is rather better but the rest are all sick martha and our
little sarrah are the worst Myself George Hannah & Ruth
are all well

Satuarday 21^^ 5 0 Clock Afternon the si[c]k have all
been on Deck to Day But are very little better excepting sar-
rah morton the rest are about the same as they where
yesterday, we still continue to have head winds and the sea
runing high you would laugh to see us wa[l]k on Deck we
have to catch at any thing we can and go with our heads first
the same as if we was face[ing] a very strong wind

Sunday 22"*^ 5 0 Clock afternoon we have had rather
calmer weather to Day and we are all tolerable well except-
ing martha and she is rather better

Monday 23^ 8 0 Clock we have had a very fine Day and
all are getting very good appetites excepting my Wife and
She is nearly well of Sickness we have been gratified By
Seeing a number of small wales this afternoon theire as
been 4 at once in Sight Blowing up the water like steam one
of them within a few yards of the ship

24 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

Some of our Bread was gone Bad and we Shall throw it
overboard

24 Tuesday 8 0 Clock at Night we have had a strong
wind all Day and it is increasing we expect to have a rough
night the wind roar[s] as hard through the riging of the
Ship and makes as big a noise as ever i heard it make in
Honley wood and the ship Bounces on the water like a cork
i should think it rises and falls at each end 18 yards and is
Diping it[s] nose in the water very often the waves are
rolling mountain high

25 Wedensday 5 0 Clock Afternoon as we expected we
had [a] rough night and it continued rough wile 4 0 Clock
this afternoon when the Wind changed more in our favour
But you may depend upon it we had no pleasant time of it
for we could not cook anything safely the motion of the
ship threw the kettles and pan off the fire we could scars-
ley stand any where without having hold of something, my
wife and sarah morton w^as not so well But all the rest are
enjoying good health

26 Thursday 8 0 Clock we have had rather calmer
weather to Day But the wind continu[es] ahead of us and
we Do not get forward as fast [as] we could like though the
ship is considered one of the Best for sailing with head
winds it is stated By the Sailors that she can Sail within
3 points of the compas that is if the wind be Due west she
can Sail Due west within 3 points, all are well in health
excep[t1ing my Wife and shes rather Better

27 friday 8 0 Clock we have had another rough Day to
Day the wind has Been as strong and the sed as rough as
it was on wedensday the 25 all are well excepting my wife
and She has been rather worse to Day.

28*^ Satuarday 8 0 Clock we have had another Boister-
[ous] Day the wind as been very strong and the sea as

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 25

rolled more to Day than it has any other Day since we Set
Sail althoug[h] the Sun Shone with great Splendour W"
Morton has been very much relaxt in his Bowels And my
wife has not been so very well

29^^ Sunday 11 0 Clock The weather is very calm this
morning and we have a party Singing and praying at the
main mast other [s] sit reading all sorts of Books and 2
Sailors sparing on the other end of the Deck 7 0 Clock
we are Sailing very nicely with a South west wind and all are
very well excepting my wife and she is a Deal Better But
we have not seen an oak tree in Leaf all Day But we Spoke
with a vessel from New Castle Bound for Quebeck name
Honch Wallace about 4 0 Clock this Afternoon.

30 Monday 8 0 Clock we have had a fine Day But a
Strong head wind excepting about 3 hours this morning
when we had a favourable Breez and we went through the
waters at a ralway speed we Baked some fat cake in the
frying pan this afternoon and we where as Bussy as Gyp-
sies amongs[t] the smoke and fire wile our eys where nearly
smoked up

Tuesday 31«t 7 0 Clock we Passed a Dreadful [night]
last night soon after we got to bed the Ship Beg [an] to
rool very hard and the sea and wind Began to roar as if it
was Bent upon the Destruction of every thing floating upon
it Betwixt 12 & 1 0 Clock it was the worst it was so bad
that we could Scarcely keep in Bed by any means I had
to lay my legs across sarrah and Arminalan and hold myself
by the Birth above us to Keep my wife and Tho^ on the other
side the Lugage Belonging to the Passengers rooled about
and cans and Pots where strewed about in all Places and the
noise all made was beyond Discription their whas scream-
ing and Praying in every corner and the Sailor [s were]
cursing and the waves rooling over the Deck all at one time
amidst all the turmoil the grim monster Death entred and

26 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

took away the life of a child Belonging to a person named
Joseph Steel of Ashton. it was not weel when they came
on Board and it was launched into the Deep at 4 0 Clock
this afternoon the Captain read the Buyring lesson over
[it] with great solemnity.

June 1®^ Wedensday 8 0 Clock we have had another tine
Day though very cold and our sarah and tho® are not so very
well all the rest are well

June 2^^^ Thursday 8 0 Clock the wether as been very
cold and very fogy and the winds are not so very favourable
our sarah and tho^ are not so well But all the rest are But
we can scarcely keep ourselves warm Do what we will

June 3^^ friday 8 0 Clock we had a very strong north
wind this morning and we have made a good Days journey
But the wind is very cold Sarah and Tho® are in the measles
their are a good many chilldren that have them some pas-
sengers say that the child that whas thrown over Board
Died of them But I Dont think that is the cause of so many
haveing them But that it is owing to the changes of weather
which the[y] are exposed to and the crowded state of the
Ship we can now see an Ice Berg very Plain and according
to the captain ['s] statement it is 180 feet out of water and
the Base at the surface of [the] water is 360 feet on the
sid[e] we can see But it appears larger [than that] from us

Satuarday June 4^^ 8 0 Clock we have had a fine Day and
this morning we had 2 other Ice Bergs in sight and a Large
field of Ice and this evening we are Becalmd and the surface
of the sea is as smoth as glass Tho® and Sarah are Doing
very well all the rest are well

Sunday June 5^^ 8 0 Clock the weather as been wet to
Day But we have fair wind and we Drive through the waters
very fast Tho^ and Sarah continue to Do wel all the rest
are well

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 27

Monday June 6^^ 8 0 Clock the weather as been wet to
Day and the wind continues favourable Tho^ and Sarah
continue to go on very well my wife as not been so well to
Day But all the rest are well exep[t] George who has got
all [a] little cold

Tuesday June 7^^ 8 0 Clock the weather has again been
wet and Cold But the wind continues favourable and we have
had a fine race to Day with another Ship we came in Sigh[t]
of her about 11 0 Clock and we passed her at 4 0 Clock.
Tho^ & Sarah continue to get well George is Better to Day
all the rest are well

Wedensday June 8^*^ 8 0 Clock the weather as been very
fine and warm But we have made very little way to Day and
we are now Becalm [ed] Tho^ & Sarah Still go on well all
the rest are well

Thursday June 9^^^ 8 0 Clo[ck] we have had a Good
Storm to Day and the weather wet and cold this evening we
had another funeral tlus afternoon of a Child Belonging to
John Jacson of Leeds the name of the Child was John D.
it was not well when it came on Board we had an accident
about 6 0 Clock this eve wich might have been Serious had
it happened in the night we w^here Sailing with a stiff
Breeze when a Squal of wind came on very sudenly and
caried away our fore Jib Sheet and broke a part off the* bow
sprit as thick as my middle and about 7 yards long and all
the male passenger [s] had to assist the Sailors in getting
the other Sails taken up Tho^ and Sarah Still get well all
the rest are well

friday June 10*^ 8 0 Clo[ck] we had another wet and cold
Day and very fogy and we canot go on Deck Tho^ and
Sara[h] still keep getting Better all the rest are well

llSatuarday 8 0 Clock we have had another cold and
wet Day and Strong head winds the Captan Sounded this

28 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

afternoon and the water was 35 fathoms Deep and we think
we are on St Georges Banks But it is only our judgment
we are all well to Day

12 Sunday 8 0 Clock the weather has been a Deal warmer
to Day and the wind as been very still and we have made
very little way we are all very well

13 Monday 8 0 Clock w^e have had a very warm Day and
we have been very Bussy washing the cloths that we have
worn on our jurney for we expect to land in a few Days But
we have made very little way for we have Scarcely any
Breez at all we all continue in good health

2"^ letter

MiLWAUKiE July 24th 1342
Dear Father :

I write these few lines hopeing they will find you in good
health as they leave us at present I hope you will excuse
me for Breaking of [f] my last letter in the maner i did but
you would see what was the cause if you received the letter
which I hope you would I shall now comence with the re-
mainder of our journey and Proceedings up to the Pressent^

• • *

Tuesday June 14*^ 8 0 Clock the weather has been wet
and fogy which as prevented us from getting our Cloths Dry
and we are on the look out for a Pilot.

Wedensday June 15**^ 8 0 Clock we have had a fine Day
to Day and we have got our cloths Dry we got a Pilot on
board about 10 0 Clock last night and we anchord in quarin-
tine about 4 this afternon and all are very buysy prepareing
for landing the harbour is one of the most Beautyfull in
the world a Discription of which I sent in my last

' The portion omitted from the letter simply repeats the diary of the
Toyage, which has already been glren.

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 29

we left the vessel about 4 0 Clock on Thursday the 16^^
in a small sloop which took us to the custom warf where our
goods where examined and the Officers behaved very well
scarcely Disturbing anything in our boxes we left the warf
about 7 0 Clock but had got very little way when the Breeze
Died away and we whas compeled to go back with the tide to
the warfe again and we lay theire while 11 0 Clock at night
when we started again and arived in new york at 2 0 Clock
in the morni[n]g which place I call the Slough of Despond
their are hundereds of vagabonds or Scamps or you may call
them what you will who will crowd around people when
they land and offer theire assistance but will in generaly
make them Pay Dearly for it But they where all of them in
Bed when we landed we left New York on the friday Night
at 7 0 Clock for Albany and we arived at Albany at 5 0
Clock on Satuarday Morning we saw Scotch Jemmy at
New York and he is as fat and as red as ever he whas we
left Albany at 2 0 Clock on Satuarday the 18^ of June and
we landed in Buffalo on Satuarday 25^ at 3 0 Clock in the
morning our journey from Albany to Buffalo whas one of
moderate comfort But trade in all Places on the line of
[the] canal is generally flat owing to the Disturbed State of
the money affairs of the States* we left Buffalo on Satuar-

•The following account in the small diary already referred to elabor-
ates somewhat upon the account given here of this portion of the jour-
ney:

the Canal Runs up the Valey of the Mohawk which is thickly wooded
on the sides and a very rich Soil in the Bottom the valey grows narrow-
er till we get to a place called" Little falls which is a very rocky part the
rocks are of the most stupenduous Size and are very hard the valey then
Opens again into a fine cuntry and is rich Land while we get to Utica
which Is a very Dul Place the cuntry is then varied with good and Bad
land as far as Sirocuse at which Place theire is a great many Salt
Spri[ngs] and a large manufactory of Salt which is Performed By Pump-
ing the water into Shallow wooden troughs and the evaporation is per-
formed By the heat of the Sun and very Beatiful Salt It is the next
Place of Note is Rochester — and it is a very handsome town the river
runs t[h] rough it and theire is an aqueduct arch over the river and the
canal passes over the river trade is genealy flat in this Place the
next Place of note is Lockport and their is 5 of the finest locks at this

30 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

day 25 at 3 0 Clock in the afternon and arived at a Place
called Fair Port about 8 0 Clock on Sunday morning to take
in fuel we got to Cleveland about 12 0 Clock and remained
while 6 0 Clock on monday morning to get one of the cranks
hooped which whas craked with being Keyed to tight we
called at a place called Toledo on the Mamo [Maumee] a
river in the state of Ohio at the west end of Lake Eri[e] a
very unhealthy place we arived at Detroit about 2 0 Clock
on Tuesday morning and remained their e while 3 0 Clock
which is a large and Busy Place the next Place we called
whas Huron which is a small Town at the South end of Lake
Huron we took in a quantity of wood On Wedensday we
called at a place called Prestkeil [Presque Isle] on the west
Side of Lake Huron The Inhabitants suport themslves by
fishing and Suplying the Steam Boats with wood On Thurs-
day we called at Manatoo [Manitou] Island which is in the
straits betwixt Lake Huron and Lake Michogan we should
have landed at milwaukie on Friday morning early But the
lake was rough and we where compeld to go to Chicago a
large Place at the South end of Lake Michigan we re-
mained there while 7 0 Clock on Sunday and arived at Mil-
waukie on Monday the Memoreiable 4^^ of July which Day
is honored with great festivety throughout the United States
we took a room the same day we landed along with Joseph
Mitchel of Lockwood & James Dawson and we Begun our
first Night as low as we could for we had no bed except the
Bare Floor and our Shoes for our Pillow the rea[son]
was thiere came on a very heavy thunder storm so that we
could not get ou[ms. torn] and lugage from the wharehause
we had left them at

we got our lug [age] [and] Beds on the next Day and
we Bought a cooking stove which cost us £60^0'* and got
so [me] Provisions and William Morton George Armitage

Place that theire is anywhere theire not much trade carried on at this
Place we arived in Bufflo on Satuarday morning about 10 [o] Clock and
left again at 3 in the Afternoon this Place is full as lively as any
Place we have seen

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 31

Joseph Mitchel and myself along with some others went
out to Snail Lake" to Examin the cuntry the Land is gen-
eraly good all about but is 2i/^ Dollars per acre owing
to the government giving a portion of land to a canal com-
pany to form a canal from Milwaukie to rock river and they
have advanced the land to the above price to make up for
that they have given them But the company have aban-
doned the undertakeing and very few people like to settle
on it though those that have settled on it expect to have
half the money returned if the canal is not caried out we
then went out to yorkvile But we did not like the land so
well we went out with John Haye Walter Hays Brother
who has 80 acres their e and he is like an old hermit neither
wife nor child and he has to cook and wash and milk his own
cow for himself and Bake his own Jony [cake] which is
made of Indian Corn

On Satuarday the 16^*^ of July we heard of James Tin[ker]
Scot and Woodhead who where at Kochester and we set out
on monday to that Place wh[ich] is 30 old Fashioned miles
and we Purchased 80 ac^es of land adjoining them which
had Been claimed by a man named Flint who had got some
Lumber ready for a small house for himself and we shall
have to pay him 40 Dollars for is claim and the Lumber
and we think it is worth it for the Location is very good the
Racine and Burlington road runs through the Land we have
Bought and our house and James Tinkers will Be within a
few 100 yards of each other and within 3 miles of Rochester
and 5 of Burlington W"^ Morton and me are going out to
morrow (Monday 25^^ of July) to build a house for our fami-
ly as soon as Possible for a bad one of our own will be better
than one of another Persons George Armitage is working
at frame house building and will continue while we are ready
to go to our 0A\Ti house and then we shall all go together I
have now stated our Travels and Procedings up to the
Present in as short a maner as I could if every thing whas

' Modem Lake Pewaukee.

32

WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

related Particular it would fill a sheet 4 or 5 times as large
as this I now conclude this letter * * *

your a:ffectionate Son and Daughter
Edwin Bottomley
Makth Bottomley

* * * Pleas to let W"^ Woodhead of Armitage Fold
know That his Son Joshua's youngest child Begun in the
meassels on Thursday the 7*^ of July and Died on Tuesday
the 12^^ at 1 0 Clock at noon and was buyried on wedensday
the 13^ in the Buyring Ground for the Valley of Rochester
and nothing could exceed the kindness shown by the neigh-
bours they brought theire wagons and caried them to the
Place and Back

An Account of the Expenditure Since June 17^^ to No-
vember 5^ 1842«

fare from New York to Milwaukie

for Lugage at 175 per 100 w 3300

fare from Steamer up to Milwaukie

Storage of goods at Milwaukie

Boarding on the canal at 8 per Mile 360 Miles

80 Acers of Land at 125 per ac

Flints Claim .

to Cockcroft & Co.

to M'* Godfrey

Stove &"" ...

Share of 1 Yoke of oxen

1 Cow & Calf

1 Cow & Efer

2500 Shingles at 350 per 1000
to M^ Belden for Lumber
Naturealizing

2 Axes at 1.50
1 Scythe & Handle
1 % Wimble . .

120.00

57.75

2.00

4.00

28.80

100.00

38.72

10.82

6.00

29.20

24.20

15.00

15.00

8.75

5.29

1.00

3.00

1.50

.75

"This account is copied from the small memorandum book which has
hitherto been referred to.

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY

33

1 Spade

1.00

2 Chamber vessels

. . . .50

1 Glass Lamp ....

. . . .50

5 Milk Bowls ....

1.25

1 how [hoe]

.63

1 Buck Saw

1.00

1 Draw Knife ....

. . .50

Letter No 3

Rochester November 25^** 1842
Dear Father & Mother Likewise B^ Henry

And all relations and Friends :

I Take this oportunity of
writeing thees few lines to you hoping they will find you in
good health as they leave us at pressent excepting my wife
who as a Deal of Pain in the head But she is able to attend
to the Family We rec^ your first letter on Honley Feast
wedensday and we Devoured at the contents of the letters
with as great eagerness as any Beef whas Devoured at Hon-
ley feast your Second Letter which was unexpected But
was gladly accepted came to hand on the 19^*^ of November.
1 was sory to hear of the Disturbance which had taken Place
in the manufactureing Districts also that Charles Wood
had been sent to york for aiding in them and I whas glad to
hear By your second Letter that all was again Peaceable
also that trade whas rather Better and Provisions Lower

My seccond Letter to you contains no i[n] formation
further than that we had purchased 80 acres of Land and
that W°^ and me where going to prepare the House for the
familys and George whas working at milwaukie we re-
moved to our New habitation on the 4^ of august just 1
month after landing at milwaukie our first work whas get-
ting our hay and then we Ploughed 2 acres and Sowed it
with winter wheat and it is got into good condition and is
now covered with snow, you may be surprised that we could

34 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

get hay sufficient for to winter 3 or four head of cattle But
their is plenty of it and we could have got as much as would
have wintered 5 or 6 times the number had we had time, al-
though the hay is not like that on cultivated land it is very
good for the cattle the hay grows mostly on the marshy
land and consist [s] of a strong kind of grass along with wild
Hysop and Mint and various kinds of herbs and the hay has
a very Beautiful smel

the 80 acres of Land which we have Bought runs half a
mile from east to west and a quarter of a mile from North to
South about 10 acres of the east end is wood land and the
other 70 acres is intercepted with trees in various places in
some parts of it we could plough 10 or 15 acres without a
tree on it the Soil is of various qualities that on the flat
land is about 2 feet thick of a Black Loam and a Clay Bot-
tom which is the Best for Indian corn pumpkins cowcumbers
melons &c that on on the elevated Parts consist [s] of about
3 inches of a Black Soil on the top. and underneath to the
Depth of 2 or 3 feet of Brown intermixed with Clay which is
first rate (as the Yankes say) for wheat.

the House or Shanty that we are Liveing in is made of
Slabs which are cut of[f] the trees at the Saw mills when
they S[q]uare them and the Slate is composed of Shingles
which are thin pieces of Pine about 15 inches long and are
made like large chips the method of Slateing a house with
them is this they cover the Spars with inch Boarding and
then nan the Shingles on them after the same maner as Blue
Slate is laid on with you our house was 8 yards by 4 and
was Dtvided into two rooms one 14 feet by 12 and the other
10 feet by 12 But we have made a little addittion to the
smaller room which makes it 18 feet by 10 we Dug a sellar
for another house which I intende to build before another
winter setts in w^e have sunk a well and have got very
good water at the Depth of 18 feet in Diging the well we
found 2 petrefied Shells similar to Cockles But rather largei

we have 2 milk cows 1 effer [heifer] 2 calfs and an ox
one of the cows gives very little milk the Other calfed on

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 35

the 16*^ of November and will be of great service to us this
winter and we expect the effer will calf in [the] Spring also
the other cow the first cow we Bought which is that which
is nearly Dry we gave 15 Dollars for her with the calf about
3 months old the cow that calfed on the 16 and the effer we
expect calfing in Spring we Bought them Both of a Drover
and gave 15 Dollar [s] for them Both and I think you could
not purchase tow [two] to equal them for 15 Pounds the
yoke of oxen which Ja^ Scot and me join at we gave 45 Dol-
lars for

I will now give you a Description of the Climate as well as
I can But as I have no thermometer you must not expect
me stateing the temperature in degres. for the first 3 months
the weather was rather warmer than it is in England the Sun
S[h]ining with great Splendour and the air very pure the
changes from fair to rain are more suden than with you
after a fortnight or three weeks of fine weather with a Sky
as clear as Crystal the atmospher Becomes suddenly filled
with clouds Big with rain and electrical fluid when it Bursts
forth with tremendous violience the lightning flashing
through the clouds with awfull grandure and the thunder
Bursting forth with a noise that makes the earth tremble at
its violence the rain Pouring down in torrents for 3 or 4
hours when it will cease and the sun will Burst forth and
Shine as before Such was the weather till the latter end
of Sep^ when we had warm Days and frosty nights which
withers the veg[et]ation very fast and causes it to burn with
a Swiftness indescribable at the time when the fire sweeps
over the cuntry, which generaly takes place the latter end of
October

the fire Broke out in this neighbourhood on the 26*^ of Oct*"
the wind Blowing from the west and Driveing the fire in an
Easterly Direction about a half a mile on the South side of
our house on the 27*^ just after we had got our Diner while
George & me where getting a pipe of tobacco our Ruth came
Tuning into the house with terror Depictade in her counten-
ance and saying that the fire whas coming towards the hay

36 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

Stack we imediately ran out and saw that it whas and the
the wind was Blowing from the South with a strong Breez
and Driveing the fire Before it right towards our house and
Hay Stack and was as much as Ja^ Tinke[r] Squire Hiench-
life George and myself and the woemen could do to Save
them By Beating the fire out with Boughs and throwing
water on the ground no sooner had we got ours safe than
we had to run to Ja^ Tinkers to save the house and Stack and
from theire to Scotts the fire continued with unabated fury
all that day and night iluminateing the Heavens and we
could when the night set in see it from our Door in lines of 2
or 3 miles in length Driveing away towards the north leave-
ing trees Burning Behind it which stud lik[e] burning bea-
cons in the Blakned Space for Several Days and then fell
with a tremendous crash, we had taken the precaution to
Burn round our stacks but the Dead leaves had fallen on it
and had the fire come in the night Both Stacks and Houses
would most likely have been Distroyed.

winter as sett in sooner than usuall and the ground is now
covered with snow and the Frost is very keen and would be
called very cold weather with you our house is not one of
the Best for keeping the snow out and frost for we get
snown on in bed which [when it] is heavy weather and when
we get up in a morning we have to pull our shoes off the
floor By main force for the[y] freez to the floor very soon
with having nails in them But we can stop at home while
we get our Breakfast Before we turn out to work and come
in again when we do not like it.

In your last letter you wish to know on what river we are
situated and what part of the teritory we are in and how far
we are from a Place of worship. I will now do my best to
make you understand on what part of the teritory we are
and as you have a map like mine I will take it as my guide
you will perceive the Illinois River has three small Rivers
runs into it, the first is a very small one opposite to the letter
R the next is opposite to the letter P of the word Potawato-
mies the next is opposite the letter A in the same word

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 37

that opposite the letter P is Fox river and appears to rise
in a range of hills in Wisconsin teritory we are near as I
can judge where the river seems to rise we are 30 miles
from the line which seperates Illinois and Wisconsin and 20
miles from the lake Shore we are on the east side of the
river and about a mile and a half from it

the river runs through rochester and we are about 2%
miles from the town theire is a small chapel there and we go
when the weather is fit I have taken my Bass [viol] several
times and the minister and congregation where very much
Pleased and I expect from the conversation which I had with
the minister that they will give me a salary for Playing for
them (But wether I shall receive it in money or wheat I
canot tell) we have had the Minister Preaching at James
Tinkers twice and M"" Nobles Son (from Rastrick) has
preached for us once we are now trying to get a school
in the neighbourhood and if we succeed according to our ex-
pectations it will Be within half a mile of our house

their is a great number of English settlers near us we
have Joseph Scholfield of Honley about a Mile and a Half
from us and John Earnshaw is about a mile from us Jo-
seph Cockcroft and 2 Brothers about a mile Distante James
Scott about % of a mile from us James Tinker is our near-
est neighbour and is within 3 hundred yards Abraham Hay
of New Lathe Hill is within a half a mile and Joseph Mitchel
of Lockwood. your information about this person has
rather surprised me But I always thought he had not left
as he ought to have Done he has a large quantity of Shawls
with him which as he told us he got from Edinborough in
exchange for some cloth that he had of a person at Leeds
But I believe he has not much money he paid for his land
in money But Since then he has caried on a system of Bar-
ter and he has got a Brick house Built and nearly finished in-
side he as Bartered for 4 Towns Plots in Rochester at 25
Dollars each, each Plot measuring 20 Yards by 20 he has 3
Sons with him John, Andrew, & Joseph

38 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

I hear By your Last letter that George Beaumont David
Parkin David Armitage & Ben" Marston have made up their
minds to come to this cuntry and they Desire me to purchase
them 160 acres of Land in this neighbourhood But I think we
had Better take a Diff erant step we will Pre [e] mpt 160 acres
for them as good Land [as] we can find which will secure it
for 12 months so that they will have no occasion to send the
money. But bring it with them But if they have send the
money Before you receive this I will get the money and keep
it for them till they arrive and then they can pay for the
Land if it Pleases them (We Shall have to preemt it in
George Armitage 's name because is name is not on the Land
office Book and they will not allow a person to preemt Land
who has Purchased any)

as they have made up theire mind to come I hope they have
resolved to face all Danger and Difficulties and Persevere in
theire journey till they arrive at its end Believeing them to
have done so I will give them a little advice Be causious in
conversation with persons on Ship Board always keeping
the Place of your Destination a secret and when you arrive
at new york stop as little as Possible But you must not
take your fair any further than Albany and you must not
take it in any office in the city But go to the steamer and
take your Lugage with you and make your Bargain with
the captain or Stewart But Do not put your lugage on
Board while you have made your Bargain. Proced in this
maner at every Place you stop at and when you get to al-
bany take your fair to Bufflo and from theire to Racien
where you may hire a team and wagon that will bring you
to Rochester you must allways Bargain with the parties
the same as you would Do with an Irish Peddalar for they
will always ask enough to Bate a little on

We have had John Deurnerly at our house a few Days h6
had traveled all the way from Canada on foot except crossing
the river at Ditroit he came through Michigan and the
north end of Indiana and he says he shall come with his fam-
ily to this part of the cuntry as soon as he can for he likes

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 39

it Better than Canada or any part he has come through he
came here expecting to find Grayham's family amongst us
and he was Greatly Disapointed when I told him they where
in Upper Canada he also thought of going as far as loway
to see John Hobroj^d But the weather is not fit and he is go-
ing Back again to Canada he is enjoying good health and he
left his family in good health and he sends his Best respects
to all his shopmates and friends

Dear freinds and fellow workmen you may wish to know
how I like this cuntry for myself I like [it] very well and
the more I Persever I shall like [it] Better you must be
aware that a new Settler in this cuntry as to strugle with
Difficulties but hopes of future reward (ivhich can not be
realized in a cuntry wher Labour the sorce of all Real wealth
is troden under foot By Monopoly Taxation and Opprssion)
gives him strengh to Persever I do not expect to realize a
great fortune here But I do hope to place myself in circum-
stances on[e] Day or another so that I can see my children
smileing around me in contentment and be able to assist
theire parents in theire Declining years and sooth the pillow
of afliction, which is worth all that I can Do and no more
that I Desire, and with no other object In View Did I emi-
grate to this cuntry we have not so many Places of amuse-
ment nor so many Publick houses here where we can meet
and chat over public affairs But we enjoy ourselves By
meeting at one anothers houses and a more chereful party
than we are you canot find anywher we amuse ourselves
by reading and Singing and I am teaching James Tinker and
a few others to Sing, this winter. I now conclude this letter
with the Kind love and Prayers of your Grand Children and
Affectionate Son & Daughter

Edwin & Martha Bottomley

a Single Letter costs me 27 cents and a Double one 52 a
News Paper 3 cents the Last Letter you send cost me 27
cents Give our Best respects and those of the Chilldren to
Mary Ann Bottomley

40 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

No 4 April 22*^

Rochester Racien County March 17'*^ 1843
Dear Father & Mother :

we received yours of the 2*^* of Feb^ on the 8*^ of March
and was very glad to hear that you was nearly got well of
your Sickness and we hope before this arives you will be
perfectly recovered to health and we are thankful to god
we have the Pleasure to inform you that all our family are
in joying very good health, acording to your letter it appears
that you have had a very mild winter while we have had one
of the most severe that as ever been experienced by the old-
est settler the snow begun to fall on the 10^^ of Nov^ and
continued to fall till the ground was covered to the Depth of
18 inches which remained till the midle of Jan^ when we had
a thaw which nearly cleared the ground in which state it
onley remained a few days when we had another fall of snow
as heavy as the first and [it] is on the ground at present the
frost has been very seveare at times, in the second week in
Feb^ the Thermometer stood at 26 Degrees below zero, we
have Lost 2 calf s By being froze to Death one 6 weeks old
and the other 16 weeks M^ Nobles has lost one horse one
calfe two pigs and a quantity of Poultry Ja^ Scott has lost
one ox and two pigs But thees circumstances perhaps would
have been prevented had we had sufficient time before the
winter set in to have made our cattle sheds more complete
our hay has run short and we have to buy at from 5 to 8
Dollars per ton which has been very expensive the old Set-
tlers have been Deceived with this winter as well as the new
ones.

so much for the gloomy side of the picture which \\ill cause
you to think we have had a hard time of it and not been able
to Do any thing but we have stood the severe w[ea]ther
full as well as the natives and we have been out in the woods
choping when few of them would venture out James Tinker
George Armitage & myself have cut as much wood as will
fense ten acres for me and five for James Besides 11 Logs
tliat we have got to the Saw mill you must understand we

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 41

cut this from government Land and some of It we f ecthed 2
miles Tell John Tinker from me that we are not afraid oi
Informers here for it is a general Practice in the winter sea-
son followed By both natives and new settlers and in Proot
of which i can state that theire are no less than 4000 Logs
lying at the Saw Mills of Waterford and Eochester and in
the river ready for rafting Down when the Ice Breaks up
and the greatest part of thees have been cut from govern-
ment Land.

Dear Brother:

according to your Letter it apears that England is Labour-
ing under great Dificulties Political Disension or agitation,
comerce cripled and the happiness of its people Destroyed
By the Powers that be resorting to that ever failing remedy
Taxation which as proved Sir Robert 's calculation to be but
a phantom which instead of relieveing the cuntry as added
another million to the Debt which hangs like a millstone
round its neck and for ever will remain till theire is a great
reduction in the national expenditure (what Does Jonathan
More think of Sir Robert)

while you are strugling with the above Difficulties we are
contending with the Difficulties attendant on an emigrants
life which generaly appear more Difficult than they realy are
owing to them being in a f oriegn land and amongst strangers
and I must hear state that the woemen in general are the
most Disatisfied with theire situation one of theire com-
plaints is they have had to be without sugar in theire tea
several times our Breakfasts have generaly consisted of
milk Poridge ; Coffe Bread and Butter, or Pork our Dinner
of Pudding, Pork and Potatoes our super same as Break-
fast with exception tea instead of coffe our Furniture con-
sists of 3 leged stools and two short Logs with a Board Laid
across for seats and 2 Barrels of Flour 1 of Indian meal all
ful and our Packing Boxes for our cloths our milk is get-
ting very little owing to the Hay which we have Bought not
Being so good as our own our Pork is nearly finished and

42 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

it is Becoming a scarce articale in the cuntry it is now sell-
ing a[t] 5 cents a Pound Last November we could have
bought it at 2 cents per Po[u]nd [ms. torn] Business is very
flat at Present and all person [s] are very anxious for the
Breaking up of the winter when it is expected theire will be
a great Demand for labour in Eochester.

such is our state at pressent and I hope in my next to give
you a more chering account we shall as soon as the weather
will permit comence spliting our Logs into rails and get
our fencing Done as soon as Possible so that we can get our
indian corn Potatoes oats and Barley Pumpkins Cucum-
bers and mellons &*^ in the ground and I hope before another
winter setts ia we shall be Better Prepared for it than we
was when this sett in.

I was greatly surprised to hear of Joseph Sykes's conduct
and is suden Departure from England But you will be more
surprised to learn we have had him hear and I Belive their
is no person Better known than he is his exploits have
placed is name amongst the greatest scoundrels in america
the 1^^ Chapter of his exploits you may perhaps have seen in
the Letter Jas. Tinker send to M'' Joseph Battley which con-
tans an account of his courting a young Laday at milwaukie
of Great respectability to marige But he was missiag the
Day the ceremony should have Been Performed which caused
the Landlor[d] to look after him whom he Discoverd had
gone to east Troy thither he went and to Ms great surprise
Discovered our hero makeing love to another Young Laday
and he was greatly offended By the Abrupt appearance of
the Landlord whom he satisfied By telling [him] he would
Be over at milwaukie in a few Days as he had some money
coming Due from a M^ Dove to whom he said he had lent
1000 Dollars the land lord returned home and in a few
Days M^ Sykes Arived Accompanied by the father of the
young laday when our hero with Great Pomposity ordered
super for them Both which was quickly served up the Land-
lord Lnediately sent off for M*" Dove (haveing found on his
arival from east troy that M^ Syhes Statement was fals)

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 43

when M"* Dove arrived he broke in upon our hero and his in-
tended father in law During theire comfortable repast when
such a seen to [ok] Place that is beyound the Power of my
pen to De[s]cribe which ended in our hero's flight By which
means he naroly escaped Being tar[r]ed and Feathered

we was not aware at the time we heard of thees pranks
Being Played by a Mr. Sykes that Joseph Sykes of Nether-
ton was the man But since he arived hear is conversation
and is conduct have proved him to be their auther on his
arival at rochester he Put up at the tavern But a friend
whispered to the landlord that is packet would not back his
appearances the landlord mentioned the subject to him
which caused him to leave his Over Coat and Spectakeals
he came to me and stated is circumstances and asked me if I
would find him meat a few weeks and he would work for me
at any thing I could find him to Do But I told him I could
not Do with him which caused him to Billet himself upon
Ab™ Haye and in [a] few Days after he forged Abr"* Hayes
name to a bill of 5 Dollar for which he obtained a pair of
Boots of a Person named Jackson in Kochester when Jack-
son found it out that the Bill was a forgery (which he did by
Desireing Ah"^ Haye to take up the Bill) he immediately or-
derd a writ and had Joe taken up But he has settled the af-
fair for the Pressent and has sumonsed Ab°^ Haye for a Debt
which he says abraham owed him in England the case is to
be tryed next Tuesday more in our next

I saw Jolm Gudger and his family and John Wood his
Wifes Brother at milwaukie about the Last [of] July Gud-
ger Bought 120 acres of Land at Snail Lake near Praire VilF
about 25 miles west of milwaukie they where all in good
health Frank Moss Bought 80 acres adjoin [in] g him and
the[y] Both left milwakie about the same time we Did.
James Dawson and his family went to Prarievile about the
same time James haveing got work theire his Family
where all in good health I have not heard any thing about
them since But will make some inquiery about them

*Now known as Waukegba.

44 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

In Respect to B^ Pauls request I will answer for myself
that I am not taken in for I calculated on Difficulties and
theirs as been no more than I contemplated and I will heare
state was i in england and knew all I know now I would come
to this cuntry in Better spirits than I came with Before
hear I hope to rear my children in the love and Fear of god
although we have no school for them yet their morals are not
contaminated By Being imured in a factory I now conclude
this Portion of my lette[r] with the respects of my wife and
chilldren and myself to all

•Dear father:

You will be very anxious to know wether I have heard
any thing from M^ Miller or not I wrote to him on the 22^^^
of Dec^ informing him of what you intended to Do and re-
quest [ed] him to forward the money as soon as he could af-
ter he got the order I Eec^ an answer in the midle of Jan^
stateing that he had been informed of your intentions By his
father in Law and that he would forward it to me on its
arival or else would inform me so that I might fetch it I
got another Letter from him on the 4^^ march which stated
that he had got the order to pay me 21£ But owing to the
Depres[s]ed state of trade he had not been able to sell any
of the goods he had rec^ from his Father in Law and he
thought it would be 2 months at the least before he could
raise me the money which I am sory to say will rather Dis-
apoint me as you would see by my last letter that I Promised
to Pay W™ Morton his money in May (who is now very sick
of typus Fever the Particulars of which you will see in
Georgs Portion of this letter)

you will see by the former Part of this letter that Ja^ Scot
had lost an ox But I must inform you that it was not one of
those we join[e]d at his Proceedings did not altogether
satisfy me and I made him a Proposition that he should
either Buy my Share or I would Buy his and we agreed that
I should have them and pay him 20 Dollars in [the] spring
which was is share the enclosed Letter to M^ Tinker & M'"

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 45

Wo[o]dhead contains an account of his conduct to Joshua
Woodhead which I Desire you will not make Publick the
Oxen have Been of great service to me this winter in Draw-
ing timber for fencing with and I am glad I have got them
from him for they are a yoke of very good oxen

the Distance from Rochester to Quincy will Be as near as
I can judge By the map about 300 miles the Last Letter 1
rec^ was 3 weeks in reaching hear from the time of the Date
and I am afraid it will not be a very conveinient way of
sending money I think money sent the same way as Ja^
Tinkers whas sent would be the most adviseable way With
regard to Th^ Hobsons request I can only say I think theire
would Be not much chance of getting so large a sum of Jo-
seph Mitchel at Pressent for he as over reached himself hear
and the fingers of the law have hold of him already for Debdt
and theire are several people who want money of him and he
canot pay them his wealth chiefly consisting of shawls which
he Brought with him we have not pre[e]mpt[ed] any land
nor did we intend to do [so] till early this spring But if
Miss Holroy should come here I will render all the assistance
I can to her and I think she may Do well with the money you
state she will have

My brother Henry Desires to know what sort of a house I
intend Building to the request I can hardly tell how to an-
swer for I have not made up [my] mind wether of wood or
Bricks a Brick house would Be the most comfortable and
in less Danger of Fire But I can assure you the house we
live in has been a cold one this winter and I should like to
have a better Before another winter sets in But how I am
to get it I can not tell at pressent I shall write again in
about 6 weeks and we shall arange our letters as you Desire
I now conclude this letter with the kindest love of your
Grandchildren and May the Blessing of god rest upon you
is the earnest Prayer of your Affectionate Son & Daughter

Ed^ & Marth Bottomley

46 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

Dear Mother Brothers & Sisters :*

we rec[e]ived your letter on the 8^^ of March and we
weare happey to heare that you was in joying good helth
but I understand you have had A verrey niield Winter and
much Sickness I was not [so] much sopriesd to hear that
my Granmother was dead has I was at others you mentioned
in your last Letter, we have had one of the Severrest Win-
ters that ever was witnesst by the houldest Settler but I
ne[e]d not say aney more about the Winter for Edwins Let-
ter will give you A full acount of it

Dear Mother you wish to know if our Provissions be as
good as yours I should say they are and they are verrey
cheape in Comparisen to what they are in England A Bar-
rel of best flour which contains 196 lb [costs] three Dollars
and [a] half, good beef three cents pr lb. Pork as been
Selling for sum tim[e] at 2 cents pr lb but it is now got up to
6 cents. Sugar is 10 cent pr lb. Treacle 12 cents pr quart.
Coffee 16 cents. Tea from 2s 6d to 5s pr lb. tobacco Is pr
lb. and other things in proportion. Clothing his Expencive

it appears to me that my Sister Elizebeth was rather of-
fended that I had not send her word in my last letter how we
landed our Clothin[g] and pots My sister Sarah had four
tea cups and tea pot bro[ke] belongen to her Chiney and I
belive that was the greatest loss we had in our pots, our
Clothing was Clean and Streit as they were when you sa[w]
them pact. Edwen had one Large Box of Clothing Spoild
it got wet but they was not aware of this and when they came
to open it they was Mildue and sum of them was readey for
falling to peaces.

I was verrey Sorrey to hear that John and Nathaniel was
Listed for Solders and Sarah Ann was verrey much
Troubled and She wish[es] to know sum thing of her Sister
Hannah where She his and what She is doing. My Brother
and Sister Sarah are yet living with Mr Frost but I am Sor-
rey to inform you that William his Sick he was taken 111

•This letter, written by George Armltage, was enclosed with the pre-
ceding letter of Edwin and Martha Bottomley of Mar. 7, 1843.

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 47

on 6^^ of February and he as had a Docter attending him
every day since the 12^^ of February he has been verre}'
bad and unsencable at times Mr. Blood his Docter Called
it A bilious Fevour but last weak Mr Frost advised him to
Change his Docter for he was A fraid that M[r.] Blood did
not understand his Complaint on Friday the 10*^ of March
they tould Mr. Blood they Should try sum other Docter and
they Send for Mr Dyer A Docter from Berlington and he
tould them it was the typus feveur Edwen and me went to
see him last Sunday on the 12^^ of March and Mr Dyer Came
wile we was there and he tould us that he was verrey danger-
ous I went again on the 16^^ for I was verrey ancious to see
him better before I anser your letter the Docter had be[e]n
that morning and he tould them the fevour was at turn and
he appeared to be sum little better I am afraid there will
be A verrey large bill before he his well Mr Blood Charges
6s per day and Mr. Dyer 2 doUers a day.

I must inform you that Mr Sykes from Netherton arived
hear A few weaks ago and he as been passing from one
place to another as A Compleate Gentalman but he allways
for got one thing that was to pay for his bord. we heard
of Mr Sykes Several times before we had an opertunity of
seeing him but at last he came to Rochester and put up at the
taverren as usal but the Landlord was pritty Sha[r]p for he
took Care to keep him no longer then his over Coate and
Specttacles would Cleare and he turned him out without
over Coat and Specttacles but you must be aware while he
was passing from one place to another and cheating every
one he Could he was allways prepared for his journey he
had no lugage excepting his over coat and he had the mis-
f ortion to lose that but you will hear more about his Conduct
in Edwins letter for I must come to A Close and I hope you
will excuse me for not giving you Sattisfaction and neglect-
ing to answering your questions

• • •

From your affectionate Son and Daugher

George Armitage

48 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

Edinbro Near Rochester Racien County August 19th 1843
Dear father & mother :

I am afraid you will be quit[e] out of Patience with me
for not writeing to you before this but I trust the reason
which I shall state will be sufficient to give you satisfaction
with this compliment I shall proceed with my letter which I
hope will find you all in the enjoyment of good health as it
leaves us at pressent with the exception of Ariminalann who
has been sick of the ague 4 weeks But she is now a Deal
better. Since I last wrote to you we have had another girl
added to our family circle and by the help of God my wif ee
recovered better than she ever Did in England and the Child
is as fine and as handsome as any we have had before and we
have named it Selina

We received the Box which you sent by (William Wood)
Safe and all the articles was free from Damage for which we
return you our most sincer thanks likewise to all our f reinds
for their Pressents. I stated in my last letter that I thought
we could not get any land Broke for spring crops which was
the case But I am happy to inform you we' took another
step which is likely to be more to our advantage for the next
coming winter James Tinker and John Wilson and myself
took five acres of land {which had grown crops last sumer)
on shares as we call it. that is the Person owning the land
finds the seed and we find the labour and we have half the
crop and the owner of the land the other half we have 2
acres of Pottatoes 2^/^ Indian Corn 1 of Gates and our crops
look very well By the assistance of a f reind whose name is
Alexander Stonehouse we have got a first rate breaking
plough and by putting our oxen together we have formed a
good team we have 2 yoke of M^ Stonehouse 's Ja^ Tinkers
1 John Earnshaw's 1 and mine in the team which is five
yoke by thees means we have gon[e] on with Breaking for
winter wheat very well Ja^ Tinker and me have broke about
4 acres each and we have broke 2 acres for Joshua Wood-
head he has lent us is yoke so that we should have one yoke
at liberty to lead Hay with we are now buysy with our hay

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 49

and we intend geting as much as will fit should the winter
be as long as the last

I shall now give you a descr[i]ption of the weather in
the spring we had a Deal of thunder acompanied with heavy
showers of hail and rain on the night of the 31^* of may we
had one of the heavyest storms that was ever witnessed it
comenced about 8 0 Clock and continued till about two next
morning with very little intermision we could Distinctly
hear the lightning iss similar to a Peice of Iron heated to
a whealding heat when taken out of the fire by a smith and
the flashes was so rapid that the atmospher appeard in one
continual Blaze the peals of thunder followed as quick as
the report of [a] gun after the flash with a noise that made
the earth to tremble the rain pouerd Down in torrents
which caused the rivers and creeks to swell to a greater
height than they was at the melting of the snow in the spring
the lightning split several trees in our neighbourhood

the weather since then as been very warm and Dry which
has made the wheat grow very fast the major part of which
is now cut and stackt the wheat that we had Promissed
very fair But the hogs got in and trampled it and eat it so
that it was not worth cuting and rakeing and we have turned
our cattle into it which will help to fatten them I intend
killing one of them this fall which is very fat already th'*
other two I shall keep as they are Both good milk cows my
stock at pressent consists of 3 cows 1 ephier 1 calf [1] Yoke
of Oxen 1 Pig 4 hens and Cock and 20 Chickens 1 Cat and 4
kittens, this last fortnight we have had [a] few shower [y]
Days which has been very beneficial to the pottatoes Indian
corn &c and they are now looking very well. In your lagt
letter you Desired to know what things we had spoiled and
how it hapned which i will state to you as near as I can
recolect.

