The following three letters were written by James Frederick Hall. (1810-37). The first letter is to his father, James Hall, and sister, Mary Ann, and the second and third are to his brother William.
LETTER FROM JAMES FREDERICK TO HIS FATHER JAMES HALL AND HIS SISTER MARY ANN.
[This letter was addressed to James Hall’s agent, Mr Stilwell, 22 Arundel Street, The Strand, while James was serving on board the convict ship Georgiana. He probably received it on his return from Australia in July 1833 and before his departure for China in the Andromache in January 1834. The letter shows that it was then forwarded to William who was serving as a Master’s Assistant in the Barham in the Mediterranean.]
Bombay 29th January 1833
My Dear Father
Your very welcome letter of the 22 July last, arrived this morning. It has been six months coming. I have been long expecting it, and every time a London Ship was signalled at the castle Flag Staff I was off to the Post Office, but all my enquiries were in vain till this morning when your letter was given to me. The letter which you speak of having left at the India Office, I received - which you must know long before this. This is the fourth letter that I have sent you since that time. I should suppose that at the time I am writing this, you have received two of them at least. In my last was enclosed two of the Bombay Gazette, one of them containing the trials of the Parsee rioters and the other - the advancement of my worthy self to the Honourable and Lucrative Situation of a Sub Conductor of Ordnance. I said that I would write via the Steamer, via the red sea, but I had little or no news to communicate so I did not keep to my word - more especially that it would have cost one 4 rupees of which I was not aware at the time I wrote my last, and that was not exactly available at that time - indeed I am struggling hard, even at this time each step of promotion have followed so fast upon the other, that I have not had time to clear myself off before I had fresh calls upon my pocket. Bombay (I mean the Presidency itself) is a dear place for living especially in house rent. You will pay as dear here as you would in London and not get such good Houses either. Living is dear in some Articles and cheap in others. Meat, Bread and Vegetables, Tea and Sugar and all Country Liquors are cheap. All Europe articles as you may suppose are dear. Bombay is at present in a very healthy state, this is the finest season in the year. I am now (I thank God for it) in as good health and spirits as I ever was in my life, although sometimes a cloud in the shape of home will creep over my thoughts, but then if anything occurs to attract my notice I resume my wonted cheerfulness for it is not in my disposition to be long sad - there has nothing occurred to me since my last letter to you. I cannot be singing the old tune of ‘More [?] Promotion’ now. I am at a stand. I have arrived at that part of the tree where I can just reach the top with my hand, but as yet cannot plant my foot upon it. There are two more steps to be attained and I must stop, beyond that point I cannot pass for the next rank is a Commission which unlike the King’s troops we may not get. I wish that it were allowed in the Company’s service also it would be something to look out to, but I need not Grumble - how many meant with more abilities than I was ever possessed of, have come to India and never reached the height that I have - much more in so short a time! Indeed I have every reason to be thankful and I hope that I am so.
We have nothing out here but saluting, from morning till night. The Melville and Curacoa, the former with the Flag of Sir John Gore (I have often thought whether he was the same that I took one of those Rosille [?] Parrots to as a present out by Knightsbridge, or somewhere that way.) The Governor going on a boat to church, or to a ball or a dinner and away goes a salute from the Batteries and another from Curacoa. and a third from the Flag Ship and the same on his going on shore. Then there are all sorts for the Admiral and the Company’s Cruizers who are running in and out of the Harbour, so between the whole of them there is plenty of powder burnt.
In the list of the Officers of the Alligator who is on this station. I observe Lieut Clarke of the Marines. I rather think it must be the Clarke [He was correct. It was Charles Clarke, which helps narrow down the date James left Bermuda. Ed] of the Niemen who was sick at Bermuda - if it is, I should like to make myself known to him, yet I would feel ashamed. My Dear Father, I dare say you will smile at this, but you must know I do not know whether you ever heard of a Conductor or a Sub Conductor that the Navy Blades - who are in the habit of coming to the Arsenal for Stores or any other point of duty, are not exactly up to the rank, so seeing me genteely draped, I get ‘Sir’ used to me quite often, and the cap touched when they speak to me. Now when I find that to be the case I always keep up the joke by treating them as I would an equal. You must not suppose that I mean a Middy as we are all on a footing with them, either the Navy or Cruiser Gents, but the Lieutenants I mean and all the other sorts such as Masters and Pussers. indeed those gentlemen of the Cruisers we never take much notice of although they know what we are. We were the same dress as any other gentleman (for we are Gents certainly).
