Bobbing National School

Near Sittingbourne

Tuesday

30.04.95

My dearest old bBoy,

I thought perhaps you would like to know how we are getting on.

I got through the school yesterday splendidly. I like the children very much tho’ the last mistress did not appear to get on at all will with them. The girls are quiet angelic, & some of them so pretty – whilst the boys are quite bricks & the parents are very friendly.

The whole place appears to look upon Artie as a marvel – the vicar 7 he are great friends – he went & helped him garden? Yesterday, went into the church & heard the organ & finally desired to ring the bells for church, which the much-tried vicar thought best not!

He went to Mr Knight’s himself & asked if he couldn’t stroke his ‘baa-lambs’ & wanted Mr K to catch him a cuckoo. He is very good & quite obediently on the least sign of insubordination I don my war paint.

We are getting on all right as regards food, I walked into Sittingbourne tonight, so feel rather tired.

I think very much about you old dear; wonder if you do about us. I never eat anything but what I try to imagine what you are having too. I wish then thousand times it was possible for you to be here. It would do you a world of good – the air is simply lovely & the country delicious – if you were only here!! You know!!

Oh! I say – enclosed is for Childerditch, please forward I forgot it before. Its plenty soon enough, for you know, he has engaged a man on supply for a month.

If you come on Saturday or Friday let me know & we’ll meet you. If you really want to bring the fowls, I think you might manage to put them under shelter. Let me know. Artie has quite arranged that we are to meet you “in good time”.

With fondest love & hugs & kisses from us both

Georgie

Envelope – dated 08/07/1895?

Mr A Hockley

44 Eleanor Road

Romford Road

Stratford

London E

No larger envelope                         Bobbing

                                                           Friday Morning

My dearest Old man,

Your letter & paper to hand, for which many thanks. It is a little disappointment to find you are not coming on Sunday, but I quite agree with you that it would be a great pity to sacrifice 2 half days; perhaps you will come on the Saturday, will Mr Williams come with you?

Our treat is next Wed: or Thursday - & we go to Herne Bay, I believe. So perhaps you would like to run down. Artie does nt seem well – though he is certainly better than he was & I am really rather queer myself – the back rather troubling me. I thought I told you the address – Mrs Sanders

                                                                                                                                              10 Stork Road

                                                                                                                                               Warwick Road.

Its about 5 mins; from 44.

I don’t think its at all necessary to get a salmon for the vicar – you see, I am giving 3 or 4 hrs to their son, as far as I know, gratuitously .

And I think my time is worth something – so I think I am repaying them their kindness - & they certainly have been very kind.

When you come, I think ½ a ham would be very nice, it would make sandwiches so well if you wanted to go out anywhere. Tea & cocoa also please. I thought too, if you brought down the watch (which I forgot)  I could see if that man could do it for 7/6- its rather a nuisance to have no time. It would save you further bother too.

Unless there is an excursion you would find it better & cheaper to come down the night before & return the following day, supposing you came with us to Herne bay. I told Mrs Knight you were coming for a week & she expressed a hope you would come with us.

With fondest love from us both

Yours lovingly

Georgie Hockley                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               ********************************************************************                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

**Stork Road is 3 roads away from Eleanor Road**

260 West Green Road

1.4.95

 My dearest Mother, 

You will think I am very late in answering your letter of March 20, but as you can understand I can always find plenty to do. 

Both my husband & myself can quite see by your letter that you are not at all desirous of bringing any strife between man & wife & that you are ready to do all in your power to conform to our wishes in the matter regarding the boy & not visiting the house, & we do not in any way hould you responsible for what has seemed but as it frequently happens, my dear mother, the innocent suffers for the guilty. 

The request made to my father was such a simple, & I think, reasonable one, that his refusal to (*)accete to it. Is without excuse & came as a surprise & a blow to myself.

You write in your letter “how should I feel were my child to forsake” ---- I do not forsake you nor give you up, to do so, is not, nor even has it been, either my husbands or my wish! But we cannot see that it is possible to write to you 7 see you without also being in a sort of communication with my father, I do not know whether you saw the contents of his letter to me & realise that such scurrilous changes mean when written against a man. You write to me as a mother, but I answer you as a wife. How would you feel if such things were written against your husband. I am sure you would certainly do no less than I am doing, indeed I question whether you would not go further. We are anxious to avoid giving for any unnecessary pain or wrong, but I am also anxious to spare my husband & that is the reason why my fathers letters will be returned unopened. It will still be open to him however if he can for your sake to enclose one in yours conforming to my wishes but of course the letter must be in perfect conformity with what is required otherwise it will be utterly useless. 