When W" Morton and me came from Milwaukie to get the
house ready we brought the tool Box and that large Box with
the clock in and [the] chilldrens cloths such as frocks petti-
coats shemeis shirts stockings &c. the night after we got

50 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

heare their was a heavy rain the house not being shingled
we covered the box with hay and when we uncovered it we
thought the rain had not got into it which caused us not to
open it till about a month after when we Discovered our mis-
take the rain had got in [and] caused the clothes to mildew
and those that was close to the clock where staind some of
the venereing came of [f] the clock some of the cloths was
got right with washing and Bleaching them But a good quan-
tity [of] peices came out of them which had to be mended
up But takeing all together the loss was a mere trifle ex-
cepting the trouble of washing and mending them so little
that I never thought it worth while troubling you with it

On the 4^^ of July a party of us went Down to Burlington
to the celebration of Independance and on our road theire
we Broke my Bass having it in the wagon under one of the
seats which rested on each side of the wagon the seat slipt
off at one end and fell upon the Bass and broke the Belly in
which is still in Peices yet for I have not had time to mend It.
We have got our setlement formed into a School District
to itself and we have had a few meetings to choose officers
and make arrangments for a school But no further Buiss-
nes has been Done than choosing officers we have three trus-
tees M^ Aimes a Magistrate and a Blacksmith is one M'
John Earnshaw and M^ John Nobles the other two M"" Ja^
Tinker [is] the s[c]hool tax gatherer and they put me on for
the Clerk and I think we are in fair way for geting a school
as soon as people are more at liberty

we have had one Death in the settlement Charles Cock-
roft from near Huddersfield Died on the 10^ of august and
whas buryed on the 13^^ in the Burying ground at Eochester
in a very respectable maner the old Settlers Brought their
wagons and carried the f reinds to the Chapel and from their
to the Burying grond and Back home again free of any ex-
penc[e] the wagons are not great heavy things like an
English wag[o]n But light Drawn By two horses and made
more for speed than carrying great weaghts for you would

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 51

seldom see a Yanke Drive a horse at a walk they mostly go
at a smart trot

all the chilldren send their Best respects to thire Grand-
mother for thire new frocks and they all fit very well and I
Beleive all the Presants Pleased them all very well except-
ing our Thomas who was greatly Disapointe[d] because he
could not ride his pony he is now got a fine boy and he
ofthen talks what he will Do when he gets biger such as
Driveing oxen and choping fire wood and helping his father
to fenc[e] our Sarah is as mer[r]y as ever and her Lisp-
ing tounge is never still excep[t]ing when she is asleep
theire is one little circumstance which as been omited in
my former letters concerning her which may aford you a
little amusment at least while you read it. on our passage
across the ocean one morning theire was a number of whales
in Sight Blowing up the water to a great height George
Armitage and Arminalann and Sarah where on Deck and
the Chilldren wanted to look at the wales George lifted
Arminalann up to look at them and a person standing by
lifted Sarah up and kept showing her the foam on the tops
of the waves to satisfy her but it appears they Did not for
she turnd her face to arminalann and said, a lath (lass)
their nought nohut, thuds (suds); which caused the by-
stander to laugh very much Arminalann is the same old
woman as she al[ways] was But is not very well at pres-
sent but better than she has been as I have stated Before
Hannah & Euth are got two big girls and are a help to
theire mother, and I often think it would Please you very
much to hear all of them sing a hymn which was composed
by a young man near Salendin Noock the words you will
find on the Direction side of the letter

I must conclude this portion of my letter With the best
wishes and prayers of all the chilldre[n] and my Wife and
Myself that if we must never meet on earth again we hope
to meet again in heaven Give our love to all our f reinds
and relations and accept the Same yourself

from your Affectionate Son and Daughter
Edwin & marth Bottomlby

52 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

to mary wood
Dear cusin:

according to promisse I now adress the[se] few lines to
you hopeing the[y] will find you in good health as they leave
us at Pressant excepting arminalann who as been sick of the
ague But is now a Deal better Your Present I recei^ and
was very glad to have some token of respect which I hope
may continue as long as it Pleases god to let us live on earth
and that we may both meet in heaven is my constant Prayer
as for saying how I like the cuntry all I can Say is I am
Happy with a good husband and I know it is my Duty to
strive to make him happy also and I say with the words
of Kuth wether thou goest I will go and where thou Diest
I will Die I was safely Deliverd of another girl on the
24^*^ of may and I recoverd better than ever I did in Eng-
land and we have named it Selina * * *

from your Affe® Cusin
Marth Bottomley

Edinbro Near Rochester Racien County August 19*^ 1843
Dear Father & Mother & B^ Henry :

It was with feeling of great thankfuUness we received
you[r] two Last letters that of 2"^ of may in the Begining
of June and that of 2^^ of June on the 30^^ of June and our
feelings on the recept [of] it are beyond my power [to]
Describe we where thankful to God for enableing you to
send us the assistance which you did for we was in no very
pleasant circumstances at the time owing to not haveing re-
cei^ the money from M^ Miller and I am Sorry to say we
have not receiv^ it yet we got the money from M"" Steinheil
in the Begining of this month and me and martha went
to millwauke to get the Bank note Depossite changed into
specie when we bought a quantity of groceries sufficient for
5 or 6 months I have paid Ja^ Tinker Joshua Woodhead
and Squire Hinchlife theirs. The enclosed note in my last
letter would inform you how I was situated and what money
I had to live on

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 53

since that time we have lived as well [ms. cut] had
to Borrow money of M"" John Wilson (But not till nes-
sisity forced me to it) to keep my family on on the 24^
may which was the Birth Day of our Selina we had nothing
in our house excepting potatoes and milk and you may
Judge of my feelings Better that [than] I can Describe
them, on that night previous to going to bed my wife De-
sired me to bring in some fire wood for she Did not feel well
she still keep geting worse untill about half past 10 Oclock
when she was safely Deliver^ of the Child their [was] no
one in the house excepting our own family the Chilldren
all asleep in bed you may ask why I did not fetch a Doc-
tor the reason whas I could not leave her and the night
was very stormy thunder and lightning and betwixt the
flashes was very Dark so that in all probabil[ity] I should
have lost my way had I atempted it as soon as the child
was born I went [and] called James Tinker and wife up and
told them to come as soon [as] possible and I went Back to
her I had left and with her instructions I performed the
Duty of Midwife as well as I could Ja^ Tinker ['s] wife
Brought her a little tea and sugar and we got some flour of
them and with Borrowing a little money of M^ Wilson we
have got on Prety well since

I have made an agreement for 20 thousand Bricks and I
shall comenc[e] my house the Begining of next month the
Plan I have not properly fixt But I will send you the Plan
of It in my next I have thought at having it 8 yard by 9
and a story and a half High as near as I can say at pres-
sent it will cost about £50 But I will write again in 6 weeks
when I shall be able to give you more information I have
paid all my Debts and W°* Morton and me have ordered
a Deed drawing up and I Shall pay him as soon as it is
ready I shall lay out no more expence in Building than
I can help being aware how you are situated I want to
trouble you no more than I can help and I must here state
that what assistance you render me if I have no other way
of Paying you you may keep an account against me and re-

54 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

ducted it of [f ] my share of the Property if I have any share
in it I am afraid I shall [be] to[o] late for the Post which
causes me to Draw my letter to [a] close give our kind love
to all relations and freinds and accept the same Yourself
from Your Affectionate Son and Daughte[r]

Edwin & martha Bottomley

Dear father:

I Desire you to go to M^ Milner and get the money from
him and transmit it the same way as you Did the last I
wrote to M^ Milner in march and Desired him to send me the
money as soon as possible — he had Promised to get it ready
for me in may I waited Patiently till the Midle of June
when I stated to him if he Did not send me the money in one
month from the Date of my letter I should write to England
for it I have not rec^ neither money nor an answer to my
letter and I Desire you to go and get it from M^ Milner for
I sh[o]uld not like to be short of money this fall as it would
be of more service to me then than any time of the year as I
could then Purchase wheat for half the price I could any
other time Pork also I can Buy at a cent and [a] half
which at any other time would be 5 cents if you Do me this
favour you will much Obleidge

Your Affectionate son
[Signature cut from the manuscript]

the Hymn

Farewell my friends below, time passes fleetly

when moments are improvd

time passes sweetly

in Jesus we are one

when a few years are gone

Before the Shinny throne

wee'l meet in Glory

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 55

the woes of life we feel
and its temptations
then let us nobly fill
our proper Stations
Soldiers of Christ old fast
the wars will soon be Past
when victory crowns at last
wee'l meet in glory

then o what Joys will crown
That happy meeting
wee'l Bow before the throne
each other greeting
refresht again we'll start
though for a while we part
yet always joind in heart
wee'l meet in glory

Rochester Octo^ 7^ 1843
Dear Father & Mother :

I have the pleasure to inform you that we are all of us en-
joying good health at pressent though theire as been a
Deal of Sickness in the neighbourhood it hath pleased god
to grant us good health (it as been the ague which the most
of people have been aflicted with) the sumer has been very
warm and we have had very changeable weather the last six
weeks from hot to cold and a Deal of Rain

I have got 6 acres of land broke and I have sown two with
winter wheat the other 4 acres which I have not fenced I
intend for my spring crops such as spring wheat potatoes
Indian corn &c I forgot to state in my last that one of my
oxen had got is horn pulled off while M^ Stonehouse whas
ploughing for W°™ Crowther they wher going very close to
a tree and the yoke behind mine got fast by one of the oxen
wanting to go on one side and the other on the other and
when the first yokes whas Backed to looss them the chain
was slack [e]ned and one of mine threw in is head and caught
the chain with his horn which was not seen by the Driver
when he started them again and when the chain got tight it
pulled his horn off which has rather Disfiguerd him but he
is no worse for work.

56 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

we had a quantity of Indians campt on our land a few
weeks since for one night and I and martha along with sarah
morton went to them they was very civil with us and they
told us as well as they could they was going to chi[c]ago
with skins of various animals to sell such as racoons musk
rats minks squerll & the[y] appeared to be the most happy
race of peopl[e] I ever Did see. tlie woemen (squas) where
buysy cooking the men sit smoking and some of the chill-
dren climbing up small trees and throughing themselves off
on the ground the chilldren that sucked they had them in
a case or Box something like that old fidle case that I gave
Joseph parkin and had them reared against a tree

I am now very Buysy with my house the cellar of which
I am walling with stone which we get out of the Land they
are a kind of hard heads and we get Lime stone out of the
hilly Land to Bed them with, they make an excellant wall
the cellar will be 14 feet by 16. W"^ Crowther formerly of
Lockwood has been walling it But he is now in the ague
he fell sick last Satuarday and he continues to be very ill
this week we are Drawing Brick and timber and prepareing
the Beams and joist [s] for the floor W"^ Morton & George
Armitage are assisting me as well as they can George has
had one of his Old asthmatical rounds this last few Days so
he has not been able to Do anything But I expect he will be
well in a few Days M^ Thomson one of our neighbours has
come home this week from Rock river where he has been
working all sunamer and I have engaged him to help to Build
the house and if W"^ Crowther Does not get well in time I
shall wall the inside myself and By thees means I hope we
shall get It coverd In Before winter sets in

It would Pleas you greatly to see the chilldren with what
Delight the[y] help to unload the Bricks Tho^ & Sarah are
generaly the most active handleing the rough Brick with
theire Little hands and talking about how warm they will
be iu the winter from what they was the last Sarrah is
the same little wild girl she was in England she often talks
of her Grandmother and her little companions Tho^ is got

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 57

a fine Boy he is very fleshe and enjoys very good healtli
Arminalann is got qmt[e] well and is very eherefuU Han-
nah and Ruth are got two great girls and are a help to their
mother Selina is a fine little girl we had her ehristned
about 5 weeks since at M' Earnshaw's wher we have preach-
ing every Sunday afternon and we have a sabath school
held theire also, we had a person from the American Sabath
school Union a few weeks since and he made us a pressent
of a small Liberary for the use of the chilldren and he
promised to pay us another visit in a short time and render
us all the assistance he could

I see By the papers that Political agitation is still alive
with you and I think the Powers that Be have theire hands-
full what with corn Law [word illegible] and the Irish re-
peal question and rebecca and her Daughters they will have
work enough to keep the helm and avoid the rocks and sands
which the vessel seems to be sorounde[d] with. Politicks
are a subject that we are never troubled with hear and we
might be without a government for any trouble or expenc[e]
they are to us we have no Police men nor Poor Law com-
misioners nor are we troubled much with tax gatherers
theire as been a person round to mak[e] a valuation and we
expect to have a small tax on our Land according to the im-
provements we have on it this tax I am Informed we shaJl
have to pay every year. our officers such as magistrates,
Balif, &c are all working men and stand on equal ground
with ourself if the [y] wont work they must not eat.

tell Brother Henry not to let me have quit[e] so much of
Politics in his next But teel me something about my old
acquaintances and how they are geting on at Crossland
Church or some kind of a tale and how old Sam^ Witworth
is geting on and ask him if he has not got an old Piano which
he can fix (as the yankees Say) to the tail of one of your
newly invented flying machiens and Desire the conductor of
the machien to cut its tail off when he Passes over Roches-
ter Racien county Wisconsin teritory and I will Be on the
Look out for it

58

WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

Dear father if you have an opurtunity I should like you
to send me a quantity of Reed Dents such as are used for
about a 10 Bear reed as I intend trying to make some coarse
flanel which I think would be a profitable Buissnes their is
a small carding mill at Waterf ord about 4 miles off and an-
other is nearly Built at Burlington their has been a large
Flour mill (grist mills their are called here) Built at Roch-
ester this sumer the Iron foundry has got complet[e] But
you must not imagine the Mills and Foundry to be such as
you have in England But Picture to yourself what they
was in England 30 or 40 years ago the Flour Mills have
from 2 to 4 run of stone and are worked Day and Night.
Tell Benj° Wood that I have not had an oportunity of see-
ing his Brother John for I have been so engaged that I
could not well go over so far the Distance from Rochester
to Prairevil is 25 miles I intend to go over as soon as ever
I can make it convenient I must now Draw my letter to a
close with the Best wishes of my Wife and Chilldren to all
relations and freinds and accept the Same Yourself

From Your Affectionat Son & Daughter

Edwin & Martha Bottomley

! - • "' -••^-/^ ^^ #

s

^^^'TTN

n

f^^^^^JU, i^*^^*^***

11^

^i/-c-U-C

yrSpt.*^

C&1

I

\in^n^

tcu^^

Plan of the house the cellar goes as far as the wall
marked X it will be two stories high

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY . 59

I have not time to Draw you the front as it is time for my

leter to be at Kochester for the mail But their is a person

by the name of Fitchcroft coming Back to Berybrow and I

shall send you a drawing of the Place he leaves here next

week

• • •

Dear Father:

In the other part of my letter you have a scetch of the
house I intend Building and I Desire you to say wether you
think I am Building to[o] large or not the cost I can not
exactly state at Pressent But I Judge about £50 it will take
about 23000 Brick the price at the yard is 3 Dollar [s]
and a half about 80 Bushel of lime at 10 cents per Bushel
for Drawing the Brick that I cannot Draw with my oxen I
have a Dollar and [a] quarter per 1000 to pay I have not
sufficient time to Draw all the Bricks with the oxen and I
have got John Wilson to Draw what they cannot, theer is
lime and Sand timber and various other things which would
cost a great Deal which I can Do with the oxen

I have engaged W™ Morton and George Armitage to as-
sist I shall have to pay them 12 Dollars a month each and
Board which is as little as I could get any person for and 1
think they are Deserveing of it they have promised that
if I was pinched for money to let their wage stop in my
hands till next march But I think I shall get through if
you can send the money that M^ Miller should have paid me
But I shall strive to lay out as little as poss[i]ble for I Do
not want to trouble you for any more money if I can help
it by any Possible means in my Power you will Be aware
of my circumstances By my former letters I have paid my
Debts and I have settled with W" Morton about the land
and have got the Deeds Drawn up and I have them and as
soon I can conveiniently I will give you a statement of what
I have laid out so that you will see for yourself that I have
not wasted the money in riotous liveing But that I have
eaten the Bread of carefulness and I hope with the Blessing

60 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

of god to succeed in my undertakeing By Patience and Per-
severance such is the Desire of your affectionate son
[Signature cut from the manuscript]

Rochester Wisconsin Teritory Dec"" 6*^ 1843

Dear Father:

# « *

your letters of Sep^ 16*^ Oct^ 2^^^ Oct 17^^ have all come to
hand and we where glad to hear that you where all enjoying
good health and that trade was better. We are thankfuU
to you for your kindness towards us the money which you
sent By the mail of the 17*^ of oct"" I rec*^ last week F
Steinhiel Esq had the goodness to send it forward without
waiting for a letter from me But I am sory to inform you
that I have not rec*^ the Box of Clothes which you sent By
M^ Pickering last Sep^ nor a letter from him either. the
reason that I rec*^ neither I cannot comprehend wether he
is stoping in new york or he is come to his Brother in Illinois
I do not know But I shall write by the next post to his
brother in Illinois and I Desire you to send me the adress of
his Brother in Law at new York so that I can write to him if
I have ocasion to Do so I have sometimes thought that he
must be stoping in new York this winter and intended bring-
ing it with him in the spring my reason for thinking so is
that he might not land in new York while the End of Oct'
which would be to late for him to come up the lakes on ac-
count of the lakes being closed (as they term it) that is be-
ing froze which generaly takes place about the begining of
Nove' at the Northern end of lake Michigan and lake Huron
and It would be very expensive for him to come by the stage
or mail so far. especialy if he had a quantity of Lugage But
if he be stopt in new york I am su[r] prised he Does not
write. But hope it will arrive safe and that no misfortune
has happened to him.

While I am on the subject of Disapointment I may as well
state that I have not rec^ the money from M^ Milner of
Quincy Adams County Illinois nor have rec^ any communi-

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 61

cation from him since last March and if M*" Ja^ Miller Does
not like to pay you the money on the asertion of this note on
account of Its being enclosed in another person ['s] letter I
shall mention it again in my own letter in a month from
the Date of this but I hope he will so that the thing may be
set at rest

we have got the house covered in and are very buysy with
inside work to get it so that we can get into it the next week
the weather as been rather against us for a few Days at
time[s] the frost being rather to[o] strong we could not
wall But by takeing fine Days and bad Days altogether
we have succeeded we had a fall of Snow the Latter end
of bct^ which covered the ground nearly a foot Deep which
remaind about a week since then we have [had] very little
and take the winter generaly so far I think it is very fine

I had entend[ed] not to write till I had seen John Wood
but owing to the house being as it is I could not well go and
see him till we get into it But you may tell Ben" Wood that
I shall go and see him or get him to come over to me before
I write again which will be a month from the Date of this if
I am spared in health I saw a Person on Monday last who
had come from Snail lake and he told me that John Wood
had left Gudger and was liveing with an English man a
Butcher about a mile from Gudgers and that he was in good
health

I sent you a Drawing By a Person named Fitchcroft and
hope you will have rec^ it befor this you must excuse me
for not Doing it as well as you have seen for I only had One
Brush that I cou[l]d Paint with and I hope it will give you
some Idea of the Land and how we are situated, as soon as
I can make it conveinient I shall send a Drawing of each
house as a present to the parents of all of us.

You Desired me to state how my clothes fit me But not
haveing rec"^ them I cannot tell But I think they will be
large enough if ever I get them although I have enjoyed
very good health ever since I came to this cuntry I am not
as heav}^ quit[e] as I was when I was in England But if

62 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

they are a bit to[o] large they will be no worse for it you
Desire in one of your letters to know wether I can make my
Bass as good as it was or not and I Belive I can although I
have not put It together yet you also Desire to know what
articles would be of service to me that you could send them
for me by Sheard in the Spring I cannot scarcely tell what
to ask for I think you[r] kindness to me and my family as
allready been very great and I do not want you to injure
yourself no more than what can be avoided on our account
But if you could send me a Jackaurd [ Jacquard] for about
40 Healds and a quantity of logs and pegs I should take it
as a great favour for I mean to have a loom and a Small
Jenny as soon as I can make it conveinient a few reeds
Dents would be of service to me * * *

your affectionate Son & Daughter
Edwin & Martha Bottoml[ey]

N** 1 Letter after this [I] Shall number them

KocHESTER January 4*^ 1844
Dear Father & Mother :

According to promise I now take up my pen again to
adress a few lines to you hopeing they will find you in good
health as they leave all of us at pressent our chilldren are
all as lively as Poss[i]ble especialy Tho^ and Sarah who are
continualy Pulling and hauling little Selina and Jar a little
one with another which is the Better nurse Tho^ is very fat
and thrives very fast and he can sing with his sisters when
they sing their little hymns and he often talks about his
grandfather and Grandmother his mother had been wash-
ing him one Satuarday night and when she was combing
his hair she ask[ed] him if she must cut off a lock o| hair
for his Grandfather and he said (yes Do) and send it him
which you will find enclosed in this letter

I was sory that I could not give you any inf ormatio [n]
about the Box which you sent By M^ Pickering (in my note
enclosed in James Tinkers letter) for I am aware that it
would cause you great uneassiness But I ham happy to

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 63

inform you that I rec^ a letter from him the same night that
James Tinker [ 's] letter went to the Post office and had I got
it an hour sooner I should have gone to the Post office and
taken the letter out again But I was aware the mail would
be Closed before I could get their and I was compeld to let
it go and I was very ill greived about it for I was sure it
would cause you great uneasiness But I am happy to in-
form you that the Box is safe in M^ Pickering ['s] care at
new york M^ Pickerings Passage from Liverpool to New
York was upwards of 40 Days so that it was the Begining of
November before he landed and a few Days elapsed Before
he could get the Box clear of the custom house owing to a
circumstance of Perfidy (as he terms it) on the part of some
informant against the captain for haveing smugled goods on
Board, however he managed to get the Box safely through
without a single article being turned up by giveing a fee $5
Dollars which he thought best to do rather than have any
further trouble after that he begun to make e[n]quireies
about sending the Box forward to me but his Brother In
Law and Several Others advised him not to send it till he
had writen to me as they was aware that the Lakes would be
closed before the Box could be got to Racine and most likely
be lost or the goods spoiled By remaining all winter perhaps
in the Vesel or in a warehouse I wrote Back imediately
and Desired him to let it remain at new York till spring in
his care and then send it if he Did not come himself accord-
ing to his letter he thought he should not come west as he
had been sick ever since he landed at new york nothing
semed to Digest properly and Dyspepsia is the result which
is comon to Englishmen when they first come out

We removed into our new house on the 10^*^ of Dec^ it be-
ing my Birth Day and I can assure you we feel a Deal more
comfortable than we Did in our shanty although it is in a un-
fin[i]shed state we have the front Door nailed up with
Boards and a good Door to the Back which is more convein-
ient for us at i)ressent the chamber floor is laid Down But
not nailed as the Boards are not Dry the house and kitchen

64 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

floor is nailed Down and we are fin[i]shing laying the floor
in the little room to Day the walls are all unplastered as I
Dont intend haveing them Plastered till Spring so that it
will give me a little more time to Do the finishing work my-
self this winter when the weather is not fit to work out of
Doors

I repaired my Bass on the friday before Christmas Day
and I have made it as good as ever it was and we had a first
rate Christmas tell Joshua Sykes and Joseph Scholfield
that we had as good a set of Singers as they had and more
Pleasure attending we went Down to Eochester and got
theire about 2 0 Clock in the morning every house whas
in Darkness and all the Inhabitance asleep (not being aivare
of us going to vis[i]t them) we comenced Singing at A
M' Godfrey ['s] who is the Oldest Settler in this Part and
then we went through the (village or town) the Inhabitance
of which wondered whatever theire was to Do one man
thought it was the Indians that was comeing to Drive them
out of the to^Ti and at the Tavern the Boarders tumbled
Down stairs one after another some of them half Dressed
wondering what theire was coming they Invited us in and
Desired us to go up stairs into the Ball room and Sing for
them their they would have made us all as Drunk as pi-
pers with Spirits if we would have taken It. the Inhabi-
tance Generaly was greatly pleased and they wish us to go
round the next year again and they will be better prepared
for us.

the winter has been very open so far on. the ground at
Pressent is scarcely coverd with snow we have had more
rain already than we had all last winter and theire is no
comparison Betwixt this winter and the last

Dear Father, in referance to your question about hired
help, it has caused me to adopt a plan which I leave for your
consideration hopeing it will give you great Satisfa[ction]
for it is my opinion it will prove the best Plan I could adopt
not only for me but a person whom you have taken great In-
trest in, the Person['s] name is John Wood Ben° Wood['s]

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 65

Brother In your Last letter you Desired me to make en-
quireies about him and find him and have a personal Inter-
vew with him I attended to your requests as soon as pos-
sible and found that he had left Gudger and was liveing with
another person I wrote a letter to him requesting him to
come over to me, and Sent it by a person that was going into
the neighbourhood wher[e] he was liveing he came over
and I had a good Deal of conversation with him about Gudg-
ers conduct towards him which according to his statement
has been every thing But kind his toes was froze last win-
ter By being compeled to wear tight shoes (Because Gudger
either could or would not provide him with a pair of Boots
untill shame compeld him) Both is toes was frost bitten
but he did not looss either of them although they was very
bad one of them is not quit[e] well yet his clothes are
nearly all wore out and he had no place that he could call a
home I took into consideration his situation and your kind
intention to assist me in improveing my land and I con-
cluded to make an engagement with him and make him a
home rather more comfortable than what he had been I
have engaged him for one year our agreement is this I
agree to give him 50 Dollar [s] in money and 3 Shirts 2
pair of Stockings one pair of trowsers and a pair of Boots
we wash and mend his clothing and Board him and if he
should be sick we attend him and when he recovers he agrees
to work his time up at the first look this agrement Appears
low wage But I believe it is more than a person can make
clear when he as employment to get at Different places and
his washing and Board to find for himself During the time
he his out of work so that in one years time a person who
engages by the year knows what he can realize But one that
Does not he is uncertain what he can realize besides being
tossed about from place to place amongst strangers whom
he knows nothing About.

shuch is our agrement and I Promiss Both you and his
Brother Ben*^ that I shall make him as comfortable as I can
and that my conduct towards him shall be such as will guard

66 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

him against all sceens of vice and wickedness and perhaps
lead him in the path of virtue and the fear of God which I
Beleive as not been the case with whom he as been liveing
although he seems to have a nobler Principa[l] within him
than those that should have been is guide in this western
world who I understand is an Infidel and works as hard on
a Sunday as any other Day and has compeled him to work on
the Sunday also.

I intend to fense as much as I can this winter It is my
intention to purchase a quantity of rail[s] and to cut some
off my own land besides as theire is no government land
as [any] where near that I can cut any off [of] (James Tin-
ker has bought 10 acres of timherd land about 6 miles off
and given 5 Dollars an acre for it he said nothing to me
about it and of course I have nothing to Bo with it, al-
though we are great freinds and I hope for ever shaU re-
main) the e[n] closed his for his Father I have 4 acres
Broke which is unsown which I intend sowing with Spring
wheat I have two acres of winter wheat in and the two
acres which we broke the first sumer I shall cross Plough
and Plant with Indian Corn and Potta[to]es and if I can
fenc[e] in as much as I anticipate I shall Break about 10
acres for winter wheat next sumer

I had intend [ed] sending you a detailed account of the
expence of Building the house But for want of room I Shall
omit at pressent as the Post office authorities are very strict
at pressent I expect this letter will be charged double for
the last letter you send was treble and cost me 75 cents
[word illegible] them up as this is for future if you have
any enclosed peice I have paid all Demands against me
Both for Bricks time timber Glas — and for Drawing Bricks
and for mason work W^ Morton & George Armitage I
have paid them 15 Dollars and Shall have the remainder
to pay in march according to agreeme[nt] they will want
for Both together about 50 Dollars more I have about 28
Dollars left and I have Bought a quantity of wheat and Paid

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 67

for it some for seed and the remainder for flour which will
fitt wile [last until] we have some of our own or nearly

Pleas to make enquireis about the Bible which my Gran-
mother had as she Promised it [to] our Hannah and if you
can get it send it By sheard I should like you to Enquire
where George Livesy Joseph Livesy['s] son [of] Dungeon
Bottom is and send in your next Dear Father I have not
received anything from M*" Milner of Quincy adams county
Illinois and should like you to get the money as soon as you
can and send it me if you can spare it me you will under-
stand By this letter how I am situated and I hope I have giv-
en no offence in any of my letters to cause you any unpleas-
antness if I have I hope to be forgiven for it would be a
greater Sin than my consince would let me comit against a
father who has been so kind to me who by is kindness has
placed me and [my] family in a comfortable home and I hope
I shall neve[r] cause one tear of greife to Wet is furad
cheeck for misconduct on my part so long as I live no Dear
father shuch I hope as not been the case and I hope it never
will and May the Lord keep and Guard me against such con-
duct is the sincer Prayer of

your Affectionate son

Edwin Bottomley

EocHESTER April 18^*" 1844
Dear Father & Mother :

I received you[r] letter of the S""^ of March on the 13^ of
April * * * along with your letter I rec^ the Leeds
Mercury wich you sent and two letters from F Steinhiel of
New york containing the money which was sent for Tinker,
Woodhead, Hinchlif e, Armitage, and 40£ from Sheard which
surprised me very much owing to it not being mentioned in
your letter, according to your Desire I went to his father in
law and read him that portion of the letter which concerned
him and I told him what I had received from Sheard. the
cost of sending money to here costs about 3 Dollars for 20£
but if I have room I will give you the Items.

68 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

we have had a very mild and open mnter and Spring has
burst upon us in all its beauty the low land is covered with
fresh grass and the trees are beginning to show theire leaves
and we farmers are as busy as we can be geting in our spring
crops I comenced sowing my spring wheat on Easter Tues-
day instead of going Down to Huddersfield, and It has all-
ready begun to show itself in its green robe I am geting
my garden seeds into the ground as quick as I can I am
afraid that those chesnuts which you sent me will not make
any thing out I put them in the ground in drils about 4
inches Deep last fall and I beleive the frost as ingured them
for on examineing them a few Days since they appeared to
be rotten in the inside But I shall let them remain undes-
turbed a while to see wether they will grow or not I Buryed
the haws last fall and the fleshy part is Decayed I shall put
them in Drils in a few Days and I hope to raise them

But I must return to what I have Done this winter you
will perceive by my letter of the 4^^ of Jan^" that I had been
busy with our house till that Period nearly which prevented
me for [from] going to visit uncle Sam as we call him that
is getting timber off government land which is geting very
scarce about here now that has any timber on John and me
went as far a[s] Eagle lake about 4 miles off and we got
timber that made about 3 hundred rails I then Bought some
fallen timber of James Walker and I got a 1000 rails out of it
for which I paid 6 Dollars I have got 700 of them home and
their is 300 on his land yet I got about 400 off my own land
which make[s] 1700 rails that I have got this winter I have
removed my fenc Back, south (refer to the Drawing) and
encircld that land which was broke on the outside of the
fence when we removed into our new house we was without
stairs into the chamber and we used a step ladder John and
me have put a new pair of Stairs up and though I say it my-
self they are such that no Joiner would have occasion to be
ashamed of all [so] we have made a new 4 post Bed Stead
a Stand and put a cellar Door up, steps into the cellar, a new

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 69

mantlepeice and I have a frame for a Jenny made which is to
have 20 Spindles in

I am glad you are sending the Iron work &c belonging to
a Jenny for 60 Spindles But I must make the small one the
first which will be more like what we call a billy than a
Jenny it will be a rather curious construction for I have to
contrive according to what I have to make it with I shall
send you a Discription of It when I have completed it and I
shall finish it at as soon as I can But I shall attend to the
getting in of my seed while it is fine weather and when it is
not fit to work out of Doors I shall employ myself in makeing
the Jenny and Loom. It is my intention to Break about 10
acres this next summer if I can and sow it with winter wheat,
the cost of Breaking up the land is 31^ Dollars an acre in-
cluding all expences that is if it be By hired Labour 3 Dol-
lars for work and Vituals included

in your letter of the 2*^^ of Dec"^ you Desire to know what
kind of macheinery we have in this cuntry in my letter of
Jan^ 4^*^ I Beleive i stated something on the subject But to be
certain I will here state that manufactory is in its I [n] fancy
spinning on one spindle as it was in England in times gone
by. some card it themselves and others get it carded at the
mill which is as far as it is manufactured at any mill in this
part of the cuntry within 18 or 20 miles which is the cause of
me makeing my Jenny in the maner I am so that I can
Both slub it and spinn it myself in the same letter you
mention that It was rumored that Isaac Bottomley was go-
ing to marry Kuth Littlewood I should like to know wether
it as taken place or not if it as give my respects to them
both and that I wish them much happiness.

Those joiners tools have been of great service to me which
you sent and they have enabled me to Do vairous things
which i could not have Done had I been without them unless
I had Borowed from other Persons which would have taken
as much time [as] would have done the job the cans and
all the other articles where of service to us and for which we
return you our most sincere thanks we sold the milk sives

70 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

amongst our neighbours with the exception of one which we
kept for our own use. the rifle I cannot handle with the
Dexterity and certainty of [a] yanky I set of [f ] one morn-
ing this last winter to try if I could kill a Deer I ranged the
woods a long while without Discovering any But Just as I
was makeing up my mind to return home I saw six laid
Down under some trees on the Plain below wher[e] I stood
But as soon as I begun to Descend the hill towards them they
Bounded across the plain I tracked them over hill and Dale
a long time till I begiin to be tired and then I gave up the
chase But how far I was from home or where I was got too
I had no more knowledge of than if I had been taken their
Blindfold I saw a boy chopping trees Down and from him I
learnt that I was 6 miles By the section lines South from
home the house of his father was a short Distance off and
I went to light my pipe they where just siting Down to
their Diner they calld it But it was nearer Drinkin time than
noon, they invited me to sit Down with them I accepted
theire Invitation and got my Diner with them smoked my
pipe and then returnd home.

I am informed that a person called Joseph Nobles has told
a Dismall tale about this cuntry and that their was no person
in the english settlement that Did not rue the Day they left
england now how a man who profeses to be a minister of
the gospel of our lord and Saviour Jesus Christ could have
the Impudence to state shuch a falsehood surprises me But
the poor simpleton is like to make some plausible tale to get
is freinds to take him in But he ought to have spoke truth
which I here state he has not with the exception of one or
two in the settlement all like this cuntry very well and for
myself I say as I have said befor was I in England again
and knew what I know and all the Difficulties stareing me in
the face which I have experienced since I came to this cuntry
and they have been more thane Joe Nobles as experienced
My first work I did would be triping Back to america and to
this part with all its wolves, rattlesnakes, misquoties, pork
and Pottatoes &c&c If you have an opurtunity tell Joe

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 71

Nobles the worst wish I wish him is that he may have as
many potatoes and as much pork as he had to begin this last
winter with if he had stopt 0 — But by the by he can earn a
sovering a week now he as got back and I should think as he
has said so much against pork & potatoes that he eats sov-
erings and then retires to is closet to Drink wine although
he is a profesed teetotaler I know he likes wine snugly But
I have Done with such a man whose tounge speaks falsehood
and practices Deceit.

Dear Brother :

in you[r] note enclosed in Ja^ Tinkers letter you said
something about my old Freind Sam^ Witworth and Prom-
ised me more particulars in your next I have rec^ your let-
ter But canot find his name mentioned in another you stated
somthing about my hat turning fortunteller But I expect
you have failed in your machien and my hat will have to re-
main at home a word or two on thees subjects in your next
will much oblige your Affectionate Brother Give my re-
spects to the choir at Crossland Church also to M^ Johnston
for his complement and tell him that my Bank charges very
little Discount on the money he has sent me for the bills are
very acceptable and I Back them without any fear of the
parties failing that is[s]ue them.

Dear Father :

the money w^hich you rec^ from M' Milner and sent I rec^
the week after my letter of the 4^^ of Jan^ also yours of Dec**
2°^ and according to your Disire I wrote to his Brother But
thought It rather an awkard Business for when I wrote to
him last spring I stated to him that If [he] did not send me
the money in a month from the Date of my letter I should
write Back to England for it But I wrote to him on the 30*^**
I stated to him that I had writen to England and that his B'
said I was to aply to him again for it as he had wrote an or-
der for him to pay it me last July, this was the particulars of
my letter I told him not to Deceive me the same as he Did

72 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

last STimer but to state how and when he could pay it either
in small sums or all at once I rec^ one Back the End of
Feb"" the followin[g] is a copy

QuiNCfY Feby 12—1844
Dear Sir:

Yours of the 30th of Jany I have before me and if any thing is calculated
to increase my troubles it is to know that one entirely unknown to me is
made to partake of them, if my last letter in [any] way mislead you or
Disapointed you it is because I am Disapointed myself It would be im-
possible for me to inform you how I have become enibarassed as I am But
I will state that I have (at the expence of over $15,000 Built a mill on a
stream that has nearly Dryed up I then altered It to a steam mill and
when I last wrote to you [I] had some hope of Doing suflBcient to enable
me to pay you something if not all but alas our harvest last year was so
bad that we have not had one tenth work for the mill so that it pays noth-
ing. I am rather astonished that Brother Joseph Should Satisfy himself by
telling you he had ordered me to pay it you Because my son who maried
his Daughter left me last april to return to Dalton with every appearance
of my suffering for want of the necessarys of life and this [that] I have
not wanted it is becase a kind and Indulgent providence has heard my
prayers and granted me my Daily Bread it is true I owe my Br more than
your Demand and had I the means both you and he should be paid I will
state another fact that will show you how impossible it is for me to pay
anything at pressent tho' I hope and trust all will be eventually paid my
property at the lowest estimate exceeds my Debt by full 14,000 Dollars but
as their are judgements out against me my property is entirely out of my
power and my creditors can take and Sell either personal or real estate as
they think proper Last Friday the Sheriff Sold all my personal property
except such as the law alows me which is $75 worth of Househould furni-
ture I hope Sir this will not mislead you I have told you my precise
situation and assure you that I am more sorry that you should suffer on
my account than I am for my own sufferings for I am one of those who
believe that all things will work together for good to them that love the
Lord and I am Sure I Do I will conclude by wishing you all the temporal
prosperity consistent with your eternal welfare and remain Dr Sir

Yours Respectfully

Thos Milner

as soon as I got the money I paid off my bills I had left
about 30 Dollars w^hen I had Paid [them] off which is within
a few Dollars of being spent We are as careful as ever we
can be of spending anything un[n]essesary I have bought
John a Pair of Boots a cap and fited him up with a suit of
Sunday clothes his every Day trowsers are nearly out and
I have none that I can spare I shall have to get him some

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 73

either one way or the other I had a cow that ealfed on the
16^*^ of april which will be of service to us

in referance to the question about my land I take it to be
this (Do I consider I have sufficient wood.) in answer to
the question I must say that I have as much as I want unless
I could buy some nearer than 6 miles off for this reason their
is a[s] much fire wood on government land within 3 miles as
will serve a number of years. I can get fire wood there and
safe my own that is on my land and haveing timber a great
way off ther farm is inconveinient as a proof I can say
that James Tinker Gave one Dollar per 100 rails for a per-
son to Split them on his timberd land and found him meat
and they cost him one Dollar per 100 Getting home and more
now I could have Bought rails at 12 Dollar per 1000 within
4 miles and I had 2500 rails offerd me at the same price
about 2 miles off and had I had the money I should have
bought them although their is no Doubt but wood land will
be valuable in the course of a few years I have wood on my
own that I think wdll serve for fire wood a good number of
years I have heard that a person owning an half a section
of moderate timbered Land the corner of which comes up to
mine is offering it at 3 Dollars per acre wether it be true
or not I cannot say I should have no objection to buy some
of that if I was able But Dont think he would sell in less lots
than 40 acres

now in answering this question I Do not wish to construe
the Idea that I want you to help me to get some for I think
if you can render me any assistance I think I can turn tha?
assistance to better advantage than laying out on timbered
land and I am thankfull to god for his goodness in assisting
and Enableing you to Do what you have Done for me I have
stated to you how I am situated and what I have Done since
I wrote my last and what are my intentions and if you can
help me in the least without harming yourself I shall take
[it] as a great favour I engaged John thinking It would be
better than hireing my Breaking which for 15 acres would
have cost 45 Dollars and I am very well satisfied with him

74 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

I might say more on the subject but my paper is nearly full
and I must conclude * * *

your Affectionate Son & Daughter

Edwin and Marth Bottomley

Eecept for Syrup

to 1 lb of Dark Blue voilets 2 quarts of Boiling water
1 lb " Feild — Do 1 Do

stir them well and cover them up and let them remain all
night next wring them out with the hand and for 5 pints of
the liquor add 12 lb of refined sugar and put it on a slow fire
and Boil it wile the sugar is Desolved take the scum of [f]
with a spoon which will be soon after it begins to boil

5*"** Letter this Year

KocHESTER Racien County WISCONSIN T^ Juue 27^^ 1844
Dear Father & Mother:

we received yours bearing date April 16^^ on May 21^^
* * * I was sorry when I read your letter that you had
been Disapointed in not receiving an answer to the letter you
send last December But I hope you have rec^ mine of the
18^^ of April Which I think will satisfy you on that account

George Sheard arrived here on the 18^^ of June he came
here on horse bac[k] from Racien to get wagons to fetch his
family and Luggage and M^ Hockins the Birmingam Black-
smith and his family we was very Buysy Ploughing But we
gave all up and got 4 wagons we put 2 yoke of oxen to each
wagon and set of [f] next morning James Tinker Joshua
Woodhead Samuel Stonehouse and John Wood went with
them and a very Difficult jurney they had owing to their
haveing been so much wet weather off Late the roads where
very Bad they set off on the wedensday morning and got
Back on the Friday night and Both the oxen and men where
completly exhausted the Luguage and every thing was safe
George Sheard and his Family are liveing in our shanty
I gave him liberty either to live with us in our house or in
the shanty I had made some repairs in it and made It mod-
erate [ly] comfortable on purpose for him if he choose to

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 75

live in it and if he had not like to have lived in it I should
have made room for him in our house But he is very well
satisfy^ with it and he may live in it as long as he pleases
rent free

we opened the Box which you sent and found every thing
safe not a Single article had been Disturbed since you put
them in the Box and I cannot express in words my thankfuU-
ness to you for the articles it contains the chilldren jumped
for joy and I never saw them so impationt in my life they
watched for the wagons all Day on the Friday till the[y]
came in sight and as soon as they appeard off they went like
an arrow from a Bow to meet them and they return thanks
to their Grandfather & Grandmother and all whom have
send them pressents and to aU their little companions they
send their best respects

the other Box which you sent by M^ Pickering we have not
got yet George Sheard Did not land at new york as he con-
templated he came by the ship Careo and landed at Boston
and came from there to A[l]bany by the railway so that he
had not an opurtunity of seeing M"" Pickering which you ex-
pected him Doing ; his arival here happend very lucky for me
he came here on the tuesday about noon and a Person named
Henry Robertson was going to New York on the wedensday
morning to meet his Wife and family and I encluded at
once to send for the Box By him haveing no opurtunity of
writeing in the afternon owing to makeing arangements for
the wagons to go to racien I got up early next morning and
wrote a letter to M^ Pickering Desireing him to send the
Box by the Bearer If he was not comeing forward But If he
thought of comeing I Desired him to come with him as he
would find him a Pleasant companion on his jurney and I
expect to have rec*^ the Box before you get this

Dear Father in your last letter you Desire to know what
quantity of land I have broke this sumer and what kind of
crops I am Likely to reap. I have Broke 5 acres allready
for winter wheat and I expect to break other 5 or 6 acres
more If I am Spared and has my health and I shall sow

76 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

about 7 or 8 acres with winter wheat and leave the rest for
spring wheat you may wish to Know the Differance be-
twixt winter wheat and Spring wheat only being a young
farmer it will be rather Difficult for me to explain I am
informed whether correct or not I cannot say that in Eng-
land theire is no Differance betwixt the wheat sown in spring
and that sown in the fall , But here theire is if you was
to sow winter wheat in the spring it would not grow to any
thing scarcely But take that wheat and sow it the next
Spring then you get a good crop which i am inf ormd was the
way spring wheat w^as raised at the first and is now gener-
ally] used it shrinks rather more than winter wheat and I
have now told you as much as I Know myself and now I
shall state what my crops consist off which I consider are
looking very well generaly I have 2 acres of winter wheat 3
acres of Spring wheat 1% Indian corn 1 acre of Pottatoes a
large quantity of Pu[m]pkins which are growing with the
Indian corn a quantity of water melons, cowcumbers, squash
and about % of an acre of Sugar beet a quantity of carrots,
cabadge, curled Kale [and] onions I have sown them Seeds
which I had from Joshua Sykes and some of them have
grown But the other [s] have not white Beet has grown
very well the red Beet a little of it as grown, Cabage, Kale,
Coliflower, Lettuce, Mustard, Cress, Parsley, minianett,
Hysop, sweet margrow, turnips, and Carrots, have all grown
and thrive very well some few of the flower seeds are just
makeing theire appearance But wether they will come to
any thing or not I cannot say I intend sowing a little Buck
wheat this week or [the] Begining of next as it is about the
right time now to get it in.

In your Letter you Desire to know what are the general
prospects of this settlement which are in my opinion very
good those settlers that came in about the same time that I
did have all of them crops growing which will suply them
with food and every one appear [s] to increase in energy as
their Prospects Brighten in ref erance to some of my neigh-
bours finding springs in Breakeing up land all I can say is

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 77

that I have never heard of them finding any But their are
several springs round about James Scot as one that he
fetches water from which is near to the creek side But the
Best Spring that their is about here is on Creamers Land
which Joins mine in this maner rj-n the star Denote

the Place where the spring is the j ■ .1 ■ * — letter 'B where
my house stands and is nearly [:* I half a mile from

our house and we fetch our water ' — ' from it that we

Drink it is about as strong a spring as old Moll and comes
out of an hill ^ide the other springs rise on the marshy
land and are not as good

the articles which you have had the kindness to send me I
shall put in operation as soon as I can But I can not Do
much towards them this sumer as I shall have a good Deal of
work on the farm which I must Do If I have health which I
hope I Shall I shall comence getting my hay in about 3 weeks
and get Done if Possible befor harvest after harvest I in-
tend to Do what I can towards fencing the land in which I
am breakeing up which will take a good Deal of work the
land which I am Breaking is on the west side of my house
which you will see by the Drawing is high land and trees
growing on it John is cuting some of [the] trees Down
while I am writeing this Letter to prepare for breakeing up
the rema[i]nder of what I intend Doing this sumer It is my
intention to run my fence from the two Large trees at the
Bottom of the road which Leads up to the house Along the
Burlington and Racine Road to the west end of my land and
on the west end to the south side and on the South side to
Mitchels fenc and from Mitchels fence to the South East
corner of that Lot which is marked on the Drawing and an-
other fence from the South west corner across the Land to
the South Line which will then be fenced in as the Plan will
show this I intend to Do if I can Buy any means the
doted lines will show where I intend to run my fence
which takeing all together will be about one mile of f enceing
that peice betwixt mitchels fenc and the Lot now with crops
in I intend for my Pasture in the plan you will perceive

78

WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

a star near to the word north which is the place I have
thought of puting the cow sheds and Barn But wether I shall
or not I have not right [ly] made up my mind that work I
shall let alone this sumer

%:uj^U

Dear Father :

Tell my Brother Henry I shall expect a few lines from him
in the next I Dont know wether I can excuse him this time
or not But I supose I must he promised to state more Par-
ticulars about my old Freind S^ Witworth and I want to
know something about my hat starteing off on its jurney or
wether it will have to stop at home or not I hope he as got
the receipt for Syrup and Shall be glad to know wether he
has tried to make any or not

I understand Joseph Nobles has stated that theire is no
Sabath in Wisconsin if you have heard of it I hope you wont
beleive him I stated something about is statements in my
last If he had stated theire was a few hypocrites like him-
self he would have been nearer the truth for I am sure theire
is a Sabath in Wisconsin and to say theire is none would
be as great a falsehood as to say that god was never wor-
ship [ped] in England Before churches and Chapels where
built and I think no one that knows what worshiping god
is will Dare to say so In my opinion It would be one like
himself that Did For I Do know this by him that he pro-

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 79

fesses one thing and Does another he profesed to be a
christian and a Teetotaler when he was here but he liked to
Drink wine for when he had got Diner he would retired up
Stairs with is wife and thire they Drunk wine toge[ther]
they had concealed theire he will perhaps say that he took
it as medicine but if he D[id] he did not take [it] openly
(no more about him at pressent) we have service every sun-
day at M"^ Earn[shaw's] and a Sunday school and Joseph
Nobles father and me teaches every third Sunday and the
other neighboors take the other two and I here state that the
Sabath is keep as Holy as it is in England

our Sarah has just told me to send word for her Grand-
father S Grandmother to come George Sheard Desires you
to let his father Imow that he as arived here and that they
are all very well and that they have got all their Luguage
safe and to state that they had not one box opened by the
custom house officers he intends writeing by the next mail
he would have writen by this but he is busy with Differant

things so that he canot and he begs to be excused

• • •

I now conclude this letter with thankfullness to god for his
mercies to us and [may] he continue to grant them to you
my Dear Father & Mother is the sincere Prayer of

your Affectionate Son & Daughter

Edwin & Marth Bottomley

KocHESTER Sep^ 18^^ 1844
Dear Father & Mother :

I received yours bearing Date August 17^^ on the 12^^ of
Sep^ and was glad to hear that you continued in the enjoy-
ment of health which I am happy to inform you is the same
with me and all the family * * * i shall now comence
my letter and I must beg your forgiveness If I omit some-
thing which you Desire to know but I shall Do my best to no-
tice all you wish But you will be suprised when I state to
you that your letter gave me the first inteligence about the
Box you sent By M^ Pickering that I have rec^ since H Eob-

80 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

ertson left here when Mr. Robertson had been gone 8 weeks
I wrote to M^ Pickering concern [in] g him for we was afraid
some accident had befallen either him or some of his family
as he had not writen to Ja^ Tinker which I understood he In-
tended to Do as soon as his wife landed at New York on the
monday after I sent a letter to M^ Pickering which went on
the Satuarday James tinker and myself went Down to Ro-
chester and we found a letter had been laying at the post
Office for James Tinker since the f riday before from Henry
Robertson which stated that owing to particular circum-
stances he was compeled to go to England and in the letter he
stated that James whas to sell his property and pay his
Debts the Date of M^ Robertson ['s] Letter is August P^
which was the Day he was seting sail for Liverpool and that
of mr Pickering to you is Dated July 6*^ according to your
letter so that Robertson must have had the Box Delivered to
him a month bef or he concluded to go to England and wether
M^ Pickering has got it Back from him or not I canot tell
But I am Expecting a letter this afternoon from M^ Picker-
ing and If I Do not I shall try to secure some part of his
property to night. I must now go to the postoffice before I
can go on with my letter

Wedensday Morning % past 5 oclock and I have only 1
hour before this letter must be off to meet the mail or it will
not go the mail of the first of Oct^ their was no letter
for me last night and I imediatly set to work and must beg
your forgiveness if it ofends you as you will have to be in-
volved in the transaction but I hope it will be no expence to
you Henry Robertson ['s] land was sold on monday and the
only property that was left was his horses and wagon I
went to a person in Rochester wile I was theire who had been
a magistrate and I asked is advice on the subject and he told
me that I could not lay hold of any of his property by the
law till I had further evidence I then stated to him the plan
I had thought of, that is this on my return I went to James
tinker and Bought the horses and wagon and all that belongs

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 81

to them for 150 Dollars by giving a note payable 6 months
after Date at M^ Tho« Bottomley South Crossland England
this note to be sent to M^ Eobertson for him to receive the
money from you now I must state to you the plan you must
pursue if you find that the Box he had Deliverd to him by
M^ Pickering be lost through is negelegence or that he has
turned it in to money for his own use which is this when he
or is order makes aplication for the payment of the note you
must protest against It and then the note will have to be re-
turned for payment to me and if it comes to me I shall object
to paying it while I know something of my property which he
had intrusted into his care and if the party aplying for the
money proced with law and comes to trial to compel me I
shall state the value of the property as an offset which I
shall take care to make high enough to pay him and should
the Box arive here all safe I hope you will Do your endeav-
our to assist me as it is the only plan I can take to secure the
value of the property you send me which would have been
more use to me at pressent than the wagon and horses for
they will cause me to get more hay to keep them on this win-
ter and I shall have to make a stable for them which will be
a little expence to me But I hope and trust all will work
together for good

I will leave this subject as it is at ^pressent and proceed
with something Else as my time is getting on I have har-
vested my wheat and got it threshed and I have about 40
Bushel[s] which is rather a light crop for the first year
But the season as not been a very favourable one owing to so
much wet I have got as much hay as would have served me
if this circumstance had not taken place my Indian corn
and pottatoes will be a prety go[o]d crop Beets will be
rather Deficient But for what I have I am thankfuU for as
I think all together will serve for food till another harvest
which I hope will be better I have Broke the 10 acres of
land as it is marked in my last letter But I shall not sow
any of it with winter wheat my reason for not sowing it is
I am afraid it would be much injured by the pigs and Cat-

82 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

tie as I canot fence it in while winter I have Bought some
seed wheat 15 Bushel of M^ Frost which I could have paid
for with some of those aprons in the Box had it arived in
time. I have sown 5 acres of winter wheat in the Inside of
the fence and 3 acres is allready up the other two I fin-
Li] shed sowing yesterday I have got 12 Bushels of a new
kind of Spring wheat from a person that owed me 3 Dollars
the wheat comes to 9 Dollars and I intend sowing 8 acres of
the new Broken ground with It in the Spring we have had
a very fine seed time so far and it look[s] very likely to con-
tinue for some time I must now conclude this letter or part

of a letter as [it] is 7 oclock and I must be at Rochester by 8

• * *

Your affectionate son and Daughter

Edwin & Martha Bottomley

Rochester Raciene County Wisconsin Nov'" 14*^ 44
Dear Father & Mother :

We rec^ yours of Oct^ 4^*^ and where very thankfull to hear
that you where all in good health as thank god this leaves us
all since I last wrote our Tho^ as been rather unwell and
as had a very sore arm but his arm is got nearly well and he
is now quite well in health it was the scurvy that he had in
his arm and we have used an ointment made of gunpowder
and tallow last which as done it a great Deal of good and I
beleive it will cure it with this exception we have all en-
joyed good health aU this sumer our Selina can now run
about and can talk very well she is one of the livelyest lit-
tle girls you ever saw and she often makes me think of what
you used to say about my sister what a fine little girl she
was.