My dear Father, I am well aware of your inability to purchase me a commission. I know what calls you have on your purse as well as if I were present with you. I wish war was present. I might then get more steps, or get knocked on the head, but if it was left to my choice I think I should prefer the former. There are great rumours of war with Russia. I wish it were the case. India would be the scene of the struggle which would make all sorts of Promotion. We have heard here that it was contemplated at home to make all Officers from the ranks as in the French Army and not allow the sale of Commissions. It would be a very fine thing but I am afraid the news are too good to be true.
The Cholera has not appeared here for Months but the Plague is just declining in the Gulf. We apprehended its being brought here so a very strict quarantine was established, but they are now relaxing in their regulations.
I am impressed with the idea that I shall yet wear an Epaulette, although now I have at present but little hopes. If you could get me some letters of recommendation sent out, not to me, but some person of consequence at the Presidency, it might benefit me much. There are many situations to be had (out of the Army) - and should anything very comfortable offer I could find the money and purchase my discharge. I could do that now *******be useful without any prospect of a situation. The Ordnance Department then must be the only field that I can look to. I have obtained myself friends, and bear a good character amongst the Officers, and if I keep it, there are many of them that would do anything for me that I could in reason ask. I believe I told you in my last in what Department I was placed. In charge of the Arsenal Wharf and packing for Outstations. I am still there. I could tell you much about the Department, but it would be uninteresting to you.
The Commandant of Artillery died lately (Col. Pearce C.B.). It has made a rise for the officers throughout down to the 2nd Lieutenant. He had been home to England for the benefit of his health and only returned a few months when he died. The Senior Conductor of our department died on the 29th Dec last and another has gone to England on Furlough for 3 years for the benefit of his health. Two Subs will be made Conductors in their place and two non commissioned appointed Subs, so that will give me a hoist towards the top of the list. I shall then be fifth from the bottom.
Captain Lister, who promoted me to Sub is going to Poona, being appointed Commissary of Stores in the Deccan, it is not unlikely that he will take me with him or have me up hereafter. There is a seaman’s friend society here of which he is a member. To oblige him I go on board every ship with European crew which comes into harbour, Ship’s of War excepted, for the purpose of inquiring whether they need any boats on the following Sunday to convey their men to the floating chapel, and if so, to furnish them with what boats they require, for which I receive money to pay the expenses.
But my dear Father if I be telling you everything, I shall have no room to address her Ladyship for I suppose she would feel highly offended were I to neglect answering her pretty little letter, so wishing you Health and Happiness and referring you to Mary’s share of this sheet for further Intelligence, I remain,
My Dear Father
Your ever Affectionate Son
James Hall
Letter written by James to his sister Mary Anne at the same time as the above letter to his Father.
My dear Mary
Your letter written in pretty red ink I cannot deny having received on the very same day with Father’s and all that you had written came safe to hand - not a single word damaged or lost by the way. Your news respecting all our nice little cousins was interesting and highly amusing. I can fancy Eliza just now with the white hat and feathers as I last saw her. What is Master Billy doing that he never writes to me. I hope you will make him write when he comes home I intend sending you something home by the Indiamen, so you may expect it about February or March 1834. Father says that William feels very dissatisfied at being only a Volunteer of the 2nd Class, he cannot feel more so than myself for I was not aware of it until now. I should have liked to have seen him rise a little higher than a Master. You do not say what ship he is in. The Company Indian Navy is to be done away with and that will bring more King’s Ships on this station and perhaps I might one day see him here. I assure you I thought of you all on Christmas day. Could you manage to come and spend a day with me and go home again in the evening, do you think? If you could I would send a Palanquin for you. I never knew before that Master Bank [?] had a handle to his name in the shape of Walker [?]. Have you breached his honour yet. I remember well the day on which Master Bill was put into breeches when we lived in the cottage.