If my father to gratify his pride, is willing so easily to give up me & wound you then I am sorry I cannot find it in my heart to value such love – love that holds so lightly two who ought to be near & dear to him.

I am more than grieved to cause any pain, but surely you can see what with me do not lie the blame.

I held but that which would restore matters to their old footing but my father would not have it.

Hoping you are enjoying good health & with much love

Believe me

Your affec daughter

Georgie

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It seems to me that this letter was written a little in a hurry, as some of the words were difficult to make out, and the writing wasn’t as neat as it usually is.

(*)accete. Looks like accete… but a little difficult to decipher.

 **Another new word!**

de·sir·ous/diˈzīrəs/

Adjective:	Having or characterized by desire: "peoples desirous of peace".
Synonyms:	wishful - eager - anxious - longing - covetous

260 West Green Rd

14 April 1894

Dear Mrs Hockley

If you still require a good trustworthy servant capable of taking charge in your absence – one whom you may trust with anything I can tell you of one

Faith” You

Geo Lowe

p.s. She may want £14

GL

Of interest – West Green road as it is today

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?pq=260+west+green+roads.+tottenhammay+8th+1894&hl=en&cp=34&gs_id=1h&xhr=t&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1280&bih=910&bs=1&wrapid=tljp1327239716549036&q=260+West+Green+Road+South+Tottenham&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x48761c11da912c0f:0x131185c63905c251,260+W+Green+Rd&gl=uk&ei=PxIcT5mTI4vY8QPP1eCVCw&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CCMQ8gEwAA

My Goodness!

I just wanted to share with you that the audience so far on this blog other than UK has reached: Ireland, Spain, United States, Portugal, Germany, Canada and Italy and today it has travelled as far as Russia!

I'm so so glad that you are enjoying these letters - keep reading!

Dagenham School Board

North Street

Romford

5^th May 1894

Dear Madam,

I am in receipt of your note. – The school house is quite ready and I will arrange for some one to be there to hand you the keys on Monday.

I do not think it would be worth while to open the school on Tuesday the 15^th **** but this we will discuss upon your arrival.

Yours Faithfully Mrs Hockley

Charles Smith

**********************************************************************************

For information:

Schools:-

A School board of 5 members was formed 7^th December, 1874; C Smith, North Street, Romford, clerk to the board; John William Freshwater, Chadwell Heath, attendance officer.

Board (boys, girls & infants), Becontree Heath, built about 1877 & enlarged 1893 to accommodate 400 children; average attendance, 230; George William Patmore, master; Mrs Harriet Patmore, mistress; Miss Cudby, infants mistress

Board (infants), built in 1874, for 150 children; average attendance about 120; Mrs Sarah Howes, mistress

Ford's Endowed, founded in 1828 by William Ford, of Dagenham; the buildings include a master's residence & will hold 120 boys & as many girls; in Whalebone lane, Chadwell Heath, is a branch school connected with this charity, built in 1857 & available for 100 children; these schools have an annual endowment of £300, arising from money left for educational purposes by William Ford, who died March 6th, 1756; (boys & girls), John Doubleday, master; Mrs Emma Doubleday, mistress

Metropolitan Police station, 3 sergeants & 12 constables

Railway Station, Edward Foreman, station master

Hainault School

Chigwell Row

20.11.94

My darling Old – horror!

The enclosed came this morning.

We are all right – no burglars nor nothink – only just a little dull in the evening. Artie is most angelic - was so good yesterday that I began to fancy he was not going to live.

A bed time he announced his intention to wait supper for “my father” so I persuaded him you must have lost your train. This morning before he came down he called out “Has my father gone? He didn’t say goodbye to me”

See how you live in our memories!!

I don’t think you’d better bring any meat – there seems to be plenty ; though if you come to dinner on Saturday something will be necessary then.

Hope you were able to propitiate the landlady to your mutual satisfaction.

Fondest love from Artie & the poor White Slave

Tea                                       )

Coffee                                  )

Butter                                  )

Salt                                       )              I do not know whether you want

Rice                                      )              to order tomorrow for Saturday.

Soda                                     )              Of course all are most absolute

Currants                              )              necessities.

Candied Peel                      )              If you’d rather not bother.

Suet                                      )                                                                             

Meat                                    )

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And so – another word that I’ve never stumbled over before:

pro·pi·ti·ate

   /prəˈpɪʃ iˌeɪt/ Show Spelled[pruh-pish-ee-eyt] Show IPA

verb (used with object) -at·ed, -at·ing.

to make favorably inclined; appease; conciliate.