Summary of the Letters

          Ben's first letter (Sunday, 8 September 1872) was written aboard the Christian McAusland on the start of his voyage to New Zealand. The ship is waiting for a fair wind off Beachy Head in the English Channel. The letter contains information about the ship and his living conditions.

          The second letter (Tuesday, 17 December 1872) is the first sent from New Zealand after his arrival at Port Chalmers (near Dunedin) on 5 December. Upon arrival all passengers were quarantined for ten days and then taken by a steamer to Dunedin. The letter is written about sixteen miles out of Dunedin where Ben is living in a tent getting ready to start work on a railway. The letter contains information on his passage from England, first impressions, working conditions and cost of living.

          The third letter (Saturday, 8 February 1873) follows from the second. Ben did not work on the railway but instead spent a fortnight at digging ditches and is now working for a farmer for four months helping with the harvest. He has just bought a horse. The letter contains more information about the cost of living.

          The fourth letter (Saturday, 8 November 1873) is incomplete and there have obviously been some letters before this which are missing. Ben is now working at Shag Valley Station which is owned by Sir F.D. Bell, the Speaker in the House of Representatives in Wellington. He has a number of men working for him in the garden and has just finished planting an orchard of one thousand fruit trees. The letter states some of the difficulties for families coming to New Zealand at this time.

          The fifth letter (date unknown) is also incomplete. This letter is to Ben's brother (Charles ?) and Ben tells of his intention to breed horses for profit as he can keep them free of charge on the station.

          The sixth letter (Thursday, 12 August 1875) has also been written from Shag Valley Station and was enclosed with a five pound postal order for his parents. Ben is obviously prospering as he now has one hundred pounds in the bank and last year spent forty seven pounds buying horses. He is still in charge of the garden at the station and states that the owner, Sir F.D. Bell will be going to England in the new year with one of his sons. Ben says that he has found a little gold from the river nearby and will send it to his brother Charles. 

           Transcription of the Ben Jeffery Letters

First Letter

                       Christian Mc-Ausland 
                       English Channel 
                       Sunday Sept 8th/72  (1872)

My dear Mother
we are choping about the channel we sailed from London on wednesday afternoon and stoped at Gravesend until friday morning and sailed from there at day brak or was rather towed by a steam tug which towed us as far as Dover that (?) night we could not hoist any sail as the wind was dead against us the thams (Thames) poilet (pilot) left us at deal (Deal) and now we have a Channel poilet on bord that will leave us when we get toy Plymouth he will signal a boat to take him on shore and I shall send this by him I have not got a stamp but I dare say he will put one on for me if I give him the mony we are no farther than beachy head (Beachy Head) the wind being Still against us it bloed very hard yesterday and the see (sea) run very high I felt rather quear in the afternoon and before I went to bed I went to the ship side and made myself sick and then I was all rite today the sea is almost like a pond with very little wind we have not hammocke to sleep in but wat they call bunks they are fixtures all round the outside of the ship and our mess tables in the middle we have 8 in a mess we get a plenty to eat and very good food it is there is three hundred and four passengers on board and 99 seemen she is a full riged ship of one thousand five hundred tons burden she has been to New Zealand 5 times before and is a very fast sailor she was only 80 days going last time and 89 coming home Dear Mother pleas tell Alf that I sleep next to that chap that he see at London he and me are quite palls allready they are mostly avery respectable lot of men some single girls are going quite alone and a good many married people with Families we had morning prayers on the poop at eleven o'clock today I do not know when this will reach you for I do not know wen the poilot will go ashore as we do not make any way now he may go in the nite if we get a wind to take us out of the Channel which I hope we shall soon get I am writing this in readyness to give him in case he gos to nite If we are long before he leaves us I will write again to some of you it is beautiful on board today the see is like a pond my Cloths that Brogden found me are a very good fit and my shoes fit me propper I hope Dear Mother you will not be in any troble about me for I am very Comfortable hear I do not expect I shall have the chance of writing again before I get there for we have provisions for six months on board we shall not call any where were before we get to the end of journey we shall not even get to send a letter by a mail as we shall not stop for any thing wen we get a fair wind I think this is all now except to ask you to give my best Love to all my friends and remember me to all the little ones and tell Dear Percy not to forget to learn to write to me I hope Dear Father and Marthar are quite wel and now good by Dear Mother with best Love from your affectionate son Benjamin Jeffery 