I think that one of these days get a model of a Paltimar [?] (father will tell what that is). I can get it made in the Dock Yard and can rig her myself and if Billy is a good Billy I will send it home for him. I know he would be glad of it. No doubt the young Sea Officer would like to have the play things which I have. I have a piece of Ordnance in Miniature for every description of Gun, Mortar etc, in use in the British Service. I took drawings of them myself on the scale of an inch to a foot, they are cast in Brass and I am now getting a Brigade of Field Guns done and in time will have a pretty little pack of artillery.
Your little niece is very well and is growing a fine child, she puts me very much in mind of you when you were a little miss like her. I like to nurse her very well, but not when she is cross. I never liked a squalling child and when she squalls I always run away and you will laugh when I tell you she gets a salary of 2 rupees a month or £2 per annum from the Honourable Company for nothing but squalling. I would like you [see] her.
Did you ever eat Rice and Curry. No you will say! Then you do not know what is good. Father can [tell] you what sort of stuff it is. You say you are tall, that would make you grow taller still.
I have now exhausted all my store of both large and small talk so must set about winding my letter up. I shall be anxiously looking out for your letter of December 1832 by the Indiamen. I do not think much of the plan of leaving the letters at India House - had your letter come through the Post Office I should have received it in December or perhaps in November last. The India House is certainly a good place to hear of me at as you can always find out were I am by applying there. My wife sends her love to Father, Mother, sister and brother. Remember me kindly to Uncle and Aunt Walker and cousins and all other enquiring friends. I shall write again in March or should I receive any letter which may be on the road before. I shall immediately answer. There are always free traders going between London and Bombay. The ship Victory is expected here next month and will leave us in March so that when you read of her arrival in the newspapers you may expect a letter.
Now wishing Father, Mother and all you little children (do not get vexed) a happy new year.
Believe me My dear Mary
Your affectionate Brother
James Hall
TWO LETTERS FROM JAMES FREDERICK HALL TO HIS BROTHER WILLIAM HALL
[These letters were sent while William was serving as a Midshipman in Viper off Spain and Portugal. James Hall senior had visited his son in Bombay in January of the previous year.]
Bombay 29 May 1836
My Dear William,
Your two favours of the 20 February and 8th May last I received on 22nd March. It gave me great pleasure to hear from you in any style, but the style of these letters was amusing in many parts. Nancy and I had a great laugh on reading them. Another this morning when they were laid out for replying to. You talk of the Prize Money you intend making on the Coast of Africa which you generously promise I shall have. My dear Fellow get it first - then if you find you have no way of laying out advantageously for your self or Mary Ann - send it here, but I do not consider it sufficiently certain to warrant my mortgaging my chance of it, that is to suppose I could get a fellow so soft in the head as to advance anything on such security. But we must not laugh too much at you/ as I said in my letter to Mary lest you should say “If that is the way he laughs at my letters he may look for another in a hurry”. Write how you like, whatever comes uppermost and I shall like it in the letter.
I am, to tell the truth, glad you are in the road for Lieutenant instead of that for Master, but still am rather afraid, from what I hear from Father, that it will be a long time before you get a commission. A Master’s appointment would have been more certain. Sorry dear William, take care of yourself. I am confident your ambition will lead you on in the right road, but be as economical, v. steady as possible, in short keep a constant watch on your self and do not blight your present prospects. Think of me, how I blighted mine and not only blasted Father’s hopes of my future welfare, but cost him money which would have been of use to you. I should feel more than I can express if you did anything to mar your fortunes. And as you are the one to support the credit of the family it behoves you to doubly vigilant.
