Letter from Ann Tom to her sister, 28 May 1857

May 28th, 1857.

My dear Sister,

It was with great pleasure I received yours yesterday of the 2nd of January. I believe it was not two hours previous to that of receiving your letter I was thinking what could be the reason that none of you had written to us of the death of my dear brother Samuel. We knew it in January, I was at my Daughter's in Bathurst and my niece Joanna Bray's sister, Mr Pearse's daughter, brought in a paper which she had just received from one of his sisters. I saw by that, my dear brother died the Wednesday before my daughter Emma Webb had Twins, born one following Sunday the 24th of August, two very lovely boys, one is called Thomas Herbert, the second, Edmund Randolph - We have 24 grand children, it was 25 - Tempest lost her only child, it died in teething, a very great mercy as it was born blind and never had a tooth until it was passed 12 months.

I have almost forgotten what I have written to my niece Elizabeth Lane of our family affairs, perhaps I shall repeat what I have already said. We have 3 sons and 1 daughter unmarried. Our daughter now turned 17 is the only one at home, the 2 sons Henry and Nicholas live at our Cattle Station, 300 miles from us just half way from Bathurst to Melbourne. They are as much at home in Melbourne as in Bathurst or more so. I believe we have told you that our youngest son, Wesley Tom lives in Sydney, he has been in the University ever since February, he had only been there about 8 weeks, when he obtained a Scholarship, that is a badge of honour conferred on those students who come off best when the examinations take place yearly in the Classics. He had been one year previous to his going into the University under a Classical Tutor in Sydney. He is a dear youth for sobriety and talent. I pray he may become a Christian, he is now in his 20th year, he is intended for the Bar, it was not my choice but very much his own and some of the Family's as he was always given to improvement.

I cannot say that our dear children enjoy religion, but I believe that all know the good way, I trust the many prayers that are offered up for them will be answered.

Three of our daughters of the five have and do meet in class. Selina Webb, who lives in Bathurst has begun to meet, she is a dear kind hearted girl as ever The Lord blessed a mother with, she was married before she was 20, she has 27 to her Family. Shop Young men, porters, lower servants - Her husband carries on a great Mercantile Business. The Lord has prospered him. If ever you read the life of Samuel Budgett, the successful merchant, you have read of one whom I think Edmund Webb resembles very much, I think he was born a Merchant.

Our brother Richard Lane, his wife, one son and one daughter have come back to Willow Cottage to live about a mile from here. They have been living in Bathurst for a year or two past, Selina who was a baby when they came out here was married on the 17th of last February to Charles Wesley Lane (our brother William Lane's son of Orton Park - a very steady industrious young man just the image of his Father in person and habits.) Richard Lane is in very Comfortable Circumstances.

Our brother William Lane's children are doing pretty well as to the World, but are rather inclined to be gay, rather too fond of dancing, if their poor Parents had been spared they would have been under more restraint, there are 6 of them unmarried - Kate Lane was married to a Church Minister a few months back. A good young man I have heard. They live a long way from here.

Mary Lane of whom you wrote, B and R Lane's daughter who was married to her cousin John Tom Lane has 6 children, she makes a good wife, they are in good circumstances and live very comfortably. John is a magistrate and 2 of his brothers are also. I believe that you know that Mrs Pearse who was formally [[sic] Mary Bray is married to James Lane, brother Richard Lane's son. They are now doing pretty well but have had great losses in sheep.

Sister Bray has been very ill, she is not recovered yet but is better, the Doctor had very little hope of her, she is very infirm at the best, she has such a shaking of the head and hands, she would scarcely be able to keep up at all was it not for a little wine she takes. Her children are very good to her in getting everything old age requires. William Bray's wife gave her £50 a short time ago for her own use - Nicholas Bray is very infirm also, he has not been able to work this year or two past. You say my dear sister you can see old age coming on my dear Brother James and his wife - no wonder I have felt it myself for 2 years past, I was 61 years of age the second of this month. My breath is very short, I am very stout and cannot work much. We have retired from business. I have what is called (in Graham the Doctor's Book) The Derbyshire neck, a swelling on one side of the neck, there is no pain, but it impedes the breath. I hope my dear sister we shall so live that we may meet in Heaven where parting will be no more. We may all partake of the merits of the blessed atonement. My husband and family all join in sincere love to you and all your family, to dear brother James and Martha Lane and family and believe me dear sister your affectionate sister.

ANN TOM

October 14th 1857