Second Letter

                                East Taieri  1872 
                                December 17th 

My Dear Mother this is the gratest pleasure I have ever felt in writing to you and I sincerely hope that your ar all doing well I hope Dear Father and Martha Charley Sie and all are quite well I am writing in a tent we are all in tents we had a splended passage out we was ninty two days coming but we had to go into quarintine for ten days because a little childe had the scarlet fever but there was not a single man that had any thing the matter with him Dear Mother we have not began work yet but we are going to begin to morrow morning we are going to have eight hours for work per day that is all they in the colony and the wages will be eight shillings per day which is more than ever I should have in England we came into port Chalmbers on the 5th and was put ashore on a little Island because we should not carry the fever into the town and they took us away yesterday by a steamer to dunedin and from there about 16 miles up the country we have been found in provisions up till to day but to day we have to pay for our one (own) there is five of us in our tent and we all mess togeather the beef is 3p per lb and seven pence for a four lbs loafe sugar 6d butter 1s our bill for three days five of is us came to 1 pound 2s 6d but we had to by some thing to cook in a fry pan and drum to make tea in and drinkin cups came to eight and sixpence so the food only cost 14 shillings we can by a whole sheep for 3s 6d and a large one to we have no Lodgins to pay as they find our tents we are not obliged to work on the railway but that is a good thing for a start without looking for work and is not many hours per day it is a vally between to mountains that we ar going to work in the Country is very hilly all I have seen it is now the hay making and sheep shearing season the wheat and oats are just comeing out in ear and fruit is just geting ripe Dear Mother I shall be able to tell you more about things in my next I have not much time now as the mail is going out on the 17th and I have about four miles to go to post this to night it is 6 oclock now pm we have been pitching our tents to day we can have a pound of meat at every meal a day for about ten shillins per week we shall begin work at eight o clock in the morning and have an hour at twellve and leave off at five so I shall have more time when we get setteled down there is two mails a month from Duedin Dear Mother when you write direct my letters to the General post office Dunedin Otago New Zealand til called for as I do not know what part we shall be when it comes and I can write to the post office for them if I am not near enough to go for them it is near christmas now and it is like june at home I hope you will all have a merry christmas and a happy new year there is a little Church about a mile from our tents I shall be so glad to church again for we have not had any service for some time Dear Mother I have not told you that I am quite well and happy and I hope it may please God that you are all the same all my mess mates come from Sussex three from brighton (Brighton) and one from Mayfield I must conclude now for the preasant for I want to scratch a few lines to Alf and Ma and it is getting late so with my kindest love to all I remain your Loving Son Benjamin Jeffery tell me all about Charly when you write if he is going to America 
        Adress 
    Benjamin Jeffery 
    General Post Office 
    Dunedin Otago 
    New Zeland        to be called for 

Third Letter

                                  Tairia Plain 
                                  Feby 8/1873

My Dear Mother and Father
I sincerely hope that this will find you all at home as well and comfortable as I am my self I am not far from where I was when I wrote before I am not at work on the railway nor have I been at all I worked a fortnite at ditching when I first came at 8 shillings per day of 8 hours and then agreed with a farmer to work for 4 months for thirty shillings per week and every thing found men that come on for the harvest get from two pound to fifty shillings per week and their food but that only last for 5 or 6 weeks we all have our food togeather Master men and all the same and like as only a very fiew know how to live in England we work very hard at the harvest but we only work 8 hours a day the same as any thing else it is all cut by machien but I have never seen near so heavy crops at home some wheat yealding from 70 to 80 bushels per acer Dear Mother I must tell you that I have not had to pay any of my Passage money yet nor do I expect I ever shall for Mrsses Brogdens agents told us when we saw them that we mite go where we liked we have never been asked for our papers or any thing we where landed on the jutty and left to go where we liked and my ship mates are all scattered about the Colony it is to populate the Colony that they are bringing people out hear Brogden is paid by the Colonial Government to bring out people and he does not care abut keeping them on the railway for a grate many of them would not earn him a shiling per day and those that do work on the railway get 8 shillings a day and have no money stoped at all they do not know who came out under Brogden at all a grate part of the work is let out by the yard to the men at 8 1/2 d per yard and now I must tell you that I have bought a horse to ride any where that I want to go I get any amount of riding after stock but of course I ride a horse of the Masters at my work but almost ever one hear has a horse of his one (own) he is 4 years old and I gave eight pounds ten shillings for him being the only money I have spent of all I have earned hear for a man will not be long saving fifty pounds hear if he does not drink but if he does he will never have any thing for drink is very dear hear every thing is 6d per glall (glass ?) and you doe not get a tooth full of spirits for 6d and a common beer glass of beer the same price Dear Mother this is a very windy Country with a grate deal of rain in the winter season it is very hot now but it is not like the weather at home one day may be burning hot and the next morning the tops of the mountains covered with snow but it never lays all day even in winter they say there is some days as hot as summer but still it is very healthy, I wish I had brought out a good lot of seeds with me for flowers and vegatables are very scarce hear we are nearly nine miles from a post office and I must ride over to get some stamps but there are four Couches (coaches) pass about a mite (mile ?) from every day I could send them to post by one of them only I have not the stamps and the do not care to be bothered puting them on I think Dear Mother this is all this time pleas remember me to all dear Percy at home and all exept (accept) the Sincere affection of your 
                                               Loving Son 
                                               Ben Jeffery 
    P.S. address the same as before 

Fourth Letter

                                    Shag Valley, Waihemo 
                                    Nov 8th/73  (1873)