We have had very fine wether the last two months we
have had very little rain we had a fall of snow on the 18*^
of Oct^ which Disapeared in a few Days since then the
weather has been warm while the 12^^ of this month which
was very cold and now the 14*^ we have a hard frost but no
snow on the ground George Sheard and his family are still

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 83

liveing in my shanty but are going to remove into theire own
house in a few Days they are all enjoying good health I
read them that part of the letter which said anything about
them and they send theire best respects to you I have not
heard George say when he will write but expect he will write
as soon as they get into theire own house

I forgot to mention in my last that we had Henry Buck-
leys Nephew over at our hous in the begining of Sep^ and
he brought me those Bobbin bits which you sent by him
he liked the cuntry very well but theire was not company
enough for him he said his uncle liked [it] very well he
wished me to say that they where all in good health and
where Doing very well. Tell Joseph Perkin that his brother
W"^ is alive, and in good health and he says he gets plenty of
something to eat and he whishes to know wether Lydia and
her Son thinks anything about comeing to him and what
means they could make for he feels very Desireous that they
should come for he thinks Ely would be of great service to
him and so think I he intends writeirig soon and the reason
why he Did not write sooner is that he had not got a Settle-
ment with Drakes but he ha's now got one and will write as

soon as conveinient

* # *

John Wood took the horses and wagon and went to see
Gudger last week and my Wife and Sarah Morton & Mitchell
went with him to see James Dawson Gudger is Doing very
well and he still keeps a member of the Congregationalists
James Dawsons wife came Back with them and she wishes
you to tell Her Father John Kilburn that they are all in good
health and that they have been Expecting a letter from him
some time. Dear Father you Desired me to engage John
Wood again and send you word what terms we had agreed
upon I have not made any agreement with him yet for he
has sent a letter to his Brother at Philadelphia and he as
not got an answer back from him and if his Brother sends
for him he will go their, he is in good health and he as been

84 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

expecting a letter from his brother or some of the family
some time he sends his kind love to them all.

in one of your letters you wish to know wether I had Dis-
coverd any Springs in my land I must now tell you that I
have found one near to the Indian trail I have Dug a new
Draw well and stoned it and have got excellent water the
well is 14 feet Deep and as 6 feet of water in now the well
is near to the house I have cross ploughed 6 acres of the 10
acres which I Broke this summer and I shall cross plough
other two if I can this fall for I intend to put 8 acres of
spring wheat in of a new kind called the edge row wheat
which has yeilded large crops this last sumer in my last I
stated what quantity of wheat I had I have reaped about 45
bushel of Indian c[o]rn 52 Bushel of potatoes 8 Bushel of
Beets [and] 5 Bushel of carrots I have Planted an orchard
of aple trees and a few Plumbs I have 100 apple trees 3
years old and 4 Plumb trees which John and me have got
from the woods the aple trees I had of a Gardener he

charged 10 Dollars a 100 and gave me 12 months credit

• * *

I must now conclude my letter as my paper is getting full
and I feel I have not said all I should have Done But I hope
you will ac[c]ept this and may Gods Blessings rest upon you
all is the sincer Prayer of your

Affectionate Son
Edwin Bottomley

Rochester Racien County Wisconsin T^ Jan 14^** 1845

* * •

•

Dear Father :

in refferance to your question of what advantage will the

horses and wagon be I Shall endeavour to explain and I

must say that a wagon is as nessesary to a farmer as a

plough for a person without one as to Depend on the good

will of his neighbours for the loan of one if he as to take his

corn to the mill or loading hay and vairious other things

wherin a wagon is more usefuU than a slay (sleigh) though

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 85

pepole will use a slay for leading hay if they have one of
theire own before they will troble their neighbours, a slay
is better than a wagon when theire is a suffieent quantity of
Snow but at other times a wagon is prefferable and to say
the least of It It is a very usefuU article, as for the horses
I can only say theire advantage over oxen is the quickness
you can Do anything from what you can do with oxen you
can go a journey sooner with them with more ease and with a
small plough One hores [horse] will cross plough when the
land is got mellow and loosse with ease and a Deal faster
than what any person could Do with oxen But I Do not
wish to keep neither horses nor wagon against your wish
the only object I had in v[i]ew at that time was to secure the
value of the Box the wagon as I stated in my last is not
much worth and we have had to put new spokes into one
wheel and their is another which wants some puting in the
horses are good ones and one of them is with foal and if I
keep them I shall try to raise a few foals from them and I
have no Doubt that if I had a small breaking plough I could

Break with them and my oxen which is what I want to Do

• * •

John Wood is liveing with me yet although we have no par-
ticular agreement for another year I have agreed to give
him at the same rate for the time he is with me at home and
working on the farm as he had the last year I have also
taken some work to Do at Racien which is Drawing wood for
a M^ Norton of Burlington who as some timbered land at
Raciene and as engaged to cut and Draw 1000 cord of wood
a cord is a pile of wood cut into 4 feet lengths and Piled up 4
feet high and 4 feet wide and 8 feet long they will Draw
about a cord at a load on a Sleigh John and me have made a
new Sleigh and shoed it with Iron and have [it] all ready for
going as soon as theire comes any snow John will take the
horses and while he is Drawing wood I have agreed to give
him 10 Dollars a month my Bargain with M"" Norton is this
he gives me 25 cents a cord and finds corn and Hay for the
horses and Boards the man he will be able to Draw 5 cord a

86 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

Day so that I shall recive as much clear besides paying
John as I give him.

We are sending our Hannah to school at burlington and
she Boards at the aforesaid M^ Norton and She has kniting
and sewing to Do for her board we have some kniting and
sewing at home from them to Do she likes the school very
well and she is much respected at the School and M^ Nortons
we shall continue to let her go this winter if we can spare
her.

the winter has been very fine so far the ground has not
been covered with Snow above two or three Days which is
rather against us at pressent and I am rather afraid it will
hurt wheat if theire Does not come some snow soon I am
puting up that fence up the road side and I feel glad that I
Did not sow that peice I Broke last sumer on account of the
winter being so open which would have been very bad for it
with it not being fenced in my last you would see what I had
crossploughed and what I intended to Do which I hope I
shall be able to accomplish befor the Spring sets in if the
Lord spares me and grants me health which he as so bou[n]-
tifully bestowed upon me and my family since we came to
this cuntry * * *

you[r] Affectionate Son & Daughter

Edwin & Martha Bottomley

Dear Brother Henry:

I am suprised at not receiving some short epistle from
thee lately Shurely I have not offend [ed] thee If I have
it is unknowingly and on that account I must ask forgiveness
I shall now ask a question which I hope thou will answer in
the next letter in the letter of the 2^^ of march 1844 theire
is this sentance in (Sheard will Bring you a few pots) now
I wish to know what kind of pots they where and what quan-
tity. George Sheard gave my wife half a Dozen cups and
plates; now I want to know wether George said to you he
would give us some pots or you Sent some pots by him.

you have often asked me to give you a statement of the

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 87

expence in sending money which i will endeavour to give you
as well as I can the fixt value on English pound sterling
is 444 cents and when the rate of change on England is 9 per
cent then an English pound is worth 484 cents I have rec*^
money when the rate of change has been 8 per cent, 8^4 &
9 & 9% which was the case when I rec^ the last money Sent
the comission and Brokerage has always been 1% cents for
every Dollar on the real value the postage from England
to new york is 25 cents and a letter From F Steinhiel Esq
with a check is 52 cents by this statement you will be able
to answer any person Desireing to know the postage will
be the same for a small sum as a larger But the cost of
comision and Brokerage will be in proportion to the sum
my paper is full and I must close and may God Bless you
and all your fam[i]ly is the sincer Prayer of

your affectionate Brother

Edwin Bottomley

KocHESTER Racine County W T March 11^^ 1845
Dear Father & Mother :

I now take my pen to adress a few lines to you hopeing
they will find you all in the enjoyment of good health as
thank god thees linens [lines] leave us all with the e[x]cep-
tion of Ruth who as been rather unwell thees last few Days
but I hope she will soon be well again I stated in my last
that we had sent our Hannah to school at Burlington and
on what terms and that I thought that we should let her go
all winter If circumstances would admit But I see as we
are situated we cannot well Do It and we have taken her
home she has earned 3 Dollars towards her Board while
she has been theire and Martha has knited a few Stockings
and two Muffs which will be 1 Dollar towards Hannahs
Board and Hannah is going as a servant to M*" Nortons in
about a fortnight and She is to have i^ Dollar a week they
want her about a month which will be a trifel more towards
her Board.

88 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

John Wood as been at Eacine 7 weeks Drawing wood for
M^ Norton I shall send for him home next week as I want
a great many Eails Drawing [drawn] yet for the winter has
been so open and we have had so little snow that I have not
been able to Draw many I have got 600 home and I have
1400 more to fetch the Winter has been very open we
have not had above 8 or 10 Days of Sleighing all winter for
when we have had any falls of snow theire never as fallen
above 4 inches which as melted away in a few Days the
wether for this last fortnight as been like an English snmer
with the exception of a little frost at nights

I have pnt up my fenc along the Burlington and Racine
road and made some little alterations about the house the
side next to mitchells is open yet and I shall Ditch that if 1
canot get my Rails in time the other end I think I can get
rails for I have pnt the Jenny Rim together and made the
frame for the head I shall have to make it more like a billy
than a Jenny so that I can spinn out of the roots or cardings
as we call them I intend to complet it this spring if Pos-
sible. * * *

Give my Respects to John Beaumont and give him the
seeds enclosed and tell him I should like him to try to raise
them so that you can taste of the fruit which when green
if the[y] are cut into Slices and simered in a little water
just suficient to keep them from Burning made into pud-
ing with a little Sugar they will have the taste of Goos-
bery when Ripe Boiled in Sugar they will have the taste
of figs perhaps some of them will be Yellow and some red
when ripe the Plant is very much like a Pottatoe Plant and
we Sow them in hills 3 seeds in a hill the seed about 4 inches

0 o
apart in this way . • . and the hills 4 feet in this way o o Put
them in [at] the Begining of may in good Rich Soile Give
My Respects [to] all my Old Shopmates and tell th[em] 1
am Glad to hear that trade is pretty Good also to the sing-
ers at crossland Church and to the Masters and theire fam-
ilys and all my Freinds and Relations

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 89

Give my Love to Brother Henry and Family and I Desire
him to give up Paying to the club at crossland for me also
to give my Respects to all the members and I hope the[y]
will enjoy theire meetings in Frendship Peac[e] and Broth-
erly love such is my farewell wish to them I must con-
clude this letter and may god Bless you Both Father and
Mother and the whole tribe is the Earnest Prayer of

Your Affection [a] te Son and Daughter -
Edwin and Makth Bottomley

Rochester Racine County W. T. America May 3*^ 1845

Dear Father & Mother :

• • •

Since my last I have happend a misfortune which has
caused me a great Deal of Pain and uneasyness of mind I
strained my knee joint by geting over a fenc one nighit when
I was going to borrow a persons waggon for Joshua Wood-
head to go with me the next Day for a load of rails he hav-
ing promised to go if I would get him a waggon I was get-
ting over the fence before the house where I was going their
being no other road when I was on the top rail it roled
over and I slip[ped] of [f] with my left foot and my right
foot catched on the top of the fence in such a maner that it
twisted my knee joint nearly round I had hard work to get
home * I went to bed as soon as I could but I could not sleep
and In turning me in bed I went Sick and when I tried to get
up in the morning I Did the same but I got up by bit and bit
and walked as well as I could about while breakfast time
by Doing so it felt a Deal better I then went for a load of
rails about 6 miles and I Did the same for three Days to-
gether which I believe Did it a Deal of hurt for after that It
begun to grow stiff and for three weeks I was afraid it
would never be right again for it got so stiff that I could not
bend it at all without taking hold of It with my hands and
bending it by force which caused me a great Deal of Pain
I got a M"" Bancroft to examine it and he said theire was
nothing broke but the muscles where Badly strained he

90 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

gave me a bottle to rub with which Did it a Deal of good and
it is now so that I can walk prety well I continued to Do
something every Day although it caused me a great pain
ever since it was Done

this M^ Bancroft has left here for england and he is bring-
ing a few pressents also a letter from our hannah to You and
it is the first letter that ever she wrote and you must excuse
her little erors the pressents are from the chilldren with
exception of a ruler which I turned myself for you out of a
rail which had been grown on the land which I now ocupie
theire is two small bags from Arminalann and Sarah the
green one for Hannah Bottomley the other for Sarah Wood
Hannah sent a Sissors guard and a Ear of Pop Corn for her
Grandmother their is a lock of Selina['s] Hair in the Let-
ter for her also Euth sends her Grandmother a bag of
Indian Corn Meal and a lock of her Hair for Mary Ann Bot-
tomley Their is two ears of Corn of our own Growing for
you, two for our Henrys two for Gledhills, two for Mary
Wood, one for Mary Ann Bottomley, one for Marths Father
Edward Schofild Timmenets. their is a few Icory [hickory]
nuts also, theire Is a rackoons Skin for Benjamin Wood
which is Brother John as sent, thees pressents though tri-
f eling will I hope be rec*^ by you M^ Bancroft set off Sooner
than I expected and I could not get the things I promised
for you in my Last he promised to bring the pressents over
to you he was before he came to this cuntry employed at
the Halifax Infermary as an Apothicary or something of
that kind * * *

Now with regard to Mary Ann and her husband. My
opinion is that if he could come and buy land he would Do
ful as well as he would any other way But if he be a man
that understands farming and can Do all kinds of work he
would make a good liveing in this cuntry almost any where
But [it] is Dangerous giveing advice on a subject like this
for some people form expectations of this cuntry before
they come which would be impossible to realize in any cun-
try in the world for I have thought sometimes that some

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 91

people imagine that when they get to this cuntry they will
find fish in every pool of water fruit on every tree and that
wild fowl will come to them to be shot furnished houses on
every plot of land they want to purchase and that they will
have nothing to do but sit them Down in ease and plenty
when they get here. I must Say there is plenty of Fruit and
fish and fowl but they are the same in this cuntry as in any
other, no catch no have we had 4 wild Ducks this morning
But we dont spend much time after them things theire are
improved farms which could be bought very cheap cheaper
than a stranger could make a farm and others that let
theire farms on shares and some people Do well with takeing
them now I dont know Tho^ for I never saw him in my life
and I canot say which way to be certain would be the best
for him to Do But if I must give him advice on the sub-
ject I shuld say expect nothing but what you mean to la-
bour for and be determined to get a comfortable liveing by
your labour and then you will get on in this cuntry if ever
you should come, your family is small which would be an ad-
vantage to you in some respects should you come and set-
tle some where near where I am I would render you what
assistanc I could and that is as much as any man can prom-
ise and fullfiU

I shall now give you a statement ow I am getting along
as the Yankes say. this spring I have put in 6 acres of
Spring Wheat and It is looking very well 1 acre of barley
2 1/^ of oats so that I have about 15 acres with crops growing
on at pressent and I intend haveing about 4 acres of In-
dian Corn one of Turnips [and] one of Pottatoes I have
from 40 to 50 acres fenced round my 2 cows have calfed
this Spring one of my mares as foaled a very fine colt and
they are both in good condition. John has been working
with the horses at Racine this winter 9 weeks hauling wood
for a M"* Norton he might have Stop[ped] about 3 weeks
longer But I was compeled to have him at home on account
of my being So lame and the condition that the mare was in
and the winter haveing been so open I could not get all my

92 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

rails and I have got 80 rods of Ditch fenceing Done at 44
cents a rod I had only Intended haveing 50 Done But the
men could not get the water off so the[y had to] Do other
30 rods and cut through a hill and make the Ditch 4 feet
Deep so that they could get the water the way that Ditch
fenceing is Done is by cuting a Ditch 4 feet wide and 2 feet
Deep and 2 feet wide at the Bottom and they take the turf
or sod and makes a Bank 4 feet high setteing the grass side
out and then Backing up with earth out of the Ditch. Ditch
fencing answers two purposes it Drains the land and makes
an Excellent fenc.

Dear father W" Perkin is at pressent at our house, have-
ing Been Down to Rochester to meet the mail in the expec-
tation of haveing a letter From his Brother Joseph and he
is greatly Disapointed for he wrote to them Last Dec^ and
their e has been a letter answered which went at the same
time as his did two months ago and he thinks thiere has been
sufficient time for them to have answered his and if they
have not answerd his letter when you get this he Desires
that they will send Ely imediately if they Do not think at his
mother comeing along with him But he would rather his
mother came also for being single handed he canot get on as
[he] could like and if none of them are for comeing he will
be under the nesisessity of takeing some other steps for he
says that it was on Elys account that he came to this cuntry
W T and Bought land and if he \Nill not come and help his
uncle to farm he thinks he will not Deserve to enjoy the
property after he is no more so he will leave it somebody
else or Sell it and if the[y] are not for comeing at all he
Desires them to write Imediately wat they are for Doing

Dear father I had this letter part writ6n and Intended
[sending it] on the 1^^ of May But as you Promised to
write by the mail of the 4^^ of april I [thought I] would wait
as long as I could so that if any thing wanted answering I
would have answered it in this we have a post every other
Day now and this will leave Rochester to morrow morning
the S""^ of may should you have anything in your next that

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 93

wants answering I shall write imediately if not I shall
wr[i]te by the first mail in July from Boston the Postage
will be reduced after the first of July to 10 cents for [a] Sin-
gle Letter that is sent above 300 miles and 5 cents for under
300 which will be a benifite to us

Dear father if you could get me about 2 bushels of Chev-
alier Wheat and Send It By Charles Haye of Lockwood who
is come over to see his Parents I should be very thank-
ful I understand it is grown mostly in the farming Dis-
tricts in the South of England and Some has been tried
nearer you about Rastrick and it may have been nearer you
it is grown a great Deal in France and on the continent of
Europe and I think it will answer in this cuntry well Pack
it in [a] good Box so that it will be kept Dry tell Brother
Henry to Send me the Anthem Judge Me 0 Lord by him
also if he can get it my Paper is nearly full and I must
close so God bless you all and Every one of you and May
his mercy guide us in this world that we may all meet in
Heaven is the Sincer Prayer of

your affectionate Son & Daughter
Edwin & Marth Bottomley

Rochester 17^ of June 1845

Dear Father & Mother:

• * *

I have the pleasure to inform you that Jane Cockcroft
and her Sister in Law arived here on Friday Night the 12^^
of June She is in good health and Spirits She landed at
Millwauke on the Tuesday along with Cusin John and Betty
who went from millwauke on thursday on their Journey to
Gorstville John wrote to me when they was half way be-
twixt A[l]bany and Buffalo his letter was dated the 24^
of may and contained But a few lines he only said that
Jane and her Sisterinlaw where on theire Journey home
and that he had not time to write from Boston and Jane
would tell me all about them and he would write again to
me when he had got Settled he stated no time when they

94 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

would be at Millwauke nor wether they intended comeing by
a Steamer or Sailing vessel up the lakes so that I could form
no Idea what time they would be at millwauke * * * so I
have not had a opurtunity of seeing them had I seen them
I should have told them to be on theire guard for I have been
informed that a many people who have come out as mem-
bers of the Temperance Emigration Society^ have been
greatly Dissatisfied with the procedings of that society when
they have got theire That is where the society have bought
Land and I shall be sorry if John and Betty are Dissapointed
in theire expectations and be so situated that the[y] canot
extricate themselves from the society But if he writes to
me acording to promise I shall endeavour to give him as
much information as I can and if he wants any assistance
in any way if I can by any means render him any I will in
reference to your request about Jane Cockcroft I shall act
as you wish because I have that opinion of her that she will
Do her best to pay me as soon as She can and I must thank
you for your kindness in sending the articles which you have
sent by her and you must accept the thanks of my wife and
chilldren for the same who I can asure you have not f orgoten
yoii * * *

I shall now state to you how my crops are my winter
wheat is likely to be a better crop than what I anticipated
early in the Spring and my Spring wheat is very good and I
think will be as good as any in the Settlement Barley and
oats will be rather light Indian corn looks well pottatoes
are only just coming up the Winter so far on as been very
favourable and their is every appearance of this Summer

•The British Temperance Emigration Society was organized at Liver-
pool by Robert Gorst, Charles Wilson, and Charles Reeves Dec. 26, 1842.
As a result of its activities several hundred persons migrated from Eng-
land to Wisconsin during the next few years, and settled in the vicinity
of Mazomanie in western Dane County. A good brief account of the
Society's activities is given in William Kittle, History of the Township
and Village of Mazomanie (Madison, 1901), 9-47. In the Wisconsin His-
torical Library are several boxes of letters and other manuscript records
pertaining to the history of the Society and the settlement.

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 95

being Dryer than the last I have comenced Breaking more
land and I am not Disapointed in my expectations about
breaking with my horses and oxen I have got a plough that
cuts and turns a furrow 14 inches wide and they walk away
with it with ease a few of my neighbours thought I should
not be able to break with my team but I think they are con-
vinced other ways now Ja^ Tinker and M^ Stonhouse have
let thire oxen out along with the plough that we bought Last
Spring but one to Richard Haye and Sam* Stonhouse and I
supose they will have to break for Ja^ and M^ Stonhouse
for the Loan of the cattle and plough but how much I Dont
know they have kept their e arangements very close I have
got a New cross plough and I think it is one of the best Pat-
terns of a Plough for cross Plough or for general use after
the land has been broke that as ever been introduced into
this part of the cuntry Joshua Woodhead Scot and Squire
Hinchly [and] M"" Stonhouse have got one also

Dear father I have just returned from Joseph Cockcrofts
who returned from Millwaukie last night wdth Janes Lug-
age and the Box we opend the Box last night and found all
the things as you had packed them not a Single article have-
ing been Disturbed while I am writeing Marth and the
Chilldren are examining the things with countenance beam-
ing with gratitude and thankfulness to you all for your
goodness towards us and may god reward you all is my sin-
cer prayer Jane and her mother and her Sister are come-
ing up to our house this afternoon to theire tea and we shall
make her as comfortable as we can for I think she as Done
her Duty for I am sure she as had a Deal of trouble and care

with the quantity of Lugage she has had

• • •

we remain Yours Affectionate Son & Daughter

Edwin & Marth Bottomly

the name of those seeds I sent are Tomatoes my Knee
is a Deal better and I think will soon be right 1400 Rails
Ja^ and Company Split

96 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

Dear Father :

I shall now relate to you my reason for writeing rather
sooner to you than what I thought I should when I wrote
last and I hope you will forgive me if I have Done anything
which to you may seem rather unne[ce]ssary for I am sure
was you here and Saw my situation and the ne[ce]ssisty of
my Doing as I have Done you would say I had Done right
in the first [place] on rec[ei]ving the money which you sent
me which my Uncle Benn had the goodness to Lend I was
Determined to have a new wagon But when I came to
count the cost I found I should not be able to Buy one so I
got a wagon maker to make me 4 wheels and axels and John
and me took the Iron work of the old wagon and the frame
work and fixed it on the new axels and wheels which Saved
me about 20 Dollars and now I have a good wagon and I
have got a new set of harness (what you call geers) for the
other was hardly safe with a good load the old harness
ansswers for ploughing with and other jobs about the farm

I got a breaking plough that is the Iron work for one and
wooded it myself which cost me 10 Dollars besides my labour
we Broke about two acres for Indian corn with it in the
spring but I found it would not answer when the ground was
got dry and I was afraid I should not [be] able to breake as
I had anticipated and I was aware the fault was in the
plough and how to Do I could not tell for [my] money was
nearly spent But about the same time theire came a Black-
smith to work at Kochester who had worked at Sharp and
Eoberts's at Manchest[er] 5 years his name is Hutchison
and [he] begun to make Ploughs which worked easier and
Better than any had Done before so I took him my Plough
and wished him to alter it but he said it would cost as much
as a new one would. I made a bargain with him to make me
a new plough and take the old one [as] part payment and
we can plough with ease for which I shall have to pay 10
Dollars somtime in October the cross plough will cost me
9 Dollars I have Paid for 50 rods of my Ditch fence and I
have 30 rods to pay for in the month of Sep^ the price I

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 97

stated in my last and I state [d] in my last I wished you to
send me the remainder of the 50 which uncle Ben lent me
Dont fail if Possible to send it by the first mail of August
for I Borrowed the same sum of a man last winter and he
will expect it being paid in the early part of Sep^ and I shall
not like to Disapoint him

Dear father I am afraid you will be hurt by thees state-
m[ents] which I hope will be the last time I shall have to
make such like and I shall now turn the other side I want
about 25 Dollars of M*" Norton for hauling wood for him and
I think I shall be able to sell some wheat if It turns [out] as
well as I think it will but how much I canot say and I ex-
pect being able to make something this fall by fetching in
store goods and If Jane Cockcroft shuld get a situation
She will perhaps be able to pay me a trifle so that by one
means or another I shall be able to Get through I think and
if I can only clear myself this fall I shall have acomplished
that which I came to this cuntry for that is a situation in
life that I can mantain and bring my family up by my in-
dustry and have a home in future years for me and then if
it Pleas God and is will be Done

you may perhaps think I have been more extravagant than
I had occasion [to] be But you know w[he]ther I was guilty
of Speaking falsely when I was in your Pressence every day
and I shall only Say that I regard truth as much now as I
Did then and may god always Keep me so and I can assure
[you] our table is sup[p]l[i]ed with frugality and we have
not Bought a Single article of furn[i]ture exceping a half
Dozen chairs our Boxes that we brought from England
serve to put our Cloths in nor [and] our Beds cost nothing
but the wood our house is still unplastered and our cham-
ber floor not fixt but is so that the Chilldren slips through
with their legs sometimes I only state thees things to con-
vince you that I have laid the money out in the most nesses-
ary articles and By so Doing I have rather gon[e] a head of
those who will live high let other things take theire luck and
who will have harder [work] to get through this fall than

98 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

me and If I was pind [pinned] would not be much troubled
about it I will give you a chapter for yourself in my next
about them I would [have] given you one [this time] but
I have not room and my time is out it wants 25 minuts to
12 and I must be at Rochester by half Past [twelve] in time
for the mail God Bless you all is the sincere prayer of

your affectionate Son
Edwin Bottomley

Rochester Racien County W T Sept^ S*"^ 1845
Dear Father & Mother :

We rec^ yours bearing Date 17^*^ of July on the 10^^ of
august and we was sorry to hear that our mother was sick
but we hope that she is recoverd again to health before
this time I have the pleasure to inform you that we are all
enjoying tolerable good health with the exception of my wife
who has not enjoyed good health this Last 2 months But
she has not been confined to bed she has been able to attend
to the house

the wether has been very hot this summer which I think
has been the cause of her not being well some Days the
thermometer has been as high as 120 Degrees But I must
here state that theire is a Differance in thermometers for I
hung both mine out one Day and the one with the Metal
Back was 120 and the other 108 they where Both Placed on
the wall side by side and Exposed to the Suns Rays and
theire was a Difference of 12 Degrees in the Shade they
keep Both alike the reflection of the metal is the cause in
my opinion of the variation and I should say that the hotest
Days we have had has not been above 112 Degrees

although the wether has been very hot and Dry we have
Excelent crops in your letter you Desired me to Send word
what kind of crops I had and I can assure you that I never
answerd a question with a heart more full of gratitude to
god than I answer this I shall state my crops seperate as
I have got all thrashed out and measured up I had 5 acres
of Winter Wheat and I judge their was about half an acre

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 99

killed out with frost from that I have reaped 84 Bushels
I had 6 acres Spring Wheat from which I have 105 Bushels
1 acre of Barley from which I have 20 Bushels and I have
80 Bushel of Oats off rather Better than 2 acres which in
the whole is 289 Bushels of Grain My Indian corn is not
quit[e] ripe and I expect a good crop from it I expect
about 200 Bushells off the 5 acres so that I shall reap about
7 times the quantity I had last year fr [o]m about half
[twice] the quantity of land I had about 9 acres last year
and about 19 this in grain I intend to put in about 12 acres
of fall wheat and about 6 acres of Spring wheat if I am
Spared in Health, although our wheat crops are not as
great as are grown in England yet I think we Shall be able
in a Short time to grow nearly as much to the acre as is gen-
erally gorown in England for their as been in this Settle-
ment 261 Bushels of wheat grown on 9 acres which is 29
Bushels to the acre and it was the first crop that had been
grown on it of any kind the land was broke last Summer
and Sown with wheat last fall. Should the wheat which you
have sent arrive in time I shall sow some of it this fall if
not I shall sow it in the spring

In your letter you Desire to know how the Cloths fitted
which you have sent me I must say that they have one good
fault that is they have plenty of room in them for I do not
carry as much flesh as I did in England although my health
as been as good since I came to this cuntry as I ever enjoyed
in my life

I smoke tobaco a little which I think as a tendancy to keep
me rather thin in flesh you will be rather surprised to hear
that John & Betsy Dyson My Cusins are at pressent at our
house and little Samuel they have been Disapointed in
theire expectations like a great many others who have come
out as members of the Temperans Emigration Society and I
think the sooner that Society is broken up and the better for
I am certain according to the information that I have of It
that it never will answer to the general good of all Its mem-
bers far better would it be for any man to come to this

100 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

cuntry with the little he has than pay his money into such a
swindling concern I had Intended to have given a full ac-
count of the abominable procedings of Its leading men who
I beleive are enriching themselves out of the society But I
will in my next just expose the rascals tell my Uncle Ed-
ward and all my relations and f reinds who are members that
I Desire them all to withdraw from the society as soon as
they can and secure as much of the money they have paid in

contributions or in any other way as well as they can

* * «

I intend going to Millwaukie to morrowe and John Dyson
is going with me to see if he can get a situation of any kind
theire and if he Does get one most likely Betsy will go and all
if he can take a small house which i think is the best Plan
they could adopt in their pressent circumstances I shall Do
all that I can to assist them and if Samuel will be any incon-
venince to them he shall stop at our house and I should not
like my Uncle Edwards to feel troubled abou[t] him for he
is just as happy as a child can be he has a good play mate
in our Sarrah for she is the same Merry little Sarrah she
alwas was

Tell my Brother Henry that IVF Bancroft ['s] information
about Bricks is not right the sumer that he was here was
very wet which was not favourable for makeing Bricks and
theire was not many made But the generality of Bricks are
as good and will stand the weather as well as they do in
England the Bricks that my house is Built with are as hard
as Bricks can be and theire is net a single Brick in the whole
Building that is injured with the weather in the least But
I shall paint the out side when I have got the Inside more
comfortable

Dear Father you must see Benj** Wood and tell him that
John Wood has a chanse of learning to be a Black Smith a
M'' Hutchinson who was a Smith at Sharps & Roberts [in]
Manchester the Last 6 years before he came to this cuntry
has offerd to teach him is trade if he will stop with him three
years and he will give him 50 Dollars the first year 60 Dol-

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 101

lars the second and 70 the third besides his Board so he will
have to find his own cloths out of his wages and John thinks
he should like to go if his parents have no objections and he
wants them to write Imediately and state what they would
like him to Do for my own part I think if I was Young like
him I should take it if his parents have no objections he
will and I promised him that he shall make our h[o]use his
home if he goes to it and we will Do anything for him that
we can if sickness or any other misfortune happen we will
Do our best to make him comfortable Benj" must write

imediately after you recive this

• * •

Your Affectionate Son and Daughter

Edwin & Marth Bottomley

Rochester Racien County W T October 31^^ 1845

Dear Father & Mother :

• • «

I shall now proced with my letter and I have the pleasure
to inform you that my cousins Maryann and Tho^ Hall ar-
ived here on the 13^*^ of October and are at our house at
pressent and since theire arival I have felt as If I was in
old England amongst my relations and freinds and I think
sometimes you will all be coming one by one like Jonny lin-
gos sheep and I should be glad to see you all here John and
Betsy Dyson are at Millwauke and are Doing very well I
think Betsy is makeing 6 Dollars a month for nursing a
lady who is confined and board and John is receiveing 75
cents per Day he is working for a man who his building a
new Baptists chaple Samuel is liveing at our house and
you may tell my Uncle Edward & Aunt Fanny that while he
stops with me I shall treat him as one of my own.

Dear Father I have also the pleasure to Inform you that I
have received the Box you sent by Preston and we have this
evening 29^^ of Oct' rec^ John Woods Letter and I Perceive
by the Inclosed note from Brother Henry that you was ex-
pecting receiveing a letter from me by the mail of the midle

102 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

of Oct^ and I feel very sorry that you will be Disapointed
It was the 3^** of ocf when I got the Box about 10 0 Clock at
night and befor 8 next morning I had Sown about half a
bushel of the wheat on a peice of Ground which I had in
readyness for It and It is now looking very nice and green
and I must here state that all my fall wheat is looking better
than any I have ever had since I came to this cuntry I have
from 12 to 13 acres in and I intend puting in about 7 or 8 of
Spring wheat if all is well you will perceive by the time the
Box arrived that I could not have sent a letter by the mail
you expected we are very thankful to you for the contents
the coat fits me better than any you have sent me before but
it is rather strait under the arms the others being rather to
wide which is a very good Fault.

Dear Father by the time this arives I hope you will have
received the Long promised Drawing as I sent It by John
Nobles who left here for England on the 2^<^ of this montli
Ocf along with his wife who is M^ Bancrofts Daughter who
came Back in the Early part of this sunnner and as I sent no
Explanation along with it I will endeavour to Give it you
now But first I must Beg you will excuse any faults in the
Picture for I have Done it as well as I could but not as well
as I could have liked But you will be aware theire is a
Great Deal of Differance betwixt handleing a Penciel or
Paint Brush and a Plough and I Practice the latter a great
Deal more than the first the house is as near Proportion-
able as I could Do It the other parts I gues[s]ed at them
as near as I could at the left hand side of the house theire
is three Children to represent Arminallann & Sarah & Sam-
uel usking a little Indian Corn which I had got of [f] the
Ground to make room for the wheat which you sent me
Samuel is sit [ting] Down and the other two Standing on the
right hand theire is my Wife with little Selina by the hand
and in front of them theire is Thomas EoUing a pumpkin
at the well is Hannah Drawing water (and our Ruth Says
that She and her father are in the house) the Building
which is coverd with Straw represents the cattle shed and

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 103

that in front of It is the Shanty we lived in which I now use
a part of for a Stable and the other is for a work shop I
have my turning lathe set up in it in front of It is John
coming up with the hor[s]es and wagon the cattle are in
the yard the two largest represent the oxen and the Black
one a young Bull which we have killed for Beef the other
two are the Cows one of them laid Down and the other
standing in the Green Wheat is the young Colt which came
off the Bay Mare in front of the House is the garden that
Portion which is Dot[t]ed with Red Represents the tomatoes
such as I send you some seed of to the left is a little sweet
Indian corn and above it are the cucombers water melons
Squash & m front of the Garden is where the Pottatoes
grew with this Explanation I think you will make it out
And I must say that the Drawing in General represents the
Place very well I Expect John Nobles will bring it over to
your house and you can give him somthing for his trouble
if you pleas he intended going to his f atherinlaw at Hallifax
the first and If you should hear nothing of him Before this
by inquireing at M^ Bancrofts you will get to know the
whearabouts of him

we have had a very fine fall so far on the weather as
been very fine and warm in the Day time and a little frost at
Nights I have got all my crop secured and so have a great
many of the settlers here I am Sorry to Jiear that the crops
in England are inferior to last year as it will raise the Price
of the Poor mans Loaf and I expect he has to be very care-
full how he lays is earnings out allthough trade is pretty
good while you are cuting the cuntry up with railways we
keep trudgeing along with our oxen and wagons and I think
the who, Awa, of the ox Driver sounds as Pleasant as the
shrill wistle of a Railway Engine

W™ Perkin is very much obleidged to his Sister for the
Pressent She has sent him and he says he was very carefull
in opening the waistcoat and examining the Pockets for a
letter from them but he could not find any he is still liveing
by himself and strugling with the Difficulties subjected to a

104 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

new settler you must Give his respects to them and accept
the same yourself Dear Father in referance to John Wood
I shall leave him to choose for himself wether he will go to
Rochester or not if he Does go My house will be open for
him at any time should Sickness or anything happen I will
attend to him as if he was on[e] of my own the, man that
he intends engaging with is at pressent Sick and when he
will have to go I cannot tell

Tho^ and Mary Ann are with us and most likely will stop
with us all winter Tho® is just the right sort of a man for
this cuntry and he has laid a helping hand on in helping me
to get my Indian corn, Buckwheat, Beets and a few Sweed
turnips and Should he stop all winter I think he will earn his
meat at something or another and if John Goes I shall per-
haps try to make some kind of agreement with him Mary
Ann has not been so very well since she arr[ived] she
caught cold comeing up the canal and she has been affected
with a reuhmatic Pain in her right Shoulder that for several
Days she as been so that she could not use her harm she is
now a Deal Better and she has the Chilldren around her
teaching them theire Lesson and acts the part of a School
Misstres for them and they are quit[e] Delighted with her
Tho^ his more fit for this cuntry than any Baker and if I
must tell what I think John Dyson will never rest till he can
persuade Betsy to come Back to England.

martha my wife sends her thanks to Ann Brother Hen-
ry ['s] wife for her Pressents and to all who have been so
kind as to remember her and she Desires that you will send
word in your next if you can recolect what Part of the Box
that you Packed those white and coulerd Bibon which you
sent in Squire Hinchlife['s] Box or what kind of a parcel
they where in for she has never had them She Desires you
to remember her to Joseph and Mary Wood and She says
you must tell my Brother Henry that she thinks he had not
better comence Farming in England but come to this cuntry
and buy a Piece of land near to us as their is a piece of
Ground which corners ours which a land Speculater holds

MARTHA BOTTOMLEY
From a daguerreotype taken about 1866

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 105

and it could be Bought for a 1000 Dollars their is about
300 acres and it is as good a peice of land as can be found
takeing all together an [y] where Eagle Creek runs through
it and their are several Springs upon it and [it] would
make either a good sheep farm or wheat grown Farm and I
think their would be water to Suply a grist mill 9 months in
the year at Least and good Fall and then we should be near
neighbours * ♦ * Tho^ & Mary Ann Send their kind
love to you all and accept the same from the whole tribe of
Chilldren and From

your affectionate Son and Daughter

Edwin & Martha Bottomley

Rochester Wisconsin Teritory Jan" 7^^ 1846
Do - Do - Do Jan^ 15^^1846
Dear Father & Mother Brothers & Sisters :

It is with feelings of Disapointment That I take up my
pen to write a few lines to you for I was in the expectation
of rec^ a letter from you by the mail which arrived yester-
day but alas no letter was their for me

• * *

I have the pleasure to state to you that we all are enjoy-
ing prety good health at pressent though some of us have
been rather unwell lately our Selina and Tho" have been
the worst of the children and I have not been so very well
for a few weeks but thank god we are all enjoying good
health now the winter so far on as been very fine with the
exception of a few keen frosty Days which where so keen
that we could do nothing out of Doors we have had some
little snow which as enabled us to use our Sleighs some lit-
tle but at pressent their is not as much snow as covers the
ground since the new year set in we have had weather more
like spring than winter but this morning the 7^ of Jan^ we
have had a little more snow and the Elements looks rather
stormy.

On Christmas Day we had a tea party for the purpose of
raiseing a little money to purchase a few bibles and other

106 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

books for the Sunday school the Tea party whas at our
house theire was 7 trays provided by Differant Individuals
and about 85 set Down after tea we had a meeting at the
School and Adresses where Delivered by M^ Angear former-
ly of Cornwall M'* Joseph Woodhead from Berybrow and a
M^ Green formerly of Hekmondwike betwixt the adresses
Peices of Sacred musi[c] where sung the profits realized
by the tea party amounted to $11.62 eleven Dollars and six-
ty two cents which will be apropiated to the above named
purpose.

I was at Millwaukie about 6 weeks since and my Cousins
John and Betsy Dyson where both well and where Doing
prety well John was working at the New Baptists Chaple
which is building theire they promised to write to me in
fortnight or three weeks but I have rec^ no letter yet Sam-
uel is at our house I am Sending him to School this winter
as theire as been a teacher engaged for our School for the
same and then he will have to help in the farm John and
Betsy did talk of geting him a situation as a man who was a
painter wanted a little boy to assist him and they promised
to let me know but as they have not done [so] yet I have
made up my mind not to let him go for I think that I if I
keep him and School him this winter I shall have the first
claim to him when he becomes of Service to me but if My
Uncle Edward and Aunt Fanny wish that he should go to
them then I shall let him go but if they D[e]sire him to stop
with me he Shall Do so

Cousins Tho^ and Mary ann are at our house Tho^ is a
man fit for this cuntry had I known him before I left Eng-
land he most likely would have had to come with me he as
made himself very usefull about the place theirs not a mo-
ment from his geting up to laying Down but what he is Do-
ing something Mary Ann Employs herselfe in instructing
the chilldren somtimes she feels a little home Sick but
that will wear off I expect next summer / have made a bar-
gain with a man for a forty acres of land about 1 mile from
our house theire is a Small frame house on It and about 3

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 107

acres broke and their is moderate [quantity] of timber on it
I have agreed to give 140 Dollars for it It is considered one
of the best fortys any where round about for mdkeing <A
small farm I have thought of makeing some kind of agree-
ment with Tho^ for him to go and live upon it but I have not
come to any Desided arangement yet on the subject. I was
glad to heare by James Tinkers letter that John Nobles had
arived Safe in England and I hope you have rec^ the pres-
sent which I sent you which I think will answer the question
B'" Henry had in is last about what quantity of cattle I had
with the exception of the Pigs for I recolect now that theire
are none in the Drawing we have killed two and I have
other two fatning one of them is a sow that is with pig we
shall take the young pigs from her when they are about a
month or six weeks old I have other 11 one of them is with
pig they are not made up but are at liberty to go out and
pick up what they can they would be worth in England
abou[t] ten or 12 pound as pigs where selling when I left
what they would fetch now I canot tell if I could take them
by the tail and throw you a few I would for a Christmas Box
Do so, as I understand they are very Dear with you for
the[y] would not fetch not many more Dollar here than they
would Pounds with you

Dear Father In my Last My Wife Desired you to tell B'
Henry about a peice of Land she thought would fit him for a
farm better than any he could find in England and I Desire
to state that theire is a good Chance for any one who is De-
sireous of comenceing that Buisness likely to hapen in this
settlement theire is a man whose name is J. W. Ames who
is Desireous of going to Callifornia and he offers his place
for Sale for 1200 Dollars he as a good Frame house a good
well of water and a good Frame Barn 40 feet by 30 together
with various other out Buildings nessesary for carying on
farming he has 160 acres of Land 80 of it fenced in he has
20 acres sown with fall wheat which is in excellent condi-
tion and from 15 to 20 acres ready for Spring crops of vari-
ous kinds the Racien and Burlington road runs close past

108 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

the house the man wishes to sell out before may as he will
have to go with a company which are going to the above
named place and I here State had I the money I would give
him is price and let him go for I Do think it is worth the
money he asks. I Do not state this to induce any of you to
come to this cuntry But their may be some one amongst
you for any thing I can tell who may have a Desire to come
for I am aware should trade be bad as is likely acording to
report your situation will not be as comfortable as it has
been, and I have not the Least Doubt but you often think
about me and my fam[ily] and thinks you could like to see
us and I hope you all will allow me [and] mine to indulge in
the same pleasant thought and I have often thought how
pleasant it would be for some of you to be here that we might
have one anothers assistance as we used to have in times
gone by but wether such will ever be our Lot or not is Only
known to God and I pray that it is will may be Done.

Dear Father the former part of this letter I wrote last
week but we had some buisness going on concerning the erec-
tion of [a] Chaple which particulars you will find in the ad-
dress^^ to our fathers Bretheren and Freinds in England
and a copy of the Eesolutions and a List of Subscribers
which will acompany this and will be Directed to either you
or Cristopher Tinker or W™ woodhead whom we have nom-
inated as a committee in England to corespond with the man-
ageing committee here which consists of Joseph Woodhead
James Tinker and Myself, the address will give you all par-
ticulars of our situation and the resolutions will give you
some Idea of the Form of Its government in the Subscrip-
tion List you will see names classed together which are all
of one Family the Father entering the names of his wife
and Chilldren so that they will have a voice in the govern-
ment of the Chaple Now Dear father I shall leave you to
act as you think best in this matter as I think you are quali-
fied to judge for yourself

^ For this address see post, appendix.

