About the Letters
About the Letters
The set consist of six written by Josiah Godber, one while on board the prison hulk Retribution, one while on board the Tottenham convict ship and four from Sidney, Australia.
There is one letter written by Godber’s friend George Brassington informing Mrs Godber of her husband’s death.
The final letter is to Mrs Godber from her landlord requiring her to quit her home or pay a yearly rent of twelve pounds. Mrs Sneap says “The letters on the whole are in a very good state of preservation and are perfectly legible, though there are a few slight defects caused by the folds and seals.”
Though Godber was a man of some education, the letters are difficult to follow at times because of spelling and grammatical errors. For this reason they have been edited here for clarity. Please contact the webmaster if you would like to know more about the originals.
Mrs Sneap very kindly provided copies of her typed transcriptions of the originals which are presented here in edited form. Her help is gratefully acknowledged. | | | | | | | | On Board the Retribution Prison Hulk Sheerness
December 4, 1817.Dear Wife,
I hope that these few lines will find you in an good state of health as can be expected at this unfortunate crisis as it leaves me at the time thanks be to God for it, and I hope and pray that he will give me fortitude to bear all my misfortunes and I hope dear wife you will take it as patient as possible for I trust we shall meet again, perhaps not in our country but in a foreign. The chaplain of the ship informs us that there are favours of this kind held out to those whose former good character and future conduct deserves approbation, and I trust that myself and my fellow sufferers will merit this favour which takes place in the course 12 months or so, at which time, if it should happen, I am persuaded you will cross the ocean and follow me. If I can attain this I shall be the happiest man in the world. You will, if you can, come
The set consist of six written by Josiah Godber, one while on board the prison hulk Retribution, one while on board the Tottenham convict ship and four from Sidney, Australia.
There is one letter written by Godber’s friend George Brassington informing Mrs Godber of her husband’s death.
The final letter is to Mrs Godber from her landlord requiring her to quit her home or pay a yearly rent of twelve pounds. Mrs Sneap says “The letters on the whole are in a very good state of preservation and are perfectly legible, though there are a few slight defects caused by the folds and seals.”
Though Godber was a man of some education, the letters are difficult to follow at times because of spelling and grammatical errors. For this reason they have been edited here for clarity. Please contact the webmaster if you would like to know more about the originals.
Mrs Sneap very kindly provided copies of her typed transcriptions of the originals which are presented here in edited form. Her help is gratefully acknowledged. | | | | | | | | On Board the Retribution Prison Hulk Sheerness
December 4, 1817.Dear Wife,
I hope that these few lines will find you in an good state of health as can be expected at this unfortunate crisis as it leaves me at the time thanks be to God for it, and I hope and pray that he will give me fortitude to bear all my misfortunes and I hope dear wife you will take it as patient as possible for I trust we shall meet again, perhaps not in our country but in a foreign. The chaplain of the ship informs us that there are favours of this kind held out to those whose former good character and future conduct deserves approbation, and I trust that myself and my fellow sufferers will merit this favour which takes place in the course 12 months or so, at which time, if it should happen, I am persuaded you will cross the ocean and follow me. If I can attain this I shall be the happiest man in the world. You will, if you can, come