You mention in one of your letters to pay any attention I can to Mr Webster of the Andromache (what an idea!). In another to make myself known to Lieut. Edmonds of the Winchester. I can assure you it is not a very pleasant thing to go to claim acquaintance with any person with whom my rank prevents my associating, of which, bye the bye, you seem to have found a very erronious idea. When you write again do not address me ‘Esq’ but ‘Mr Sub Conductor Hall, Ordnance Department, Bombay. I should very much like to see you on this station. It would indeed be [great] pleasure. Should you come do not fail to [let me] have notice of it. I am not yet promoted to full conductor nor can I expect it yet this twelvemonth. I have been only four years a Sub, there are seven before me in the Army List and the senior has been 8 years a Sub. That however will not be the same case with me.
You have a niece as well as a nephew. Her name Frances Elizabeth, born 14th Sept 1835. We are all well except Nancy as she had a great deal of sickness, but is now getting well. I am very subject to headaches, otherwise I get good health. I send this letter in a packet for Father so that you may not get it for a sometime. Do not fail to write to me every opportunity you have of doing so. I do not remember whether I ever told you that I stood as sponsor for you at the Christening of your nephew little James. He is a great scamp full of mischief, reminds me very much of you when about his age. Nancy joins in love to you. And believe my dear William.
Your ever Affectionate Brother.
James Hall
Bombay 5th
July 1836
My dear William
Your letter of 28th August I received on 11th June last. It gave one much pleasure. A most agreeable surprise. On seeing the very long epistle crossed to on every side, I immediately foretold a change in the weather. I would have answered it the same day had it been in my power but this goes by the first London ship which has sailed since that time. You must forgive me my dear William for having for a moment having entertained an opinion to your prejudice as far as regards having forgotten me. I must allow that your excuses for not having written oftener are reasonable, but a letter like the one now under reply will make up for a few short ones few and far between. In the same packet was a letter from you and a long one from Mother for Father. I enclose them with this under care to Stilwell. You will of course have learnt of Father’s return to England long ere this. I was not aware that you had not seen him since 1829. When you do see him, if you have not already, you will find him much altered, I am afraid for the worse, more so than when I saw him in the beginning of ’35. I hope however his return to England will reestablish his health. I think it will please you. I think it will please the Almighty to spare his life to see all his children amply provided for. Oh how much I would like to see yourself and Mary Ann. How much I enjoy her letters. I only wish I could get them oftener. My Europe letters are among the greatest pleasures I have. It seems to one when I am either reading a letter or writing one in reply, that the object of it is before me. Bye the bye I wish I could imagine what sort of a cove you are. I can carry my ideas no farther than the time you came to [] the scoundrel with William Walker. What is your height and your weight? I can then judge of your breadth. I can [] your depth. I stand 5 feet 8 inches and some few hundredths with out my shoes. I weigh exactly 10 stone 2 lbs - long face- rendered when healthy [sulky] - large heavy eyebrows inclined to meet over the top of the family nose. No whiskers, the soil I suppose not being [], misses altogether five teeth, one of them having left a gap near the front of my mouth, which cuts an awful figure when I grin. A [] passionate caused I think by eating curry, as you know I never was so when in our younger days [] used to retaliate on each others playthings, when you shot my []through the body with an arrow I broke your boat, when you tore my picture and I threw the paper box at you. Where you, although not hurt, sung out all sorts for which our poor Mother came and gave me all [sorts] and for which you laughed [] having gained your ends getting me a hiding. Oh those days. I could feel sheets with our tricks. You perhaps forget many of them. I often act of an evening telling Nancy of the tricks my young brother used to play. Do you remember the Theatricals in the back chamber at [Lin] place with Gran’s Fire screen for a curtain and Mary Ann and [Sarah Walker] as an Audience?