My Dear Mother and Father
I have been rather long in writing this time but I have been waiting for letters from home I received three a week ago from you and Charles and Wm baker of Tun (Tunbridge) Wells but I hope Dear parents this will find you all in good health I am quite well my self I am still at the same place there are a grate maney men working heare I have 4 always with me in the garden and some times more I have onely to say that I want so many men and they are there we shall have a good place hear in a little time I have made a new orchard this spring I had 12 men trenching for a good while I have planted a thousand fruit trees I never saw my people untill I had been hear three months as they where away at Wellington Ser F.D. Bell is the Speaker in the house of Reprsentatives so I had all my work to do by plans and letter but I am pleased to be able to tell you that I gave them the best satisfaction I like him very much but I do not like the Lady quite so well but I do not care about her as I have my way in every thing Dear Mother you said Sie and Martha wanted to come to New Zealand now I am certain that it is the best thing that ever I did in my life but there are grate draw-backs for married people with young families I do not say this to hinder them but it is my duty to be honest with those that are near and dear to me now that there is a plenty of work is certain for a good steady man but there is not alwais a place for his famy (family) where he works they must live in a tent or stop in some town and house rent is very dear in the towns but I will write to Martha next mail and if they do realy wish to come I will make the arrangement for them as I am better up to the emmigration 

                 (REST OF LETTER MISSING)

Fifth Letter

(FINAL PAGE OF A LETTER, REST IS MISSING) 
  (probably a letter to Charles) 

...........of my one (own) it is kept by the Staiton (Station) and I have the chance to keep as many as I like free of cost I intend to buy a mare or to and breed from there the fouls will grow into money in a year or to without much trouble I am sending two papers by this and I have sent one by nearly every mail for a goo (good) while but if you do not get them better than I do it is not much good for I have only received 3 since I have been in the Contry I have not got any since I have been hear Mother ask me to put my address I will write again next mail to some of you I hope Alf and Ma are quite well and My Little Percy I promised to write to him an so I will conclud with kindest Love to all of you and remain your affec Brother Ben Jeffery 
                Shag Valley Station 
                Otago Waihemo 
                New Zealand 

Sixth Letter

                        Shag Valley Agust 12/75  (1875)

My Dear Father and Mother
I am ashamed that I have so long in wrighting to you but I was waiting to go to Dunedin to send you a Little money as I could not get an order hear I hope you are all well and I am very happy to say I am well and comfortable I wrote to Martha on 24 May I suppose she has about got it by this time Dear Father and Mother I am most Happy to Inclose a P.O for five Pounds and I hope you will receive it all right Dear Mother you must till me how you ar of and if you are in nead I will send you an other five I have been very stingy and mean not to have sent it before but I was making a point of puting a hundred pounds in the bank and I spent 47 Pounds buying horses last year so that I did not gain my object untill I took my wages this year tel Charly I will write to him next mail I hope he gets plenty of work all Building Trades are good in Otago there is a Carpenter working hear he gets twelve shillings per day of 8 hours and his food and lodging house rent is very dear in Dunedin twelve bob a week for a small cottage Harry Holmwood ask me what his prospects would be supposing he should come to do anything out of his trade but his trade is the best thing he could work at and there is plenty of it to do but a married man must often be away from his family for he may go from one end of the Island to the other if he works for any firm in town I will write to him shortly Dear Parents you will be geting some winter by the time you receive this I hope you will have plenty to keep you warm we have had a very milde winter an very dry there was a little sleet this morning the first we have had this year I beleve my bos is coming to England at the new year and one of the sons there are two there now I am glad Dear Alf has given up that hard work I am shure he will be better for it you must kindly remember me to M, A and Em our Silas and all the little Children espesialy Percy, Willy and Ernest because they know me I wish they where hear to have a ride on one of my horses named Vulcan I bought him for 17 pounds the only sport we get hear is pig hunting 6 of us went one day and killed 25 in about 5 hours I have a little gold got from the river just below hear I will send it next time to Charly Dear Father you must get a little drop of the very best when you get this do not be afraid to spend it to make your selves comfortable and as it will be geting on towards Christmas I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy new year it seems very quere to have our Christmas in the Summer time but we make that a time for sports out dores the sheep shearing is on to at that time so there are plenty of people about you can ask some of the shearers at home what they think about a man shearing one hundred and forty per day for a hoal (whole) week and they get a pound per hundred for shearing there was a Moari hear last year shore 151 in one day of 10 hours I think that would surprise some of them the largest number that was shorne in an day last year by 40 men was five thousand one hundred and seven I am geting on first rate in the garden there is five more with me now sometimes there are more I am my one (own) bos in every thing and I get on first rate with them all our people are away at Wellington now I suppose they will be away a good while this time for I think they will have a long session this year and my bos is Speaker in the house I will send a Paper with this and pleas let me know if you get it I think I must now come to a close and with my best Love to all and every one altho I do not name them all I wish you all God Spead in prosperity so again with kind Love I remain your Affectionate 
                                      Son Ben Jeffery