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 109

Dear father their is a person liveing in this settlement
whose name is John Shaw he will be very much obleedged
to you if you will make some inquires about a Joseph Senior
who is his Wifes brother he wishes to know wether he has
ever got any letters from them or not and if he has they wish
him to answer them Imediately I understand this Joseph
Senior his a butcher and he Married Elizabeth Stocks of
Berrybrow * * *

your affectionate Son & Daughter

Edwin & Martha Bottomlby

Rochester Wisconsin Teritory Jan^ 15*** 1846
Dear Father:

In my Letter I have given you a plain Statement of the
events that have passed since I last wrote to you but their
are some things which I wish to mention more particular
the first is concerning the land I have agreed for and the
circumstances conected with the bargain When Cousin John
& Betsy Dyson where at our house he Desired me to write
to the man who owened the Land he is liveing at Mineral
Point his name is Richard Dohson John Desired to pur-
chase the Land but being not qualified to pay for it all at
once he wished to pay some portion then and the other next
summer accordingly I wrote to the man and he send an an-
swer back that he would not sell it on those terms and so
that matter dropt untill about a week after Tho* & Mary ann
came this Richard Dobson came over into this part for some
things he had left and he called at our house one evening and
in our conversation he asked me what I considerd the Land
worth at the time I wrote to him and I said about 120 or 130
Dollars and he said it was worth more and he thought it was
worth 1'30 Dollars and I then asked him what he would sell
it me for and give me 12 months credit and he said 150 Dol-
lars I said it was to much and I told him I would give him
130 Dollars During this conversation I was washing my-
self in the kitchen and our martha came in and wished me to
bid him 140 Dollars but I did not say any thing"more to him

110 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

untill he got up to go away when I said now what did he
think of my offer 130 Dollars, he said I cannot take that
but I will tell you what I will do I will half with you I will
take 140 Dollars for it I then told him I would consider on
it and let him know in the morning. Martha and me talked
it over after he was gone and we thought we could manage to
pay for it in the time and accordingly I struck the Bargain
in the morning marthas intention and mine was to make it
a home for Tho^ & mary ann for them to have During their
life for a small rent Just sufficient to pay the Interest of the
money invested in It

W^ Perkin has made them a very good offer and I almost
think they will accept it he Offers to give them his land and
house if they will keep and maintain him in a respectable
maner so long as he lives, that is he will Deed the land to
them and have a life Interest for himself in it they have
not come to a final bargain Last Satuarday night Tho^
Wished me to go over with him to W"^ Perkins and hear
what he had to propose I went along with him and William
Perkin Proposed the same I have stated which i found he
had proposed to Tho® on the Wednesday before he had gone
theire without saying any thing to me. On our return home
I proposed to Tho® that I would Let him the forty acre 1
have mentioned on terms something like the following That
was that we would work both places together this next sum-
mer and the next fall he should go on the forty acres him-
self I would keep them for his help and the next fall would
allow them as much Wheat and Pork and Pottatoes as would
keep them while the fall after when they would have of theire
own I said he should have it 2 or 3 years rent free and then
he should pay a small rent of from 20 to 30 Dollars a year
for life that is I would give him a Leas to that effect for life
he said" he would take some time to consider on It he has
said nothing to me yet Decisive which offer he will take but
from what Mary ann has said to martha Tho^ thinks that
W™ Perkins would be home for them imediately I shall let
them make theire own choice freely and then they cannot

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY HI

blame me but I Do think my offer is as good as the other
and if I must express my Desire it would be that they would
accept my proposeall not that I wish to reap any benif [i]t
by it and what I wish them to accept it for I Dare not state
in this but I shall state it to you at some future time if God
permits

Dear father I shall now proced with something else. James
Tinker and Joseph Woodhead are both writeing to their
fathers by this post and theire [are] a few persons names
mentioned in their letters whom some of the Subs[c]ribers
desire should be solicited by you the committe in theire name
and I shall give you a few the first is Tho^ Wilson Esq
Birkby near huddersfield and Jerrymiah Ryley Esq of the
Same place thees two you may Solicite in the name of Jo-
seph Cockcroft I shall now mention a few you may Solicite
in my name if you pleas the first are Mess*"^ W. W. & H
Stables Uncle Tho^ Hawkard at Mossley and as many of my
Relations and freinds as you think fit Jonathan Roebuck
Robert Roebuck Edmund Schofield My wife['s] father Paul
Gledhill young Richard Haig Walter France Joshua Sykes
Joseph Schofield Samuel Pontefract Benn Wood George
Haye of Netherton and any of my old Shopmates you think
fit Brother Henry will perhaps use is influence in our be-
half amongst his acquaintances

Now Dear Father I should not like any of you to think that
I bargained for this land with an Intent to Depend upon you
for help to pay for it for I am Dertimed [determined] to
raise the miney myself if all is well But I must Say that T
feel anxious to see your next Letter as you and Brother
Henry promised to render me help to pay Johns wages he
has not gone to the Smith trade and what he Intends to Do
about it yet I cannot tell he is at our house yet But I have
made no Bargain about wages nor Shall I do [so] while I
see what turns up May God Bless you and my mother and
soften the bed of Afflicton

Edwin & Martha Bottomley

112 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

Rochester Racien County, W T March ll^*' 1846
Dear Father :

• * * I shall now Proced to give you some information
concerning my own affairs for I have a great many things
to write about and you must excuse me being as short as
Possible on every subject Tho^ & Mary Ann are gone to
Live with W" Perkin they have been theire about 5 weeks
and W™ has not Said anything about fuUfiling his Promise
to Tho^ (you will know what the Promise is by my last let-
ter) allthough Tho^ has an agreement Drawn up and has
signed it himself to give W™ when he fullfilshis Promise
the agreement will give W™ Security for the conduct of Tho^
and Mary Ann towards him During his life I am afraid
that they will not be comfortable For W" his a very curious
Tempered man and by what Mary Ann told me last night the
jaring string of Discord has begun to viberate and wether
they will stop or not I canot tell I do not want them to stop
at a place where they can not be comfortable I shall Do
what I can for them in reason

Tho^ had a very narrow escape from being buried alive in
a well which he was Diging their John Wood whas helping
him winding up the earth when Tho^ had got about 30 feet
Deep haveing gone About 15 feet through gravel and Sand
it begun to Slip in at the Bottom when he saw his danger
he called to John to wind him up and John had to exert all
is strength which is not a little to wind him up for the Bucket
was filled with earth so that Tho^ had to stand on the Bucket
and hold by the rope the well filled with earth as fast as
John could wind him up to the Depth of 15 feet had a weak-
er Person than John been their he Tho^ would have lost his
life.

John is not with me at Pressent he is liveing at rochester
it will be nessesary for me to give you a particular account
of this circumstanse at Christmas John asked me about
makeing a fresh agreement and I told him I could not Say
any thing Definite about makeing an agreement for another
year but he might stop as he was a while longer and I would

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 113

see about it my reason for giveing him this answer was is
conduct towards me and especialy towards martha had been
rather unjust for the last two or three months. Last Septem-
ber he had an offer by a Smith at rochester which I consid-
erd a very good one and he appeared rather anxious to go
and on thees grounds I did nothing to hinder him for he
wanted me to do all I could for him in makeing the bargain
I enquired what other Smiths was giveing such individuals
as he wished me to Do so that I could make arrangements
for him he wished me to ask his brothers advice which you
know I did and the answer was he might Pleas himself
when I had Done all this and the Person had been up at our
house to talk with me about it he then begun to say he Did
not know wether to take the offer or not and I asked him is
reason he said he could not tell but I soon suspected what
was the cause he had just begun to keep company with a
young woman at Rochester W"" Crowthers Daughter form-
erly of Lockwood and from the opinions I have heard W°*
Express about the situation which John had in vewe and how
he would have to work and the like I knew that that was the
cause of John Breakeing up the Bargain in the way he did.
they work no harder at that place nor any other and they
have has good Board as at any place in the teritory so that
their was no just ground in that to break up the bargain in
the way he did he might have been keep rather more under
subjection than I have done which would have been a benifit
to him at his time of life for since that time he begun keep-
ing company with the above named person he has been rath-
er out of his Place

I shall say no more at pressent about his conduct for it
greives me to have to sa}^ so much for I respect him as much
as if he was my own child I will just state breifely how we
seperated on the 16th of Feb^' in the evening I was write-
ing a letter to a M' Vale agent for the American Sunday
School asociation for some bibles and other Books for our
School when John asked me to look his account up and sec
what he wanted of his last years wages I told him I would

114 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

as soon as I had finished my letter which I Did when I found
he wanted 50 Dollars haveing had 50 in money and clothing
During the year when I was just going to bed he asked me
if I was for making another agreement and I told him I
thought I could not make an engagement for another year as
things had turned out But I [would] find him as much work
as I could and Pay him after the same rate as I had Done
before and he might make our house his home and get a little
work any where else ocasionly just as jobs turned up so that
it would ease me of my expences a little he Did not seem
anyway Displeased with my proposals and Said nothing but
well next morning I wished him to take the letter Down to
rochester which I wrote the night before and I expected he
would take the horse and go theire and Back Directly but
instead of that he washed himself and trimed up went with-
out [the] horse and it was 10 0 Clock at night when he came
Back next morning he got up and went to help Tho^ with
his well having agreed with Tho^ to work out a Clarinet
which John had had of him at night he whent down to see
is sweetheart and it was 12 0 Clock when [he] came home
he went again next morning to his well Diging But has
never been to Sleep in our house since But has gone to
Board and Sleep at W^ Crowthers his reasons for Doing
so I canot tell but he told Tho^ that he would not stop with
me for the same wage as he had done If John thinks he
can mend himself I am perfectly willing for him to try I
shall give him no more and wherever he gets more wage he
will have to earn it (Better than he has earned what I have
given him) he is well in health but has no particular job at
pressent I shall still consider myself Bound to look after
him and advise or reprimand as I see fit I shall pay him is
wage as soon as I can Give my Respects to his Brother
Benjamin, if you think fit you may read this Portion of my
letter to him but I leave this to you to use your own judge-
ment but I think you had better read it to him so he may
judge for himself wether I have acted unjustly towards John
or not you can omit the words I have run line round.

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 115

on the wedensday after John left John Dyson came over
for Samuel as they had made an engagement with a man
who was going out 30 miles north of millwaukie to go out
with him John was to have 13 Dollars per month and Betsy
was to have as much washing and sewing as would amount
to 50 Dollars per year they will have to find their own food
and live in a log house on the farm near to theire master
Betsy wanted Samuel to nurse the Child She was confined
the Begining of Feb^ and has a girl and is Doing well theire
was a heavy fall of Snow the Day he came so I took him
and Samuel Back on the Satuarday in the Sleigh and
Brought a load of Iron Back for the Smith at Rochester o'.i
the monday so now we have only our own family now and
we feel very comfortable we have no one to Pleas nor Dis-
plees we can talke our own affairs over without any one
interfering or interupting us and I beleive we shall try to
keep ourselves so for I think I can get along this sumer
without any other help than what my own family can render
unless it be in harvest when I may perhaps have to get flome
assistance

I have made some alteration in my house since I last
wrote I have got the Chamber floor laid and I [have]
moved that little frame house which stood on the 40 acres
I mentioned in my last [and] Sett [it] against our Back
door and it makes a very usfull Place to wash in and will
[be very] convenient for us in summer to set our stove in
when it is to hot weather to have any [fire] in the house
we moved it by puting two trees under the sills of the house
which an[s]werd the Purpose of a Sleigh we then yoked 4
yoke of cattle to each tree and and drawed it on the snow
we make nothing of moveing a house now we moved squires
Hinchlifes But we had 30 yoke of oxen yoked in the same
way and a grand Sight it was.

in referance to keeping more cows I had intended to get
other two cows this spring but I do not know wether I shall
be able or not a good cow is worth 15 Dollars I have two

116 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

Cows one of them Calfed last friday so we have milk again
for the Chilldren I understand Joseph Sykes is liveing
near to Delevan about 20 miles from us and is renting a
farm but how he is situated I canot tell Martha & me in-
tend going over to see them some time soon aiid then I will
send you Particulars in referance to the Profit of keeping
cows I must say that they are very Prof [i] table But I will
not say the[y] are more Profitable than farming as my
neighbours call it they mean Growing wheat, which I think
will be the most to Depend on But keeping cows is one im-
portant Branch of Farming

now Dear Father what follows you can cut off for I write
this for your own perusal and must say that I never have
said so much to no other Individual on earth it is on the
state of [my] mind on religious matter you will recolect
that my Wife was a member at the Church and It is to her
that I attribute my being so happy in beleiveing on the Lord
Jesus Christ while in England when I saw her Praying
to god every evening for me and the family my consince told
me that I was not doing my Duty to my god and where
Do you think her conduct brought me to my knees and ask
Pardon of that god I had so long Slighted It was at my
grandmother ['s] the last night I Sleept theire and the first
after leaveing my own home for this cuntry and never have
I omited doing neither on Ship Board on our journey, at
home or abroad to fall on my knees to render thanks to the
god of all mercies for his mercies to me and my family
and ask Pardon for my sins and I feel thankful to god that
such a change was wrought on my heart in the way it was
the class meetings are held at M^ Nobles now my wife is a
member of that Body But I am not I may at some future
time state my objections to you their as some little un-
pleasantness been created amongst them by Joseph Wood-
head his Concience will not allow him to join them Be-
cause they are not Wesleyans more of this in my next

My Chilldren are all well and send theire kind love to

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 117

their Grandfather and you must accept the same yourself
from

your affectionate Son & Daughter
Edwin & Martha Bottomley and may God bless you

Dear Father:

In my other Portion of the letter I have endeavored to
give you a statement of things concerning my own family
I shall now endeavour to answer your questions which you
ask in your last letter the first I shall answer is about
the school we engaged a master at Christmas for 3 months
at 15 Dollars per month and It will be rather heavy for us
for theire is no public money voted for school purposes for
this year so that each [person] sending Chilldren will have
to pay their proportionate Share of the School masters
wages I have send three and I expect my proportionate
Share will be about half a Dollar per week which I shall not
regret paying for he is an excelent schoolmaster I never
saw chilldren improve as fast in my life as they have It
would Do you good to hear our Tho^ spell and answer sim-
ple questions in Geography and all the rest have improved
very much

we have preaching in the School on Sundays but we have
been Disturbed by the catholicks who where oposed to meet-
ings being held theire thire was four of them came about
6 weeks sine last Sunday and one of them orderd the min-
ister out and an other laid hands upon Joseph Wimpen and
pushed him towards the Door he had just finished teach-
ing a portion of the Sunday [school] scholars and the Schol-
ars where just begining to sing a hymn to close the school
before the service comenced when they came in the chill-
dren ran out very much f rightend I was going down to the
preaching and I meet our Sarah comeing runing and Crying
and I asked her what was the mater she Said [the] Catho-
licks had come and turned them all out our Hannah was
coming runing behind her and Tho" a little behind Hannah
I gave Hannah my bass and I then run to the school and

118 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

they where just going away I felt very much hurt at such
like conduct and a few of us mett on the monday night and
we agreed to ask the advice of a Lawyer M"" Nobles and me
and James Scott whent to burlington and we found that they
had broke the Laws of the teritory and we order [ed] a
warrant for each of them the Sheriff apprehended them
next morning and took them to Burlington we followe[d]
after with our witnesses but the trial was put of [f] while
the second of Feb^ each being bound in 200 Dollar for theire
appearance with two Sureties as [I] shall not have room to
give you a Detailed account of the trial I shall just state
that the one who orderd the minister out was fined 7 Dollars
and all expences for Disturbing people assembled for the
worship of god the other which laid hands on Joseph wim-
pen was fined 5 Dollars for an asault and 5 Dollars for Dis-
turbing the people assembled to worship god the Law of
this cuntry protects on[e] religious Denomination as well as
another all are alike I will endeavour to give you the
law as it stands on the statute Book-Law That if any person
wilfully Disturbing any people assembled for the worship of
God in any place whatsoever [he] shall be fined in the sum of
20 Dollars and not less than 5 Dollars this is the sense of
the law but it may not be worded exactly right

I have writen the other part of this as far as the infor-
mation about John Dyson and Betsy which was all the first
Part of this first letter containd and when I had filled the
other side of this Sheet I found I should not have room for
what I wanted to state So I com[m]e[n]ced writing over
again it is in a bad form but you must sort it out as well as
you can I Kec^ the news Paper you send at the same time you
send your las[t] letter and I Should feel glad if you could
send me one every month I shall Do as you wish me to
write every month it will be a little trouble for [me] But
nothing in comparison to [the] trouble you have been at for
me and my family and I Shall feel glad to Do anything for
you that I can I am afraid I shall omit Something which I
ought to have stated but I have wrote all Day and while

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 119

late last night and my mind is got so bewildered that I canot
recolect anything more

I have just thought of something Else you want to know
what kind of a winter we have had the winter has been
very like the two last we have had some keen frosty Days
and we have had about a month of Sleighing Since Christ-
mas the snow is all gone and to all appearance Spring as
set wild Ducks and Geese are flying north yesterday and
to Day we have had rain and theire is every appearanc of
Spring Give our respects to Brother Henry and Family
also to Mary Gledhill and Family and all our freinds and re-
lations and may God Bless you all is the sincere prayer of
your Affectionate son and Daughter

Edwin & Martha Bottomley

Rochester Racien County W. T. April 16^*^ 46

Dear Father :

• • *

when I got Brother Henrys Letter and read the contents
of It I was very much affected with feelings of Pleasure and
Thankfullness to my old fellow workmen for theire Liber-
ality in contributeing so much as a token of respect to me
for the purpose of Building a chaple in our settlement it
caused feelings of by gone Days to fill my bosom which had
to be releived by tears, it gave me great satisfaction to know
that I was not forgoton by them for I have not forgoten
them nor do I think I shall ever forget them and how can I
when every Day I shall have the Pleasure of Seeing from
our house after the Chaple gets built a monument partly
raised by theire contribution for the Purpose of worshiping
God and when I enter it on the sabath how shall I feel my
tonge is not able to express nor my pen able to write my
feelings I shall conclude with a hope that gods blessing
may rest upon them all and hope that they will feel thank-
ful when they attend a place of worship knowing that theire
old freind Both in prossperity and adversity Edwin Bot-
tomley has a prelivige of Singing the Praises of God at the

120 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

same time in a place which they have help[ed] to build for
which I return them my sincer thanks

Dear Father we jointly return you our Sincer thanks for
the interest you and our freinds have shown towards us in
the maner you have adopted for our benifit and we hope and
trust you will be rewarded for your exertions we had a
meeting last night to Desid^ upon a site for the chaple and
it was unanimously agreed that it should stand on M"^ Stone-
house ['s] land he haveing generously oferd to give the land
for that purpouse it will be the most central place in the
settlement and will be near the school house on the contrary
side the BurlingtowTi and Racien road the size of the chaple
is not yet Desided upon nor the form of It But we have an
Idea of haveing it 40 feet by 30 and basement story under
the Chaple for a sabath School if we can raise sufficient
funds I have Drawn a plan for one of that Dimensions
the end of the Building to form the front the interior of
the chaple will be in this form theire would be a loft on the
end which forms the front which would take about 10 feet
in breadth and 30 feet long in this form under the loft to

li

form a vestery at one end 10 feet by 8 and another rom
at the other end the same size for stairs into the loft and
admit of stairs comeing up out of the school so that the
scholars can come out of the school into the loft without
going out of Doors or into the body of the chaple a por-
tion of the loft to be occupied by the singers the Pul-
tit to be at the oppisite end of the chaple which acording to
the Plan would be flat or as [you] will perhaps better un-
derstand the congregation will be all on a level the plan
whas highly aproved off by some but was rather objected
by some who want it to be something in the form of [the
chapel at] berry brow to have a riseing Gallery but James
Tinker Joseph woodhead M*" Nobles and Myself are aware

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 121

that it will cost more to build one in that form than the other
which I have Drawn, which plan will be adopted I canot Say.
we shall be governd by our resourcees and the wishes of the
subs[c]ribers in my next I hope to be able to give you a
scetch of the form we have adopted.

the Weather since I last wrote to you has been very un-
settled we have [had] a Deal of rain and snow which made
the ground so wet that we have not been able to get
our spring wheat in yet on Friday the 10^^ of April when
I awoke in the morning it was snowing and the ground
was covered about 6 inches deep about 9 0 Clock it turned
[to] rain which continued to pour down in torents all Day
on tuesday the 14*^ in the morning the ground was coverd
with snow again to the Depth of about 2 inches which van-
ished like a mist before the sun I sowed about a bushel of
the wheat you sent me on the 9^^ of April the day before
the heavy fall of Snow and Rain I had intended begin-
[ning] to sow my other spring wheat this morning but their
has been some rain this morning which will prevent my sow-
ing to Day it is now about 10 0 Clock and the Sun is break-
ing out and theire is every apearance of haveing a fine Day
should it be so I shall comence to morow I have about 8
acres ready for Seed

In My Last I mentioned about John Wood if you have
not said anything to his brother you need not Do it you
m[a]y tell him that he has got married and I hope things
will turn out well for him but in my opinion he as acted
rather hastely but I hope she will make him a good wife and
he her a good husband he was married on thursday the 9^*"
of April in my last I thought I should not engage any help
except in harvest but martha and me considered the sub-
ject over and we thought it would be better to make some
arangement with cousin Tho^ for him to help me and upon
what terms so that we should have an understanding one
with another so I proposed to him to give him 10 Dollar [s]
per month for 3 months labour to be performed in 6 months
comencin[g] first of April and end[ing] on the last of Sep^

122 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

sometimes he will be working [for me] and Somtimes for
himself or others they are still with W™ Perkin but have
not made any final settlement yet they are both well I
have not heard any thing from the Baker since I last wrote
Dear Father I should feel glad if you could send me a cir-
cular Saw about 16 or 18 inches [in] Diameter by Wood-
heads family when they come I want I[t] to cut up my rail
fences and form them into picket fences which is likely to be
the best and most Durable fenc I shall work It by a jin
with the horses My Mare foald on Sunday the 5^^ of april
the foal is a filly and marked like the Colt she had last
Spring I have James Nobles fin[i]sh[ing] off the house
and makeing it ready for Plastering which I hope to acom-

plish this Spring

• * •

From your Affectionate Son & Daughter

Edwin and Martha Bottomley
Dear father send if you pleas a pair of Black Stocking [s]
for Martha by Woodheads family theire is not any to be
got in this cuntry

Rochester Racien County W. T. May 17^^ 1846
Dear Father:

According to promise i must take this oppurtunity Sun-
day morning of writeing to you or I shall be to Late for the
mail of June 1^^^ if I do not for I am so situated at pre s sent
that I have no time to spare on other Days we are all en-
joying good health at pressent thank god my Wife is bet-
ter than She has been this long while Cusin Tho^ Hall
is sick which has happend rather unfortunate for me as
this is a very buisy time and I Depended on him for help as
you would see by my last letter he gave up work on thurs-
day the 7^*^ of may on Sunday morning last I was going
over to see him and I met Mary Ann and him coming over
to ours house to get me to take him to Burlington to the Doc-
tor I went with him Down in the wagon and the Doctor
bleed him and gave him some little medicine he his at pres-

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 123

sent some little better but he will have to take great care
or his complaint will be fatal he as all the symtoms of a
confirmd consumption but I hope he will take a turn for the
better old W"^ Perkin has not yet fulfilled his promise to
them which I think has made him rather uneasy and in my
opinion has been one great cause of his pressent illness
Mary Ann is well and She as plenty of work cleaning Bon-
ets and makeing [them] both Tho^ and her are very much
respected here I hope it will pleas god to restore him again
to health his will be done.

with Tho^ being sick it has caused me to be very buysy
and had it not been for our Hannah and Ruth I do not know
how I should have got through so far when Tho^ left work
they offerd to Drive the team for me now the girls in your
neighbourhood would think it a Disgrace most likely to bee
seen Driveing Oxen and hor[s]es but they where glad they
could render their father so much service and last night
when we had done our work for the week we all felt thank-
full that we had been able to do so much this Last week
we have got 2i^ acres of Oats and 2 acres of Barley in and
we have had rain which prevented us for Doing any thing
in the land for 2 Days

I shall just relate a little circumstance which will suit you
to Smile at if nothing Else a fortnight Since yesterday our
hannah went to Cousin Thomases for a bonett which Mary
Ann had been cleaning for Selina Cousin Tho^ had been
useing my oxen a few Days and he asked her if She would
bring the oxen home and Sleigh which he had had also and
she told him She would the roads where very bad and when
She got to the School house She Saw M"^ Drummond the
Minister comeing wadeing along through the mud he was
comeing to hour house to Stop all night She invited him to
ride with her on the Slay and he accepeted her invitation
now picture to yourself a respectable minister rideing on a
Sleigh and a young girl for the driver which with you would
have been rather an odd sort of a sight but with us such
things are thought nothing off now I would not have you

124 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

think that I make my Girls Do this kind of work nor do I in-
tend [to] I only state this to show they are willing to Do
any thing they can Do nor would I have you to think they
are Defficient in what females ought to know I Do not think
their are many that excell them in Domestic Labour or in
needle work our hannah has a peice that she worked at 6
weeks very hard this winter while Cusin mary ann whas
here which would satisfy you on that subject if you could
but see it they have some Stockings to knit for M^ Nortons
family of Burlington

The Weather Since I last wrote to you has been very un-
settled so that it has been very Difficult to get on with our
spring work we have had a Deal of Kain which causes the
ground to be wet and bad to work I have got about 7 acres
of Spring wheat in and it is looking very well my winter
wheat Looks well with the exception of a few places where
we cut some trees off this winter what is the cause I canot
tell unless it be with trampleing it in geting the trees off I
shall comence to morrow if alls well ploughing for corn I
intend puting in about 5 acres which 3% acers will be old
Land and 1% on new Broke Land I have Lent my oxen out
for two months and the Person will Break me 5 acres of
Land for the Loan of them so that I shall get 5 acres broke
without any labour of my own and it will be as much as I
intended Breaking this sumer

Dear father the Plan of the Chaple which I had drawn has
been adopted by the Subs[c]ribers and was approved off by
all except one who thought It would be to[o] Large but his
arguments where rather against him for he stated that it
would be large enough to seat 300 people comfortably but
it will only Seat 180 alowing the pews to be 2 feet 6 inches
wide and allowing 22 inches for each individual the sub-
[s]cribers alone and their family amounts to 119 and the
Persons who reagular[ly] attend including Sub[s]cribers
amounts to 186 and theire is every prospect of an increase
in the congregation the Idea that James Tinker and my-
self Woodhead nobles and several others [have] is that

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 125

if we canot raise sufficient funds to finish the whole build-
ing off is to finish the Chaple and leave the Basement story-
unfinished in the inside for a while and make the old School
house answer for our Sabath School till such times as we
can finish the other but I hope we can finish all and then we
can instruct our children on the Sabath without fear of
interuption as you will see by one of my former Letters
we have been I should have felt glad if we could have built
it of Brick but we cannot for we should have to Draw the
bricks about 6 miles and [this] would be a great Expence
we have got the heavy timber for the frame given by Differ-
ent individuals in the Settlement John Hockins the Birm-
ingham Blacksmith has given us 12 trees 5 — 30 feet 4 — 22
feet and 3 — 18 feet and I think with the help that each can
give we shall be able to complete both School and Chaple
we canot state what the exact cost will be but we think about
800.00. eight hundred Dollars will finish both Places

in my next i will send you a Sketch of the Chaple and
school as [it] is intended to be when finished you must
give my respects to my old masters and theire familys and
my thousand thanks for theire Liberality in our b[ehalf] it
gives me great Pleasure to think that I am Still remembered
by them [although] we are so far separated and I hope and
trust we Shall never forget each other I can safely say that
I respect them and all their familys as if I was still in theire
employ and may god bestow his blessings upon them is the
sincere prayer of theire Servant Edwin Bottomley Give
my Eespects to M' Hough Uncle Tho^ and James Buckley
and all who have contributed any thing in our behalf and
give them my sincer thanks and I hope god will bless theire
endeavours with that reward which he has promised to those
that Love and fear him

with regard to that omission in the address we send you
it whas an over sight in us had theire been any in our set-
tlemt who where Socinians or any others who Did not be-
leive the new testement we should most Likely have adopted
one more plain and Spesific we shall give your advice Due

126 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

consideration and most likely adopt some of It if not all.
tell Benjamin Wood that John is gone to work with the
Blacksmith I have named before he as made an engage-
ment for 3 years and he likes [it] very well I must now
close my letter and m[a]y God bless you all is the sincere
prayer of

your affectionate Son and Daughter

Edwin & Martha Bottomley

Cusin Tho^ has been at hour house this morning Monday
and he is a Deal Better Dear father if you have not sent
the Subscription before this arives if you could lay out
about 23 Shillings of it in purchaseing a white counterpain
for a bed for a f reind of mine here and She will pay me the
money

Yours Affectionate Son

E BOTTOMLY

EocHESTER Racien County W. T. Juue 14*^ 1847
Dear Father:

I now Take up my pen again to write a few lines to you
hopeing they will find you all in good health as Thank God
they leave all of us here at pressent we rec^ yours of May
2^^ and where glad to heare you where all well and that
you had succeded so well for us in behalf of our Chaple I
shall now proceed to give you some information concerning
it and I promised in my last that I might send you a Draw-
ing of it in this letter but I must beg you will excuse me as
you will see by this letter that I am as buisy as a man can
be I comenced on f riday morning last to Draw a plan of
the frame work for the chappie and it took me while Satuar-
day noon to finish it in the afternoon M^ Stonehouse M""
Noble Tinker, Hellewell, and myself went to Draw some logs
together for the men to get squared for the frame we have
let the squareing of the Timber at 3 cents per foot the men
will comence on wedensday next [if] all [is] well we have
not let the building of the chappie yet but we shall Decide

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 127

upon that this next week wether we shall let it by estimate
or engage men by the Day I cannot say yet but that will be
decided at our next meeting which will be this next week
all are Desireous to have it finished this summer if Possible
and I promise you that theire shall be all the exertion given
to it that I can give and I think that will not be a little as I
expect a good Deal will Depend upon me as the chappie is
being built according to the plan I have made :

Besides the chappie building Buisness I have another to
attend to which will take up some of my time at the last
Towns meeting at Burlington which was in april I was put
on path master for the road District in which I live and I
shall have about 15 men working on the road on monday and
Tuesday which I shall have to superintend now being ap-
pointed to this office will take 7 or 8 days of my time Dur-
ing the summer thees buisness of a publick nature I
have to attend to besides my own private concerns and those
are not a little I have made an engagement with a man to
come plaster my house next monday but one and I Shall
have the lime and Sand to get previous to that hay time
and Harvest will soon be here which must be attended too
and theire are other things wants attending to Dayly on
the farm so that you will perceive my time is prety well
employed at pressent Tho^ Hall is rather better but is not
fit to Do heavy work yet he has helped me a little this last
week and perhaps he will be able to help a little this next
should he not I shall be compeld to get som little help other
ways

I shall now close thees subjects and give you a st[ate]-
ment of the weather which as been rather wet this spring
which has thrown us [behind] with our spring work and it
has rather injured corn and w[h]eat in some places I
planted some of my corn over again this last week a good
Deal had roted in the ground on account of the wet and cold
I made a machien to plant corn with which makes the furrow
and drops the corn every two feet and covers it up the
macheine is Drawn by one horse on nice ground I could

128 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

plant as much corn in a Day as 4 or 5 men would Do the
other way thire are great complaints about the wheat crop
in the cuntry their are some crops in the settlement which
looked well in the spring which as turned out to be chess in-
stead of wheat it is called Slane or Slain in some parts of
England about where Tho^ and Mary Ann came from My
wheat is prety good their are some few Bunches of chess
in it but nothing worth nameing

Dear Father would you be so kind as get Cousin Robert
Hollingworth and John Beaumont to send me a few cutings
of goosbery trees if they send any you must ty them to-
gether and then get some moss and put the cut ends into it
and Ty a wet lin[en] or woolen cloth over it and put them in
a cann and the lid should fit tight but it must be so that they
can take it off and wet the cloth ocasionaly on the road
M'' noble is sending for some by his Son John and I think
you had better give those you send into his care

in your letter you wished me to send word how Joseph
Woodhead was going on amongst us I am sorry that the
few lines I send you should have caused you so much un-
easyness but I am happy to state [to] you that I think along
with my f reind Nobles that his conduct will not do as much
harm as we thought it would at the first though he still keeps
aloof from the other body I mean those members in the set-
tlement he has been to a quarterly meeting of Episcopall
methodists lately and one of the minesters Promised to
come preach in the school house on a week night imedi-
ately after I went Down with an intent to hear him but
the man Did not come so Joseph gave us an Explenation on
the first chapter of Genesis we shall keep your advice in
mind and keep a watchfuU eye upon him but we do not ap-
prehend yet much Danger from him nor any one else as all
seems at unity in ref erance to the chappie and may god keep
us so Our Thomas send[s] his thanks to his Grandfather
for the pressent he send him and he says he will give his
first cliping of wool to stuff a choushin for the pulpit in the
new chappie

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 129

Dear Father I must now close but theire is another thing
which if I Dont me[ntion] I know you will find fault with
me afterwards as you Did once that is we expect to have
an Increase in our family as my wif[e is in] the family
way she enjoys very good health now and I hope she will
continue our Sarah happened a misfortune this week She
had got a small axe which I have and was cuting a chip with
it and She it her finger and cut the end nearly off betwixt
the nail and firs[t] joint' She went Sick this morning when
I dressed it but it is Doing well we shall I hope and trust be
better provided with food at the birth of our next than we
was at our last I expect the event will take place if alls
well Late in the fall Give our respects to all our relatives
and Friends and May God Bless you all is the sincere
Prayer of

your Affectionate Son and Daughter
Edwin & Marth Bottomley

Rochester Racien County W T August 3^^ 1846
Dear Father:

* * * I shall comence on a differ ant subject now and
hope things will be for the best, every one in the Settlement
is busy in their harvest which I am afraid will not be very
good takeing it generaly winter wheat the rust has taken
it very bad this sumer and the wheat is very much s[h]runk
spring wheat is generaly speaking very good I finished
my winter wheat cuting on Friday the 24^^ of July and
some of it will be only moderate quality and some prety
fair wheat my Spring wheat is very good Tho^ and
Mitchel are cuting it now Friday the 31®^ of July my oats
are a very good crop but we had some heavy rain last week
which laid some of them which will cause some loss my
Indian corn some of it is good and some of it almost lost in
weed[s] and it will be like to take it[s] chance now If I
was not to tell the cause you would probably blame me for
neglect in the first place some of the corn rot[t]ed in the
ground and we planted it over again and that threw some

130 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

of it latter than the other part and before the later part got
out of the ground the weed[s] had begun to grow (this sea-
son has been [a] fine season for weeds if nothing else) and
before I could get into it the man was ready to plaster my
house and that had to be attended to or else let alone this
sumer again and I Did not like the Idea of that I Shall not
say what trouble for three weeks we had with plastering
to you for you are aware what such like work is, but I am
thankful it is Done and well.

I had intended Tho^ to have work[ed] on the farm what he
could wile w^e w^here plastering, and I engaged Mitchels son
to help and cary lime &c but Tho^ was working himself to
death for Old W™ Perkin to Please him and could not Spare
time to come [and] do any thing for me and I feel very much
greived about it for all has ended as I have long expected
for I do not believe any one could live with him long on
peacable terms they have not left his house yet but I ex-
pect [they] will Do [so] in a few Days I feel very sorry
that ever they went near him for I Do not expect he will
ever get paid for what he has Done for him had he taken
the offer I made him they would have been far better off
and it would have answerd better for me for Tho^ is a man
I do not like to part with if I could make arrangements to
have him near me I would have put them [up] a house on
the fort[y] acres I bargained for if I had the means now
for I thirds he would take the offer I made him but I shall
have hard scrapeing to raise pay for the land as circum-
stances has turned up.

Dear Father the Above Portion of this letter I wrote on
Friday the 31^^ Ins^ and it is now monday the S""^ of August
the reason why i Did not finish my letter on f riday whas this
Tho^ had been working for me all the week and he came in
and we begun to talk things over a little about what steps he
intended to take and he said he could not tell what way to
Do he said they where expecting some money from a M'^
Midgley when you send the remainder of the chaple money
which they thought of buying forty acres of land with but

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 131

he said they would not be able to buy any stock and he said
he would rather work out a while than go onto land of his
own without money to go along with if he could only meet
with a comfortable situation and I found by what he said he
would like to come and work for me if I could Do with him
I thought the subject over in [my] mind a little and on the
Satuarday I asked him again what he would engage for for
one year and he said he would work for me a year for 100
Dollars and I expect we shall make a bargain but I shall
have to put them a little frame house of some kind up some
where neare if I can by any means so that Tho^ will be near
his work I hope we shall make on[e] another comfortable
and may god bless our endeavours

In your Last you Desired to know how that wheat you sent
had [grown] that % bushel which I sew last fall was all
killed out in the wi[nter with] the exception of a few roots
which are now nearly ripe I sew [some] in the spring
which will not head at all and if you was to see it you [would
not] beleive it was wheat it appears like a fag feiled [field]
in England I shall sow what I have left this next seed time
and I think it will answer very well if it be got in in good
time

Dear Father you will want to know how we are geting
on with the chaple we have two men working at the frame
work and I saw one of them this forenoon and according to
what he said it would be ready for raiseing in about 3 weeks
I must now close my letter for my paper is almost full and
I have had hard work to put this much together for I am not
very well yet though I am better a Deal to Day than I was
last week I rode the horse to the Doctor this forenoon and
it gave me a good appetite for my Diner the man that has
her under hand thinks he can cure her but she will have a
stiff neck my wife and Chilldren are all very well the
chilldren send their kind respects to their e Grandfather and
all their uncles aunts and little cousins and may God bless
you all is the sincer Prayer of

your affectionate Son and Daughter
Edwin and Martha Bottomley

132 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

Tho^ and Mary Ann Send their kind respects to you all
and mary Ann Says that if uncle Benn knew what trouble
it was to kook on a log fire he would buy them a new stove

Dear Father :

In my letter you have a statement of my circumstances
and Situation and what I should like to Do which I hope I
shall be able to acomplish I Shall now state to you for
your own information my Plan the Payment for the land
I Bargaind for will be Due in Octo^ 2T^ and I Shall write to
the Individual this week to try to make arrangements to
pay him next summer and propose to allow him some in-
trest for his money if I can make arangments with him I
shall be able to get through prety well I think and almost
am certain that he will comply with my request, finishing
my house and Plastering will cost 50 Dollars and Tho^ and
Mitchel['s] wages wiU amount to nearly 60 Dollars and if
wheat Does not advance in Price It ^vill be as much as I can
do to pay my Debts and put Tho^ and Mary ann a house up
which I think would answer very well for both of us if I can
accomplish it I shall write to you again Imediately after I
recive your next letter which I hope to get in time to write by
the mail of the midle of Sep^ and hope I Shall be able to send
you a rather more Pleasant Letter than this I hope it will
Pleas to god to restore me again to health I Patiently sub-
mit to his will and Put my trust in him for he as been help
in trouble before and has always brought me through my
beiDg Brought so weak this Last week with Sickness has
caused me to feel very anxious for Tho^ to be near me for I
have thoug[h]t if any thiug was to happen me he would be
able to cary on the farm in your next after rec^ this Pleas
give me your opinion on thees matters by so Doing you will
much oblidge

your Affectionate Son

Edwin Bottomley

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 133

EocHESTEB W T Sep 18^^ 1846
Dear Father :

I am again permited through the mercy of God to write a
few lines to you and I hope the[y] will find you in good
health as thank God they leave us at pressent we rec*^ yours
of August 2^^ also of August 16^ and I have rec^ the money
which you sent and are very thankfuU to you for your kind-
ness towards us I have wrote to James Dawson to inform
him and I expect he will come for his money in a few Days
I have paid Squire Hinchliff his I should have Deffered
writeing till after Woodhead had arrived but I was aware
that my last letter would make you rather uneasy as I was
not well in health when I wrote last but I continued to gain
Strength Daily and I was able to follow my work in about
10 Days their has been a great many sick Joseph Mitchel
formerly of Lockwood Died on the 12^^ of august after a few
Days Sickness he begun with the Dihoreha and he was
seized with Cramp in his limbs something in the same way as
a person in the Cholerea Joshua Woodhead has been Sick
about a fortnight and he is not able to Do any work yet his
wife also has been Sick a few Days but is got better their
complaint has been the Billions Fever which complaint has
been very prevalent of late also the ague James Tinker has
been unwell a few Days but is geting better both his wife
and Chilldren have been Sick in the ague but are got nearly
well.

Dear Father how my intended arangments with Tho^
would satisfy you I canot tell But I must here state that
they are all fallen to the ground and from what I think now
I Dont think I shall make any more bargains with him untill
either him or Mary Ann knows their own mind a bit better
which is in the fault I canot tell my last letter would in-
form you of their intended Seperation from old W°^ PerMn
after I wrote that Tho^ wanted me to ask M'' Nobles to let
them go and live in [a] house of his which I Did and M'
Nobles gave them leave to live in [it] while John came and

134 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

I expected them removeing I had made my bargain with
Tho^ though we had no writen agreement and I was Both-
ering myself how I must Do to get them a house up Tho^
was working at our house and when he came one morning to
his work he told me that Mary Ann and old W"^ had made
a fresh bargain and I said what was it he said old W™ had
offered to sell them his Place and Stock for 300 Dollars and
mary ann had writen to England to a M'" Midgley for the
money now this was all done without Tho^ knowing any-
thing about it while the letter was gone in a few Days after
this I told him he should begin to Plough he Did so I
went with him to help to set the lands out and while we was
Doing it he told me he wanted to go and plough Old Wil-
liams [land] and he said he thought I Should be able to
Plough as I had Joseph Mitchel working for me I canot tell
you how I felt just then for he had been telling about Old
W"^ conduct to him only a few Days before and he said he
would never Do another job of any kind of work for him till
he had had some kind of a settleing with him and he knew it
was imposible for me to get through my work without some
help just then for I had my oats to Stack and I had some hay
that wanted attending to and had a good Deal to cut also
It was a rather wet morning that morning and I told him If it
cleared out to [a] fine Day we would Stack the oats he said
Joe and me could stack them so then I told [him] we could
for I saw he was determined to go [and] Plough for old W™
and he went

Joseph Mitchel ['s] time was out the Day but one after
that so then I was left to myself the wether was [such] for
nearly a week that I could not Stack my oats when it came
a fit Day Our Hannah and me begun to Stack them we had
got two Loads up and Tho^ came and help[ed] me to finish
he came unsend for and begun to help without any asking
when we had Don Stacking the oats he told me M^ Healy of
Eochester had Sent for him and Wanted him to go work for
him and he thought we had not better make the Bargain

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 135

good we had talked about and I told him it would be all
right to me which way he Did For I had made up my mind
that I would not fasten myself to him though I Did not know
how I was to get through my work But I got Joseph Mitch-
el to come [and] help me two Days to Stack some hay which
I had Down and thank god I have been able to get on prety
well for our Hannah said She would Drive for me while I
Ploughed and we comenced a fortnight ago last monday and
we Ploughed with my oxen from 12 to 14 acres up to last
Satuarday night that is in a fortnight I comenced Sowing
last monday and our Hannah and Ruth [h] arrow it one with
oxen and the other with one horse the other is not fit to
Do any thing nor Do I think it ever will be and had I known
that it would have been the trouble it has I would have Shot
it at the first when the complaint broke out for it has been
more loss to me already than she is now worth I have har-
rowed in about 5 acres of wheat and Shall put in other 7
I had intended finis [h]ing this week so that I could have
had a Day for Honley Feast but to Day thursday has been
wet and I am afraid I canot finish

in your last you Desire to know what kind of a wheat crop
I have I have not thrashed my wheat out yet but I Expect
it will not be very good as you will see by my last letter
wheat is now selling at Eacien for about 55 cents per Bushel
flour 314 Dollars per Barrel. We are Progressing with the
chaple as fast as we can we raised the Basement story
about a month since and we Did intend to raise the other
part on Honley feast monday but with so many being sick
and people being so busy geting in theire seed I expect it
will be wedensday before we can raise it I have been turn-
ing some ornaments to Day for the window in the front to
Day before I comenced writi[ng] this letter Give my re-
spects to the singers at Crossland Church [and] tell them I
should be glad to have theire attendance at our opening but
I am afraid my horse would not be able to undertake so long
a journey I hope they sometime Sing the short measure

136 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

tune I composd and think of him that used to associate with

them

* # #

Your Affectionate Son & Daughter

Edwin & Martha Bottomly
P, S John Wood and wife have both been Sick but are
geting better John as had the billions fever and Sarah the
Chill Fever I have Just heard that cousin Mary ann is ill
of the Chill Fever I Expect I Shall be able to finish geting
in my wheat to morrow Satuarday Sep' 19 hannah and
Euth are both harrowing I shall finish Sowing this after
noon

EocHESTER Eacien County W. T. Sep' 18^^ |46
Dear Father:

You must excuse my letter for being Short for I am very
busy as you will perceive by my letter owing to the conduct
of my cousin had he worked is time up that he agreed to Do
in [the] Spring I could have bestowed more labour in geting
in my winter wheat he has only worked 2 months labour
for me in the whole Since the first of April and about 15
Days in harvest I shall have to give him rather more than
what we agreed for in the Sprin[g] He would not work for
me at that price During harvest but I shall drop this sub-
ject and watch how things will work patiently but I will Say
this they mil have to seek a great while before they find a
better Freind than I have been to them it was on theire ac-
count that I bargaind for the land last fall and had Tho®
worked As he agreed to Do for me in the Spring I Should
have been better Prepared to pay for it than I am for when
I was the busyist in the Spring he was Sick and then when
I begun to plaster my house he could not render any help
for he begun to get stone and roots out of the land belonging
to Old W"^ so that he could have some land broke which is
unbroke yet and when ever I have wanted his help the worst
he has always had something to Do for Old W"" but I Dont
think it his all Tho^ fault he has had Mary Ann and old W™

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 137

Wavering minds to Deal with and therf ore I excuse him but
I Shall let them get more settled before I medle again

in your last you Desire to know how I am coming on with
the Land above named I am Sending a letter to the man
that owns it, to Day [which] the Chilldern will take along
with this to the post this afternoon the letter States to him
that I am afraid I shall not be able to raise the whole of the
money this fall I State that I Shall perhaps be able to Pay
him from 50 to 100 Dollars and if that will Satisfy him I will
pay him Lawful interest for the remander till I can raise it.
the letter also states that if he has made some engagements
and will be fast for the money to write back imediatly and
let me know, if it Should be the Case I shall have to borow
some money if I can I Shall let you know the result in my
next

I shall act as you Desire about Woodheads but I think Jo-
seph has been rather craming his father and f reinds if it be
as you have heard but I Do not fear neither Joseph nor his
father ever haveing any more influance than what will fall
to any one Joseph has not as much as he thinks he has, and
old W"" Woodhea[d] will have something else to Do when he
gets here than seek the favour of man and I think a great
many of his hopes and Expectations will be blasted when he
arives here I Do know this Old W"" is coming sooner than
he should have Done to be comfortable at the first and if I
had been expecting my father coming I Should have acted
Differant from what Big Joseph has Done and the rest of
them I Shall write as soon as they arrive

I Remain Your Affectionate son

E BoTTOMLEY

Rochester Racien County W T Oct' 29^ 1846

Dear Father :

• - • •

In my last I promised to write to you as soon as W°^
Woodhead arrived but circumstances which this letter will
inform you of what [have] prevented me on the 22''^ of

138 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

Sep my wife begun to have symptoms of the Billious Fever
but she continued to stir about till the thursday the 24^^
when she had to take her bed and She continued very ill till
Sunday morning and tlien She was a little better and She
got up in the forenoon and remained up all Day but on the
monday morning the fever returned with greater violence
and I sent for a Doctor philips who gave her some little
medicien which broke the fever he attended her on the mon-
day Tuesday and wedensday on the thursday she got up a
little and continued to get better a little every Day till thurs-
day the 15 of Oct^ when she begun with the Chill fever and
she was confined to her bed for another week but we Did not
get a Doctor again for her but I went Down to Eochester
and Bought some medicen for her which Did her a Deal of
good and she is now able to walk about but is still very weak
now I must tell you a little about myself on Sep^ 26 we
raised a portion of the chaple and we had some very heavy
lifts and while we where thus employed W"^ Woodhead and
his family arived and we welcomed them with a shout while
I was theire at the raiseing I Did not feel well my hands
and feet felt to burn with an unnatural heat but I continued
at the raiseing while after sun down and when I came
[home] I choped firewood for the Sunday which made me
sweat hard for I was in a hurry to go and see W"^ Woodhed
which I Did and he told me the fate of my Box and Tink-
er ['s] when I came home I went up stairs to keep my wife
company and tell her the news and while I was sit [ting]
ta[l]king with her a coldness came on me as sudden as could
be I then went Down stairs and sit Down close to the stove
and smoked a pipe of tobacco I then got up to go to bed and
I begun to shake very hard and continued to Do some time
after I got into bed on the Sunday morning I got up prety
early but I Did not feel well and when Selina and Tho^
Dressed I took them and I thought I would have a walk as
far as Cousins Mary Ann and TJio^ but we meet them com-
ing to see martha so we turned back with them on the mon-
day morning I went to help Squire to thrash he fin [i] shed

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 139

about noon the same machien that had thrashed for Squire
then went to scots and I had to go and help Scot as I had
promised him though I was more fit for bed we finished
about noon on the tuesday I came home and cousin Mary
Ann was come over to see marth and I went and Laid me
Down on the Chilldrens bed an hour or two on the wedens-
day morning I felt better and I went to assist at the raising
of the chaple as we agreed on the Satuarday to finish on the
wedensday but I had to leave about 3 o Clock in the after-
noon and I had hard work to get home when I got home I
begun to be very feverish and I continued very bad all night
on the thursday I was a little better and I Did a little work
about home on the f riday morning I felt worse but I got up
about 7 0 Clock but I could Scarce hold my head up about
11 0 Clock in the forenoon i went to bed and I begun to
Shake again and I continued to Do for about 20 minutes
after that the fever came on and continued while 11 0 Clock
at night and I had a Shake every other Day after that [dur-
ing] the fever while the thursday after which was the 7^^ of
Oct*" when I got some powders that broke it from the same
Doctor that attended my wife it is now three weeks since I
broke it and I have had no relapse I have been able to Do
some little work the last 4 Days I finished Diging my pot-
tatoes yesterday which the girls had left to Do and to Day
I have got a few carrots it is now bed time and I Shall
leave off for to night

Friday Octo*" 30**^ I have been to Rochester to Day with
some wheat to grind and have called at the Post office but
theire is no letter about the Box I shall say more on this
subject Afterwards

Dear Father I have given you a breif statement of o^r
Sickness and you will perceive that my wife and me where
not fit for any thing for nearly a month and had it happened
that Hannah & Ruth had not had their health I cannot tell
what would have become off us for those who both you and
me have rendered an helping hand to in the time of need
seem to have forgoten the time they required a freind I

140 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

have stated in my letter when Cousin Mary Ann was at our
house and Tho^ also nor has Thd^ Don any thing for me since
the time I mention in my last I expect he is tired of the
place he went to first for he has been spliting rails for an-
other man since and what he is Doing now I canot tell but I
know that he was so situated During my Sickness that he
might have come and chop[ped] me a little fire wood if he
could have Done nothing else but thank God he did not leave
us without help our Hannah and Ruth have had to Do the
work they have taken the ax and choped fire wood and
when they had time gone and got Pottatoes harnessed the
horse and Drawn them in and every thing have they Don
which they could Do to prevent me for bringing on the Ague
by any kind of exertion (it is a complaint that is very soon
brought on again if a person begins to Do any thing to
soon)

the person that I had ingaged to thrash my wheat came
with his machien on Tuesday the 19^^ of Oet^ and my quan-
tity of Grain is as follows 110 Bushels of winter wheat off
12 acres 80 Bushels of Spring wheat off 6 acres 50 Bushels
of oats off 2% acres the oats where Laid Bad by some
heavy [rains] before they were ripe which Destroyed a good
many of them I had 29 Bushels of [barley] of [f] 2 acres
My winter [wheat] has yeilded about one half my spring
wheat two thirds and my Barley about two thirds of what
My last years crops Did in proportion to the same breadth of
Ground the oats would have been as good as last year but
for the rain laying them * * *

Monday Nove' 2"*
Dear Father:

Since Diner I have been Down to Rochester to see if their
was a letter from new york but their is none I begin to
feel very uneasy about it as it is 5 weeks to Day since I
wrote to new york and what is the reason that their is not a
letter I canot comprehend and I shall have to send this letter
without any intelligence about the boxes but I Shall write

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 141

you a short letter [if] alls well by the next mail I expect
we shall have another ad[d]ed to our family before then
My Wife is very feeble but I hope it will pleas god to suport
her in the hour of affliction.

