July 2nd 1876

My Dear Brother,

                                    I now take up my pen to you once more and trust it will not be the last time in communicating with each other. For as saying before, we need not be so distant as we are. I think so few of us left in our family. Not but what I often think of you all at times and even dream of those who have been dead for years past. I have been dreaming of poor mother twice within a few nights of each other that made me think there was some thing up at home. Not but what Francis says there is not any heed to be taken in dreams but I am apt to believe too much of them.

            My dear brother and sister in law, the reason of me writing to you is on account of sending our daughter's likeness enclosed in this, as I have sent one to our sister Mary Ann and one to our Aunts and the rest of our relatives. (inserted : I do not mean one each to all relations only the one addressed to ??). To see it and you all will see a wonderful change in her in this one to what there is in the other. I suppose you and my sister will think we make a great fuss over her but can as sure such is not the case. Although she is the only girl she is out. We have three of them, the oldest ones out at this present time as telling Aunts. I think this is a far better place to bring up a large family. I found it quite enough to do for us to bring up ours of ten. Thinking of you and my sister, you need to have good means to support ten of them, as telling you before we have six of them. Frank the eldest is getting 12s per week and his board and staying at his place altogether. Of course he comes home some times to see us as he is only living 3 miles from us. The last time he was at home he talked of saving some of his money and putting it in the bank. Boys and girls have a good chance to save money here if they think proper to do so. David the 2nd one is working at a Blacksmiths, he is getting 8s per week and his board likewise. He comes home of a night to sleep but do not know whether he will stay or not there. He does not appear satisfied with the wages he is getting. He don't consider he is learning a trade and our daughter is getting 7s per week and of course she is out altogether and she has begun to put a trifle in the bank.

            My dear brother, I hope you did not think ill of not writing personally to you when meeting with the accident of breaking your collar bone , but I enquired of our sister Mary Ann about you and was very sorry to hear of it indeed.

            I please to give my kind love to sister Mary Ann and am sorry that she cannot get some thing more settled to do than she does. For being sure she must feel it very much at her age. I go by myself for I tell Francis at times I am going down the hill very fast, at times feeling very unwell and then again feel altogether so well being obliged to be very cautious what I am about. And likewise if you please to give my kind love to aunts, uncle, cousins and the same to my sister in law and the dear children. I dare say you will have a good laugh over this scribble. I do not say that you will have Francises, for I can not get him in the mind to have his taken.

            Will you please to tell our sister Mary Ann or any of them, I am better than was when writing the last letter, when you see any of them. So I must conclude with kind love, and Francis and the childrens to you all. Hoping this will find you all quite well the next time it is my intention to send you the likeness of them which you have not had yet. If please God to spare me so I remain with kind love to all,

                                    Your affectionate sister
                                    Ann Scammell

Notes :- Letter to David Galbreath of London (born 1833 in Whitechapel), from his sister Ann Scammell, nee Ann Jane Galbreath (1821 Finsbury, London), who migrated to Australia (1852?) and married Francis Scammell in Victoria in 1856.

My thanks to Kay Clarke for this letter.