You seem to want to make yourself out very knowing with your [] Parsees, [Dungarees Guns] and [?] Guns. I suppose you have come across some friend who has been here and by the little he has observed in the way of a spree ashore I suppose has given you an ample description of Bombay. It seems to me that you have some marvellous good joke concealed under your allusions but for the life of me I cannot make it out so I shall make a memo of it to make you explain it someday when we meet. I suppose your informant is a Mid who has actually enjoyed the pleasures of a ride in a [con] cart across Dungaree [] to the Duckey Down at the Parsees [] at that nice landing place the Backey Head. Now allow me to come to your spelling for ‘con cart’ read or rather write [Cra] Coach, for ‘Backey Down’ write ‘Back godown’. Back or Arrack a very good liquor for those who like it, which I do not. “Godown” a store or cellar where it is kept, retained, sold, imbibed, etc etc. For ‘Bundy’ read or write again ‘Bunder’, a pier or landing place , alias a [] or wharf. With regards to the ladies wearing Bustles, things like jolly boats, I cannot decidedly speak, at least of more than one I can answer for. No! But for the others I suspect from the organ of honour, or rather the seat of honour, appearing in many instances strongly developed and I should say that they do. I hope however that no such accident as this one you describe will happen here. I think there is not much fear of it. The donkeys in general being small in this country, too small here to think of such a thing. Your ideas of the crest and motto are the same as my own, it is a think I should like very much. Bye the bye with Father’s old shipmate officers the Duke (now our gracious King) at the head of affairs. I have often wondered he never got a knighthood. I have mentioned it before to him by letter but forget whether I ever mentioned it to him while he was here. I am sure he has services to the state sufficient to entitle him to it if only he had a friend who could bring it to the recollection of Royalty, but I fancy he created enemies for himself by interfering, on behalf of a [witch] who afterwards perjured herself and found herself [worthless] of his kindness, with the government of New South Wales. I dare say you have heard of it, at least the whole of it. It was in 1823 and 4. I had the whole of the correspondence and papers on the subject to copy, it embroiled him with Earl Bathurst and his Secretary Mr Wilmot Horton, now Sir W. H., Governor of Ceylon. It kept him some time out of employ and although everything was made as clear as day and he confounded his enemies - although he got immediately after that appointed to another Convict Ship and the Prison Society of Friends presented him with that Silver Cream Jug which you have seen, still those in power did not forget it and while the Whigs remain in Office he has had little chance.
I observe in your letters you mention a great number of Shipmates, Messmates and Watchmates and intimate friends. I should be inclined to judge you have in almost every ship in Commission, at any rate one on every station. I rather doubt however whether any of them could do anything for me. The rule is that the senior on the list is to get the next step. unless there is something against him, whether as to character or abilities. On these scores I rank as high and I think may say higher than any other Sub in the department, but still I have ten others above me in the Army List. Of these ten, two belong to another department called the Gun Carriage which although under the head of Ordnance Department, is still distinct from us. Those of not very shining ability being sent there only. Now whether these lads are to take [precedence] according to the list in which we all stand according to our date of rank, or whether they are to take it only amongst themselves, I do not know. They have one full Conductor and four Subs, while we have 3 Deputy Assistants, 2 fulls and 22 subs. It will very soon appear how it is to be as the Sub at the head of the list belongs to the Gun Carriage, so the next promotion will speak for itself. Out of the eight of the Ordnance Department one is on the shelf for too good a character and another for being too intelligent, so I only have six before me who are likely, not sure, to get it before me. The Commandant of Artillery was till lately the head of our department and only left it to become the head of all. He is neither my Messmate, Shipmate or Watchmate, not intimate friend of mine, but I know he is a great friend of mine. He spoke very highly of me to Father so I am sure of his not missing me out when he has an opportunity of serving me. My pay is 73 rupees per [annum] and while I remain where I am (at the Magazines) I have a free house worth 35 where it stands, or 65 if in town. 10 or 12 rupees for carriage [] by which I keeps an [Ass]. Very fine [wood] free as also Hay for my horse by the kindness of Mr [Rustingye Messangee Parsee], head Powder Maker at Bombay.
The Godson reminds me very much of the Godfather - such a scamp. His sister has been very ill lately but I am happy to say is improving. Nancy and myself are very well. I trust you are the same. I am very anxious to hear from Father since his return to England. The postage overland from Bombay to England is 4 rupees for single letters, so what it is to other places I do not know. Do not fail to write as often as you can. I hope you will be satisfied by the length of this letter and the distance the lines are apart. Nancy sends her kind love to you.
I remain My dear William
Your ever Affectionate brother
James Hall.