Dear Father in looking over my other sheet I see I have
not Stated any thing about my Indian corn and pottatoes
My Indian corn was a poor crop the reason I stated in my
last and when I fell Sick the ChiUdren could not wash and
Dress that horse that was Sick and I turnd it into the field
that it might help itself and Orderd the Chilldren to get
what the[y] could as I Serve the pigs with it and they run
it nearly all over while I was Sick in that way and I believe
it as answerd a very good end for the horses neck is nearly
healed up and She has improved very much in condition and
I have 4 very good pigs nearly ready for the butcher so that
has not been lost my pottatoes are rather a small kind but
are good and we Shall have as many as will serve us but I
shall not Have any for Sale

Dear father in your last you mentione[d] what you in-
tend to Do for me Both in regard to the land and assisting
m paying cousin Tho^ if I had made an agreement with him
I feel thankfull to you for you[r] past kindness and I feel
ThankfuU to you for your prof erd help more thankfull than
I am able to express but I feel sorry that ever I involved
myselfe in the way I Did as circumstances as turned out for
I Bargaind for that Land with the sole intention of accomo-
dating my Cousins and had he taken my offer they would
have been as well as they are and I should have been able to
have paid somthing handsome if not all as his conduct to
me has caused me to have to hire help at the Dearest time
of the year Joseph Mitchells] wages came to 30 dollars
and I have paid 15 and you will perceve by my Other Sheet
that I had the thrashers at a time when my wife was sick in
bed and myselfe could scarcely walk about I had to get 3
hired hands two of them I shall have to pay in money the
other I can work back

142 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

M' Nobles behaved like a freind to me he came himself
and brought one of his boys and when they had done I asked
him how I must pay him wether in money or help back and
he gave me this answer he says Dont yon trouble your Self
about that we will make things right and when I have got
my turnips and a few other things in he would come and give
me another Day or two to help me with my pottatoes &c so
if [my] relations care not how I get through thire is some
that will give me a helping hand in time of need one of
the young men that help[ed] to thrash came and led me
some hay which I had mown the week before I fell sick he
came unasked and after he had Done got me some fire wood
up to the house

Tuesday Morning Nov 3^^
Dear father :

I shall now state to you that I received a letter from Eich-
ard Dobson the man I Bought the Land off in answer to that
I wrote to him previous to writing my last to you and he
states that he will be in want of all the money by January
as he as made ingagements which will requ[i]re it by that
time and that he will be at our house by the midle of this
month and would like to have it then if Possible now when
he comes I Shall make some arrangements with him and get
him to wait if I can while the Latter end of Jan^ and If I
cannot I can perhaps Borrow it while then at a trifleing in-
terest which will perhaps be as good a plan as I can Do for
it would be some expence to me to have to take him the
money and get the Deeds Drawn out there and if you can
help me this time I shall feel very thankfull to you for your
kindness I think I can spare as much wheat for Sale as will
pay most of my other engagments if it pleas god to grant
me my health and my wife a safe Delivery we can get through

now in answer to Your promise for next summer I can
say I Do not want you to injure yourself on my account and
I feel confident that I can Do better than I ever have Done
if me and my family enjoy our health as we have Done up

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 143

to this fall since we came to this cuntry the condnct of
Tho^ together with our sickness instead of being an injury
will I trust in the end be a blessing to us for my Chilldren
Hannah and Euth are Determined to work what they can in
the land and theire are plenty of jobs which will be no Dis-
grace for them to Do such as helping in the hay and Plant-
ing corn and Several other little jobs which take time for me
to Do which they can Do with propr[i]ety and leave me more
at liberty and if I require any help I shall engage some one
for a short time at once and if I want any assistance I will
let you know in time * * *

Your Affectionate Son & Daughter

Edwin & Martha Bottomley

KocHESTER Kacien County W T Dec' 17^^ 1846
Dear Father :

* * * in respect to the articles you have sent in the
box I must say that theire is not a article which you have
sent but what is of service to us and are very aceptable to
us at pressent some of the Pound print is already con-
verted into frocks for the chilldren and some of the linsay
into petticoats the bolts will be of great service to me and
would have cost me as much here as they will now with the
additional expence the prints and Cloth &c would have cost
rather more here than they will under pressent circum-
stances so that it would have taken as much money to buy
the articles which the box contains here as they will cost now
But still the money might have been of more service in some
respects and in others it would not had we had the money
some would have been used for other purposes and left short
otlier things which we are compeled to have as it is and if
they are not all wanted imediately they will be at some fut-
ure time if alls well and we send you our sincere than[ks] to
you and all freinds for them

We got all our articles which was mentioned in [your]
letters except the two razors and Some wool for the Chill-
dren to knitt some st[ockings] with which you talked of

144 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

Sending One of those parcels Which was for my wife con-
taind print for 3 Small frocks and another her dress peice
muslin Delane and the other 12 pair of Stockings thees
wher the contents of thees parcels and you will be best able
to Say wether they was what you send or not what make[s]
me mention thees in this way is in your letter you mention
the Stockings and Dress peice and a number of Small parcels
for martha contain [in] g articles which she would know
what they where for. had we not had a list from you we
should have had more trouble than what we had for the
goods had been all unpack[ed] at new York and all our
prints had got into James Tinkers box and some of his par-
cels into ours but all got their own excep Sarah Morton
a black Satan handkerchief for her was missing the Shirt
and waistcoat for G Armitage where Safe it has been an
expensive affair to you and caused you a great Deal of
trouble but it would have been worse had no other person
taken the subject out of Woodheads hands for I am certain
that every thing would have been lost had I not writen to
Umber Dambman &c New York whose exertion in our be-
half was very good they Did all they could to get a free
Permit for the boxes but could not and they had a great
Deal of trouble to get them into their care owing to them
being left in the maner they where and we owe them great
thank [s] for their kindness

My brother Henry Desired to know wether our pottatoes
wher good or not and if I should have hay sufficient for my
cattle this winter and I am thankfuU to inform him our pot-
tatoes are good and I think we Shall have sufficient I Shall
have Plenty of Hay for my cattle and although I may not
be able to pay all my Debts I shall have bread for my Chill-
dren and Pork sufficient for them also I killed two hogs last
week one weighed 187 lb and the other 175 I have other
three feeding which weighs about the same now so that I Do
not fear but what I Shall have a sufficiency for myself and
family and I feel thankfull to god for it Dear fathe[r]
Give Our Respects to my Old masters and their familys and

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 145

tell them we got the books they send and that it gives us
Pleasure to know that we are still rememberd by them Give
our respects to M*" Hough and to the Singers at Crossland
Church and to all my fellow workmen at Crossland Mills
and to all relations and freinds and may God bless you all
is the sincere prayer of

Your Affectionate Son and Daughter

Edwin & Martha Bottomley

Rochester Racien County W. T. March 4^^ 1847
Dear Father:

* * * I still feel that I am not clear from the effects of
the ague my last letter would inform you that I had had a
relapse of the complaint and [I] must inform you that I
have had two or three attacks since I wrote to you but they
grow weaker every time it is Monday the first of March
and it was a month last satuarday since I had a shake since
then I have employed myself in the house in fixing up the
pantry with cupboards and Shelfs and a flour bin last
week I have been makeing a Bookcase and Drawers but have
not quite finished them. * * *

I have had a boy to chop fire wood and serve cattle &c this
last few weeks which as enabled me to keep more within
Doors I have some thoughts of keeping him all sumer but
have not yet Determined should I Do so I shall inform you
in my next the winter has been rather severe and we have
had several cold spells for a few Days at time[s] the ther-
mometer being 10 Degrees below zero in the midle of the day
when the rays of the sun have not been obscured by a single
cloud we have at pressent a great quantity of snow on the
ground and we have good Sleighing

in your last you expressed your fears that I Should not
have sufficient hay for my cattle but I have the pleasure to
inform you that I Shall I got my hay principaly before I
fell sick Joseph Woodhead and Joshua and James Scott
owed me some labour for the loan of my wagon and they
each gave me a Day of mowing I happend to have cousin

10

146 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

Tho^ and Joseph Mitchel at our house then so that along
with myself theire Avas 6 of us and we cut a good quantity of
hay and I got it well stack [ed] without any rain to Do it
harm we cut near to fox river and the rest I got off my own
Land which I had inclosed I expect I Shall be rather short
of grain for my horses and I Shall have to buy some for
them

you would see by my last that I had lost one of my colts
the other Died in a few days after the letter left I hopened
It and found that Bots in the stomach was the cause of its
Death and also the first for their symptoms wher both alike,
the Bot is a short thick worm which horses are more sub-
ject to in this cuntry than in England on account of the Bot
fly which is very prevalant here the fly will Blow a hores
[horse] on its legs and under its jaw and when the horse
goes into the stable he will rub the blowings off his jaw or
bite them off his legs and by thees means get into his food
if the horse be in good condition the horse will void them but
should the [y] happen to be in low condittion they will adhear
or stick in the stomach and eat the iner coat of the stomach
away which causes Death my colts was rather poor on ac-
count of not being taken up befor the grass had begun to
wither but Sickness prevented me for attending to them
sooner. I have lost one calf this winter also in one of the
cold spells it got froze to Death and one of the mares has
sliped her colt what has been the cause I cannot tell for
she has neither been drawn to hard nor kickt that I know of
this is a full list of my misfortunes

we are now in the midst of Political agitation the consti-
tution which has been f ormd by the convention to form a
state government is now before the people for them to sanc-
tion or reject and it causes a good Deal of agitation and po-
litical Discusion. and I almost expect the constitution will
be rejected by the people

we had our annual meeting of the subscribers belonging
to the new Chaple in Jan^ to Elect trustees and Sexton the

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 147

trustees will be chosen in the maner Uncle Tho^ Halkyard
recomended M^ Noble James Tinker and Myself wher chos-
en for trustees [and] Squire Hinchlife for the sexton when
the trustees where elected we cast Lots who should retire the
first year and it fell to my lot to retire after one year James
Tinker Second M^ Nobles third the Chaple is now at [a]
stand on account of [the] wether but I expect we shall have
the men to work as soon as the wether will admit you will
recolect that W^ Woodhead promised 2 pounds before he
left England but he has thought proper to alter it to 5 Dol-
lars since he came I have got 7 Dollars on my own account

from him when I shall get the other I cannot tell

• * •

James Scott has let his farm for 22 Dollars a year to a
Joseph Cockcroft Jane Cockcrofts cousin who has maried
W°^ Woodheads Daughter Ann. James Scott is working at
Waterford woollen mill and he intends takeing his family
and keeping a boarding house he thinks it will [he] better
perhaps than maJceing 3 Dollars per iveeJc from his Butter
makeing besides [fattening] a great quantity of Pigs on his
Buttermilk He will think Differant before next Sep^ Josh-
ua Woodhead is gone to work their also wether he means
to leave his farm or not I have not heard but this I know he
will have to Decide very soon or he will be the worse for it.
Jane Cockcroft is maried to Eichard Dobson him that I
Bought that Land of and they are intending leaving this
neighbourhood and going to Mineral Point I have not Set-
tled with him yet but expect to Do [so] before he goes

Dear Father we christend our child on Sunday Feb 7^^
and Its name is Cecelia Marth the Minester was M'" Green
he came from the neighbourhood of Horbury and I belive he
is [a] good Christian both in profession and practice we
had him at our house to Diner the same Day the Chilldren
are very much pleased with their little Sister and almost
differ which must Nurse it the most I have hung the like-
ness you send me up in the little Eoom as we call it and the

148 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

chilldren oft take theire little sister to look at its grandfath-
er the Chilldren are all in good health and as lively as
lambs My wife is better in health than I expected from
what She sufferd previous to her confinement I shall leave
of [f] now till tomorrow as I am anxious for a letter from

you and it is the post day to morrow

* * *

Your Affectionate Son & Daughter

Edwin & Mabtha Bottomley

Brother Henry :

I have thought it my Duty to send enclosed in this letter a
note to the Lodge at Crossland which is Signed by M^ Drum-
ond minister belonging to the association methodists who
preaches in the Settlement and he stops at our house some-
times all night and sometimes at other freinds in the Settle-
ment their his no Deffin[ite] time Stated in the note of the
length of time I have been Sick in the whole but I can with
truth Say that it has been over 6 weeks in the whole which
I have not been able to Do any thing and up to the Date of
the Note when I was Able to Do a little Nessesity compeld
me so to Do but at best I never was able to Do half a days
work in a Day from the effects of the complaint I leave
my case in thire hands believeing they will Do what is right

I remain

your Affectionate Br^

Edwin Bottomley

EocHESTER March 17^^ 1847
Dear Father :

* * * I shall now proced to notice a few remarks in
your letter which a note of mine caused you to make now
Dear father when I said that I Should be under the nessesity
of refuseing your request if you Desired me to come back to
England I did not mean that I had no Desire to see you all
and if I was to say so I Should not speak the truth for I of-

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 149

ten think of you all and It woold be a happy Day to me to
once more behold you all again but wether Such will ever be
my lot or not To see you all again in this world is only
known to god but if it be is will that we must not meet on
earth again I hope and trust that we shall meet in heaven

Dear father you know what a fathers Love is for his
chilldren both when he Dandles them on his knee and when
they are gone from his owti fire side to strugle with the
world for theire Daily bread so that you can judge of my
situation as well if not better than I can myself thees Lit-
tle ones look to me for bread yet and my object in comeing
to this cuntry was to enable me to procure them this and
although we have been Disapointed in our crops and afflicted
with Sickness I have not [the] least fear but I Shall have
sufficient for them and I beleve when they have to strugle
for themselves they will be better able to Do it in this cuntry
than in England and Dear father I Do beleive this that thire
are no chilldren that would be glader to behold theire Grand-
father and none more willing to make him comfortable than
Mine would be If it please god that they must ever see him
again and theire is not a Son & Daughter who would more
willingly pay a Debt of Gratitude to a father and attend to
his wants when he is no longer able to strugle with this
world when his feeble limbs where scarce able to sustain
theire precious burthen, than Your ever loveing Son &
Daughter they woud willingly attend to all his wants and
Soothe his journey to the tomb With paitience and with love
I shall leave this Subject and Shall paitiently submit to the
will of god

Dear Father, the next Subject is a hard task to me and
none but a Loveing Father Should cause me to enter on it
but as it is your request you Shall have it in plain terms as
near as I know myself, you request me to send an acount of
my Debts. I am afraid they will Suprise you at the first
glance but after you have gone through with them I think
you will be Satisfied with my Statement

150

WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

Thees
are Debts
which I
have
accounts
of

For groceries since Last
Spring to Mess Hulbert
& Rays

To Captain for his horse
covering Both Mares -

To W^ Crother for Shoe
mending and makeing -

To Richard Haye for help-
ing to thrash wheat - -

To Nimrod Gooder do - -

To Tho« Brown do - do -

To Tho« Hall Ballanc Due
yet for three months -

To Joseph Mitchel Jun'^
Ballanc for Labour in
Sumer ------

$40.00

14.00

5.00

1.50
1.50
1.50

7.00

5.00

$75.50

a»
o

O

a

a

r— I
r— t

o

p

This is
what I
Paid for
Labour Last
Sumer
about 8
dollars of
Mitchels was
for attending
Plasterer

Paid to Tho« Hall During

sumer $14.50

do -to Joseph Mitchel do 25.65
Both theire Ballances in
the above statement - - 12.00

$52.15

a;

tH

o
P

Dear Father, the above statement will show you that my
Debts which I know Positively are 75 Dollars and 50 cents
theire are 2 other individuals which I am owin something
to but I have not had an account nor Do I expect either of
them will trouble me about it while next fall one is James

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 151

Noble for joiner work puting wash Boards, and Surbases and
makeing two Doors previous to the house being plastered
the other is the Plasterer I gave him 5 Dollars when he
finished and he said he would make his bill out somtime he
said he was in no hurry about it also during our Sickness
Last fall with me haveing money in my hand belonging to
the chaple I had 15 Dollars from the same which I shall have
to make good which in all will perhaps be about 110 Dollars
which will I think be the utmost that they will all Eeach.
Their is one of thees sums I Shall pay if I can by any means
that is Tho^ Halls Tho^ as not asked me for it but mary
ann rubs rather hard about they could have this thing and
the other if they could get what they had owing them I am
Determind to pay them and be no Inderance to her getting
what She wants

Dear Father:

as I have s[t]ated my Debts with the exception of the pay-
ment for the land I Shall now give you to understand how
I am prepared to meet them you will be aware that you
send me 31 pound to pay for the Land with which [I] would
have done and the Land would have been paid for had it not
been for Woodheads Blunder you are aware that I ordered
the parties at new york to reduct out of what they next reed
on my account whatever they paid for the Boxes which they
Did which was 61 Dollars and 72 cents which left me that
[Sum] short of being able to pay for the Land now had
the parties here been able to have refunded me the money
and me have been able to have paid my Share it would have
made no Differanc the Land would have been paid for but
you are aware such was not the case now I shall have to
make up the Deficiency out of what you send last letter with
[the] Exception of what squire pays me as J. T will not be
able to pay me if Squire pays me I Shall have about 5 Dol-
lars spare when I have paid for the Land and to enable me
to pay Cousin Tho^ Hall I Shall Sell some hams which I
have to spare above what I shall requir for my own use the

152 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

rest of my Debts I hope to [be] able to pay them next fall
if it pleas god to grant me health

I close this catalogue of Difficulties with informing you
that I Shall have flour enough for my family and Pork and
pottatoes and we had a cow calfed about 10 Days since so
that we shall have milk and butter and the hens are begun
to Lay the other cow I expect we shall have to feed this
next sumer for she is [with] out calf I had forgot to say
that we had plenty of beef and venison I went out with oth-
er two Individuals a few weeks Sine and we killd 3 Deer
with thees provisions and my debts as the[y] are I beleve
theire are people worse [off] than I am and this I can say
I am thankfuU that I am so well provided for I Do not
murmur nor Do I feel much afraid but what I can get
through if I have my health I still continue in moderate
health all the rest of the family are well and the Chilldren
send Love to theire Grandfather * * *

your affectionate Son and Daughter

Edwin & Martha Bottomley

EocHESTER Racien County W. T. May 3^^ 47
Dear Father:

Sunday May ^ * * * we are sorry to hear by your
letter and the News paper you send me of the Distress ajid
and Disease in Ireland Scotland and England when I read
the accounts in the Leeds Mercury of the Distress in Irelaiid
it affected me very much to think of people starveing to
Death by the way sides and if I had a few of them here poor
as I am I could keep them a few months and not starve my-
self and I would gladly Do it and if I have a previledge of
Doing somthing when the lakes are open as it is rumored
the vessels will take produc for the Destitute in Ireland free
I shall Send a few Bushels of wheat and a little pork if
all's well

monday night May 3''^ We have had a cold Spring so
far on winds from the north and north East which makes
vegetation very late winter wheat is killed out in a many

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 153

places and is not looking so very well in the settlement mine
is injured some but [I] hope it will Revive a little when the
weather moderats and I think it will be better than a many-
expect for the last spring but one was simalar to this and
wheat looked very bad but it turned out better than any one
expected I have sown 4 acres of Spring wheat which looks
well and I finished sowing oats and Barley last friday the
30^*^ of april I have 3 acres of oats and 2 acres of Barley
in and some early pottatoes I intend to put about 5 acres
of indian corn in this spring if it pleas god to grant me
health

Joshua woodhead and James Scott and theire familys
are gon to live at waterf ord about 5 miles from here Joseph
Cockcroft who maried Old W™ Woodheads Daughter Ann
is liveing on Scott's farm and he is to pay him 22 Dollars a
year rent their is another man named Fowler who has
taken Joshua Woodhead ['s] farm on Shares but I Do not
know the particulars about the agreement but Joshua wanted
to have 30 Dollars a year and a wel Dug so you see he wanted
some one to give him 30 Dollars and dig him a well for the
use of a farm that he could not make a liveing on hut he
thought some one else could and so he would go and work
in a factory again and try to obtain a liveing in a maner he
has had the honesty to repremend and Slight in letters to
England which you are aware of a Boiling Stone never
gathers no moss and perhaps they will want to Roll bach
again yet,

I have Settled with Richard Dodson for the land and his
Wife who was formerly Jane Gockcroft and they are gone
to Mineral point I have got a Deed from him and I Shall
get it Recorded next time I go to Racien George Armitages
wife has had a tumor taken out of the Back of her neck
about 3 weeks since she is now got almost well from the
effects of the operation W™ Morton has had his cattle
Shade and about 100 Rails and his Sleigh Burnt about a
fortnight since by a fire he set himself he set fire to a
marsh a short Distance off so that he could mow it better

154 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

for hay and the fire spread and got the over hand of him
and Set fire to his cattle Shade which was built of Logs and
coverd with Straw.

Tuesday Morning May 4^^ the Ague continues to affect
some at times this Spring James Tinker and his wife have
each had a Slight attack James about a week since and
Jane was Chilling yesterday Squire Hinchliff and his fam-
ily are all well Squire is building a new kitchen to his house
and makeing a sellar under it James Tinker intends to
build one this summer but wether he will or not I canot say

Edwin & Martha Bottomley

Dear father :

if you have received my last letter you will find theire a
particular Statement of my affairs and of the intention I
had of hireing the boy that I had During my Sickness I
have made an engagement with him for a year comenceing
on the first of March and wether his mother will want any
wage while is time be out or not I canot tell as She intends
to let it remain in my hands if Possible but I expect She will
have to Draw something at times as she is a widow with a
large family and in makeing the bargain I promised I would
let her have some when she wanted [it] his wage is to be 45
Dollars for the year and 3 months schooling

we have one cow that gives milk and I Shall try to get an-
other or two more if I can this sumer you will See by the
fore part of this letter that I intend to put in about 5 acres
of corn I Shall put in more I expect, my reason for Doing
so is to clear some ground from weeds and it is my intintion
to get a Small hoeing plough s[o] that I can plough be-
twixt the corn with one horse the boy I have engaged can
work at any job on the farm and so far this Spring I have
got t[h] rough my work with more ease to myself than I have
Done befor and I feel confident I shall require no other
help this sumer if it pleas god to grant me health and I hope
and trust he will but if he should Be pleased to afflict me
again I Shall submit to his will without murmoring for I

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 155

hope and trust I have learnt better than to murmor at his
Decree and it greives me to hear J, T. [ 's] wife Jane Mur-
mor and he so Discontent and it maJces James also he told
her a few days Since they never would prosper as long as
she went on as she Did keep this to yourself I have told
you before time that they would have to be more carefull
before they prospered and I beleive James sees that him-
self and with him Desireing her to be as economical as she
can it may perhaps make her a little uneasy they have Both
been to blame in this respect since they cam to this country
but I hope they will see theire eror and put right about
some of his fall wheat looks bad I now close this opeing it
will be worth reading with well wishes of my chilldren to
you all and may god bless you all is the sincere Prayer of
your affectionate Son & Daughter

EocHESTER June 3^^ 1847
Dear Father:

Monday morning May 31^^ I am again Permited to ac-
knowledge the recept of your Letter of may 3''^ which we
rec*^ on. the 28^^ and we where glad to hear that you where
enjoying a tolerable degree of health I also be[g] leave to
acknoledge the recept of a letter from New york contain-
ing the Sum of 10 pounds which you had the kindness to
Send me and I beg that you will accept our heart felt thanks
for the kindness you have shown towards me and my fam-
ily Both at this time and on other occasions and may god re-
ward you for your kindness towards us I have the Pleasure
to inform you that we all are at pressent enjoying good
health and I have been enabled to get through my Spring
work very well the boy that I have got has been as much
service to me as any one I have ever had when I want any
thing doing he goes and Does it as I wish to have it Done
without proposing any other way by thees means I can
form my own plans and have them executed without any
others interfereing

^

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156 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

I have put in from 6 to 7 acres of Indian corn and % an
acre of Pottatoes and the Boy Ploughed the greatest part
alone I have put my corn rather Diff erant this season from
what I have Done before I made an article while the boy
was ploughing, to mark the ground in rows 4 feet 6 in apart
and the cor[n] we planted in the rows 4 or five seeds at a
place 4 feet 6 in apart also which you will understand by

the figure by Doing it this
way I shall be enabled to
work the ground with a
small plough and one horse
During the sumer which
will be a great benefit to the
crop and the ground also
it is the plan adopted by the best farmers round here and it
answers as well as summer fallowing my corn is just
comeing up Satuarday morni[n]g we had a heavy thunder
storm and Satuarday afternoon and yesterday was very
wet should it come warm after the rain the corn will take
no harm but if cold it will most likely prove rather injurious
as it will have a tendancy to rot in the ground

My spring wheat Looks pretty well the Dry winds this
Spring have injured the winter wheat materealy besides
being injured by the winter I have just been and exam-
ined mine so that I could give you an account of mine and
according to the best of my judgement I Do not beleive I
Shall have above half a crop the English wheat which you
send me is completly destroyed various are the opinions
of my neighbours of the cause [of the] winter wheat being
killed out and Some have Determined not to put in much
winter wheat but rely chiefly on Spring wheat Probably I
Shall not put in as much fall wheat in this season as I Did
Last but I am of an opinion that theire is a fault in our
method of Doing our work in puting in our winter wheat
I am convinced of one fact and that is we have not put our
Seed in Deep enough and by not being in a sufficient Depth
it is sooner affect [ed] by the frost and by the Dry winds in

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 157

the Spring My f reind M^ Noble is of the Same opinion as
myself I Shall if god Spares me health and Strengh this
summer endeavour to mak a machine to sow wheat in Drills
8 inches apart and by this means get in my seed Deeper than
usual and more to an equal Depth I could fill my letter with
various arguments in favour of my opinion But I will leave
this subject for the Pressent

I Shall now Proceed to give you some information about
the chaple we finished shingleing the roof a fortnight since
and the joiners will probably comence work next week and
continue till we can have service in it if not wihile it is com-
pletly finished I have about 90 Dollars in hand to go on
with and by [the time] this is expended we shall probably
be able to collect our subscriptions all the subscribers in
the settlement are very a[n]xious for it to be completed this
summer and I belive they will all Do theire utmost to pay
theire Subscription in time if they can by any means the
enclosed Plan will give you som Idea of the form of the
Building and we have a burial groun conected with it the
ground is the gift of M^ Alexander Stonhouse and contains
about an Acre and a half we have got the Deeds Drawn
up and Syned and every thing secure in that respect their
have ben already 5 interments in the burial ground

Tuesday Night June 1^^ to Day I have been Shooting
Black birds which have been takeing up my corn theire is
a good Deal of trouble with thees gentlemen they take up
the corn as soon as it appears above ground to get the seed
from the bottom of it theireby Destroying it. I must not
forget to inform you that our Hannah has begun to teach
School in the School House belonging to the Settlement She
comenced last monday but one She has 15 Scholars and
I expect She will be able to make somthing to help us along
a little but we Dont intend to charge [a] great wage for her
as it is her first comencement.

Some few weeks ago when I was Down in Rochester I
Saw a Model of a machine which I thought was a curious
invention it was to work a Saw Mill the Saw[s] are gen-

158 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

eraly worked with a crank which gives a up and a Down
every revolution of the Crank or axle but this gives two ups
and down[s] of the Saw for one revolution of the axle the
plan of it I had intended sending in this but I Shall not have
room but will if posible in my next it would amuse you to
see it w[ork] if it was of no other use but I think [it] might
be of use amongst so [me] kinds of machienery

I rec** a letter From Cousins John and Betsey Dyson who
are got Back to Milwaukie Betsy and Samuel have had the
ague 4 months while they where in the woods they came
back to liiilwauke Last Dec"" and John is got into a bakers
Shop as a jurneman and it is the Only Place he is fit for
the[y] are Doing prety well and to Day I have rec^ one
from M' Pickering which is [a] very good and long letter
in it he States he intends to come to England next year if
god Permits But he should like to come by way of Wiscon-
sin and Pay me a visit and from thence to Illinois to his
Brother and form [from] their to England By way of New
York and will Probably call to see you if all is well.

their are some questions in Brother Henry ['s] note which
I will endeavor to answe[r] the Flour we have here is bet-
ter than the flour we used to get in England Pork is most
generaly Bareled in this cuntry with the exception of the
hams and Shoulder which are Salted and then Smoked
Flour is 6 Dollars per Barrel it as advanced li/^ Dollar [s]
this Last 3 weeks Barel Pork 6 cents per lb hams and
Shoulders from 7 to 8 cents in referance to the Freightage
per Barel to new york I cannot tell for I Do not know but I
will make inquiries when I go to Eacien wether we could Do
any buissnes in that line or not to any advantage is more
than I could tell I have my Doubts upon it

Now thire is another Plan for a man to make good use
of a small capital ocasionaly and theire has been one of the
Best opurtunitys since last harvest If I had had 100 or 200
pounds last [autunm] I could have cleared from 75 to 90
per cent on the capital besides clearing all expences the
way I Should have Done would have been this I would have

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 159

gone Down to Eacien and Bought wheat of the farmers at
from 50 to 60 cents per Bushel which was the price it was
selling at I would then have stored it and sold it out this
spring which I could have Sold for a Dollar which is the
Price it is selling [at] at pressent and I beleive it will be
more before [it is] less I would not have Sold a grain of
mine before Spring but nessesity compeled me my paper
is full and may God Bless you all is the Sincere Prayer of
your Affectionate Son an[d] Daugh'
Edwin & Martha Bottomley

EocHESTER Eacien County W. T. July 3'^ 47
Dear Father :

I am again permited through the mercy of God to take up
my pen and address a few lines to you and am thank [ful] to
inform you that we are all enjoying Good health with the ex-
ception of myself I have got a slight cold and my mind has
been very much Disturbed this last week by the Death of
Joseph Schofield and the Duties which have fallen to my
lot to Discharge but I hope God will be my suport and my
guide in my pressent perplexing circumstances on thurs-
day the 24^^ of June his wife send up for me and my wife to
go Down and stop with Joseph all night as he was very ill
and not likely to live long accordingly we went Down and
we stopt with him while his Death which took place on Fri-
day the 25^^ about % past two o Clock in the afternoon
from the time we got Down to Eochester on the thursday
afternoon I was constantly at his bed Side his wife being
in a Debilitated state of health and with over exertion had
to thake her bed before he Died and as he wished me soon
after I got theire to be executor along with his wife should
he be taken away which was almost the only words he Did
say after I got theire before he Died so that the whole Duty
fell upon me to look after his funeral and get some one into
the house to attend his wife and the oldest boy who was so
affected at the Death of his father that he has been confined
to bed 4 days

160 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

Miss" Schofield is getting better and I hope she will be
able to attend to her affairs a little very soon how his af-
fairs are i cannot Say but am rather afraid they will be
some trouble attending them he has made no will he has
left a wife and five chilldren theire is a letter which Joseph
had part writen which I shall fill up and send to his brother
who lives I understand at Marsh, Honley My wif es father
Edward Schofield at Timminets is his uncle the complaint
which he Died off the Doctors called a colaps congestion he
had an attack about 3 weeks preivious to his Death of gastric
remitent fever as the Doctors called it from which he
slightly recoverd he was up at our house the tuesday but
one before he Died and on the Satuarday he was out of
Doors a good while about his horses and it was cold and it
is thought by some that he caught cold and brought on a re-
laps which ended in congestion you had better see some
of his friends and read this to them as I may not have room
in the part writen letter to say much about the circum-
stance [s]

NB he was intered in the Buirial ground conected with our
chaple on satuarday the 26 of June

Dear Father:

I shall now proceed with my own af airs and I hope you
will excuse me If I am very breif as you will be aware that
I am very busy both with my own work and what has fallen
to my lot by the above circumstance I shall state that I
rec^ from James Tinker the sum of 40 Dollars and I have
given him a Draft on you for £ 8~5~0 which he will send by
this mail to Tho^ Hanson who I think is liveing somewhere
about Heighley and perhaps he will come over for it or he
may send the Draft in a letter to you should he Do either
way you will know best how to act

the weather has been very favourable so far on this sum-
mer for our crops in general spring wheat is looking very
well in the settlement Indian corn has been rather a failure
in some farmes the Black birds haveing used very bad and

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 161

on some what we call the cut worm has Destroyed a Deal
and they have sown turnips I made [a] Drilling machine
to sow turnip seed a few weeks since which has been of great
service to them in geting in their turnip seed in my Indian
corn is looking well I have just finished ploughing it and
hoeing once over and it looks prety I shall plough and hoe
it once more and then let it alone the Black Birds took about
half an acre at one corner but the[y] Did it very little arm
elswhere some few hills where Destroyed by the cut worm
but not many takeing the whole it promises well for an
ex[c]elent crop

I have got a little plough and the boy is trying it while i
am writing our Tho^ riding on the horse and guiding it he
is greatly set up with is new job I promised him he shall
help George next week Hannah keeps on her school and
she as 20 scholars I have ploughed up the ground that I
sowed the chevelear wheat which you sent but which was
killed out with the exception of a few roots which I have
taken up and transplanted I intend sowing turnips on it
but the ground want[s] rain or I Should have sown them
to Day my potatoes looks [well] we have not got any of
our earlys yet but perhaps we shall next week my Spring
wheat looks well winter wheat is a poor crop and I think
will hardly pay for labour but we must try some other way
to get in our seed and I think we shall succeed better in
future and I intend to make a seed Drill if circumstances
will admit I have got 4 young effiers one of them has a
calf an[d] I have made a bargain for them with Richard
Haye for 35 Dollars to be Paid any time this year

I Shall just state how I treated myself in regard to ague
and I would like M^ Dyson's opinion about it During the
absence of the ague I always had a great Desire for beer
last march after an attack of the ague I got a half a barrel
60 quarts and I worked in the house prety hard I Drunk
the beer as I used to Do in England to my Dinner and oca-
sionaly through the Day I have never had an attack Since
I got another half Barrel about a month Since and am using

11

162 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

it the same way and I feel it does me a great Deal of good
I have not the thirst for so much water as what I have been
in the habit of Drinking in hot weather you will be sur-
prised when I say that a man will Drink from two to three
gallons of water in one Day which I think is not good I
have [had] some conversation with a Doctor and he reco-
mends beer I have about 2 acres of Barley which looks well
if alls well I Shall make my own malt and brew my own
[beer] I must now close my letter and may Gods blessing
be with you * * *

Your Affectionate Son & Daughter
Edwin & Makth Bottomley

Rochester august 19*^ 1847
Dear Father :

Comence this Letter August 16^^ # # # y^^ ^-jj p^^.^
ceive by my last letter to you and in one I Send to John
Schofield of Honley that I have a great Deal of care and anx-
iety on my mind therfore if I make a few blunders jn my
letter i hope you'l forgive me I Shall if alls well write to
John Schofield as soon as I can give him a fair statement
of his brothers affairs the Chilldren are all well and very
comfortably situated I should like him to write as soon as
he can after you receive this if he as not wrote before.

I Shall now proceed to notice the remarks in your last let-
ter in referance to your advice about sowing winter wheat
the plan I like very well and if I can I Shall put in about 4
acres the way you mention I have a small plough which I
got this sumer to plough betwixt my corn which i think will
Do for ridgeing with I am afraid I Shall not have time to
make a Drill as I have had a good deal of time to looss in at-
tending to Schofields affairs it has rather thrown me a lit-
tle behind with my work I have hired no one to assist me
except the Boy before mentioned and he works very hard
and I have got nearly through with my harvest but I have
my hay to cut yet and I almost expect I Shall have to get a
little help more than what I have for I am almost run of [f]

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 163

my feet with one thing and another but if it please god to
grant me health I have no fear but what I can get through
if I canot get any help otherwise

Wedensday Night 18^^ I have just finished harvesting
my grain and I feel almost flushed myself for I am very well
tired I Shall comence haying as soon as I can the season
is a fortnight or 3 weeks latter than last year In referance
to the money to which I had from James Tinker my last
would inform you of and I return you my sinser thanks for
it I rec*^ Squires Money and paid it over to him

Now Dear father in referanc to keeping my grain while
Spring and for me to Send you word what money I Should
want to enable me to Do so I am at a loss what to Say about
It for your kindness as been so great to me before time that
1 Do not want you to put yourself to any inconveinience
though I am certain you will help me in a time of need If I
ask you for it and I am Thankful to god for the many helps
you have been able to send me through his mercies my rea-
sons for Saying that I am at a loss what to Say on the Sub-
ject are thees I have had so much to attend to lately that I
Do not know particularly how my own affairs are but I
think my Debts will not Exced the sum I Send you word in
[the] Spring I have paid some of the Debts that I men-
tioned to you then and I have had to be at some little ex-
pence in my journeys to Southport on Scholfields account
which I Shall get Back when the property is Sold and Dear
father if you feel De^^reous to send me some money this fall
I promise you that I Shall use it to the best advantage I can
both for you and for me I can asure you that my concience
has never accused me of Spending money carelesly since I
came to this country for any thing now I Shall leave this
Subject as it is the most Delicate subject and I can not Do
it justice and may god bless you for what you have done for
me.

I Shall now proceed with another Subject that is the Sub-
ject which you and my Brother Henry have had some con-
versation about of establishing a Merchantile buisness be-

164 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

twixt you and me my brother Henry in the note in Squires
letter mentioned about me buying flour and sending it to
you in the Last he recomends rendering lard which he
thinks would be profitable also. I Shall state my opinion
on the Subject more fully than I have Done before and Shall
give you my plan also to buy flour alone here and send it
to England and Depend on the fluctuations of the market
for profit would be Doubtful sometimes it would make
good profits and at other times it would hardly pay and then
theire would be risks of Losses in conveying it the expence
in getting a barrel of flour to new york will average one Dol-
lar and [a] qu[a]rter from Racien takeing all together and
it would cost 4 Dollars at the mill and It will cost 25 cents
carige. to racien so that when a bar el got to New York it
would cost five Dollars and a half this statement is what
it would average as near as I can make it.

I Should take another course if I had [the] means which
would answer better for both sides I Should buy wheat and
get it floured my object for Doing so is two fold the first
is I get my flour cheaper and I get the bran and Shorts for
other purposes which I could feed a quantity of Pigs with or
give to the cows During winter By thees means I could
raise a quant [it] y of Pork and make Butter or chees which
1 could turn into money here or send to you From October
to the Latter end of March would be the time that I could
lay out money to advantage in this way and I have no objec-
tions of Doing what I can for the benifit of us all if you
think fit to enter upon it and I am fully satisfied that a buiss-
nes caried on this way would answer well I could purchase
wheat at an averige of 65 cents per Bushel wh[ich] 5^^
Bushels would yeild me a barel of flour and pay for grind-
ing and the barel also which would make the flour come in
at 3l^ Dollars per Barel at the mill the other expences
would be the same as in the above statement now this state-
ment is not made low to induce you to enter upon this
buissnes but on facts which are true and you will be able to

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 165

see wether you can sell the flour in England to advantage
or not I think you would be able to get it at from 28 Shil-
lings to 30 at the most Delivered at your house Should the
wheat market be as low as it was last winter I could turn a
little money over if I had it as I mentioned in my last.

My fall wheat I have got stacked and I have had my bar-
ley trashed out and I Judge I have about 40 bushels I
may perhaps have from 80 to 100 Bushels of fall wheat my
spring wheat is not Stacked yet but is a prety good crop
my oats are good also but have Shaked out a little with
being over ripe my Indian corn Look[s] very prety and
promise [s] fair for an abundant crop but it is a thing that
is very temp[t]ing to cattle and we have some of the most
unruly cattle round us their is in the teritory my out
fences are prety good but their are fences adjoin [ing] mine
which are Deficent which if they was to break through they
would soon be in my lot I am rather awkardly situated in
regard to fencing that farm which Mitchel used to have
theire share of fencing is not Done betwixt them and me and
I Dont know when it will be I almost expect the man that
is on it will leave it this fall and if he Does I Shall be com-
peld for my own Safty to fenc of [f] from it For I want to
be so that I can rest in bed without fear of my crops being
Destroyed and I Should like to Do it this winter if I can by
any means it is after 12 o Clock at night and I must go to
bed

Thursday Morning 19^^ G.Oclock Joshua Woodhead has
sold his farm and oxen to a M"" Putman a Ducth man for 300
Dollars and Abraham Haye has sold his for 800 Dollars to
a Ducthman also and is comeing also back to England but
wether he will come back this fall or next Spring he canot
tell but he wishes you to inform Samuel Mitchel, Barber at
Lockwood Bar that he is well James Tinker and family are
all well I received Doctor Dysons letter and I think I men-
tioned it in my next after it and I am thankful to him for his

166 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

kindness give our respects to Mm and accep the Same
yourself and May God bless you all is the sincere prayer of
Your affectionate Son and Daughter
Edwin & Marth Bottomley

Dear Father :

I Shall now give you a statement of the Stock I have
about my Place at pressent I have 4 cows which are give-
ing Milk two of which where Schofields I Should like to buy
thees for myself if they are sold I have 4 Ephers Some of
which will calf early next Spring and one old cow which is
very good beef which I Shall kill this fall and 2 calf s We
have 15 pigs of our own and 25 of Scholfield little and big
one yoke of oxen and two horses I mentioned in my last
how I bought 4 of my Stock of Richard Haye and the terms
I have a prety large stock at pressent and they will be a
great help to me next Sumer if I can keep them I have had
some thought of Selling my oxen but Dont know wether I
Shall or not yet

you see by my letter that we are getting a quantity of
Dutch people near us they may make good neighbours but
I Do not like them as well as English for one thing theire
are principaly Catholics and I expect theire will be more of
them as that Speculaters land which corners mine is for Sale
I mentioned in one of my former letters the Discription of
the land and that it would make an exelent stock farm be-
ing well watered and Plenty of timber on It for every pur-
pose theire is 300 acres of it and [it] could have been
bought last winter for One thousand Dollars and I think
would be bought for the same yet paying a part Down at
the first and the other by installments after I have felt a
great many times A Desire to have this peice of ground and
I must acknowled[g]e that I feel so now but I Dont See any
probability of being able to purchase it before some one else
will as Dutch people are fond of being together and I expect
before another Sumer is over it will be sold if some is not

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 167

Sold before this goes out a great many of the Settlers get
theire Hay off this Lot I have got some off every season
and I Shall have to get some off this but Should the Dutch
people get hold of it this Previlige will be Distroyed both

for me and all the rest most likely

• « •

your affectionate Son and Daughter
Edwin & Martha Bottomley
Excuse Blunders for I have not time to correct

KocHESTER Racine County W T OgV 15^ 1847
Dear Father:

I am again permited through the mercie of God to write
again to you and I hope this will find you in the enjoyment
of good health since I wrote last to you our Ruth and Ce-
celia have both had the ague all the rest of us are well
Both of them are a Deal better than what they have been
and I think with a little care will soon be right Cecelia be-
gun with fits at the first but I think they where caused by
her teeth as she was about cuting some at the time the first
fit she had she begun about 12 0 Clock at noon and she con-
tinued in It while about 4 0 Clock in the afternoon we all
of us thought she would have Died in it her left harm and
leg where convulsed and her eyes and mouth Drawn to the
left side also while her right side was of a Deathly appear-
ance we got mustard plasters to her feet as quick as we
could and we gave her a few Drops of oil of mint I would
have given her a little tincture of asfoetada if we had had
any but we where without and through the blessing of god
the means we used proved of service she had several fits
after but none as bad as the first they came on every other
Day gaining three hours every time growin Slighter every
time till they ended in the ague she is now nearly well

the boy that I have has had the ague and has only been
able to work about a fortnight this 8 week which happend
ratlier unfortunate for me I have had to get some help in

168 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

my hay which has cost me 13 Dollars which I could probably
have Dispenct with had he continued well I have got my
grain thrashed out and I have stacked my straw which will
be of service to me this winter I have not quite has much
hay as I had intended to have but I Shall have a good crop
of turnips and I have cut my Indian corn Stalks and Shall
stack them which are good feed for either cows or horses so
that I think I Shall have plenty of feed for my cattle I have
of winter wheat 79 Bushels 65 of Spring Wheat 40 Bushels
of Barley 100 Bushels of oats I will send in my next all be-
ing well what I have of Indian corn potatoes turnips &c we
have about 6 wagon loads of Pumpkins we begun to get
our potatoes yesterday and they appear good

I have put about 4 acres of winter wheat in 2 acres of
which I put in as you recomended as well as I could and it
looks very well now I found it rather a Dificult job to Do
but experians gives a man knowledge I could Do it better
and easier had I it to Do over again. I ploughed my ground
a regular Depth and then harowed it well and then let it lay
a Day or two I then comenced ridgeing it and then I found
wher I had missed it the stuble which I had turned Down
in ploughing being under the surface of the ground kept
geting on the point of the plough which made it Difficult to
keep the plough in at all the small plough I could Do noth-
ing at all with and I got one of my other ploughs which Did
a little better but it made the ridges wider than you stated
had I ploughed the ground very thin at the first and then
harowed it it would have brought more of the stuble to the
surface and then when I begun to ridge gone a little Deeper
I should have Done what I ought to have Done and have
saved myself a good Deal of trouble but I was determined
to Do it if possible so I persevered and got through as well
as I could I have not had an opurtunity to make a Drill so
I Sowed the other on the ground as the plough had left it
and then I harowed it well and Rolled it time will Deter-
mine which of the two is best I like ridgeing very well and

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 169

I intend trying it again if this Does Not answer my expect-
ations I have begun ploughing my ground for spring crops
and I Should like to plough [it] all if I can this fall I have
ploughed about 3 acres and Shall continue as long as the
wether will permit.

Dear Father I have the Pleasure to inform you that Henry
Swallow arrived here on tuesday morning the 5^^ of October
he brought the articles which you sent me for which I am
very thankful for he is very well in health and Spirits I
have got a promise of a situation for him at the place where
John Wood is working at The Boss as they call the master
here says he thinks he can find him work in about a month
if he can get in their and behave himself he will have a good
situation of it far better than shifting about from place to
Place and geting work as it happens we had Enoch Smith
at our house on Honley Feast wedensday we had a good
peice of beef for him to partake of and we enjoyed our re-
past very well he had come from Ohio to this teritory to
buy land and he bought 80 acres at Chibogan [Sheboygan]
which is abou[t] 50 miles north of milwaukie he went back
to Ohio on wedensday the 6^^ of October he intends bring-
ing his famil}^ up next spring Mary his wifes Sister is
maried and is liveing in Illinois about 30 miles from Chi-
chago Enoch will be settled about 80 miles from here when
he gets his family to is place.

