Letter from Joseph P Hall to Mama 9-Jan-1877
January 9th 1877
215 Laud Street
Dear Mamma,
Aunt Polly wants
me to stay until John
goes to London. Tell Miss
Townend that I have not
had time to write to her.
I should have written to
you before, only I forgot.
Tell Henry to save
sparrow for my
_
I did not catch a
seagull today.
I was fishing from
the pier and I had
a bite which broke
my hook Amen.
I am
yours truly,
J. Hall
Letter from Joseph P Hall to Mama 12-Jan-1877
12 January
215 Lord Street
Dear Mama,
I hear that Henry
has burnt his face and
Henry wrote a letter to Aunt
Polly and said that he
has burnt his face with
something. She did not
say what of course. I
intended to write last
night but it was bed time
so it had to be written
this morning.
John is going to London
on Monday. What train
am I to come home
by. Ask Alfie if
Alister Reid's rabbit
has had young ones yet.
What was Alister in the
sulks about that
day.
I am
Yours truly,
J. P. Hall
Letter from Joseph P Hall to Mama 28-May-1877
May 28th 1877
Dear Mama,
We arrived at school
as usual. I have made six pence
for Arthur Roby in stamps.
Alister as usual is as nasty as he can
be in school but in the playground
and after school
he is alright. Alfie had
50 lines today for making a
blot in his copy book.
I knew my lessons very well
but I only learnt them as I
went to school. We were
not in time for school this
morning. Mr Wilks asked me
about the catapult affair. He
said that he was very glad that I had
not got into much jaw
about it. Eight of the boys
have gone to the Oxford
Examination with Mr
Wilks and we have some
fun in the afternoons.
They will be at the
examination all this week
and some days in the
next week. There were only
30 boys today. There were only
nine boys to dinner today.
I am
your affectionate son
Joseph Platt Hall
Letter from Joseph P Hall to Mama 30-May-1877
30 May 1877
Dear Mama,
I received your &
Papa's postcard this morning.
As a matter of course I have
got into a row about my
Latin. This is the sixth time
and I have made up my
mind that I will not learn
Latin any longer. Will you
write by return of post to say
whether I am to learn it any
longer or not, but
if you will not let me give
over learning it I shall not
stay better any longer. Alfie's
arm is very very
sore he says and it has swollen
considerably. Before dinner
today we were playing
cricket in the field and two
cows were walking near the
wicket. I was in at the time
and I hit the ball against
one of the cows hides so hard
that it nearly knocked it down.
Alister and eleven more went
to the exams this afternoon.
I am
your affectionate son
Joseph Platt Hall
Letter from Joseph P Hall to Papa 21-Jan-1878
27 January
215 Lord Street
Dear Papa,
I met Mama
at the station today
and went to the lodgings
with her and then
we went to the end
of the pier. I tried to
fish but it was
so rough to catch
anything, there are
a great quantity of
fish to be caught
off the pier head, it
was very wet only
this morning but
about 11 o'clock it
was fine. I shall
be glad to get home
to you and the
others. Mama is
going for a sail
with Beani Reid
tonight.
I am
yours truly
Joseph Platt Hall
Letter from Joseph P Hall to Mama 7-Jun-1880
17 The Crescent
Salford
June 7th 1880
Dear Mama,
We went to Reid's
to dinner yesterday. I mean
Alfie & I but Henry had
promised to go to Aunt
Libie's so he went. Alfie
& I went to Aunt Libie's
to supper instead.
Henry has gone to Reids
to tea tonight and
Alfie has gone to Stowell
to prepare for the
sports which are
on Friday next.
All is going on well
here of course.
Alfie says he is going
to have his photograph
taken tomorrow
for 2/6 in the proper
size.
Baby went to tea at
Aunt Libie's on Sunday.
I forgot to say before.
I hope you and Papa are enjoying
yourselves.
At Reids we have
3 young green linets
which we took the
other day and we
put the cage with
them in outside
& the old birds feed
them.
If you have not got
me a knife you must
please yourself what
you get me.
When are you coming
home?
I am in a great hurry
so you must excuse
the letter being
written as it is.
I remain
Your affectionate son
Joseph Platt Hall
Letter from Joseph Platt Hall to mother from Gulf of Aden 1899
R.M.S Peninsular
Gulf of Aden
February 5th 1899
Sunday
Dear Mama,
My last letter was posted
at Suez & the one before that
from Port Said. I hope you
received them in due course.
I have very little to say
except that I keep well &
have had very little headache
and that only very slight. I
think I am sleeping better
although I still wake up
very often. I think I do not
lay awake so long, on the
whole I am better than I
have been for some time &
think I am making satisfactory
progress.
As there is so little to report
I may as well take each
day in detail.
Thursday 2nd (left Suez about
9.30 last night). Wind slight
& with us. Temperature, cabin 64
in shade, on deck 74 at 10am
& bright during day.
Small dance on deck after dinner
but a failure as there are only 6
or 8 girls who dance & they are
very little good.
Run 219 miles Lat 26-49-0 Long 34-31-0.
Friday 3rd. Fine calm day, wind
still with us. Temperatures
9am in cabin 70 F
do on deck in shade 78 F
5pm in cabin 70 F, 11pm deck 72 F.
Run 340 Lat 21-54-0, Long 37-34-0
Saturday 4th Feb. Wind went
round to the south in night & has
increased in strength since.
Cabin 9am 78, deck sahde 79 F.
in shade on deck down day 84 F
Cabin 79 11.30pm
Charades & dance after dinner
Sports in afternoon.
Run 330 Lat 17-7-0 Long 40-33-0
Sunday 5th Passed out of
Red Sea about 11-30 am had
good view of Perin Island and
Arabian coast. Wind strong
from south. Saw a sandstorm
on the Arabian coast, the
sand made a cloud which I
estimate was at least 300ft
high. Now that we are out
in the Arabian Gulf the wind
is slightly less, we have had
no heavy sea since the night
before we reached Marseilles.
We had a death on board between
Gibraltar and Marseilles of a
stoker. I don't know the cause
but he was buried quietly while
we were at dinner & nobody
found out anything about it
until afterwards.
Since we left Suez we have
had parkers going at meals
but as the highest temp we
have had has only been about 85
it seems to me to be a great fuss
about nothing. I have felt no
inconvenience at all from the heat,
simply because there has not been
any.
Hoping you are all keeping well and
taking proper care of yourselves.
Your affectionate son,
J.P. Hall
You will next hear of us from
Bombay and then we shall have to be
guided by the plague as to whether
we go near Calcutta or not. You had
better send copies of all letters to the P.O.
agent at Aden to be called for as by
changing our arrangements we may
miss all letters sent to India or
Ceylon. If any alteration of arrangements
is necessary I will wire you.