I have got the property belonging to Schofild valued and
I had intended sending an account of his affairs to his
brother John this mail but I have not got an account of all
his Debts but shall be able to write to him in about a month
the chilldren are all well and where glad to receive the pres-
ents he sent to them by Henry. Scott is comeing back to his
farm again and is going to try farming once more and I think
Joshua Woodhead would feel more at his ease if he had his
to come back to now but he has sold his the place where
they worked at has b[een] stoped about 2 months and they
are out of work Scott will tell his great tales again per-

170 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

haps when he writes to his freinds in England but its not
all gold that gliters yet with scott he will perhaps learn bet-
ter sometime

• • •

your affection [ate] Son & Daughter

Edwin and Martha Bottomley

Rochester December 2'^*^ 1847
Dear Father :

We rece^ your letter of Ocf 16^^ on the 24^^ of November
and where very glad to hear that you where all in the enjoy-
ment of health and I am thankful to god that I can say the
same by all of us our Ruth is got well of the ague and is
now able to go about as usual your letter must have been
Delayed on the road somewhere for I got the letter from new
york 7 Days before I got yours which letter containd the sum
of 50 pounds Lacking the expenses at new york for which
we all return you our sincer thanks and may God bless you
all is the sincere prayer of your ever loveing Chilldren
Now Dear father I Shall proced to relate to you something
which may rather surprise you but If it Does I hope it will
not offend you as I can safely and truly say to you that I
never ventured on any thing in all my life for the benifit of
my family that has given me as much sactif action as the step
which I have taken since I last wrote to you had I not Done
as I have In all probability we should have been placed in
rather hawkard circumstances

in my last letter but one you will be aware that I men-
tioned to you about a peice of Land which cornered mine
and that I had always had a Desire to purchase it but I was
afraid that it would be bought before I Should ever be able
to purchase it and I almost had begun to Despair about it
previous to receiveing your last letter but one which gave me
some little hope that I should be able to purchase it but even
then I had my fears that some of our Dutch neighbours
would be before me from the course which they where take-
ing and the conduct they showed towards us by stoping a

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 171

preveledge which we have enjoyed ever since we came and
I am certain they [acted] from no other motive than that
they intended to buy the land sometime and under that Idea
they thought they had more right to it then me and the other
Settlers, which conduct urged me to take the step which I
Did for on receveing the Letter from New york which I Did
on the wedensday afternoon on the thursday morning me
and my wife set off to Milwaukie cousin mary Ann went
with us but She was completly ignorant of our buisiness
which no one knew anything about it not even any of our
chilldren I saw the person that owned the Land and had a
good Deal of Bargaining with him he wanted 12 hundred
Dollars for it and pay the money Down but at Last I Bar-
gained with him for 11 hundered Dollars by paying 100 Dol-
lars down and agreeing to pay him 300 Dollars on the first
of next June he then gives me a Deed and I give him a
mortgage security for the pa3anent of the rest in two years
from the first of this month

I Shall now proceed to give some explanation of the map
which you will find enclosed in this by Doing so I Shall
endeavor to show you the advantages I Shall reap and the
Disadvantages I Should have had to Suffer had I not have
bought it the Lots marked round with yellow and green
belong to the Dutch Settlers the Lot marked round with
green belongs to a person named Dalman he Settled about
the same time as we Did and [we] have always been good
neighbours the other Lots marked round with yellow be-
long to individuals who have come this Summer you will
perceive that the two lots marked yellow and both my lots
all corner together the Lot belonging to putman is fenced
to the corner and the other Lot belonging to Aterman & As-
man is fenced as the Doted Line runs now had Aterman &
Asman Shifted their fenc on the Line and joined to Dalmans
corner we should have been blocked out of the Lot I have
just bought and from the conduct they have shown it was
theire intention to Shut us Out if Possible you will perceive
their is a Spring marked on the new Lot in the 40 acres that

172 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

joins my old Lot this Spring is of great service to us for
watering our cattle at. it never freezes over in winter and
has never been Dry since we came to this cuntry in the
Dryest weathear about 3 weeks ago I sent William to water
the horses first thing one morning which is my regular prac-
tice while he was watering the horses Putman came to him
and was very cross with him for muding the water which
was very little to find fault with for the spring is so strong
that it will clear itself in one minute let it be stired up ever
so bad I sent him again at Diner time with the horses and
when he got theire Putman and one of them at the other
place had been and put two Logs of timber across the Spring
so as they could not Drink when he came back I felt very
greived about it and felt inclined to go and Raise my neigh-
bours and pull the Logs off but again I thought it would
perhaps be best to let it alone as I had then resolved to pur-
chase it if I could by any means theire is another Disad-
vant[a]ge which we Should have suffered on account of
Pastureage for our cattle During sumer if they had blocked
us out our cattle would have to travel from 1 mile to two
before they could have got to any open ground

I Shall now Describe the Land which I have Bought it is
marked Round with Pink like the old Lot and it contains 8
forty acre Lots with the exception of what fox river takes off
of the two forty's on the west Side of the Lot Eagle Creek
runs through the 4 north fortys Divergeing north and
crosses the line a little before it gets to fox river the land
on the north Side of the creek is good Land for wheat grow-
ing as it gently Slopes to the South and that on the South
side of the creek is Rolling land some of it good wheat Land
and the other is good hay land all the waste land theire is
in the whole Lot is about 20 acres of marsh land and with a
little Draining will be first rate hay Land

Now Dear Father you will perhaps feel Desireous to know
what I intend [to] Do with all this land and I feel it my Duty
to lay my plans before you as I Shall have to Depend on your

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 173

promised assistance and if you and my Brother Henry whas
here and could See the ground and could converse with me
on the Subject I Doubt not but you would enter into my
plans and render me all the assistance you had in your
power and for all the assistance you feel Disposed to render
me I will if you require it give you security on my property
here I hope you will excuse me if I Speake my mind freely
on this subject, the mortgage which I Shall have to give
will be for 700 Dollars and the Intrest on that will be 10 per
cent which will be 70 Dolars per year or about 15 Pounds
English money which is a great intrest But I could not get
it Less and I had intended to have had longer time to pay it
in but he would not bargain for any less time though it may
be that when I make my payment in [the] Spring I could
perhaps get another year but I will not be certain of that
by this Statement you will see that I Shall have to scrape
hard to meet my payments and I Shall have to raise about
70 Dollars this Spring to make up what you promised into
the sum [which] I Shall have to pay next June which will be
as much as I can Do be [sides] paying for the cows I have
had of Schofields Property and some hogs for which I shall
have to pay 40 Dollars I expect to raise from 80 to 100
Dollars worth of Pork I have 14 pigs feeding which are
geting into very good condition and if I can pay all my
Debts and raise the 70 Dollars I Shall feel very thankful.
If all is well I Shall sell my oxen in [the] Spring and pur-
chase some more cows I have 8 cows young and old 6 of
which I expect will give milk next sumer and I Should like to
make my number up to 20 which would be a great help
towards paying both Interest and stock, out of the money
you sent me I paid an 100 Dollars for the Land and I had 136
Dollars left out of which I have paid about 70 DoUars of
Debts the other I have yet and I Shall settle some more ac-
counts as quick as I can for I Do not like being in Debt,
thank god I Shall have sufficient for my family the coming
vear and plenty of feed for my cattle I had about 250 Bush-

174 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

el of corn and 350 Bushel of turnips and about 40 bushel of
Pottatoes my pottatoes where Small a great many of them
but are good the other portions of my crops you have in
my last

in Eeferance to Brother ['s] sugestion about setting a
small mill on some part I think theire would be fall in fox
river for a stream wheel power on the creek their is more
fall but I think thire would not be water enough above 7 or
9 months in the year But thees things will have to be left
alone for a while for they are things that would require a
great outlay of capital and perhaps not be as beneficial as'
other things. Since I Bought the land James Scott who is
come to his old place has said to an individual that he would
try to trade with me for forty acres of the Land for two vil-
age Lots he has at waterf ord But Scott will be mistaken in
that as he as been in a many things before Joseph Dalman
when I told him I had bought it wanted to buy one forty of
It but I Shall not sell any of it if I can strugle through with-
out Now Dear Father I would Like Brother Henry and you
to consult together about this mater and Send me an answer
as quick as you can after receiving this wether you approve
of my proceeding in this mater as I have Done and what
plan you agree to assist me in

John Wood has left his master the man as not behaved
very well to John lately and John thinks of Begining for
himself and I Shall Do what I can to encurage him for I be-
lieve he is the best Smith we have any where round here and
Probably he will ask his brother Benjamin to help him some
this next coming Summer he intends working for another
man for this winter for more wage and Doing what he can
for himself that way I had intended to have wrote to John
Schofield this mail but I [have] had so much to Do Lately
that I canot But will write to him by the mail in January
you may tell him that is Brothers Property Both real estate
and credidts Due to him amount to 1250 Dollars and his
Debts to about 700 Dollars a list of which i will send him

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 175

when I write the chilldren are all well May god bless you
all is the sincer Prayer of

Your ever loving Son and Daughter

Edwin & Martha Bottomley.

• • •

Rochester Racien County W. T. Jan^ 24^*^ 1848
Dear Father:

We rec^ your letter of Dec*" 2^*^ and wher glad to hear that
you where all in good health which thank god I have the
pleasure to inform you is the same with all of us at pressent
our Ruth has been Sick since I last wrote to you but she is
now got well our little cicelia has Just begun to walk and
She is a cheerfull little girl and I may here say that we are
all a cheerfull family happy in our worldly circumstances for
we want for nothing to feed our bodies nor for any thing to
Clothe them and Shelter them from the keen cold frost of
winter and we are happy because we can mingle our prayers
to god who gives us thees blessing [s] with heart felt thanks-
giving every evening round our own fire side

• • •

we are sory that theire is so much Distress in England
and that thousands are starving for the want of bread while
we have enough and some that we could spare and would
gladly give it if we had the means of sending it we have
killed 14 hogs average about 160 w[t] and have Barreled the
side pork and the hams and Shoulders I intend to smoke
and oddments we have to live on and I think sometimes we
can never get through while they are good and I would glad-
ly give a quantity of them to any that are in want if I had
the previlidge for I believe theire is not one in this Settle-
ment that would thank me for any of them I would not
have you to understand by thees statements that every one
is free from want of Somthing or another for theire are
some that have hard to Strugle for theire are a many things
besides food which a man wants who as a family to make
him comfortable in this world as we call it but he can Do
without thees things better than he can without food, which

176 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

is the most comfortable think you he that hath food for his
chilldren and wants only a few more means or time to enable
him to get by his own industry every thing that will make
him comfortable or he who sees his chilldren round him
starveing for food and can not by any means see a possi-
bility how he can obtain sufficient for them what comforts
he has otherwise he will part with if he be a man of feeling
even his household furniture and the bed from underneath
him if he can by thees means obtain food for them their are
many of the former class in this country but you would have
to travel long and hard to find one of the latter if I was
asked the question wether this country or my native land I
liked the best or which I prefer I Should answer Decidedly
this though I love my native land as the place of my birth
and a many that are thire and I love my Adopted country
so much that I intend to spend my Days in it for I Do not
feel the least Desire to come back to live in England but
their are a many theire I Should like to see in this

Dear Father you wish me to say something about the
chappie we have not Done so much at it this winter owing
to the joiners whom we have employed haveing been em-
ployed at other places at times and another reason is the
partial failure of the wheat crop last season prevented the
subscriptions for being paid, we had our anual meeting to
Elect fresh trustees on Wednesday the 19**" of this month and
it would have given you great Delight to have seen the spirit
manifested at the meeting theire is no want of Disposition
amongst the subscribers and they feel Determind to pay as
soon as they can they have all given there note for security
so that we are safe and could comple them by law to pay but
we Do not feel Disposed to Do so while we see the Dispo-
sition manifested their is But would rather proced Slowly
with the work than create any unpleasantness the windows
are got into the chaple and we have got a stove in we had
our love feast in it on Christmas Day and we have had ser-
vice in it once since when the congregation was to large for
the school I was at Kacien last Satuarday and I asked a

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 177

Lumber Merchant if he would credit us lumber (timber) to
finish the place while the next fall and he said he would we
Shall have a meeting next week and Decide what steps to
take and in my next I will give you a report of our proceed-
ings the trustees are Myself Jas Tinker & John Noble if
our chaple Does not get on so fast we have a revival in re-
ligion which if it continues will fill our chaple with a Devout
congregation and may god in is infinite mercy continue his
work till every house in this settlement becomes a house of
prayer J Tinker still keeps from mingling with us and if
[I] feel as if I could give up all that I posses if he would
come amongst us we have a weekly prayer meeting and it
has been held once at his house and I Dont recolect that he
has been to one which has been held at any other house in
the Settlement may god have mercy on him.

I must answer a few questions in my brothers letter or he
will perhaps think I have f rogot them we have wood floors
and a pleasant fire on the hearth in winter the fire place
is nearly like we used to have in England when the oven and
Boiler and grate are taken out we have a stove in the
kitchen to cook on and bake our bread and if Ann had one of
them in England My Wife says she would prefer [it] to the
fixings she has now for my own part I prefer the fires that
we have here to those we had in England and have no hesi-
tation in saying however prejudiced he may be that any per-
son will like them better when they have felt their e Efects
for one winter

I hope you have heard from John Schofield about what I
Desired you to Do for me and hope you will excuse me for
takeing the plan I Did for I was almost at a loss what to
Do when John Wood came to me about it he had rec^
[word] from his Brother inlaw Charles Wood who he under-
stood to be badly off and John felt a Desire to help him a
little and he came to me and beged me to make a way for
him and I hope for thees reasons you will excuse me for Do-
ing as I Did for I Do not like to Do any thing this way with-
out your consent John Wood is gone to work about 40

12

178 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

miles west from Eochester to a place called white water
Henry Swallow is gone to work at Burlington he has made
a bargain with a man named norton for two months he is
rather Sorry at Loossing his Swetheart and would rather
have given two or three Dollars than have lost her Squire
Hinchlif and family are all well and they Desire his father
to answer theire last letter if they have not Done [so] be-
fore you receive this Squire and his wife have both turned
to be religious James Tinker and Family are all well and

the health of the Settlers generaly is good at pressent

• * *

Your Affectionate Son Daughter

Edwin & Martha Bottomley
The Winter has been very open yet we have had very little
snow we had some cold wether about Christmas but takeing
it altogether so far it has been the mildest winter we have
had * * *

Rochester Eacien County W T April 28^^ 1848
Dear Father & Mother :

* * * Dear Father you must excuse me for not writ-
ing sooner after receiving your letter as I have been very
busy with my Spring work this last month the weather has
been very Dry with cold bleak winds and frost in the nights
which keeps vegetation back but we have been able to get
our spring wheat in earlyer this spring than we have been
able to Do before I finished geting in 16 acres on the 17^^
of April and on the 18^*^ we had one of the most Stormy Days
I have seen since I came to this cuntry it Looked as if we
Where going to have mnter in good earnest we had a
heavy fall of Snow but the wind was so Strong that it
Drifted all into heaps the wind was very strong it blew
a great quantity of trees Down and fences it blew one tree
Down in our catle yard and several on the new lot I went
to Eacien the Day after with Mr« Crowther whose husband
Died about 5 weeks since James Tinker and me went with
her to prove the will as James & Me wher witnesses while

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 179

theire we saw a steam Boat which had run ashore in a sink-
ing condition but no live[s] where lost it Was expected
that a great Deal of Damage would be Done on the lakes

I sowed about 3 acres of oats yesterday and to Day is a
wet Day on Monday Last the 24"^ I went out west to white
water for John Woods furniture as his wife is now liveing
with her mother Mr^ Crowther and John will leave when he
has Done the work he has taken which will last him about 2
months he intends comencing buisness in the settlement
this next fall if all is well. My crops this season will be as
follows 4 acres of winter wheat 2 acres of wich you will
recolect I put in the plan you recomended all of which looks
prety well considering the winter I have 16 acres of Spring
wheat in I Shall have about 4 acres of oats and about 4 of
indian corn and about 2 acres of root crops

I shall now proceed to answer a question in B^ H['s] Let-
ter wether a Forigner can purchase Land in this cuntry or
not and wether he can will it to his chilldren In answer to
the question I say that he can Just as well as if he was a
citizen of this cuntry But in referance to the buisness we
have in hand theire will be some little Difficulty in it that
is this you are aware that a mortgage vnW. have to be given
for the security of the payment of the remaining Portion of
the money this mortgage would have to be signed by both
Brother Henry and his wife and me and my wife had we
been paying for it all at once the Deed could have been made
to us bothe from the parties owning the land so theire
would have been no trouble in sending the Deeds over to
England for Signature this you will be aware would be
the process which the Law requires I feel very anxious that
you should be perfectly satisfied in the arangments and it
Shall be my Duty to make you so wether the Individual
will be willing to accept the mortgage Drawn up in the name
of B"" and Me is more than I can tell I Shall think the mat-
ter over and I will adopt those means which I think will be
for the best for all parties. But I hope Dear Father and
Brother Henry theire is a Law which binds us together

180 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

stronger than the Laws of our cuntrys that is the Law of
Love one for another and I hope to be the Last that will
sever one fiber of this cord which binds lis together, and may
God preserve us by his Love till we have Done with things
of earth and finaly land us on cannans happy shore I Shall
write to you again Imediately after receiving your Letter of
April 29^^ or May 6^^ and will inform you how I have gone
on in the buisness I Should have wrote to John Schof [ield]
this mail but I Shall let it alone a few weeks as I Shall then
have [more] to write about then than what I have now
give my respect to him and [tell] him the children are all
well.

I had like to have forgot to say anything about the road
into the new lot I have mentioned it to one of the parties
but they Do not understand much English nor Do I under-
stand Dutch so I could make nothing of it with them But it
will make very little Differance wether they refuse or not
if they refuse to sell me a road through their is another
method I can get one that is I can apply to the commision-
ers of highways for to lay me a private road through and
the[y] will notify the parties to meet them and state theire
objections if the[y] have an}^ and the Damage which the
road will cause to them after they have Done that the com-
misioners will proceed to lay out the road and award such
Damages as they think will indemnify them for Damages
rec^. the Law of the cuntry provides that every one shall
have a road into his land but the above is the way to proced
when they are refused this privelidge.

we still keep our prayer meetings on we have one on the
thursday evening and one on the sunday morning besides the
class meeting on the wedensday afternoon I feel sory that
J. T. Should write in such a maner as would lead his father
to think that he was a member amongst us but I feel more
sorry that he absents himself from the means of grace as
much as he Does I wish to Say as little as possible about
any one but hope he will Learn better and may the Lord
awaken him to a sense of his Duty his my prayer we are

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 181

Doing a little at the chappie now and hope it will soon be
Teady for Plastering Squire & his family are well Scott
and his family are well James Tinker and his family are
well also Tho^ Hall is well but mary Ann is like a creaking
gate wether her body or her mind is the worst I cannot tell
she somtimes talks of coming back and sometimes she is for
going to live in rochester or some other town as the fresh air
of a cuntry life Does not agree with her my wife wishes you
to give her respects to Betty Eoebuck and family and to her
father at timenets and tell him that she says she will get out
of the corner and write a few lines to him somtime soon, our
little Cecilia can walk and talk a little and if we ask it where
Grand Father is it will point at your picture and say see
thee all the chilldren are well and sent theire love to theire
Grandfather and Grandmother and may God bless you is the
sincere prayer of

your Son and Daughter
Edwin and Martha Bottomley
our Hannah intends to comence her School on Monday 1*^
of May My Wife wants you to send her a few Dark blue
Voilet Seeds in your letters this Sumer and a few wall
flower Seed and a few Stock Silliver one kind in a letter.

EocHESTER June 13^^ 1848
Dear Father & Mother :

We rec^ Brother Henry's Letter of April 29^*^ on May 24^
also one from New York containg the money which you sent
along with that for John Wood which I paid over to him
which Letters I must say elevated my Spirits a good Deal I
was very sory that you had been Expecting a letter from me
and that you where afraid some thing was amiss with us
the only apology I can make is that time past along faster
than I was aware of owing to the Religious excitment which
has been keep up the Last winter and Thank God our meet-
ings are well atended yet though people are very busy with
their work with thees remarks I Shall proceed to notice
your letter I was sory to hear that you wher unwell but

182 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

hope you are got quite well before this preivious to receiv-
ing your letter I begun to feel a little uneasy as you stated
in your letter preivious that you wr[o]te a fortnight before
you send the money when it got within about a week of the
time I had to pay and [I] Did not receive one I be^un to
study which would be my best way to Do for I Did not like to
write to the parties for fear they might thake advantage if I
Did not fulfill my agreement and I have reasons to think
[this] would have been the case If I had not been able to
have paid at the time

I Shall now give you my proceedings Since recivei[n]g
your letter along with an acount how we have benn in health
since then on Monday the 29"^ of May Me and my wife got
up very early to start on our journey to Milwaukie and Ruth
got up to make our breakfast while she was Doing that She
had a sick fit and her mother had to thake her to bed but be-
fore we where ready for going she was able to get up again
And we left home hopeing She would be better when we got
to Milwaukie the man that I contracted with for the land
was gon Down east and had left orders with his brother to
receive the moneys and give recepts to any individuals who
Should make any payments During his absence so that I
Did not get the Deed made out nor was their any ocasion for
marth to have gone as theire was no nessity to give a mort-
gage unles I had got a Deed martha would have had to
have signed the mortgage had theire been one given I paid
three hundred Dollars with the intrest which amounted to
15 Dollars and he endorsed it on the Back of the contract I
had some conversation with the Brother and when he under-
stood which tract of land I had bought he told me that his
brother had had orders from his father to offer me one
hundred Dollars as a rue Bargain his father thought he
sold me far to[o] cheap so if I had not paid at the time he
might have been desireous to Breaking the bargain I then
asked if his father had any thing to Do with the land and he
said he had no title wathever in the land but the title was
solely with his brother him that I Bought it off but that his

)mN

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 183

father along with some more capatilist[s] found the money
to buy the lands which he owns in the teritory which is some
thousands of acres and that theire is a bond betwixt them
which secures both Parties for the money the[y] invested in
his care he is expected to be Back about the first week in
July and I Shall see him as soon as I can conveniently after
his return, halpast ten at night and must go to Bed

June 14^*" I Shall now State how we found our family
when we got home again and how they had been During our
absence on the monday our hannah fell Sick twice at the
s[c]hool in the fornoon and Ruth had to teach for her in the
afternoon and on the tuesday they wher Both Sick in bed so
theire was only Sarah and Arminal to Do the work and take
care of the child On the wedensday ruth was a little better
but hannah was very sick in bed when we got home in the
afternon I gave her an emetic imediately which operated
very well her complaint proved to be the chill Fever which
is similar to the ague they had a cold chill and after that
comes on a voilent fever every other Day the complaint
used her very bad for about a fortnight but she is now got
better and will be able to comence her school again on mon-
day all being well She has had a very bad finger for about 5
weeks The complaint was the felon in [t]he for [e] finger
but it is geting well also Ruth has had a Slight attack of
the ague within [the] Last fortnight but she is getting well
also thees circumstances has keep my wife very busy since
we came back and has made her feel rather unwell at times

but I hope things will be better with us in a few Days

• • •

John Wood went with us to Milwaukee and bought some
Lumber to build a Smithy and a quantity of Iron him and
me comenced building his Smithy on monday the 4^^ of June
James Tinker helped tuesday f riday and Satuarday we Did
all the work with[i]n ourselves Build his fire place with
bricks and got him to work on the Satuarday he has had
plenty off work This week and theire is every prospect of
him Doing well he wished me to say that he and his wife

184 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

where well and that he feels very Thankfull to his brother
Ben for his kindness and that [he] has been expecting a let-
ter from them some time

Give my respects to John Schofield and tell him that I had
intended writing to him by this post but I have not got
through with some accounts which I wished to have settled
before I wrote to him but I will write to him as soon as I
can perhaps in a fortnight or three weeks Samuel Helle-
wells wife died May 29^*^ and She was buried on the 31^^ you
can let her Daughter know if you have a opurtunity Jo-
seph Kaye him that went with me to London is liveing at
Snail Lake near to Prarieville and is Doing prety well I
Saw Goodger John Woods Brother inlaw a few weeks since
and he lives neighbour to Kaye I must Say before I close
that my crops all of them look very promising and I think
better than they have ever Done since I came I must now
close my letter and may god Bless all of you is the sincer
prayer of

your affectionate Son & Daughter

Edwin & Martha Bottomley

Rochester, W. T. September 4*^ 1848

Dear Father & Mother:

* * «

I am of the same opinion as you that theire are a great
many things to take into consideration before a man De-
cides to come to this cuntry and the things vairy according
to the situation of the man and his intentions and your
considerations are amongst the many I know that it is
hard work for an Lidividual to leave the social circle of
freinds and aquaintances and seek a new home in a forigen
land amongs[t] strangers and [this] is one [thing] that a
great many do not consider as the[y] ought thees things
wheighed heavy upon me before I decided to come to this
cuntry I had a Duty to perform which when put in the op-
pisite scale out weighed all I had a riseing famil[y] and
though I had a good situation my mind was filld with Dark

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 185

f orbodeings for them and to cut the mater short what would
have been my prospects had I stoped till now for you are
well aware that theire as been very little use for any one in
my situation since I left and though I [have] been a heavy
burden upon you since I came to this cuntry I know that you
would not have sufferd me to want had I Stopt in England
had misfortune overtaken me theire and I was fully con-
vinced in my own mind that that soon [would] have been
the case with me and probably by this time the help which
you had lent might have vanished as the Dew before the
morning sun but thank god such is not the case the help
which you have given me has been vested in good property
and in such a way as can bee seen and felt and enjoyed for
the god of providence is the rewarder of my labour and he
Does not require me to opress the poor, and thanl^ god I
have not to rouse my chilldren at the sound of a bell from
their beds and Drag them through the pelting storm of a
Dark winters morning to earn a small pitance at a factory
no thank god such is not the case with us the sun is our
guid and when the storm pelts against our windows and [it
is] not fit to labour I can sit comfortably with my family
and employ my time in improveing thire minds such is our
situation now dear Father With your assistance and the
Blessing of god and I leave you to judge wether Our situa-
tion would have been as comfortable as it is had we stoped
in England while now and our prospects for the future as
substancial

in ref erance to the hot weather in sumer which my mother
Doubts wether she would be able to stand it or not I think
thire is not much fear if that be the only objection she has
to this cuntry this sumer as been no hoter than an English
sumer and I think she would be very comfortable here for I
think arangments could be made which would Satisfy Both
of you if you could hear my children plan for you it would
make you smile while tears of gratitude run Down your
cheecks your Desire Dear Father to have a home as long
as you can is perfectly right and a Desire which you ought

186 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

to have gratified and one which you shall if you think proper
to come to this cuntry and I have health and strength to la-
bour but Dear Father I hope you will forgive me if I ask
you a question that is this are you satisfied in your own
mind that you can have such a home as you Desire to have
in your Declineing years suposing you stop in England can
you have a home wher you can live mthout toil or care a
home wher you can meditate on the mercies of god without
any one to interfere and Disturb your meditations a home
where you can contemplate the glories of that heavenly
world which I trust we are all aming at a home in which you
can enjoy that peace of mind which passeth all understand-
ing and from which your happy spirit can take its flight to
region [s] of eternal bliss without regret a home like this
is what you ought to enjoy but I think in your pressent sit-
uation you have no sure prospect of such a home as this and
1 am aware such a home as this would be a hard matter to
gain and Especialy in England where their e are so many
fluctuations of trade which you are aware will affect cottage
property in greater or lesser Degree

Now I Shall [state] the plans which we have talked over
for your comfort should you decide to come to this cuntry
our plan is for you to have a house built anywher on the
land where you choose for you to live in and a garden that
you can cultivate to your own taste and you can have a cow
or two for your own use and It is Decided By the chilldren
that arminalann must help her grandmother in her house-
hold work and milk her cows and dear Father you shall be
at liberty to just pleas yourself what you Do wether any
thing or nothing but one thing you shall be sure of as long
as i am able to plough a furrow you Shall have what you
need to Suport you both from the fruits of my labour which
it Pleases almight [y] god to give me and as for Society and
neighbours I think you would be Satisfied with [them] we
have good ministers to preach to us on the sabath and meet-
ings during the week and the sabaths are reveranced as
much in our neighbourhood as in England and in referance

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 187

to your property in England I Shall leave you to use your
own judgement wether you sell it or not or leave [it] in the
care of any one or more you may think fit if brother Henry
and his family would come with you I Should Say Sell it at
once But I leave the matter with you and may the Lord
Direct and preserve you amidst every trial and Difficulty

I Shall leave the above subject and give you some inform-
ation about ourselves we have had a Deal of Broken
weather During harvest and It as made the harvest last
longer [than it would have done] had we had fine weather
I finished my grain Stacking last f riday sep^ 1^ and I have
a good crop of Wheat this year according to my judgment
I Shall have as much wheat this season as I have had in all
the seasons set together before and though the harvest as
been wet I have secured my grain without any Damage
Worth mentioning I have cradled my grain myself and our
Hannah and Ruth and Old George Gill have raked and
bound up the wheat and we have got through prety well the
girls have helped in the hay and we have finished that also
the pottatoe crop is injured this season but to what extent
I am not able to state the tops are withered and we have
found some roted potatoes

now dear father in referance to the payments for the land
I canot tell yet how I Shall have to Do but I hope I Shall be
able to pay the intrest this november which is all I expect
I can pay but I Shall see how things turn up And I will let
you know as early as possible but I wish you not to make
yourself uneasy about it you will see things will work to-
gether for our good sumtimes I have felt rather Down-
cast since I rec^ the information about your change in cir-
cumstances and have almost felt to blame myself very much
for entering into the contract but when I look at the great-
est motive which induced me to enter into it I feel perfectly
satisfied I have acted right and the circumstances which
have happened to you will cause me to state to you that se-
cret motive which would have remained conceald unless
thees circumstances had happened till some future time.

188 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

Ever since I came to this cuntry I have had a presentiment
in my mind that you all would have to come to this cuntry
and which I Still beleive will have to be the case and I felt
anxious to secure the land so that we could be situated to-
gether and I can say this we have such an oppurtunity of
makeing ourselves comfortable as scarce any family for it
is the best lot of ground for a Dairy farm of any in this
neighbourhood this is not my opinion alone but [that] of
many of my neighbours and cusin Tho^ is surprised that
Brother Henry Does not come as [he] talked about going
into farming in Wales when he came to this cuntry

my paper is nearly full and I must close we are all well
thank god send word in your next who the man is that as
taken your place and who the two men are who told them
you where makeing a fortune I hope Dear Father you
study the contents of this letter over and If you feel any
Desire about coming to this cuntry speak your mind freely
and if I have said any thing amiss I hope you will forgive
me and may God bless you all is the prayer of

your Affectionate Son & Daughter
Edwin & Martha Bottomley

Dear Father :

James Tinker wishes you to tell his father that his family
are all well and that he has got the adress of Bostock the
man who came from Nurfield and he is in Michigan. John
Woods wife got to bed last Thursday but the child was Dead
she is Doing Very Well. Old George Gill is with me yet and
is Very Well he has been very usefuU to me this harvest
he as bestowed great care in setting up the Shocks which
as been an means of Preserveing the grain from Damage
we had a meeting last night of the comittee of management
belonging to the chapel and it is our intention to Get it plas-
tered this fall and finished off we have had preaching in
it all sumer the crops in the Settlement have been abun-
dant

I shall now close my letter with the wish that you will

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 189

weigh the contents of this letter over in your mind and if
you Decide to come to this cuntry let us know as soon as
possible and if you Desire any advice from me ask it and I
will give it you to the best of [my] judgment and if you De-
sire any preperations to be made for your reception I will
cary them into effect and I leave you now to judge wether
it would not be better for you to bring the property which
by your industry you have earned in former years and in-
vest it in property which will not be subject to so many
changes as it is now and wher you may live with less care
and anxiety than what you can where you are this is the
opinion of every one I have conversed with on the subject
and their are here [many] who would be glad to see you be-
sides my Chilldren and

your affection [ate] Son and Daughter
Edwin & Martha Bottomley

Rochester Racien County State of Wisconsin

Feb^ 5^^ 1849

Dear Father & Mother :

« « *

in referance to the Land contract which in your last you
where anxious to know how I had got along with I Shall Say
that in the begining of november I was almost fast what
way to Do as the grain market was very low and the roads
very bad and I Did not like to sell my grain to raise the in-
trest money which was Due on the 19^^ but he who has
opened a way for us a many times made a way for us this
[time] Standing at my Door one night meditateing what
way to do theire came a man past who had wanted Last
Spring to buy that forty acres which I had and as he was
passing me he said 0 what say you about that forty yet
what will you take for it I told him I would take 180 Dol-
lars for it well he said I will come Down and See if we
canot bargain for it he came Down a few nights afterwards
and offerd me 170 Dollars he had only offerd me 140 for it
before and we finaly agreed that he should give me 175 Dol-

190 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

lars 100 Dollars Down then and the other 75 with intrest on
the first of next November by this I was enabled to pay my
intrest which was 70 Dollars which will keep that buisness
right while next november

we have all enjoyed tolerable health Since I last wrote to
you with the exception a kind of an influenzy which as af-
fected some of us but we are all at pressent enjoying toler-
able health we shall probably have one more of a family
before you get this. Our Sarah has had three fits and they
have come on about every 8 weeks the first used her very
bad she was about 8 hours in it and was very much con-
vulsed the second was not as bad as the first and the Last
one she had on monday the 29^*^ of Jan^ was very Short I
have got some advice about them and I hope by the blessing
of god we Shall succed in cureing her of them she is the
bold Spirty Child she always was and Stout and healthy with
this exception.

this winter has been very much like [the] first w^inter in
regard to its severyty wee have had plenty of snow to
make good Sleighing and the frost has been at times very
sever but we do not suffer the same inconveniences we did
the first winter we have a comfortable house and plenty
to eat and no fear of want before us we have killed 8 pigs
average about 130 pounds this Last month which we shall
keep for our own use and we have grain to make our flour
off and to Spare for other purposes

Our Chaple was opened on new years Day the proced-
ings where such that if you had been present [they] would
have highly gratified you thear was a tea party the pro-
ceds of which will be applied in completing the place, after
tea, the Meeting was adressed very eloquently by a M^ Lee,
M^ Tucker and the ReV^ W"^ Drununond. M^ W"^ Wood-
head in the chair the Service comenced by Singing the
Hymn Before Jehovahs awfull throne ye nations bow with
Sacred Joy. Tune Creation. Prayer by M^ Lee. Anthem
Bless thou the Lord o My Soul. Adress from Mr Lee on the
Goodness of God towards us. Anthem Blessed be thou

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 191

Lord god of Israel. Kent Resolution V^ moved by M^ Lee
seconded by M^ James Tinker, That in Dedicating a house
to the service of god we gratefully acknowledge the good-
ness of the Devine Being manifested in many temporal and
spiritual blessings mth which we have been favoured as a
comunity. And Especialy in thus being enabled at a com-
paratively early Period of our Settlement to Erect a place
for Devine worship Passed unanimously. Adress from
M"* Tucker on the Subject of keeping holy the Sabath Day.
Anthem Holy, Holy, Lord, Mozarts 2''^ Reso'* Moved by M'
Tucker Seconded by E Bottomly. That having thus as a
comunity openly avowed our principles by the erection of a
Place for Publick worship we will by a strict observeance
of the Sabath and a devoted attention to the Ordinances of
Religion endeavor to maintain our Christian Character and
by Diligently walking in the principle of the gospel our-
selves we will endeavour to leave to the riseing generation
a practical Conmient on the princeples we profess by liveing
the religion we beleive and teach. Passed. Adress from
M^ Drumond. Anthem Plead thou my Cause. 3^^ Resolu-
tion moved By M^ Drummond Seconded By Joseph Wood-
head that this meeting gratefully [ackjnowledge the as-
sistance they have received from the Subscribers and Pat-
[rons] and more especially are our thanks Due and are
hereby tendered to our Freinds in England for theire noble
Display of Christian Benevolence in responding so munifi-
cently to our appeal for help Passed with enthusaism.
Afterwards a few minor resolutions and some singing the
Service was closed by the congregation Singing Praise God
from Whom all Blessings flow &c And Prayer from M'
Drummond. I Could Write a long letter about my feelings
During this service in referance to all of you But if I was
to Do [so] it would not Shorten the Distance betwixt you
and us But when I cast my eyes over that congregation
and could not See a Father or Mother Brother or Sister or
Freind whom I had asociated with in my native cuntry I
Could not help wishing they where here I could Fancy to

192 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

myself how happy you would have been But I hope we
Shall meet in a nobler congregation above if we never meet
again on earth.

I had a letter from John Dyson some time Since which
states he intends to come again to Wisconsin in the spring
to buy a peice of Land and he wishes my advice about it I
have not Answerd it yet and what I Shall say to him about
it I Do not know, but he is liter for a twon [town] than a
cuntry and will Do full as well in a kneading trough as be-
hind a plough the letter States that Cusin Joab Taylor in-
tends comeing to this teritory also this next sumer. * * *
your Affectionate son and daughter

Edwin & Marth Bottomley

Rochester Racien County Wisconsin April 4^** 1849

Dear Father & Mother :

* * •

In my last I stated that we expected another addition to
our family and [I] have the pleasure to inform you that
my wife was Deliverd of a Daughter on the 19^*" of Feb^ and
she has recovered very well though we have had one added
to our family we have also had one taken from our circle
and is become a wife our Hannah was maried on the 6^**
of March to a young man named Tho^ Bro^vn a very Indus-
trious and persevering young man he owns that Land that
Mitchel of Lockwood used to own which adjoins mine when
I last wrote I Did not expect it to take place so soon or I
should have intimated it to you. Joseph Woodhead was
maried on the 13^^ of March to a Miss Roantree who came
to this cuntry Late Last Summer and Joseph expects a hit
of brass, it will be well if all ends well but I Doubt It

the winter has been sever we have had a good quantity
of Snow and keen frost one morning I took the thermome-
ter out and it fell Down to 10 Degrees below zero in about
10 minutes but the winters are more healthy than in Eng-
land we Do not often have any Damp foggy weather but

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 193

generaly Dry with keen frost and a Clear blue sky this
Spring we had plenty of water in the rivers and creeks by
the thawing of the snow in some places the rivers have
been very much flooded and a good Deal of Damage done
in Chichago all the bridges in the town have been taken
away by the flood and a good many cannal boats and other
vesels which had been laid [up] in the river During winter
where all jamed together in one mass along with the ice
which floated Down the river and wher Driven out into the
lake some where sunk and others so much Damaged that
they will be useless^^ theire has been some little damage
Done in Eochester Burlington and waterford such as the
bur [s] ting of the mill Dams but are now all got repaired

the ground has been Dry enough to plough this last week
and people have been very busy prepareing theire ground
for Spring crops I Should have sown some to Day but we
have a rain with the wind from the east and I expect we may
have a few days of wet which will prevent us for a little
while Doing much towards geting in our crops I put in
about 4 acres of fall wheat last fall and it looks very well.

I had a letter from Cusin Joab Taylor about 3 weeks since
wishing for some advice about comeing out west as he stated
it was and always had been his Desire to be a farmer and
he stated that he Did not like the factory any better in amer-
ica than in England I wrote him a letter back about 10
days since and gave him a plane statement of facts concern-
ing w[a]ges of hired men with a little advice how to judge
the matter and left him at liberty to Decide for himselfe I

"The event here referred to still stands as one of the notable disas-
ters In the history of Chicago. Prior to the construction of the canal at
Chicago the Des Plaines River was likely, in time of spring flood, to dis-
charge through the south branch of the Chicago River into Lake Michigan.
This diversion of the current of the Des Plaines was certain to take
place whenever, through the failure of the ice on the lower Des Plaines
to pass out, the natural current of the stream below the point opposite
Mud Lake was obstructed. Such a flood is recorded by Marquette in
the spring of 1675. For a fuller description of the notable flood of 1849
see J. S, Currey, Chicago: Its History and Its Builders (Chicago, 1912),
I, 363-66.

13

194 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

promised I would Do all I could for him should he Decide
to come and if he comes so long as I live he shall have a
f reind in me . he stated that he intended to send some money
to his father in a few weeks and if he came out west he
should start in May which will be a very good time for him
to come as labour is in great Demand here During the sum-
mer season and I have no Doubt but he may Do well here
he gave me all the particulars of his mother [ 's] Death which
corespended with your statement in your letter tell Kester
Smith that I have not heard any thing of his brother Enoch
since he was here in the fall of 1847 and wether he has come
up to this cuntry or not I Do not know but if I have an opur-
tunity of gaining any information I will and will inform you
of the same.

It was our towns meeting yesterday at which meeting
they elect the officers to manage the towns buisness for the
coming year the[y] Elected me as one of the supervisors
their are 3 whose buisness is to superintend the affaris of
the town James Tinker whas Elected a Magistrate theire
are 4 in the township thire Duty is the same as in England
though it requires no property qualification in this cuntry
yet their Decision is as binding as an English Magis-
trate [ 's] Sam^ Stonehouse whas Elected as constable their
seems to be a general Disposition manifested by the Ameri-
cans to go hand in hand with forigners and allow them to
join in the govern [ment] of town and state * * *

your affectionate son & daughter
Edwin & Marth Bottomley

Dear Father:

My last letter will inform you how I had proceeded last
november concerning the land which is under contract But
I Do not recollect wether it contains all that you Desire to
know in your last but I beleive that some of my letters since
the contract was made gives all particulars But I will com-
ply with your request the contract was made the 19*^ of
November 1847 which was for $1100.00 eleven Hundered Dol-
lars to be paid as follows $100.00 one hundered Dolars then

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 195

and 300.00 three Hundered Dollars on or before the first of
June 1848 and the remaining $700.00 seven Hundered Dol-
lars on or before the 19^^ of November 1849 the intrest to be
paid anually till the stock was paid the Intrest is 10 per
cent I paid $70.00 seventy Dollars last november as In-
trest and if I Do not pay up the stock before next Novem-
ber I Shall have $770.00 seven hundered and seventy Dollars
to pay next november which is the extent of time I have to
pay in if I Do not pay then the man could break the con-
tract And we should have to loose what we had paid since
you where turned away from the factory or aU this last win-
ter especialy since I rec^ a letter from you before the last
my mind has been very much cast down for I could see no
way for us to escape loossing the money which had been
paid and I have wished many times that the contract had
never been made But as often as I have been cast Down so
often have I been lifted up when I remembered the remark-
able Deliverance god hath at a many times wrought in our
behalf and I have yet still some hope that all will work well
if It be the will of god that we must succeed in getting it we
shall succeed and If not It will be our advantage in one way
or another, though If I must speak according to my feel-
ings at pressent I feel anxious to have it secured some way
or another amongst us for I am certain it will be of service
to us as a family what ever Brother Henry and yourself
agree upon will satisfy me and if you have any thing to pro-
pose speak freely in your next and I Should like you to
write imediately after receiveing this if you have wrote just
before which I expect you will according to what you state
in your last I Shall now conclude and may god bless yon
all is the sincer Prayer of your Son

Edwin Bottomley

* • •

Dear Father :

If you Decide to come to this cuntry my advice to you is
in the first place to have as little lugage as possble and in
crossing the atlantic to look out for a good vesel I am in-
formed that theire are steam vesels besides the mail steam-

196 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

ers which are preferable to sailing vesels and when you get
to new york if you intend to go to philidelphia I should ad-
vise you to send your lugage forward directed for me at
Kochester in care of some of the merchants in racien Partic-
ulars of which I will inform you in my next at every place
you stop at you will have to be on your guard against being
imposed upon by the swarms of runers who infest every
place on your rout keep a sharp eye about you be f reindly
with good behaved passengers but very reserve [d] in refer-
ance to money matters in short gain as much information
as you can on your journey and give all you can about your
own cuntry but watch every one as if he was your foe but
treat all kindly, travel just as you would in your own cun-
try when you take your passage from new york take it to
albany & from thence to Buffalo by railway and then by
steam Boat to Racien and when you take your passage go on
to the steam boat and take it on the boat you will find a
clerks office on board you can Bargain as hard as you
please in my next I will give you more information con-
cerning your Lugage and perhaps a few things will be use-
full for you to bring of which I will think about and inform
you also Give our respects to all freinds a[t] Crossland
when you see them I should have no objection to See M*"
Walter fullfill his promise you may tell him so if you pleas

from your Affectionate Son

; E BOTTOMLEY

Rochester State of Wisconsin June 29**^ 1848 [9]
Dear Father & Mother :

We rec^ yours of May 18^^ on the 18^^ day of June and
where glad to hear that you where all well which thank god
I have the pleasure to inform you is the same with us at
present I have a few strange circumstances to mention in
this letter and I think I canot Do better than state them at
the commencement the first is I rec*^ a letter from Tho^ Hil-
ton which stated that he had seen a letter from Netherton
and the letter stated that I had begun Manuf actoring and he

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 197

wished to know If I could give him and Jonathon Lees of
Netherton and [a] man named Shaw work, the last individu-
als family are liveing in one of yonr houses in Mossley. he
stated that the[y] all three had not had above half work the
last six months and the [y ] often talked of settleing in some
new cnntry either to comence farming or to work at theire
old trade I wrote back to him giveing him a few state-
ments of facts leaveing them to judge for themselves what
course to adopt he stated that they jointly could raise a
few hunderd Dollars.

The next but not least is this on the 9**^ of June on re-
turning from some towns buisness who should be at our
house to greet me on my return but James Halkyard from
Midge Hill near mossley though I never had much acquain-
tance with him I knew him as soon as I saw him it would
be useless in me to give you a discription of our chit chat
since he came you can better imagine it that [than] I can
discribe [it] he wrote to his father about a week since and
I expect he will stop at our house till he gets an answer
back his intention as far as I can learn is to go see a man
named Winterbottom in Missourie and from thence Down
the Missipi to New Orleans and then back to England and
if by the journey to this cuntry he can only break off the
bad habits he has formed it will be well for what a pity it
is to see a young man Drawn away from the path of virtue
and godliness in to the ways of Sin since he came to this
cuntry I beleive he has been very temperate from his own
statement and since he came to Our house I can vouch for
it and he seems determined to break off is bad habits and
choose a better path which I am aware no pains have been
spared by his parents to instruct him in neither by precept
nor example and if ever he returns again to his parents may
they have to rejoice in god theire saviour that those prayers
have been heard which have ascended from theire family
alter in behalf of theire Prodigal Son and may god guide
me in giveing him such advise as will be of service to him
for I feel my weakness for it is hard to advize those who

198 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

know the way as well as he Does and may the lord have
mercy on him

Give my respects to Uncle Tho^ Halkyard and all [his]
Family also to uncle Ralph and Family I wrote a letter to
Joab last week giveing him such information as I thought
would be nessesary for his journey as he intends coming
west about the later end of July. On my journey to Eacien
a few weeks since I met Joseph Sykes wife going out to see
some of her freinds I only passed a few words with her
she stated they had been living in southport which is about
10 miles from Racien but Joseph was gon to Chichago and
she was going to stop a few weeks with her freinds near
where they had their farm wether he has let his farm or
sold it I do not know.

Dear father I am glad to hear that you feel more settled
in your sitiuation than you did and I think you have cause
for thankfulness when you see how your old master [s] are
behaveing towards theire men packing first one off and then
another and I hope you will find that all things work to-
gether for good to those that fear god. we had [a] rather
wet Spring which made seed time rather late but crops are
looking very well wheat is heading out Potatoes look well
yet Indian corn will be late in this Neighbourhood I have
only just sown my turnips I intend begining of haying in
about a week and geting what I can before harvest for I in-
tend to Do my work this season within ourselves as much
as Possible I may have to get some help in harvest about
a fortnight but that is all I calculate upon for I intend to

Do all I can to raise as much money for as I can by all

possible means I had intended breaking up about twenty
acres more land this sumer but I could not see my way
clear and so I have dispencd with that while some future
time as I could not have Done it without hiring help either
one way or the other

Give My respects to John Schofield also to Abraham
Firth and if they have not wrote me before you receive this
tell them I should like to know somethrag about the money

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 199

at Honley as soon as possible as I am in want of It I rec^
a letter from new york the same Day I rec^ yours
containing the money for Squire which I gave to him
Squire had wrote to his father a few days before I rec^
yours so they will have heard from him before you get this
most likely [His] Family are all well James Tinker and
his family are all well The Pla[nk] Road between Racien
and Rochester is progresing rapidly there are a good many
men working on it they have completed about 6 miles of
it already and Intend finishing it to Rochester befor winter
sets in the road will be of great service and will make
property more valuable adjacent to it.

Tell my mother I Should like another Slip of Paper from
her containing some more of her sugestions I hope what
I said in my last has given no offence we have christned
our Child Mary Ema and it is a very fine child our Tho^
has not got any Sheep yet for I did not want him to buy any
while we had some more land fenced in but since your let-
ter came he has been very anxious to get some I have
promised to go Avith him to a man that is selling some off
he has betwixt two and three hundered sheep and they have
pastured a great Deal in the Land Contracted for if ever
I get it fenced in I intend keeping a few Sheep our Tho^
is geting very usefuU he and W™ will be able to help a good
Deal in another year or Two if they are spared I must
now draw my letter to a close with the best wishes of our
Hannah and Her Husband and all the rest of our children
to their Grandfather & Grandmother who would be happy
to see you * * *

Your affectionate son and Daughter
Edwin and Martha Bottomley

Rochester July 5^ 1848 [9]
Dear Father :

In referance to the land contract I am almost at a loss
how to proceed in my adress to you for if I make a state-
ment what I can Do myslef theire may be some uncertainty

200 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

about it as a good deal will Depend on the price of grain in
the market but however I will make a statement of my in-
tentions which by the blessing of God may enable me to
raise something towards it It is my intention to Sell my
Oxen this fall which may raise about 50 dollars and I have
made arangments with Tho^ our Hannahs Husband to
thrash me a quantity of wheat out as soon as Harvest is
over and if the market be prety good I may be able to raise
another 100 Dollars that way so that would be 150 Dollars
which I think I can be certain of Raising from my own re-
sources theire is 75 Dollars Due on the Land which I sold
which will pay the intrest so that the 150 Dollars will be to-
ward the stock the money which you mention of Schofields
Estate will not be Due while Novem[ber] 1850 if it had
been Due this next november it would have helped a good
Deal The money will have to be paid to me as I am ap-
pointed guardi[an] for the Chilldren and If I use it for any
purpose I Shall have to pay la [w] full Intrest for it which is
7 per cent, this is a short and plain statement of Facts I
am not surprised at you thinking the money would be Due
this next November For I myself thought it was the case but
in looking over the Deed more minutely previous to settle-
ing up the Estate I found out my eror and If I let the money
out I Shall be held responsible for it so that whenever it is
paid I Shall probably make use of It for Purposes which I
think will be to my advantage and will be more secure for
the Children of the deceased

dear Father you will see by my general letter what I in-
tended to Do and what I have relinquished Doing for the
purpose of Enableing me to Do as much as I could towards
raising money for the Land If I could have Broke up the
Land I had intended Doing it would have been of great help
to me as I could have put in about 15 acres of fall wheat
which is not as liable to kill out on new broke ground as the
other and next sumer I should have been able to have fal-
lowed some ground this I have been willing to let alone
for the pressent and I am willing to Do more if no other

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 201

way can be adopted I am willing to sell the greatest por-
tion of my stock Which consists of 8 cows 1 yoke of Oxen
and 1 Hefir an 6 calf es and 1 Span of Horses I am willing
to part with some of thees and face Difi&culties I have had
to encounter before if it can not be avoided we have been
striveing all this summer to be at as little expence as we
could and have been endeavouring to pay off some little
Debts and to get clothing for the chilldren by selling the
butter and sometimes we have sold as low as 8 cents in the
pound before we would go into Debt we are now barelling
our butter intending it for sale in the fall to get nessesaries
for our Family for the winter so that what wheat I can get
into market before November will be for the purpose be-
fore mentioned. Now I Desire that you and brother Henry
and Abraham if you think proper talk the matter over and
come to a conclusion what you can Do as soon as possible
and let me know and then if [it] be nessesary for me to
borow some money here I Shall have time to get it but I Do
not think I can borow money on good security at less than
12 per cent I must now close my letter and leave you to
act the way you think best and then I must try to make up
the difficiency and may god crown our efforts with success

Your Affectionate Son

Edwin Bottomley
I wrote my letter Last week but haveing to assist in make-
ing arangements for the Sabath Scholars for the 4^^ July
independence day it prevented me for writing this while the
5^ of July

Rochester State of Wisconsin Oct*" 6^^ 1849

Dear Father & Mother :

• • •

I have the pleasure to inform you that we are all enjoying
tolerable health with the exception of myself at pressent
but I am able to go about my work though I feel weak.
Since I had [have] Done harvesting I have had a pain in my
breast which at nights has been very bad at times but I

202 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

have got a plaster on it now and I think It will releive me
I have got through my Harvest and haying without any
hired help which has been prety hard work for me to acomp-
lish Tho^ our Hannah ['s] Husband has helped to stack my
wheat and I have helped him in return by this means I have
been able to get along without haveing to pay any money
for help. Euth and William bound the wheat as I Cradled
it and it was work enough for James Halkyard to set it up
into shocks he helped a little in the Hay which I got before
harvest James came here on the 9*^ of June and the first
5 weeks he did not life his hand to Do any thing the re-
mainder of the time he stoped he Did a little ocasionaly he
left here on the 24*^ of august for Milwaukee I got a letter
from him that he was leaveing as he could not get a situa-
tion and intended going to Buffalo he ordered me to Direct
any letters that I rec^ for him to the Post office theire I
have not rec^ any for him since he left.

In your letter you Desired me to write to you and let you

know how matters was when I wrote to you in July the

prospects of having an abundant harvest where then very

promising but we have been Disapointed about the time I

wrote we had some hot weather along with a Dampness in

the atmosphere which Did considerable injury to the wheat

crop and grain of other kinds my Winter Wheat which

was 4 acres is not worth thrashing I Shall have to feed it

to the cattle my Spring wheat which to appearances in

July would have yeilded from 25 to 30 bushels to the acre

has yielded about 11 Bushels last season from the same

ground I had 389% Bushels of wheat 139 Bushels of oats

[and] 17 Bushels of Barley this season I have 194 Bushels

(18 acres) of wheat 124 Bushels (3 acres) of Oats [and]

9 Bushels (% acre) of Barley the oats have yielded prety

fair by examining thees statements you will perceive that

the Differance betwixt last season and this is 218% Bushels

from the same ground includeing the winter wheat this you

percive is a considerable loss and you may probably think

that it will make us feel rather Down cast but I can assure

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 203

you though wee feel the Disapointment yet at the same time
[I] Does not cause any Dispondency. Previous to receiving
yours I must acknowledge that we often times ponderd over
in our own minds how we could meet the Difficulties that
stood before us but since receiveing yours and now knowing
what we have to Do it seems as if it had given fresh energy
to us. I canot raise much from my crops toward the land
besides suplying the wants of my family and I have come to
the conclusion to borrow the money which I shall need till I
can turn myself other ways I have allready Spoke to an
individual who has promised to get me what I want with 12
Days notice I Shall Borrow as little as possible as I expect
the intrest will be 12 per cent.

The Property in this neighbourhood is likely to be ad-
vanced in value considerably owing to the Plank road come-
ing through the settlement as the company have Determind
to bring a branch to burlington it will come on the old road
past James Tinkers and our house which is about 20 rods
from our house and will take the old road most of the way
to Burlington and according to the price which land has
raised in value on the line already made, the land contracted
for would now be worth two thousand Dollars and I have no
hesitation in saying that the man would not Sell it for less
had he to sell it now so that I think it is worth making some
exertion for. The road is formed of Plank the width of 8
feet and a turn off track of earth on one side so that teams
can pass one another the toll for traveling on the road is
11/^ cents per mile for a two horse team and wagon they
expect completing the road to Burlington in a month the
road costs about $1600.00 Sixteen Hundered Dollars per
mile.

Dear Father after Settling for the Land I Shall Send you
all particulars concerning it what I have had to Borrow and
in what Situation it Leaves us and I hope you will not trou-
ble your self with any kind of Fear concerning it for I have
no Doubt but I can make arngements that will enable me to

204 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

settle for the Land with the help which you have been en-
abled to render me * * *

your Affectionate Son & Daughter

Edwin & Martha Bottomley

January 1, 1850
Dear Father & Mother:

You will I have no Doubt before this wonder what ever is
the matter that I have not writen before this time and as an
apology will thake up paper I Shall at once state that we
are all well in health thank god which I hope this will find
you all enjoying good health once more Since I last wrote
to you I have had a many hopes and fears but I am happy
to state to you that all are passed away, and the Land is
now paid for and Deeded to me as the Deed had to be Drawn
in conformity to the contract, and I think we shall have no
Difficulty in arranging matters betwixt ourselves.

I Shall now proced to state all that has passed since I last
wrote and then I think you will excuse me for Delay you
will perceive by my last letter the circumstances I was
placed in and also what I intended to Do to raise as much
money as would make up besides what you where sending
the man that I had spoke to about lending money and who
promised to get it me If I would give him 12 Days notice
could not get it and I was Disapointed and when time Drew
near that the payment should be made I was very much cast
Down and could scarce tell what means to adopt I tried
several times to borrow the money of persons who would
gladly have lent it me and are in the habit of lending money
but owing to the Partial failure of the crops the[y] could
not get any money in which was Due, and then I gave up the
Idea [of] Borrowing the money and thought I would take
what you send and try to get a Deed and give a mortgage
for the remainder though it was a course I Did not like to
adopt as it would give the Individual an opurtunity to break
the contract and raise the Price of the Land or broke the

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 205

bargain altogether, but circumstances prevented me for
[from] adopting this course

I got Br Henrys letter on the 12 of nove*" which informed
me of the change in the agency also theire adress, but the
name was wrong the name is A Speirs Brown and he wrote
it A Spreirs Brern and as he Did not say that I Should have
to write I expected the money would be forwarded as usual
and I waited while the mail came in on monday the 19^** the
day the money should have been paid and theire was no let-
ter for me from new york I then came home and wrote off
to new york and Send W° with the letter that night to be
ready for the morning mail, this was another Disapoint-
ment to me as I had got money to make up the remainder
on the Saturday night on Saturday while meditateing what
way to Do I bethought me that Thomas our Hannahs Hus-
band had a payment to make to a certain Individual which
I thought would wait while Spring and I went to see the
person who consented to wait while Spring and Tho^ Let me
have 150 Dollars but when the money whas not come I felt
Downcast but I thought it would be best to go to MillwauMe
and See the individual and State the case to him Martha
and me went on the Tuesday and after I had told him how
I was situated he simed better Satisfied than I expected I
then Paid him 220 Dollars which was 70 Dollars intrest and
150 towards the stock and I Promised to bring him the re-
mainder as soon as I got the remitance from new york. on
the Friday after our return from MillwauMe I got a letter
from New York which stated they had rec*^ orderes to pay
me the money you had sent and they wished to know how I
would have it sent I had stated in my letter which I had
sent how the[y] was to send It but when I saw theire Sig-
neture I was afraid the Direction would be wrong and I
wrote off to them again and after waiting a sufl&cent time
for an answer I begun to have fears again and on Satuarday
the 22nd of Dec*" I wrote another letter and went with it to
the Post office and their was [a] letter laying for me which
had been overlook[ed] on the friday containg a Certificate

206 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

of Deposite on the Union Bank New York for the sum which
you had sent I went to Millwaukie on the 27*^ and Settled
for the land as before stated.

Since I last wrote to you we have all enjoyed good health
with the exception of my wife she I think got cold on our
journey to Millwaukie and for a few weeks [had] a good
Deal of Pain in her limbs and head but She is now got well.
Mary is a fine little girl and She can nearly Avalk to Day be-
ing new Years Day the Chilldren are going to have a Sleigh
Ride Round by Rochester and Burlington the ground is at
pressent coverd with Snow and we have had a few Days of
very severe wether but to Day it is a little milder and the
chilldren wish to enjoy themselves. We have the Plank
Road finished Past our house and within a half a mile of
Burlington and while it was being made through the settle-
ment we had a quantity of the men boarding with us which
keep us very throng [ed] but it was a help to us other ways
I Shall write to you & Brother Henry again in about a
month and give you more particulars about our concerns and
I must now close with the well wishes of all the Chilldren
who wish you all a happy new year and may the Lord grant
that it may be a happy year to all of you is the sincere prayer
of

Your Affectionate Son and Daughter
Edwin & Martha Bottomlby

Rochester Racien County State of Wisconsin July 1^* 1850
Dear Father & Mother :

After waiting some time I take this oportunity of writ-
ing to you hopeing thees lines will find you in good health as
I have the happiness to inform you is the case with us at
present I wrote to you on the 2"^ Day of Jan^" giveing you
the Particulars of my Doings in referance to the Land and
what means I had adopted to meet my engagements. I wrote
again to B^ Henry on the 19^^ of Feb^ which letter contained
my propositions concerning the land which propositions I

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 207

felt willing to abide by if accepted by you and B' Henry
on the 14*^ of June I rec^ a letter from B^ Henry inform-
ing me that you where all well which letter also containd
the sugestion you had made to B"^ Henry in the matter and
I can say that I am perfectly satisfied with it. But in his
letter he does not say wether you ever rec^ my letter of
Jan^ or not and the letter which you wrote in Jan^ would
leave before you would get mine so that I have note rec^
any information wether you rec^ it or not this is one rea-
son why I have Delayed writeing being in expectation of re-
ceiving a letter from you another is that B'' Henry in-
formed me that Mathew Beaumont of Honley wood bottom
was coming to America with Henry Swallows brother and
I thought I would wait his arival before I wrote and I have
the pl[e]asure to inform you the[y] both arived here on
Friday the 28*^ of June in good health and Spirits

we had begun to be very anxious to know something about
them on account of a serious acident which had happend on
the Lakes the steamer Griffith was burnt on Lake Erie
near Cleveland on the morning of the 17*^ of June and it is
suposed not less than 300 lives where lost and about 30
where saved the princaple part of the Passengers wher
emigrants the fire whas discovered about 4 0 Clock in the
morning and in less than five minutes the ship was envel-
oped in flames and the poor emigrants as the papers state
whire Driven over board like frightened sheep by the in-
tense heat of the flames, this circumstance hapening about
the time that we expected they would be on the lakes excited
our fears and we where very glad when they arived here in
safety they was on the canal at the time of the accident
he brought the parcel which you sent safe and we are very
thankfuU to you for your kindness give my respects to Joe
Parkin & Sam* Pontefract and tell them it gives me great
Pleasure to know that I have still a place in their memory
and tell them I shall take the first opurtunity that I have of
Sending them some of the musick of this cuntry the in-

208 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

closed you can give to S Pontefract and I should wish them
to try it on the organ at Crossland Church it is a tune
which I have selected from a collection of tunes by the Bos-
ton Acedemy from various Authors and being something in
the English style is one that I like.

Dear Father I shall now try to give you a statement of
things more conected with ourselves this spring I was
summoned to attend as one of the grand jury at the county
court just at the time when I Should have been geting in my
seed and I was away from home 10 Days which threw me a
little later with geting in my seed than I intended my boy
W"' had to Do all the ploughing and I got our hannah's hous-
band to sow some for me and look after W™ which he kindly
did for me while I was away the Spring has been very Dry
crops on high Dry land are very thin but mine are looking
prety well and Some of my neighbours also the last few
weeks we have had plenty of Rain and vegetation is in a
flurishing condition at pressent and I hope our crops will
turn out well we are milking 6 cows at pressent and our
young stock looks well I have Old George Gill with me and
I intend breaking 8 or 10 acre[s] more we are clearing the
stones and cuting some trees out and I am anxious to get it
Done as I should like to get some hay before harvest

Old George wishes you to make inquieries about a Daugh-
ter of his whom he expected coming here this spring having
rec*^ no letter from them he wishes you to get his wife or
some of them to send him word what time they sailed and by
what vesel if they have sailed and if not wether they intend
comeing or not as he has some intentions of coming to Eng-
land this fall but has not fully Decided for he somtimes
thinks he should not like [it] in England and if he Did not
he should come back here again and it would be a great ex-
pence to him and a loss of time he would like to know how
they all are and wether his son Richard be in work or not
and if his Daughter is not coming he would like to know
theire reasons

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 209

dear Father Mathew Beaumont tells me you have re-
moved to netherton to Joseph Sykes old place and my B""
Did not mention it in his letter which left 14 Days afeter
Mathew Sailed he stated that both you and my mother
wher well but Did not say anything about you being flitted
I hope no unpleasentness has arisen but that you have re-
moved so that you might be more comfortably situated in
referance to the house and nearer your Old acquaintances
I should like to see you and my mother nicely situated here
but am Avilling to waite the Lords time and keep hopeing and
hopeing and if we never meet again on earth let us strive to
meet in heaven.

I have had some thoughts of building a kitchen to our
house this fall for we are crampt for room but this will de-
pend on my crops and the market but [I] should like to build
one if I can for in the winter we are more in need of one than
in summer in summer we have our stove set in what we call
a kitchen at pressent it was the house that was on the 40
acres of land that I bought which I removed to the Back of
our house but it is so open that it is very little use to us in
cold wether.

I rec** the money for Squire Hinchlif e which you sent and
paid it over to him his wife was confined about 5 or 6
weeks since and she has another boy she has not recovered
as well as usual but is now able to go about her house af-
fairs the rest are all well J Tinker & family are well we
had W™ Haigh of Quarmby in our Settlement a few weeks
since he gave us a lecture in the chaple he has been travel-
ing through the state selling the pattent right of various ar-
ticles one of them is a pattent churn James Tinker has
bargaind for the Pattent right for this county for the churn
wether it will be any benifit to him or not time alone will de-
tirmine but I hope it will my paper is geting almost full
and I must Draw to a close

your affectionate son & daughter

Edwin & Marth Bottomley

14

210 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

Rochester Racine Co^y Oct' 6^^ 1850
M*" Tho» Bottomley

Sir: It is with feelings and emotions of a very painful
character that I communicate to you, (at the request of your
son Edwin) the mournful intelligence, that Edwin and fam-
ily are at present ** wading through the deep waters of af-
fliction''. The family is afflicted with the desease here
termed ** Typhoid fever". Ruth was the first victim whom
it attacked. She was first seized with the complaint about
six weeks ago. I am happy to say however, that she is now
convalescent, and able to sit up some, but so weak and re-
duced, that it must take some time to restore her to her us-
ual health and strength Edwin was the next sufferer, it
is about two weeks since he was seriously afflicted, and he
is stile in a precarious condition. And next Martha, the
wife, and mother, with the unremiting care, attendance, &
anxiety and the constant watchings and labour, broke down,
and had to take to bed, a few days ago so that at present
there are three persons, afflicted, in one house, comprising
the heads of the family. Now Sir I need not enter into de-
tails, and attempt to describe the mournful consequences re-
sulting from this pitiable and unhappy state of affairs,
this you can readily immagine. In a large family, when
both the heads are laid low by desease, and incapacitated
from attending to their duties, the result cannot be other-
wise than distressing in the extreme. Be assured Sir that
it is not my design to give additional & unnecessary pain by
representing things worse than they really are.

I have written these lines at intervals while waking and
watching with your son Edmn. Hannah and her husband
are here. Ruth as I before observed is recovering, and I fer-
vently hope that Martha the mother, may not be so seriously
afflicted, as Edwin, the father is at present. I would fain
hope that Martha's disorder is nothing more serious than
physical prostration caused by a lack of natural rest and
over-exertion. However it cannot be denied that this ** Ty-
phoid fever" is somewhat similar in its nature, symptoms.

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 211

and results to the "ship-fever" and when it once attacks one
member of a family it is extremely likely to [attack] the
whole — or at least that portion who may be pre-disposed at
the time to catch the desease. Let ns hope that the worst is
past. The doctor told me this morning, that although Ed-
win could not be considered altogether free from danger, yet
his symptoms were decidedly favourable ; and he thought he
would recover. Let us then hope for the best. Edwin would
have def ered writing a little longer, to see how things turned,
but he was afraid that George Gill would get to England &
see you before you got a letter, and as Ruth had been sick
for some time before Geo left, and as Edwin was far from
well at the time, he was afraid that if you did not receve a
letter you would be getting very eneasy and anxious.

When you see my Father would you be kind enough to give
him our kind love, & inform him that at present we are all
in moderate health. Tell him also that I am expecting a let-
ter from him And with best wishes for your health and
prosperity, I subscribe myself

Yours Respectfully^^

M*- Tho« Bottomly

Rochester Nov'' 19**^ 1850
To M' T. Bottomley

Dear Sir : I take up my pen once more to communicate to
you the mournful details of the continued suffering of your
Son Edwin's family In my last I think I told you of the
sickness of Ruth, & Edwin & Martha & Thomas I am happy
to say that Ruth is restored to her usual health and is able
to attend upon the others. Martha and Thomas are also im-
proving, being able to sit up a little occasionally. About 12
days back your son Edwin was considered as improving. At
that time I had a letter partially written to my father but in
consequence of Edmn manifesting symptoms of a relapse I
defered posting that letter untill I could communicate some

**The signature has been cut from the letter. The writer of it was
James Tinker.

212 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

thing posative in the case. I can now do so. And I do as-
sure you that it is with feelings the Keenest anguish that I
report the painful fact of the decease of your son Edwin.
Edwin was reduced by the first attack to a mere skeleton, &
his nervous system was completely shaken; and hence the
vital principal was too enfeabled to sustain successfully a
Second attack. After this relapse he gradually sunk under
the power of the fever. For the last week every day was ex-
pected to be the last. I believe he Suffered little or no pain,
for when asked how he felt his invariable reply was ''first
rate." During the latter part of his sickness he wandered
considerable. He often immagined that you were present
and gave directions providing for your entertainment & com-
fort. He frequently addressed himself to his father, and
carried on the conversation as if you were present. He ling-
ered on in this way untill last Sundy the 17^^ inst at 2i^
0 Clock P. M. when the vital spark became extinct and he
quietly fell asleep without a struggle Edwin lived the life
of the upright, and his end was peace. I assure you that Ed-
win was universally esteemed by all who had the pleasure of
his acquaintance. And this mysterious dispensation of
Providence will be regarded as a sore affliction, not only by
his large, suffering, and bereaved family ; but also by a num-
erous circle of friends & acquaintances. I never saw such an
expression of sympathy as has been exhibited by the neigh-
bors, during the sickness of Edwin. His death is regarded
as a public & general loss. But our loss is unquestionably
his gain, & therefore we ought not to mourn as those without
hope. He has ''fought the good fight he has finished his
course, and he has gone to receive the crown of his reward''
God grant that we all may be prepared to meet him amidst
that glorious company of Saints, who throng the courts of
Heaven — Amen. The funeral took place yesterday the 18*^
inst at 2 0 Clock P. M. The officiating Minister was the Rev.
Mr. Drummond who improved the occasion by preaching a
very impressive discourse. There was a very large attend-
ance at the funeral— the Meeting House was completely

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 213

filled. I never saw such a general and universal exhibition
of sorrow, manifested at the funeral of a private individual
before.

But I must leave this mournful subject; in order to give
you some account of his still suffering family. For further
particulars I must refer you to the accompanying letter to
my father who will no doubt furnish you with the same.

I am sorry to inform you that since I last wrote M. Beau-
mont, W™ Schofield, Tho^ Brown and his wife, your grand-
daughter Hannah, are laid low with the fever. The distress-
ing fact cannot be concealed that the house at present is
more crowded with the suffering victims of decease than a
regular hospital. And no one can fore see the end. Tho"
Bottomley & Willam S. are gradually improving M. Beau-
mont is also convalescent, one week ago last Sunday we
brought Mathew down to our house to make a little more
room for the rest. But his place was soon occupied by your
grand-daughter Hannah. Last Thursday evening, Hannah
was confined and delivered of a fine daughter. All things
considered she is at present going on very favourably. Ed-
win was permitted to see and able to recognize his little
grand-child before he died. Martha is also improving she
is able to sit up a little occasionally. But as might be ex-
pected, the recent afflictive despensation of Providence in
taking away the Partner of her bosom — the husband of her
youth, has sorely tried her spirits. God help her! she is
wading through the deep waters of affliction. She is left
with a large family of fatherless children one half of whom
are prostrated by desease! Oh! the prospect is dark and
dreary the family are the victims of desease — their head is
cut off in his manhood — their supporter their comforter &
their guide is laid low in the cold tomb, and the mother is
left to battle with the trials, and hardships of a selfish world
alone. I must say considering all the circumstances, she
bears up wonderfully. And I can only earnestly repeat the
aspiration that the God of Mercy may help her ; for I know

214 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

not to whom she can look for assistance but to the Father of
the fatherless, and to yourself!

I am sorry to say that Tho^ Brown is considered at pres-
ent, by the Doctors as very dangerous However he has
youth and a good constitution in his favour and we hope for
the best. I cannot at present communicate to you any infor-
mation relative to Edwins private & business affairs. I pre-
sume however they will write again, as soon as circum-
stances will permit In the mean time they are anxiously ex-
pecting a letter from you. I may observe while I think of it
that Edwin has made his will and arranged about the dis-
posal of his property. But space forbids my giving you the
particulars in this note. I know the facts communicated in
this mournful epistle will affect you painfully and I can only
pray that God may afford the consolation which He alone
can give — I am Respectfully

James Thinker.

Written at the request of M*"^ Bottomley

P. S. I have just learned that there is to be a consulta-
tion of Doctors tomorrow, over the case of Tho^ Brown a
Doctor of advice from Racien is to be in attendance

Rochester Ja** 25*^ 1851
Dear Father :

I am permited by the blessing of God to take up my pen
to write to you and though I write in the midst of affliction
and bereavement I have great reasons to be thankfull and I
hope these lines will find you all in the enjoyment of good
health which is the greatest blessing while surjurnors
hear below we recieved yours of Dec 19 on Saturday *^18 of
Janary and we where very sorry to hear of Brother henrys
sickness and we hope by this time he is got quiet well I can-
not tell you how we have been ever since the 23^* of last
August to Jan *^16 the Doctor has never mised above one
day at a time and from Sep 15 up to Novem 17 we had sel-
dom les than too visits in a day but thank God we are all re-
covering except Selina it was six weeks last thursday since

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 215

Arminal Ann begun and Ann Schofield begun on the f riday
after Arminal Ann was [sick] three weeks and we did not
expect her living from one day to another but she is able to
sit up a little but not to walk Ann and Sarah and Cecelia
Martha is improving and the too boys are going to school
On the seventh of January William Morton Alfred Aspinal
and myself went to racine to prove the will and I will send
you a copy of the same in my next letter for we had to leave
it at racine and on my return I found Hannahs baby very
sick and it died about one oclock in the night and we buried it
on the tenth

Father you wished to know what we thought of doing I
have thought of keeping the farm for it was Edwins last
wish that I should keep the children together as long as I
could and I think I cannot if I let the farm because the rent
would hardly support the family and I should not have em-
ploymen[t] for them all I thought if we grew a little wheat
to suport the family I should not have to hire much only in
hay and harvest for the girls say they can plant corn and
potatoes themselves but I should like a little advise for you
see the boys are but young Thomas ten and William thirteen
last November I hardley know how to act I should be very
thankfuU if you would give me a little advise about the mat-
ter

Dear Father you speak about us returning but I feel it my
duty to stay hear and strugal with the cares of this world so
long as the lord sees fit to spare me when I hope to join the
happy spirit of him that is gone before in our fathers house
above may the lord grant that we may all meet there where
sickness and sorrow never comes where parting is no more
Is the sincere prayer of your Afilicted Daughter Dear
Father I feel very thankful for your past and profferd as-
sistanc there is one thing that has given me a great deal of
uneasiness of late wether Edwin told you or not I do not
know but he borrowed two hundred dollars at twenty five
per cent intrest to make out for the land the payment is

216 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

due the first of May and if you could assist me to meet it I

should be very thankful

• * *

your Affectionate Daughter

Martha Bottomley

Will of Edwin Bottomley

The last will and Testament of Edwin Bottomly of the
Town of Burlington County of Eacine and State of
Wisconsin.

I Edwin Bottomly, considering the uncertainty of this
mortal life, and being of Sound mind and Memory, do make
and publish this my last will and testament, in manner and
form following, to wit : First I give and bequeath to my be-
loved wife Martha Bottomly, during the term of her natural
life, the Sole interest, possession, and use of all my real and
Freehold Estate, Lying and Being in the Town and County
aforesaid, and known and described as follows, to wit : The
north west quarter of the north East quarter, and the north
East quarter of the north west quarter of Section No Twenty
four (24) in Township No Three (3) north of Range No
nineteen (19) East, containing Eighty (80) acres. Also the
South East quarter of Section No Fourteen (14) and the
west half of the South west quarter of Section No Thirteen
(13) And lots No Four (4) and Seven (7) of Section No
Fourteen (14) All in Township No Three (3) north of Range
No nineteen (19) East. To have and to hold the Same to-
gether with the whole of my personal property, or the resi-
due after paying my just debts, all my goods chattels, &, of
what kind and Nature Soever, during the term of her natur-
al Hf e.

And it is further my will and desire, that on the death of
my Said beloved wife Martha Bottomly (providing my
youngest child Shall have arrived at age) then the whole of
Said Real and personal Estate Shall be valued, and appor-
tioned Equally amongst my beloved children. And on the

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 217

death of my Said beloved wife, I hereby give and bequeath
the Same equally to my beloved children, Hannah Bottomly,
Euth Bottomly, Aminal Ann Bottomly, Sarah Bottomly,
Thomas Bottomly, Celina Bottomly, Cecilia Bottomly and
Mary Emma Bottomly.

And it is further my will and desire that Should the de-
cease of my Said wife Martha Bottomly take place prior to
the time when my youngest child Shall have arrived at age
the profits or income of which She was in the receipt, from
the whole of Said real and personal Estate, or So much
thereof as may be found needful. Shall be applied and Ex-
pended for the Support and Education of my Said youngest
child, or So many of my Said children as may be minors at
said decease until the Same arrive at age; after which the
whole of the remainder & residue of Said real and personal
Estate Shall be valued and apportioned as before provided.

And lastly I hereby nominate. Constitute and appoint, my
Said beloved wife Martha Bottomly, and my two friends
William Morton and James Tinker, jointly and Severally to
be Executors of this my last Will and Testament hereby re-
voking all former wills by me made.

In testimony whereof I hereto Set my hand and Seal, and
publish and declare this to be my last will and Testament
this tenth day of October in the year of our Lord one thous-
and Eight himdred and fifty.

EDwm Bottomly Seal

The above instrument consisting of two half Sheets was
now here Subscribed by Edwin Bottomly the Testator, in
the presence of each of us, and was at the Same time de-
clared by him to be his last will and Testament ; and we at
his request Sign our names hereto in his presence, as attest-
ing witnesses.

James Tinker
Thomas Brown
Alfred Aspinell

218 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

Inventory of Edwin Bottomley's Effects

A true & perfect inventory of all the real estate, and of all
and singular the goods, chattels, rights and credits, which
were of Edwin Bottomley, late of the Town of Burlington,
county of Eacine, and State of Wisconsin, deceased, at the
time of his death, made by Martha Bottomly, James Tinker,
& William Morton, Nominated & appointed executors, by the
last will & Testament, of the Said deceased, with the aid and
appraisement of John Hockings Sen and Christopher Rown- ,
tree appraisers, for that purpose appointed by the County
Court, of the County of Racine, and duly qualified according
to Law : Such inventory, and appraisement being commenced
on the nineteenth day of March 1851, and closed on the same
day at Burlington in the Town of Burlington, in the County
of Racine and State aforesaid

The North West quarter of the North East quar-
ter, and the North East quarter of the North West
quarter, of Section twenty four (24) Township
Three (3) North of Range Nineteen (19) East-
Thirty five acres under the plough, and greater part
fenced, & a brick house upon it Yearly value $50.00 $1000.00
The South East quarter of Section fourteen (14)
and the West half of the South West quarter of Sec-
tion Thirteen (13) and Lots No four (4) and Seven
(7) of Section No fourteen (14) all in Township
Three (3) North of Range Nineteen (19) East— AU
unimproved — $1100.00

Chattels & Yeakly income

8 Cows of an inferior quality $10.00 each - - - 80.00

5 Two year old heifers $ 6.00 each - - - 30.00

4 Calves $ 3.00 '' - - - 12.00

2 Horses from 16 to 18 years old 95.00

4 SmaU pigs ------- 4.00

2321.00

LETTERS OF EDWIN BOTTOMLEY 219

Amount Brought forward ------- $2321.00

Poultry ..-.-..------- 3.50

1 Old Waggon _..--. 15.00

3 Old Ploughs & one Harrow ------- 12.00

1 Fanning Mill ------------ 14.00

1 Eight day Clock ----------- 15.00

2 Conunon tables ----------- 4.00

10 Old Chairs ------------ 2.00

4 Bedsteads ------------- 8.00

1 Shot gun ------------ - 5.00

1 Rifle --------------- 5.00

1 Cooking Stove & Furniture ------- 10.00

1 chamber Stove ----------- 3.00

1 Laith & tools ------------ 10.00

1 Circular Saw ------------ 5.00

Sundries ---.--.--..-- 4.00

$2436.50

A Seperate & distinct inventory and appraisement of all
the household furniture and other personal property allowed
and selected by the widow of Edwin Bottomley, late of the
Town of Burlington County of Racine deceased

Furniture

1 Eight days clock ---------- $15.00

2 Common tables ----------- 4.00

10 Chairs ------------- 2.00

4 Bedsteads ------------ $ 8.00

1 Old Gun ------------ - 5.00

1 '' Rifle .._.-.- 5.00

1 " Cooking Stove & Furniture ----- 10.00

1 Small Chamber Stove --------- 3.00

$52.00

220 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

Other Personal Property

8 Cows --------- $80.00

4 Two year old Heifers 24.00

2 Horses ----- 95.0O

$199.00

APPENDIX

AN ADDRESS FROM THE INHABITANTS OF THE
ENGLISH SETTLEMENT, WISCONSIN, UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA, TO THEIR FRIENDS IN
ENGLAND, ON BEHALF OF THE ERECTION OF A
NEW OHAPELi^

ADDRESS.

Dear Fathers and Brethren.

We have spent, the most interesting part of our lives, the
years of our childhood, among you, and many pleasing re-
flections are associated therewith. It was then, that we were
taught to reverence the God of our Fathers. We wor-
shipped in the same Sanctuary, at the same time, and were
partakers of the same blessings with yourselves. And al-
though we have removed to a far distant land, yet the Insti-
tutions and Associations of youth are still dear to us. We
still, find that we are social beings, and that, no temporal ad-
vantages will compensate for the want of Christian inter-
course. We cannot forget the Institutions, and the Chris-
tian privileges of our earlier years. Nay we will not.
Rather *let our hands forget their cunning' than we should
forget the worship of our Maker. We love to attend to hear
the preaching of the Gospel. But *how shall we hear with-
out a Preacher, ' and how shall he preach, or we hear, with-
out suitable convenience. Our Religious Services have hith-
erto been conducted under very great disadvantages for
want of a convenient place of worship. Until within the last
few weeks our only place of meeting has been a private

'• Reprinted from a contemporary four-page circular in the possession
of Miss A. A. Bottomley.

223

224 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

house. At present, however we have one Service each Sab-
bath in the District School, which is far too small to accom-
modate the Settlers. Besides its occupancy as a preaching
place, is otherwise attended with unpleasantness, and un-
certainty. In our School District, there are a number be-
longing to the Roman Catholic persuasion, who loudly pro-
test against the School being appropriated to any other use
than the one for which it was built. They also deny that the
Trustees, have the power to grant it, for any other purpose.
This gives rise to much unpleasantness, and unkind feeling,
and is an additional inducement to us to make a strenuous
effort for the erection of a Preaching Place of our own.

We have also a thriving little Sunday School, which is
laboring under the same disadvantages, as our Congrega-
tion. We have plenty of Teachers, and plenty of books, but
no convenient place in which to instruct the children.

Besides all this, we have no Burial Ground, and for us to
take the bodies of our dear departed Relatives and friends
to a distance of four miles, and there leave them in a wild
uninclosed piece of land, is both unnatural and unkind ; and
not all agreeable to the feelings and habits of an English-
man. This dear Brethren, is a simple, honest and plain
statement of our situation. And these disadvantages are
not likely to be removed, unless we can receive some little
pecuniary aid. We have therefore, thought it expedient to
introduce the subject to your notice. This decision, how-
ever, to appeal to your christian sympathy, and to solicit
your generous aid in the erection of a place of public wor-
ship, has not been hastily, nor inconsiderately adopted. In-
deed, after frequent and somewhat perplexing discussion
about the 'ways, and means,' to be employed in raising the
necessary funds, to effect our object, we concluded that this
was the only course, we could adopt with any prospect of
success. Our encouragement and hope are grounded in the
knowledge we have of the deep interest you have ever mani-
fested for our welfare, both temporal and spiritual. Know-

APPENDIX 225

ing also the interest you take in, and the sacrifices you are
willing to make for, the success of any object calculated to
promote the moral and religious dignity of our fellow-men ;
we feel confident that we are not beating the air, or building
our speculations on a sandy foundation, while in this appeal
to your christian liberality.

Our object is to erect a Chapel sufficiently large to accom-
modate the whole Settlement ; to be the property and under
the control of the subscribers residing therein. And in re-
gard to its management, to be entirely independent of any
one Eeligious Sect or Denomination. The necessity of this
will be obvious when we observe that the inhabitants con-
sist of various congregations and Denominations. We can-
not each build a Chapel, nor can any one separately, and
therefore we have come to the conclusion to make one gen-
eral effort for the benefit of the whole. It is our unani-
mous opinion that the management of the Chapel ought to
be placed in the hands of three trustees, to be elected annu-
ally by the subscribers ; with restrictions, prohibiting its be-
ing appropriated to any purpose having an immoral ten-
dency.

For the accomplishment of our great and desirable ob-
ject, we propose to raise from five to six hundred Dollars.
And, although we are willing cheerfully to give our last dol-
lar, yet our circumstances are such, as to render it utterly
impossible for us to raise the whole sum. You are aware
that we have had to encounter the difficulties, and privations
attendant on the commencement of a new business, in a new
Country, with but very limited means. We therefore confi-
dently hope, that as our means of contribution are necessar-
ily very small, this plain statement of our necessities will be
favorably received, and induce you to give us that help of
which we stand so much in need, thus proving that our con-
fidence has not been misplaced. It is not necessary that we
dwell more at length upon the subject, as we send herewith
a full copy of our proceedings and also a copy of our sub-
scription list. We therefore conclude with the sincere

15

226 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

prayer that our call will be heard and responded to; and
that numbers actuated by the noble and lofty principles of
Christian Philanthropy will liberally assist us in this great
undertaking.

Signed this 15th day of January, 1846.

Joseph Woodhead, '

James Tinker, ► Managing

Edwin Bottomley, J Committee.

iKesolutions passed at a Public Meeting of the English
Settlement, held at James Scott's, on the Evening of Tues-
day Dec. 30th, 1845, to take into consideration the propriety
of Erecting a Chapel in the Settlement.

Edwin Bottomley, Chairman.

James Tinker, Secretary.

PEEAMBLE

WHEREAS there is happily a general disposition mani-
fest amongst the Settlers to reverance the Sabbath and at-
tend Public Worship, and whereas the present place of meet-
ing, (the District School,) is not only too small to accommo-
date the Settlement; but its being used as a Preaching
Place, is also attended with much unpleasantness, on ac-
count of the determined opposition of a few bigoted Eoman-
ists. And whereas the erection of a suitable place for Pub-
lic Worship, would be likely to induce numbers to attend the
Preaching of the Gospel who are at present indifferent with
regard to the observance of Religious Ordinances; and
hence be the means of extending the hallowed influences of
pure and undefiled Religion, which is the only firm founda-
tion of individual happiness, the real bulwarks of national
morality and greatness — therefore,

APPENDIX 227

Eesolved, 1st — That it is desirable to have a Chapel suf-
ficiently large to accommodate the Settlement; and we
hereby pledge ourselves to use the most strenuous efforts to
erect one as soon as we possibly can.

Eesolved, 2nd. — That it is desirable to raise by subscrip-
tion the sum of from five to six hundred Dollars for this
purpose. Attached to the Chapel there shall be a public
Burying Ground. The management of the Chapel and Bury-
ing Ground should be placed under the control of three,
Trustees, elected annually by the subscribers. Always pro-
viding that the Chapel shall in no case be appropriated to
any use having an immoral tendency; — neither shall it be
granted for the diffusion of infidel doctrines.

Resolved 3rd. — Any person subscribing the sum of Five
Dollars, shall be qualified to vote on the election of Trus-
tees. No subscriber shall have the right to more than one
vote, which right he shall have the power to sell, providing
the purchaser be approved of by two thirds of the subscrib-
ers— he may also bequesth it by will at his decease.

And if from any cause the right of any subscriber shall
become extinct or lost, his or her place as a voter shall be
replaced by a majority of two thirds of the subscribers

Resolved 4th. — That a managing Committee of three be
appointed, who shall devise the necessary ways and means
for raising subscriptions; and shall have power to solicit
and recieve the same.

Resolved 5th. — That Joseph Woodhead, James Tinker,
and Edwin Bottomley, be the Managing Committee, and are
hereby recommended to draw up an Address to our Friends
in England, containing a full statement of our case, and re-
questing their aid. The Address to be presented to the next
Meeting for its approbation.

Resolved 7th. — That this Meeting be adjourned to Wed-
nesday, Jan. 7th, 1846, at Six o'clock.

Signed on behalf of the Meeting,
EDWIN BOTTOMLEY, Chairman. ^

228 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

Resolutions passed at the adjourned Meeting, held at
James Scott's, January 7th, 1846.

JAMES TINKEK, Secret.^y.
JOSHUA WOODHEAD, Chairman.

Resolved 1st. That the Address presented by the Manag-
ing Committee be adopted ; and a copy thereof sent to Eng-
land.

Resolved 2nd. — That a Managing Committee be nomi-
nated in England, with power to add to their number, to co-
operate with the Managing Committee here.

Resolved 3rd. — That Messrs. Christopher Tinker,
Thomas Bottomley, and William Woodhead, be solicited to
act as this Committee.

Resolved 4th. — That no resolution adopted shall be al-
tered except by a vote of two thirds of the subscribers.
Signed on behalf of the Meeting,
JOSHUA WOODHEAD, Chairman.

We respectfully solicit your co-operation towards this
benevolent and christian object-
Communications to be address to the Acting Committeb,
Christopher Tinker, Armitage Fold, ) Near
William Woodhead, Ditto, ) Hudders-

Thomas Bottomley, South Crosland. ) field.
Armitage Bridge, near Huddersfield, February 24th, 1846.

LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS for the Erection of a NEW
CHAPEL, in the English Settlement, Wisconsin, United
States, America.

Alexander Stenhouse, ----------- 5 00

Ephimey Stenhouse, ----------- 5 00

Agnes Stenhouse, _-_--_. 5 00

Samuel Stenhouse, ----------- 500

John Nobles, -------.----- 5 00

Martha Nobles, . . . . 5 00

APPENDIX 229

Allan Nobles, 500

Henry Nobles, - 500

Samuel Hellewell, ._. 500

Frances Hellewell, 500

Law Hellewell, 500

Allen Hellewell, 50O

Edwin Bottomley, 500

Martha Bottomley, .._ 50O

James Tinker, 5OO

Jane Tinker, 500

Joseph Woodhead, - 500

Joshua Woodhead, - 500

Ann Woodhead, - 500

James Scott, 500

Sarah Scott, 5OO

John Earnshaw, -- 500

Carried forward 110 00

Brought forward, ------ HO 00

Sarah Earnshaw, ----_. 5OO

Joseph Wimpenny, - 50O

Samuel Teal, --------- 5 00

M. Teal, -------- 5 00

William Parkin, 500

Titus Marsland, ------- 5OO

William Scholfield, ---------... 5 00

Eleanor Scholfield, ------------ 5 00

James Noble, -------- 500

Zylpha Noble, -------- 5 00

Squire Hinchliffe, --- 5 00

Ann Hinchliffe, -------- 5OO

William Bancroft, ----- 500

Joseph Cockcroft, ------------ 50O

Hannah Cockcroft, ------- 500

C. M. Brown, --. 50O

Elizabeth Brown, 500

15. 11. 0

230 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

John Shaw, -------.-.--_. 5 OO

Mary Shaw, -------.--.... 5 oO

Joseph Cockcroft, ------------ 5 00

Total (Dollars.) 210 00

W. B. Micklethwaite, Printer, Mossley, near Manchester.

A LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS TOWARDS THE EREC-
TION OF YOUR CHAPEL

Tho« Bottomley's Book^*

Mess" W W & H Stables 10. 0. 0

The Workmen of Mess*" Stables

as a Token of Respect to Edwin

Bottomley Toward the Erection

of A chapel

Tho^ Bottomley ---------- 3 0 0

Henry '' ------_..- i 00

John Gledhill ----------- 1 00

Rv^ G Hough Incumbent

of Crosland Church ------- 1 1 0

Scholefield Cookson & C« ------ - 2 00

W^ Wrigley ------ 1 10

John Dyson Surgeon -------- 1 0 0

Jon^ Roebuck - --------- 1 00

John Buckley CornHill ------- 5 00

Rob^ '' '' -._.--- 1 0 0

Mark Andrew Mossley ------- 1 00

James Buckley Bullshead ------ 1 00

Collected By Ab"^ Jilliot - - 0 18 6

Ralph Taylor ------ 0 10 0

A Friend p^ Tho« Halkyard ------ 0 26

Benj'^ Wood ----------- 1 00

Independent Odd Fellows ------- 2 00

Co operative Society -------- 2 00

Crispen Barker ---------- 0 10 0

James Blakely ----- ----- 0 10 0

'* From the original manuscript preserved in a scrapbook belonging to
Miss A. A. Bottomley.

APPENDIX 231

Paul Gledhill ----------- 0 10 0

Ed*^ Beaumont ---------- 0 10 0

Kichd Haigh ----------- 0 10 0

Geo« Roebuck - ----- 0 10 0

John Scholefield ----- 0 10 0

Hannah Holmes ---------- 0 10 0 ^

Benn Batley ----------- 0 7 6

Ah*" Haigh ------------ 0 7 6

Geo^ Carter ----------- 0 50

W"^ Silley ------------0 50

Martha Oldfield -.--.----- 0 50

John Scholefield ---------- 0 50

Mr« Ann Firth ----------0 50

Geo« Hellawell ---------- 0 50

John Wood ----------- 0 50

John Cook ------------ 0 50

Carr^ Over --------- L 57 19 +

T B act continued --------- 57 19 +

John Armitage Carter -------- 0 5 0

Hamor Oldfield ----------0 26

Joshua Sykes ----------- 0 2 6

David Byram ----------- 0 0 6

John Wrigley & Sons Workmen - - - - 1 0 6

A Friend ------------ 0 10 0

L60 0 0

W"™ Woodheads Book

W" Woodhead ---.-.---- 2 00

John Bottomley ---------- 0 50

James Wagstaff ._.-- 0 30

John Lockwood ---------- 0 26

W"^ Dawson ----------- 0 26

John Oldfield ----------- 0 26

Henry Smith ----------- 0 26

Cha« Hirst - - - 0 10

Nathan Gledhell ---------- 0 10

232 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

W"^ Walker ------------ 0

Benj** Naylor ---- 0

Geo« Atha ----- 0

W"^ Claye ------------ 0

Joe Spencer - ---------- 0

John Chapel 0

James Scott ---- 0

Joe Berry ------ 0

W° Stocks 0

F Vickerman -- 0

Dead man Stone

Sunday Schoolars - -- 0

Teachers - 0

Tho» Sheppard 1

A Friend 0

WH - 0

John Bowker 0

A Friend ----- - - 0

Joseph Benson ---- 0

Hiram Foy ------------ 0

JL - 0

John Ellis - - - 0

A Friend ------------- 0

Henry Washington --------- 0

Tho- Shaw 0

John Haigh Qnarmby -------- 0

Benn Brooks - 0

W" Willett ..------.--- 0

Henry Wilkenson --- 0

Hugh Williamson --- -- 0

Joseph Thornton 0

Joe Hawkyard --- 0

0

6

2

6

2

6

1

0

2

6

2

6

1

0

2

6

5

0

4

0

8

01/2

14

9

0

0

5

0

5

0

3

0

2

6

5

0

2

6

2

6

5

0

5

0

2

6

2

6

10

0

2

6

10

0

5

0

2

0

1

0

2

6

10 0 31/2
[10 0 31/2]
Less W" Woodheads - 2 00

Carr* up 8 0

APPENDIX 233

Brot up 8 0 31/2

Collected by John
Nobles of Eastrick

Sam^ Haigh 0 30

Tho* " 0 3 0

Betty " 0 2 0

Grace " 0 2 0

W" Firth 0 26

Martha '' - - - 0 2 6

Mathias Shaw 0 10

" Jun' 0 10

L8 17 3y2
Christ^ Tinker Book

Tho» Brook Esq' 5 00

Christ' Tinker 3 00

John '' 10 0

Ric* " - - . - 10 0

Joseph Hinchliff - 1 00

EUiott " 0 5 0

MissH " 0 5 0

M' Parkin 1 00

M" Amas Oldfield 0 26

A Friend 1 00

Do - - - 0 10

Friends - 0 29

L 13 16 3

W°»Woodheads 8 17 3y2

Tho" Bottomley's 60 0 0

L82 13 61/2
W™ Woodhead bringing

his own 2 00

Grand Total - - . - 84 13 61/2

2

INDEX

INDEX

, Samuel, with Bottomley family,

99, 100; goes to school, 106; leaves
Bottomley family, 115; illness of,
158.

, William, in Bottomley family,

199, 202, 208, 215.

Agriculture, pioneer conditions in,
33-34; breaking land, 48, 55, 66, 69,
70, 75, 77, 81, 95; planting, 42, 48,
68, 76, 84, 91, 102, 123, 124, 152-53,
156-57; 160-61; harvest, 81, 82, 84,
94, 98-99, 103-104, 129-30, 135, 136,
140, 144; 162-63, 165, 168, 173-74;
179, 187, 188, 202-204; planting to-
matoes, 88 ; planting fruit trees, 84 ;
wheat attacked by rust, 129, 135;
com attacked by blackbirds and cut
worm, 160-61; method of planting
wheat, 168-69.

Ague, in English Settlement, 48-, 52,
55, 56, 133, 154, 167, 182; in Wis-
consin, 158; treatment for, 161-62.

Aimes, , school trustee, 50.

Albany (N. Y.), route via, 29, 38, 75,
93, 196.

American Sunday School Union, rep-
resentatives from, 57; Bibles or-
dered from, 113.

Ames, J. W., farm described, 107-108.

Angear, , address by, 106.

Apothecary, at English Settlement, 90.

Apple trees, planted, 84.

Armitage, Mrs. , mother of

George, letter to, 46.

Armitage, David, decides to emigrate,
38.

Armitage, George, English immigrant,
21; on shipboard, 22, 23, 27, 51;
in Milwaukee, 33; makes settle-
ment, 30-31; helps fight fire, 36;
preemption in name of, 38; cuts
timber, 40-41; illness of, 56; helps
build house, 59; paid for work, 66;
money sent to, 67; gift to, 144; let-
ter from, 46.

Armitage, Sarah (Mrs. George), Eng-
lish immigrant, 21 ; illness of, 153.

Aspinell, Alfred, witnesses will, 215,
217.

Bailiff, in United States, 57.

Bancroft, , apothecary, 89; re-
turns to England, 90; tells of brick-
making, 100; daughter of, 102.

Bank, discount charged at, 71.

Baptist Chapel in Milwaukee, 101, 106.

Barley, planted, 42, 91, 94, 123, 153;
crops, 99, 140, 168, 202; malt made
from, 162.

Bass viol, played by Edwin Bottom-
ley, 37, 39 ; broken, 50, 62 ; repaired,
64.

Beaumont, George, decides to emi-
grate, 38.

Beaumont, John, tomato seeds for, 88.

Beaumont, Mathew, English immi-
grant, 207; illness of, 213.

Beef, price of, 46; supply, 152.

Beer, as cure for ague, 161-62.

Beets, planted, 76; crops, 81, 84, 104.

Bible, inquiry concerning, 67; raise
funds for, 105-106.

Billy. See Jenny.

237

238

INDEX

Black Rock, near Liverpool, 21.

Blackbirds, eat corn, 157, 160-61.

Blacksmith, at English Settlement, 96,
100-101, 126; John Wood becomes,
174, 183-84.

Blood, , doctor, 47.

Bobbin bits, brought to Edwin Bot-
tomley, 83.

Boston (Mass.), Atlantic port, 75;
mails from, 92.

Boston Academy of Music, collections
of tunes made by, 208.

Bots, cause death of horse, 146.

Bottomley, Ann, gifts from, 104.

Bottomley, Arminal Ann, on ship-
board, 25; illness of, 48, 52, 215;
news of, 51, 57; gift from, 90;
property bequeathed to, 217; pa-
pers in possession of, 223, 230; gift
of papers, 10, 18.

Bottomley, Cecelia Martha, christen-
ed, 147; illness of, 167, 215; news
of, 175, 181; property bequeathed
to, 217.

Bottomley, Edwin, early life, 10, 13-
15; emigration to United States,
14r-17, 22-29; arrives in Wisconsin,
30; buys land, 31, 106-107, 109-110,
170-71 ; plans for paying for land,
137, 142, 172-73, 195, 200-201; pays
for land, 153, 18^83, 204-206;
builds house, 31, 34; breaks land,
75, 95; sows crops, 33-34, 48, 55, 66,
68, 76, 84, 91, 102, 15&-57; harvests
crops, 81-82, 98-99, 103, 129-30,
135, 140, 144, 162-63, 168, 179, 187,
202-204; plants orchard, 84; do-
mestic animals owned by, 34r-35, 44,
49, 80-81, 91, 144, 161, 166; fire on
land of, 35-36; cuts timber, 40-41,
73; builds fences, 66, 68, 77, 86, 88,
91-92; diagram of fences on land
of, 78; works land on shares, 48;
helps neighbors with work, 115,
138-39, 183; hires labor, 65, 130,
154; applied to for work, 196-97;
hires out horse and wagon, 85, 88;
sells forty acres, 189-90; builds
new house, 53, 56, 63-64, 68; dia-

gram of floor plan, 58 ; draws sketch
of, 102-103 ; map of homestead and
surroundings, 172; map described,
171-72; teaches Sunday School, 79;
on committee to solicit funds for
church, 108, 111 ; chairman of meet-
ing, 227; religious convictions of,
116; draws plans for church, 120,
126; trustee of church, 147, 177;
school clerk, 50; district pathmast-
er, 127; supervisor, 194; executor
of Schofield will, 159, 162 ; on grand
jury, 208; account of expenditures,
32-33, 96-97, 132, 149-52; makes
spinning jenny, 69; makes corn
planter, 127-28 ; makes drilling ma-
chine, 161; makes furniture, 68-69,
145; in Milwaukee, 52, 100, 106, 182,
205-206; in Racine, 176-77, 178-79,
198 ; in Whitewater, 179 ; leads sing-
ing, 39, 64; hunts, 70; illness of,
88-90, 105, 131, 133, 138, 140, 145,
201-202, 210-211; treatment for
ague 161-62 ; party at home of, 106 ;
visitors at home of, 83, 95, 197-98,
202 ; plans for John Wood, 83 ; John
Wood leaves, 112-14; offer of, to
Thomas Hall, 110-111, 130-31; of-
fer refused, 133-34 ; plans for father
and mother, 184r-89, 195; plans for
mercantile business, 163-65; money
sent to, 52, 60, 141^3, 155, 163, 181,
205-206; makes draft on Thomas
Bottomley, 166; roadworkers board
with, 206; debt paid to, 71; letter
to, 72; grandchild of, 213; death of,
16, 18, 212; funeral, 212-13; will,
217-18 ; inventory of property, 218-
20.

Bottomley, Hannah, mother of Ed-
win, 13.

Bottomley, Hannah, daughter of Ed-
win and Martha Bottomley; on ship-
board, 22, 23; news of, 51, 57; in-
quiry about Bible for, 67; goes to
school, 86; works for Mr. Norton,
87; helps with farm work, 123-24,
134-35, 136, 140, 143, 182; teaches
school, 157, 161, 181; illness of, 183;

INDEX

239

marriage of, 192; message from,
199; property bequeathed to, 217.
See also Mrs. Thomas Brown.

Bottomley, Henry, message for, 45, 57,
78, 93, 100, 107, 144, 148, 158, 177;
letter from mentioned, 101, 181,
205, 209; letter to, 33, 71, 86; gift
to, 90; advised to immigrate, 104-
105, 188; plans for establishing
mercantile business, 163-65; propo-
sition made to, 207; illness of, 214.

Bottomley, Isaac, congratulations to,
69.

Bottomley, Martha, English immi-
grant, 21; on shipboard, 23-25, 27;
illness of, 33, 138-39, 141, 183, 206,
210-11, 213; daughter born to, 48,
53, 192; at Milwaukee, 52, 182, 205;
sees Indians, 56; visits Prairieville,
83; knits, 87; advises buying land,
109; requests seeds, 181; John
Woods' conduct toward, 113; as-
sists neighbors, 159; proves will,
215; property bequeathed to, 216;
executor of will, 217, 218; gift to,
86, 95, 104, 144; letters from, 52,
215.

Bottomley, Mary Ann, gift for, 90.

Bottomley, Mary Emma, named, 199;
birth of, 192; news of, 206; prop-
erty bequeathed to, 217.

Bottomley, Ruth, on shipboard, 22, 23;
discovers fire, 35; illness of, 87, 167,
175, 182-83; 210-11, 213; helps
with farm work, 123, 135, 136, 140,
143, 187, 202; news of, 51, 57, 170;
gift from, 90; property bequeathed
to, 217.

Bottomley, Sarah, on shipboard, 23,
26, 27; accident to, 129; news of,
51, 56, 62, 100; gift from, 90; iU-
ness of, 190, 215; property be-
queathed to, 217.

Bottomley, Selina, birth of, 48, 52;
christened, 57; illness of, 105, 214;
news of, 62, 82; gift from, 90;
property bequeathed to, 217.

Bottomley, Thomas, son of Edwin,
on board ship, 26, 27; illness of, 82,

105, 213; news of, 51, 56-57, 62, 161,
199; gift to, 128; property be-
queathed to, 217.

Bottomley, Thomas, father of Edwin,
13; silhouette of, frontispiece; pic-
ture of, mentioned, 147-48; illness
of, 40; money from, 52, 60, 133,
141-43, 155, 163, 181, 205-206; gift
from, 48, 69-70, 75, 77, 83, 95, 101-
102, 104, 128, 143-44, 169; gifts to,
62, 90, 102; asked to collect debt,
54, 59, 67; note payable by, 81;
draft on, 160 ; on managing commit-
tee to solicit funds for church, 108,
111, 228; extract from subscription
book of, 230-31; plans for mercan-
tile business, 163-65; trouble over
position of, 187, 195, 197; advised
concerning immigration, 147, 184-
89, 195-96; asked for aid, 195, 201,
215-16; moves to Netherton, 209;
emigrates to America, 18.

Bottomley, Mrs. Thomas, thanks to,
for gift, 75; gifts for, 90; illness
of, 98; message for, 199.

Boxes, sent to settlers, 48, 60, 75, 95,
101-102, 104, 14^-44; trouble with,
at customhouse, 63, 144; delay in
receiving, 75, 79, 140; plan to se-
cure value of, 80-81; payment for,
151.

Brauer, Lydia, aid acknowledged, 10.

Brick, for houses, 37, 45, 53, 56; cost
of, 59; paid for, 66; made in Wis-
consin, 100.

British Temperance Emigration So-
ciety, sketch of organization, 94;
members ' disappointment in, 99 ; ad-
vice to withdraw from, 100.

Brokerage, charged on English money
exchanged, 87.

Brown, A. Speirs, merchant. New
York, 205.

Brown, Thomas, marriage to Hannah
Bottomley, 192; threshes wheat,
200; aids Bottomley, 202, 208; lends
money to Bottomley, 205 ; illness of,
211, 2ia-14; witnesses will, 217.

240

INDEX

Brown, Mrs. Thomas, child bom to,
213 ; child dies, 215. See also Han-
nah Bottomley.

Buckwheat, harvested, 104.

Buffalo (N. Y.), immigrants at, 29-
30; route via, 38, 93, 196; work
sought in, 202.

Burlington, settlement near, 31; road
from, to Racine, 77, 88, 107, 120;
lawyer at, 118; doctor at, 47, 122-
23; Fourth of July celebration at,
50; carding mill at, 58; school at,
86, 87; work in, 178; flood, 193;
plank road through, 203, 206.

Burlington township, land in, 216, 218.

Butter, profits in making, 147; bar-
reled, 201.

Cabbage, planted, 76.

California, emigrant to, 107.

Canada, route from, 39.

Carding mills, at Waterford and
Rochester, 58.

Careo, immigrants arrive on, 75.

Carrots, planted, 76; harvested, 84,
139.

Catholics, protest use of school build-
ing, 117-18, 224, 226; settlers, 166.

Cattle, price of, 32, 35, 44, 116, 161;
food for, 34, 168; belonging to Ed-
win Bottomley, 34-35, 49, 73, 91,
152, 154, 166, 173, 201, 208; freeze
to death, 40, 146; accident to, 55;
sheds for, 40, 77 ; trample crops, 81,
165 ; profit in raising, 116.

Cauliflower, planted, 76.

Cellar, of Bottomley house, built, 58.

Cemetery, at English Settement, lack
of, 224; ground given for, 157;
burial in, 160.

Chapel. See Church.

Chess, grows in wheat, 128.

Chestnuts, planted, 68.

Chicago (111.), immigrants in, 30; In-
dians go to, 56; flood in, 193.

Chicago : Its History and Its Builders,
by J. S. Currey, reference to, 193.

Chicago River, floods, 193.

Christmas, carols sung, 64; party, 105-
106; services, 176.

Church, in Milwaukee, 101, 106; in
Rochester, 37; in English Settlement,
17; services, 57, 79, 117, 180, 223^
24; laws relating to, 118; plans for
erecting, 108, 124r-25 ; address on be-
half of erection of, 223-30; aid in
erecting, from England, 119-20 ; dia-
gram and description of floor plan
of, 120-21; probable cost of, 125;
contracts let for, 126-27; work on,
131, 138, 139, 157, 176-77, 181; serv-
ice held in, 176; annual meeting of
subscribers to, 146-47, 176; opened,
190-91; doctrine of, 125-26; meet-
ing of managing committee of, 188;
lecture in, 209; funeral of Edwin
Bottomley in, 212-13.

Chum, patent for, 209.

Cleveland (Ohio), immigrants pass,
30; steamer burned near, 207.

Climate, electrical storms, 35, 49, 53;
snow storms, 178; spring, 68, 121,
124, 126, 152, 178, 193, 208; sum-
mer, 95, 98, 185; autumn, 82, 103;
winter, 36, 40, 61, 64, 105,145, 178,
190, 192-93; suitable for brickmak-
ing, 100.

Clothing, damaged on journey, 46, 49-
50; gift of, 51, 60; flt of, 61-62, 99.

Club, at South Crossland, 89; insur-
ance benefits of, 148.

Cockcroft, Charles, at English Settle-
ment, 37; dies, 50.

Cockcroft, Jane, arrives at English set-
tlement, 93 ; aided by Edwin Bottom-
ley, 94 ; at Bottomley house^ 95 ; sit-
uation for, 97; married, 147.

Cockcroft, Joseph, payment to, 32; at
English Settlement, 37; at Milwau-
kee, 95; rents James Scott's farm,
147, 153.

Cockcroft, Mrs. Joseph (Ann Wood-
head), marriage of, 147, 153.

Coffee, use of, 41; price of, 46.

Commission, charged on English mon-
ey exchanged, 87.

Congregational Church, member of, 83.

INDEX

241

Corn, Indian, use of as food, 31 ; meal,
41, 90 J soil suitable for, 34; ground
ready for, 55, 66, 96, 124, 15^-154;
planted, 42, 48, 76, 91; diagram
showing method of planting, 156;
crops, 81, 84, 94, 99, 104, 129-30,
141, 165, 174, 179; climate suitable
for, 49; machine for planting, 127-
28; blackbirds in, 157, 160-61; cut-
worms destroy, 161; stalks for cat-
tle, 168; gift of, 90.

Com law, in England, 57.

Creamer, , spring on land belong-
ing to, 77.

Crossland mills, manager of, 13.

Crowther, Miss , 113. See also

Mrs. John Wood.

Crowther, William, land broken for,
55; has ague, 56; daughter of, 113;
John Wood boards with, 114; death
of, 178.

Crowther, Mrs. William, at Racine,
178 ; daughter with, 179.

Cucumbers, soil for, 34 ; planted, 42, 76.

Currey, J. S., Chicago; Its History and
Its Builders, (Chicago, 1912), refer-
ence to, 193.

Customhouse, baggage examined at,
29 ; difficulties at, 63.

Cutworms, destroy com, 161.

Dairying, profits in, 116, 147; farm

for, 188.
Dams, burst, 193.
Dane County, Wisconsin, immigration

to, 94.
Dawson, James, English immigrant,

arrives at Milwaukee, 30 ; at Prairie-

viUe, 43.
Dawson, Mrs. James, at English Set-
tlement, 83.
Deer, in Racine County, 70, 152.
Dents, reed, request for, 58, 68.
Des Plaines River, floods Chicago, 193.
Detroit (Mich.), immigrants pass, 30;

route via from Canada, 38.
Deumerly, John, trip from Canada,

38-39.

16

Ditch fences, made, 88; description of,
92; cost of, 96.

Dobson, Richard, land purchased from,
109; plans for paying, 137, 142;
paid for land, 153; married, 147.

Dobson, Mrs. Richard, at Mineral
Point, 153. See also Jane Cockcrof t

Doctor, at Burlington, 47, 122-23.

Drilling machine, made by Edwin Bot-
tomley, 161.

Drummond, William, Methodist min-
ister, 123-24, 148; makes address,
190-91; presides at funeral, 212-13.

Ducks, wild, in Racine County, 91.

Dutch, settlers in English Settlement,
165, 166-^7.

Dyer, , doctor, 47.

Dyson, Betsey, with British Temper-
ance Emigration Society, 93-94; at
English Settlement, 99, 109; in Mil-
waukee, 101; finds employment for
Samuel, 106; birth of child to, 114;
illness of, 158.

Dyson, John, with British Temperance
Emigration Society, 93-94; at Eng-
lish Settlement, 99, 109 ; finds work,
100, 101, 106, 115; wishes to return
to England, 104; employed as baker,
158; letter from, mentioned, 192.

Dyson, John, surgeon, advice asked
concerning ague, 161; letter from
mentioned, 165.

Dyspepsia, attacks immigrants, 63.

Eagle Creek, in Racine County, 105.

Eagle Lake, timbered lands on, 68.

Eamshaw, John, at English Settle-
ment, 37 ; school trustee, 50 ; services
at home of, 57, 79.

East Troy, 42.

Easter Tuesday, sowing begun, 68.

Edinbro, in Racine County, letter
from, 48, 52.

Emigration. See Immigration.

England, factory life in, 13-14; eco-
nomic distress, 33, 39, 41, 175, 197;
political agitation, 57 ; railroad build-
ing, 103; wheat grown, 93, 99; price

242

INDEX

of flour, 165; emigrants return to,
61, 71, 79-80, 90, 93, 102, 158, 165,
211; address to friends in, 223-28;
subscribers to church, 230-33.

English Settlement, in Racine County,
16, 36-37; church in, 17; address on
behalf of church, 223-30; subscrib-
ers to church, 228-33; school in,
37, 50; crops, 76, 99, 129, 188;
minister, 68-69, 148; blacksmith,
96, 100-101, 183; illness, 48, 52, 55,
56, 133, 136, 190, 193; stories con-
cerning, 70-71 ; plank road through,
203. See also School and Church.

Erie Canal, immigrants on, 29, 104;
cost of board on, 32.

Europe, wheat grown in, 93.

Factory, life in America, 193.

Fairport (Ohio), a lake port, 30.

Farley, Mary, aid acknowledged, 10.

Farms, improved, for sale, 91, 107-108,
134, 165; price received for, 165.

Fences, rails cut for, 40-41, 42; built,
66, 68, 77, 86, 88; broken, 165; dia-
gram of, 78; ditch, 88, 92, 96; pick-
et, 122 ; on Ames farm, 107.

Fever, in English Settlement, 133, 136,
138.

Fires, on prairie, 35-36; on lake
steamer, 207.

Fitchcrof t, , at English Settlement,

58 ; takes drawing to England, 61.

Flannel, plan for manufacture of, 58.

Floods, in Wisconsin and Illinois, 193.

Flour, supply of, 41, 53, 152 ; price of,
46, 158; cost of sending to New
York, 164.

Flour mills, at Rochester, 58.

Food, supply of, 41, 52, 81, 97; price
of, 46; lack of, 53. See also Prices.

Fourth of July, celebration, 30, 50, 201.

Fox River, source of, 37; plans for
mill on, 174.

France, wheat grown in, 93.

Frost, , Morton family with, 46,

47.

Fruit, trees planted, 84; supply of, 91.

Furniture, in Bottomley house, 41, 97;

made by Edwin Bottomley, 68-69.

Gill, George, works for Edwin Bot-
tomley, 187, 188; message from, 208;
returns to England, 211.

Glass, for Bottomley house, 66.

Gooseberry bushes, clippings from re-
quested, 128.

Griffith, steamer, burned, 207.

Grist mills, at Rochester, 58; water-
power for, 105.

Godfrey, , carols sung to, 64.

Gorst, Robert, organizer British Tem-
perance Emigration Society, 94.

Gorstville. See Mazomanie.

Green, , address by, 106.

Grist mill, at Rochester, 58 ; water pow-
er for, 105.

Gudger, John, buys land at Pewaukee
Lake, 43; conduct towards John
Wood, 65-66; John Wood leaves,
61; church member, 83.

Gudger, Mrs. John, at Milwaukee, 43.

Haigh, William, sells patent rights,
209.

Halkyard, James, journey through
United States, 197-98; at Edwin
Bottomley^s, 202.

Hall, Mary Ann, advised concerning
immigration, 90-91 ; at English Set-
tlement, 101, 109; teaches children,
104; does millinery, 123; illness of,
137; Edwin Bottomley^s plans for,
106, 110-11; William Perkin^s offer
to, 110-11, 112, 133-34; indecision
of, 136-37, 181; urges payment of
debt, 151; in Milwaukee, 176.

Hall, Thomas, advised concerning im-
migration, 90-91; at English Settle-
ment, 101, 109 ; accident to, 112 ; ill-
ness of, 122-23, 126, 127; Edwin
Bottomley's plans for, 106, 110-11,
130-31; William Perkin's offer to,
110-11, 133; works for Bottomley,

INDEX

243

104, 121, 136-37, 146; leaves Bot-
tomley, 134-35; lives at Perkiii's
house, 112; works for Perkin, 130,
136 ; money owed to, 151.

Hams, sale of, 151.

Harness, purchased, 96.

Hay, grows wild, 34; shortage of, 40;
purchased, 41; threatened by fire,
36; cut, 33, 48-49, 77, 134-35, 14&-
46, 162; crop of, 81, 144, 167-68.

Hay (Haye), Abraham, at English
Settlement, 37; name forged, 43.

Hay (Haye), Charles, goods sent by,
93.

Hay (Haye), John, English immigrant
at Pewaukee Lake, 31.

Hay (Haye), Richard, breaks land, 95;
sells heifers, 164, 166.

Healds, material for requested, 62.

Healy, , resident of Rochester,

134.

Hellewell, Mrs. Samuel, death of, 184.

Hickory nuts, gift of, 90.

Hilton, Thomas, letter from mentioned,
196-97.

Hinchcliffe, Squire, helps extinguish
fire, 36; money sent to, 52, 67, 133,
163, 199, 209 ; box sent to, 104; buys
plow, 95; grain threshed, 138-39;
house moved, 115; improvements on
house, 154; owes Edwin Bottomley
money, 151; news of, 178, 181.

Hinchcliffe, Mrs. Squire, son bom to,
209.

Hobroyd, John, settler in Iowa, 39.

Hockings, John, appraiser, 218.

Hockins, John, English immigrant, 74;
gift of timber for church, 125.

Hogs, owned by Edwin Bottomley,
144, 166, 173; freeze to death, 40;
trample wheat, 49 ; ready for market,
141, 175, 190 ; profits in raising, 107,
147.

Holroy, Miss , intends to emigrate,

45.

Homestead, Bottomley, woodland on,
73; fences around, 68, 77, 86, 88, 92,
96; spring on, 84; photograph of,
58, drawing of described, 78, 102-

103; map of, 172; map described,
171-72.

Honch Wallace, passed at sea, 25.

Honley Feast, celebrated, 169.

Horses, freeze to death, 40; diseases
of, 131, 135, 141; die, 146; method
of driving, 50-51 ; purchased by Ed-
win Bottomley, 80-81; use of, 84r-
85, 95.

Houses, built by Joseph Mitchell, 37;
on Ames farm, 107; moved, 115; for
Thomas and Mary Hall, 106-107,
131, 132; Edwin Bottomley's, built,
34; plans for second, 45; work on,
53, 56, 61, 68, 88, 122, 126, 130;
moved into, 63-64 ; cost of, 59 ; dia-
gram of, 58; photograph of, 58;
drawing of, described, 61, 102-103,
description of interior, 97, 177; ad-
ditions to planned, 209.

Huddersfield (England), mill town,
13, 68.

Hunting, in Racine County, 70.

Huron (Mich.), passed by immigrants,
30.

Hutchinson, , blacksmith, 96 ; John

Wood works for, 100-101, 104, 111,
126; John Wood leaves, 174.

Hymn, composer of, 51 ; words of, 54—
55.

Hyssop, grows wild, 34 ; cultivated, 76.

Iceberg, seen from ship, 26.

Illinois, boundary of, 37; settler in,
60, 67; route via, 158.

Illinois River, 36.

Immigrants, to America, 38, 39, 74, 83,
93-94, 101, 137, 169, 188, 192, 194,
207; expectations of, 90-91; return
of, 61, 71, 7^-80, 90, 93, 102, 158,
165, 211; ships carrying, burned,
207.

Immigration, purposes of, 14-16, 44,
97, 149 ; results, 17 ; voyage to Amer-
ica, 21-28; journey west, 28-29;
from Canada, 39; to California, 107;
advice concerning, 38, 90-91, 104-
105, 184-89; 195-96, 197; difficultiee

244

INDEX

of, 41; society for promotion of, 94,
99-100; men fit for, 104.

Indians, at English Settlement, 56.

Indiana, route via, 38.

Influenza, in English Settlement, 190.

Insurance, benefits of South Cross-
land lodge, 148.

Iowa, settler in, 39.

Ireland, coast passed, 22 ; repeal ques-
tion in, 57; economic distress in, 152.

Irish Channel, immigrants in, 21.

Jacson, John D., death at sea, 27.

Jacquard, request for, 62.

Jenison, Marguerite, aid acknowledged,

10.
Jessop, Martha, married, 13. See also

Mrs. Martha Bottomley.
Jenny, spinning, plans for making, 62 ;

frame made, 69 ; rim for, 88.
Joiners' tools, use of, 69.

Kale, curled, planted, 76.

Kaye, Joseph, English immigrant, 184.

Kenosha, Edwin Bottomley at, 163;
resident of, 186.

Kilbum, John, message for, 83.

Kitchen, plans for building, 209.

Kittle, William, History of the Town-
ship and Village of Mazomanie, cit-
ed, 94.

Labor, conditions in England, 39; de-
mand for, 42, 194; furnished by
neighbors, 56, 59, 95, 124, 138-39,
141, 145, 202; terms of, for year, 65.
See also Wages.

Lake Erie, route via, 30; steamer on,
burned, 207.

Lake Huron, route via, 30; freezes
over, 60.

Lake Michigan, route via, 30; freezes
over, 60; Chicago River empties in-
to, 193.

Lancaster (England), emigrants from,
13.

Lands, public, in Wisconsin, 16, 40-41,
68; price of, 31-32, 66, 105, 107,
165,166, 171, 189-90; purchased,
31, 43, 106-107, 109-10, 170-71;
purchased by foreigners, 179;
preemption, 38, 45; speculation in,
182-83; timbered, 66, 73, 85; improv-
ed, for sale, 104-105, 107-108, 134,
166; breaking and clearing, 55, 66,
69, 73, 75, 77, 81; taxes on, 57; Ed-
win Bottomley's, described, 34, 172;
damage done by storm, 178 ; effect of
public improvements on values, 203.

Land office, regulations of, 38.

Lee, , makes address, 190-91.

Leeds Mercury, copy of received, 67,
152.

Lees, Jonathan, applies for work, 197.

Lettuce, crop of, 76.

Lime, price of, 59.

Limestone, for cellar, 56.

Little Falls (N. Y.), route via, 29.

Littlewood, Ruth, message for, 69.

Liverpool (England), British port, 21,
80; British Temperance Emigration
Society organized in, 94.

Lockport (N. Y), described, 2&-30.

Logs, request for, 62.

Loom, plans for making, 62, 69.

Lumber. See Timber.

Machinery, in United States, 69; for
planting com, 127-28; for sawmill,
157-58; for drilling, 161.

Magistrates, in United States, 57, 80,
194.

Mail, cost of sending, 39, 66, 87, 93;
service to Rochester, 92; sending
money by, 45.

Malt, plans for making, 162.

Manitou Island, immigrants pass, 30.

Margrow, sweet, growing, 76.

Marston, Benjamin, decides to emi-
grate, 38.

Manufacturing, in United States, 69.

Maumee River, town on, 30.

INDEX

245

Mazomanie, British Temperance Emi-
gration Society at, 93-94 ; History of
Township and Village of, by Will-
iam Kittle, reference to, 94.

Measles, on board ship, 26-27 ; in Eng-
lish Settlement, 32.

Melons, soil for, 34 ; planted, 42, 76.

Methodist Episcopal Church, quarterly
meeting of, 128 ; minister of, 148.

Michigan, route via, 38 ; settler in, 188.

Midgley, , money expected from,

130, 134.

Miller, James, debt to Edwin Bottom-
ley, 44, 52, 59, 61.

Mills, at South Crossland, England,
13; at Rochester and Waterford, 58,
147; built by Thomas Milner, 72;
machinery for, 157-58; plans for
building, 174.

Milner, Joseph, debt to Edwin Bot-
tomley, 54; pays debt, 71; money
owned by brother, 72.

Milner, Thomas, debt to Bottomley, 54,
60-61, 67, 71; letter from, 72.

Milwaukee, letter from, 28 ; immigrants
in, 30, 33, 93-94; Edwin and Martha
Bottomley in, 171, 182-83, 205-206;
fare to, 32 ; tavern at, 42-43 ; luggage
arrives at, 95; work sought in, 100,
202; Baptist Chapel in, 101, 106.

Milwaukee and Rock River Canal,
lands on, 31.

Mineral Point, resident of, 109, 147,
153.

Minionette, planted, 76.

Mink, furs, 56.

Mint, grows wild, 34.

Mitchell, Andrew, at English Settle-
ment, 37.

Missouri, settler in, 197.

Mississippi River, route via, 197.

Mitchell, John, at English Settlement,
37.

Mitchell, Joseph, arrives at Milwaukee,
30; searches for land, 31; at Eng-
lish Settlement, 37; debts of, 45;
fences on land of, broken, 165 ; death
of, 133.

Mitchell, Jr., Joseph, at English Set-
tlement, 37; works for Edwin Bot-
tomley, 129, 130, 132, 134, 135, 146,
154, 155, 156, 162; wages of, 141;
illness, 167.

Mohawk Valley, canal in, 29.

Money, methods of sending, 45; cost
of sending, 67, 87; discount on, 71;
value of English pounds sterling, 87.

Morton, Sarah, English immigrant,
21; on shipboard, 22, 24; dishes of,
broken on journey, 46; sees Indians,
56; visits Prairieville, 83; gift for,
144.

Morton, William, English immigrant,
21 ; on board ship, 22, 23, 25 ; makes
settlement, 30-31, 33; debt to, paid,
53; helps build Bottomley house,
56, 59 ; paid for work, QQ ; illness of,
44, 46-47; fire on land of, 153-54;
witness of Edwin Bottomley^s will,
215 ; made executor, 217, 218.

Moss, Frank, purchases land, 43.

Mossley (England), Bottomley's birth-
place, 13; printing at, 230.

Moyle, Mrs. I. W., aid acknowledged,
10.

Mud Lake, cause of flood, 193.

Mukwonago, resident of, 10.

Muskrat, furs, 56. \

Mustard, crop of, 76. , i '• •

Naturalization, cost of, 32.

New Orleans (La.), route via, 185.

New York, immigrants in, 29, 60, 63,
196; customhouse in, 63, 144; im-
porters in, 144, 151; merchant in,
205; fare from, 32; journey to, 75;
route via, 158; money sent from,
181; price of flour in, 164.

Newcastle (Eng.), port, 25.

Newspapers, cost of sending, 39; cop-
ies of received, 67, 152.

Nobles, John, son of, 37; school trus-
tee, 50; teaches Sunday School, 79;
returns to England, 102-103; helps
with harvest, 142; trustee of church,
147, 177.

246

INDEX

Nobles, Mrs. John, goes to England,
102.

Nobles, Joseph, preaches, 37, 128 ; tells
of English Settlement, 70-71, 78;
character of, 79.

Nobles, Mrs. Joseph, in English Set-
tlement, 79.

Norton, , wood drawn for, 85, 88,

91-92; Hannah Bottomley boards
with, 86; money owed by, 97.

Nunns, Annie A., aid acknowledged,
10.

Oats, planted, 42, 48, 91, 123, 153,

179; crops, 94, 99, 140, 165, 168, 202;

stacked, 134.
Ohio, immigrants pass, 30.
Onions, planted, 76.
Orchard, planted, 84.
Oxen, use of, 45, 48, 59, 95; accident

to, 55 ; advantage of horses over, 85 ;

house moved by, 115.

Parkin, David, decides to emigrate, 38.

Parkin, Joseph, music promised to, 207.

Parsley, planted, 76.

Peel, Sir Robert, English prime min-
ister, 41.

Perkin, Joseph, message to, 83, 92.

Perkin, William, urges relatives to im-
migrate, 83, 92; gifts to, 103-104
relations with Thomas and Mary
HaU, 110-111, 112, 123, 130, 134
indecision of, 136-37.

Pewaukee Lake, immigrants at, 31
Gudger buys land at, 43 ; news from,
61; settler at, 184.

Philips, , doctor, 138.

Pickering, , box sent with, 60, 61,

79, 81; voyage to America, 63; let-
ter sent to, 75, 80; plans to return
to England, 158.

Pigs. See Hogs.

Plank Roads. See Roads.

Plow, new model, purchased, 95;
breaking, made by blacksmith, 96;
hoeing, 154, com, 162.

Plum, trees, planted, 84.

Police, in United States, 57.

Politics, in Wisconsin, 146.

Pontefract, Samuel, music sent to, 207-
208.

Poor law commissioners, in United
States, 57.

Pop com, gift of, 90.

Pork, scarcity of, 41-42; supply, 144,
152, 175, 190; price of, 46, 54; meth-
od of preparing, 158.

Porridge, use of, 41.

Postage, price of, 39, 66, 57, 93. -

Potatoes, use of, 41; planted, 42, 48,
94, 153, 156, 161; ground for, 55,
66, 76; crops, 81, 84, 139, 141, 144,
174; use of, 53.

Pots, broken on journey, 46; sent with
George Sheard, 86.

Potawatomi Indians, habitat, 36-37.

Poultry, freezes to death, 40; belong-
ing to Edwin Bottomley, 49, 152.

Prairieville. See Waukesha.

Preemption, of land, 38, 45.

Presque Isle (Lake Huron), immi-
grants pass, 30.

Preston, , English immigrant, 101.

Prices, apple trees, 84 ; beef, 46 ; board,
86; bread, 103; brick, 59; butter,
201 ; church, building of, 125 ; cloth-
ing, 46; doctor's services, 47; do-
mestic animals, 32, 35, 44, 81, 107,
116, 161; flour, 46, 135, 158; freight-
age, 164 ; hay, 40 ; house, building of,
53; household implements, 30, 32^
33; land, 31-32, 105, 109; land, im-
proved, 107, 165, 166; land, timber-
ed, 66, 73; lime, 59; money, sending,
67; plow, 96; pork, 42, 46, 54, 158;
postage, 39, 66, 87, 92, 93; rails, 68,
73; rent, 110, 147, 153; sugar, 46;
tea, 46; timber, 32, 73; travel, 32;
treacle, 46 ; wagon, 81 ; wheat, 54, 82,
135, 159, 164r-65. See also Wages.
Pumpkins, soil for, 34; planted, 42,
76; crops, 168.

INDEX

247

QuAiFE, M. M., editor, 18.

Quincy (111.), distance to Rochester,

45; letter from, 72.
Quincy Adams County, IlL, resident of,

67.

Raccoon, furs of, 56; gift of skin of,
90.

Racine County, settlement in, 16; deer
in, 70; wild duck in, 91; county
court, 208, 218.

Racine, roads from, 31, 33, 77, 88, 107-
108, 120; plank road from, 16;
route to, 63, 196; price of wheat in,
135, 159; John Wood in, 85, 88, 91-
92; steamboat ashore at, 179; deed
recorded, 153; will proved, 215.

Racine and Burlington road, 31, 77,
88, 107-108, 120.

Rails, cut from government land, 40-
41; split for fences, 42, 95; cut for
picket fences, 122; cost of splitting,
73; purchased, 66; number procur-
ed, 68; drawn, 85, 88, 89.

Railway, to Buffalo, 196.

Rastrick (England), emigrant from,
37; wheat growing in, 93.

Reed, plans for making, 58.

Reeves, Charles, organizes British
Temperance Emigration Society, 94.

Religion, Catholic — Protestant dispute,
117-18; meetings held, 181.

Rifle, experience with, 70.

Roads, plank, to Racine, 16; between
Racine and Rochester, 199; through
English Settlement, 206; between
Burlington and Racine, 31, 77, 88,
107; condition of, 74; method of
procuring, 180; cost of building,
203; town improvements on, 127.

Roantree, Miss , marriage of, 192.

Robertson, Henry, goes to New York,
75; sails for England, 79-80.

Rochester (Wis.), settlement near, 31;
town plots in, 37; mail service to,
92, 98; plank road to, 199; ceme-
tery in, 32, 50; flood in, 193; black-
smith at, 96; Joseph Sykes at, 43,

47; John Wood at, 112; carols sung
at, 64 ; distance from, to Quincy, 111.,
45; distance from, to Waukesha, 58.

Rochester (N. Y.), described, 29.

Rock River, canal route to, 31.

Routes to the West, 29-30, 38, 75, 195-
96; to the East, 158; from Canada,
38-39; from Wisconsin to New Or-
leans, 197; effect of seasons on, 60,
63.

Rowntree, Christopher, appraiser, 218.

Ruth, Book of, quotation from, 52.

Sabbath, observance of, at sea, 25;
nonobservance of, 66, 88; services
on, 78-79, 186.

Salt springs at Syracuse, 29.

Sawmills, at Rochester and Waterf ord,
40-41; machinery for, 157.

Sand, for Bottomley house, 59.

St. Georges Bank, on coast of New-
foundland, 28.

Schofield Ann, iUness of, 215.

Schofield, Edward, gift for, 90; death
of nephew, 160.

Schofield, John, message to, 184, 198-
99.

Schofield, John, at English Settlement,
37; death of, 159-60; animals be-
longing to, 166 ; property of, valued,
169, 174r-75; money due estate of,
200.

Schofield, Mrs. Joseph, illness of, 159-
60.

Schofield, William, illness of, 213.

School, in Burlington, 86-87; in Eng-
lish Settlement, 37; district formed,
50; teacher engaged for, 106, 116;
Hannah Bottomley teaches, 157;
used for Sunday school and church
services, 117-18; building for, 224,
226.

Scott, James, farm of, near Rochester,
31, 37; purchases oxen, 35; sells
oxen, 44; animals belonging to,
freeze, 40; house of, threatened by
fire, 36; conduct toward Joshua
Woodhead, 45; spring on land of.

248

INDEX

77; buys plow, 95; exchanges work
with Edwin Bottomley, 139, 145;
rents farm, 147 ; works in mill, 153 ;
moves back to farm, 169; wishes to
make trade, 174; meeting at home
of, 228.

Scurvy, in English Settlement, 82.

Seed, wheat, bought, 82.

Senior, Joseph, inquiry concerning,
109.

Senior, Mrs. Joseph (Elizabeth
Stocks), 109.

Shaw, John, message from, 230.

Sheard, George, goods to be sent by,
62, 67, 86; money sent from, 67;
arrives, 74; route of, west, 75;
lives in Bottomley shanty, 74^75;
new home of, 82-83; message from,
79.

Sheboygan, settler at, 169.

Sheep, plans for buying, 199.

Sleigh, use made of, 84r-85, 105.

Smith, Enoch, buys land at Sheboy-
gan, 169; news of, 194.

Smith, Kester, message for, 194.

Smithy, at English Settlement, 174,
183.

Snail Lake. See Pewaukee Lake.

Soil, described, 34; for tomatoes, 88.

South Crossland (England), milltown,
13 ; home of Thomas Bottomley, 81 ;
club at, 89, 148; workmen at, con-
tribute to building of chapel, 119,
120.

Southport. See Kenosha.

Springs, in neighborhood, 76, 105;
diagram of location of, 77; on Ed-
win Bottomley 's land, 84; on ad-
joining land, barred, 172.

Squash, planted, 76.

Squirrel, furs of, 56.

Stage, travel by, 60.

Steel, Joseph, child of, dies, 26.

Steinhiel, F., money from, 52, 60, 67;
cost of letter and check from, 87.

Stocks, Elizabeth. See Mrs. Joseph
Senior.

Stonehouse, Alexander, helps break
land, 48, 55; gives land for ceme-
tery, 157.

Stonehouse, Samuel, goes to Racine,
74; elected constable, 194.

Storm, at sea, 25-26.

Straw, stacked, 168.

Sugar, lack of, 41; price of, 46; sup-
plied by neighbors, 53 ; used in mak-
ing syrup, 74.

Sunday School, in English Settle-
ment; gift of library to, 57; serv-
ices of, 79; quarters for in new
church, 125; pupils of, celebrate
Fourth of July, 201; need of quar-
ters for, 224.

Swallow, , English immigrant,

207.

Swallow, Henry, English immigrant,
work found for, 169; at Burlington,
178.

Sykes, Joseph, conduct in Wiscon-
sin, 42-43, 47; lives at Delavan,
116; at Chicago, 198; house at
Netherton, England, 209.

Sykes, Mrs. Joseph, news of, 198.

Sykes, Joshua, message to, 64; seeds
from, 76.

Syracuse (N. Y.), salt works at, 29.

Syrup, receipt for, 74.

TA^^ERN, at Milwaukee, 42-43 ; at Roch-
ester, 64.

Taxes, on land in United States, 57;
in England, 41.

Taylor, Joab, intends to come to Wis-
consin, 192; letter from mentioned,
193-94; letter to mentioned, 198.

Tea, use of, 41; price of, 46; sup-
plied by neighbors, 53; party, 105-
106.

Thomson, , helps build Bottomley

house, 56.

Timber, cut from government land,
40-41, 68, 73; for houses, 54, 59;
cut into rails, 42, 66; price of, 32,
73; on land in Racine, 85; gift of,
for church, 125, 177.

INDEX

249

Tinker, Christopher, on managing
committee to solicit funds for
church, 108, 228; extract from sub-
scription book of, 233.

Tinker, James, farm of, near Roch-
ester, 31 ; breaks land, 48 ; buys tim-
bered land, 66; hires out oxen, 95;
helps extinguish fire, 36; learns to
sing, 39; sells Robertson's property,
80; helps build smithy, 183; buys
patent right, 209; services at house
of, 37 ; on committee to solicit funds
for church, 108, 111, 227; secretary
of meeting, 228 ; church trustee, 147,
177; school tax gatherer, 50; mag-
istrate, 194; illness of, 133, 154;
at Racine, 74, 178-79 ; debt to Edwin
Bottomley, 151, 160; box sent to,
144 ; money sent to, 52, 67 ; news of,
155, 178, 180; message from, 188;
letters from, 210, 211; executor of
Edwin Bottomley's will, 217, 218.

Tinker, Mrs. James (Jane), gives aid,
53; illness of, 133, 154; discontent-
ed, 155.

Tobacco, used, 99, 138.

Toledo (Ohio), immigrants pass, 30.

Toll, charged on plank road, 203.

Tomato, seeds of, sent to England, 88,
95.

Transportation, across Atlantic, 21-28,
63; to Wisconsin, 29-30, 38, 75, 195-
96; up Great Lakes, 94; by ox team,
74; cost of, 32; effect of seasons on,
60, 63; damage to luggage, 46, 49-
50; difficulty with luggage, 95; cost
of freightage, 164.

Treacle, price of, 46.

Tucker, , makes address, 190-91.

Turnips, planted, 76, 91; crops of,
104, 168, 174; sowed by drilling
machine, 161.

Typhoid fever, in English Settlement,
210-15.

Typhus fever, in English Settlement,
44.

Umber, F., and Dambmann, New York
importers, 144.

United States, immigration to, 14-17,
21-29, 38, 93-94, 99-100, 137, 149,
169, 188, 192, 194, 207; advantages
of living in, 39; government of, 57,
180, 194; public lands in, 16, 31-32,
38, 40-41, 68, 73; manufacturing in,
69.

Utica (N. Y.) on canal route, 29.

Venison, supply of, 152.
Violets, used in sirup, 74; seeds of, re-
quested, 181.

Wages, for blacksmith's apprentice,
100-101; breaking land, 69, 73;
building house, 59, 66; building
church, 101; drawing bricks, 59;
drawing wood, 85-86; farm work,
64, 114, 115, 121, 132, 141, 154;
housework, 87; nurses, 101; school
teacher, 117; squaring timber, 126;
in England, 71. See also Prices.

Wagons, described, 50; bought by Ed-
win Bottomley, 80-81; use made of,
84-85; repaired, 96.

Wheat, soil for, 34; difference between
spring and winter, 76; planted, 33,
48, 55, 66, 68, 82, 84, 91, 102, 124,
152-53, 160-61, 162, 178, 193; har-
vest, 81, 94, 98-99, 129, 131, 135;
136, 140, 165, 168, 174, 179, 187,
202; seed, 6&-«7, 93; method of
planting, 168-69 ; machine for plant-
ing, 157; cause of poor crops, 156;
snow needed for, 86; injured by
rain, 127; weeds in, 128; damaged
by rust, 129; trampled by hogs, 49;
price of, 54, 82, 135, 159, 164^5;
held for higher price, 159-60 ; profits
in growing, 116.

Wall flower, seeds requested, 181.

Waterford, sawmills at, 41; woolen
mills, 58, 147; town lots in, 174.

Water power, for grist mill, 105.

Watermelons, planted, 76.

250

INDEX

Waukesha, 43.

Weeds, growth of, 128, 130.

Well, built, 34, 84, 114; on Ames
farm, 107; Thomas Hall falls in,
112.

Whales, seen from ship, 23, 51.

Whitewater, John Wood at, 178, 179.

Wilson, Charles, organizes British
Temperance Emigration Society, 94.

Wilson, John, takes land on shares, 48 ;
lends money to Edwin Bottomley,
53; draws bricks, 59.

Wimpen, Joseph, in Catholic-Protest-
ant dispute, 117-18.

Wisconsin, English immigrants to, 14,
17, 38, 74, 93, 101, 137, 169, 192,
194, 207; public lands in, 16, 31-32,
38, 40^1, 68, 73; boundary of, 37;
government, 57 ; laws, 118 ; constitu-
tional convention in, 146; Sabbath
observance in, 78; immigration to,
under British Temperance Emigra-
tion Society, 94.

Wisconsin Historical Library, records
of British Temperance Emigration
Society in, 94 ; Bottomley Papers in,
18.

Women, contribution to immigration,
15-16; complaints of, 41.

Wood, Benjamin, message to, 65-66;
100-101, ia4, 126, 184; gift for, 90.

Wood, Charles, English political agi-
tator, 33.

Wood, John, in Milwaukee, 43; leaves
John Gudger, 61; works for Edwin
Bottomley, 64-65, 68, 7^73, 77, 96,
112-14; visits John Gudger, 83; in
Eacine, 74, 85, 88, 91; rescues
Thomas Hall, 112; works for black-
smith, 100-101, 104, 111, 126; court-

ship of, 113; marriage, 121; in
Whitewater, 177-78, 179; sets up
smithy, 174, 183-84; ilhiess, 136;
gift from, 90; aids brother, 177;
money sent to, 181.

Wood, Mrs. John, ill, 136; lives with
mother, 179 ; child bom to, 188.

Wood, Mary, letter to, 52; gift for
90.

Wood, William, English immigrant, 48.

Woodhead, Ann. See Mrs. Joseph
Cockroft.

Woodhead, Joseph, speech delivered
by, 106; on committee to solicit
funds for church, 108, 111, 227;
works for Edwin Bottomley, 145;
marriage of, 192.

Woodhead, Joshua, farm of, near
Rochester, 31; death of son of, 32;
breaks land, 48; buj^ plow, 95;
money sent to, 52, 67; in Racine,
74; in Rochester, 147; illness of,
133; works for Edwin Bottomley,
145; rents farm, 153; sells farm,
165; out of work, 169; chairmen of
meeting, 228.

Woodhead, Mrs. Joshua, illness of,
133.

Woodhead, William, on committee to
solicit funds for church, 108, 228;
extract from subscription book of,
231-33 ; changes amount of subscrip-
tion, 147; plans to emigrate, 137;
arrives, 137-38; boxes sent by, 144;
daughter of, 153; chairman of meet-
ing, 190.

YORKVILLE, immigrants at, 31.

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