March 8th, 1911

Amy's writing to her sister after the death of her son, John, and the birth of her daughter, Margaret. I don't know if Amy was the stoic type and tried to mask her emotions in front of her family, but what seems to start out as "just a line" grows into a six-page letter. Amy pours out her her feelings of grief and guilt over her son's death, who it seems probably died from the concussion from the fall, rather than diptheria, as I had sided with the doctor, previously. But once the doctor made his diagnosis, the family was quarantined and the consequences were traumatic, to say the least. It sounds like the city tried to be as civil as they could about it, though.

It sounds as though Amy didn't even want to go to the U.S. in the first place. After her initial experience there, I can't say that I'm surprised. She tells her sister that no one wanted to let her stay with them, but then adds that Matthew's family in Scotland offered to let her stay. Whatever the reason was, she decided not to. She also becomes very pasionate about promising her sister that she will pay them back all the money they have borrowed. Not only Annie, Jack and Ethel, but also another relative, Aunt Lizzie. I don't know if Amy was aware of everyone Matthew was asking to borrow money from, or just how much. Most likely, she did, or at least had a very good idea.

Again, I am taking liberties and adding punctuation where I feel it's absolutely necessary. You can read the letter if you'd prefer to read Amy's writing. I realize that the letter in the previous post did not show up. I thought maybe it was just my own computer acting up, but I've fixed it and you should be able to read her first letter now.

March 8th 1911

Mrs. Matthew Nelson

112 North Eagle St

Marshall

Mich

U.S.A.

(I hope you are having plenty of visitors in and have not been worrying about us.) 

Dear Annie,

Just a line to let you know we are still living. I had a little daughter 21st Jan. I expect you got my postcard to tell you I had lost my Son. It was so sudden he was he was only in bed from the Thursday and he died on the Saturday morning about 1/2 past one. It was such a blow to us. The doctor said he had diptheria as well as the fall but he had no such thing. He hardly knew himself what was wrong with him. He had tonsilitus, but Matt was talking to another doctor and he said the fall killed him when he was in bed. It was all oh (on?) my head and they buried him like a dog. They would not let us go to the funeral. We all had to stay in the house for 14 days. (We) dare not go out the door for fear of being arrested. If you have anything catching in the house here they keep you all in and won't let any one come and see you till you are better. They put you a telephone in and you have to phone for everything you want and they put your things outside and hurry away as fast as they can as if you had the plague.

Dear Annie, I will try and send you some money on the 17th if I can. We have had bad luck since we came, what with Jack dying it cost me 50 dollars* to bury him. You have to pay dear for everything here and Matt had a accident on Saturday. Knocked some of his teeth and that cost me 10 dollars*. I would have sent you some now but I have only got a dollar* to carry me through till the 17th. Matt gets his pay once a month. If I had of been able to have stayed in England we should have been able to have paid Jack all his money, but it took it all for our passage. Nobody wanted me so I had to come with Matt and I did not want to stay in Scotland, although they begged me to.

Dear Annie, you need not tell Aunt Lizzie our address. I will send hers as soon as I have paid Jack and Ethel. I shant rest till I have paid you both every penny of it back. Will you send wordhow much it is we owe you all together. Send the letter to the above address. It will find us, but you must put "Mrs. Matthew" on the envelope as Matthew('s) aunt('s) named Martha and she will think it is for her. We are in a house of our own but the postman won't bring letters to us till we have a mail box and put it at the end of the street. We have a nice house in its own grounds and we only pay six dollars* a month. Matt has to go 12 miles to work every day and 12 back. We are up at 1/2 past 4 every morning but he is leaving there about the 16th of this month. He has got a situation here in Marshall and he will get 21 dollars* a week.

I must conclude now with love from your loving sister, Amy XXXXX

Write soon!

I did not get any death cards.

I could not afford them.

I have Nellie under the doctor.

*$50 in 1911 would be about $1137, today.

*$10 in 1911 would be about $230, today.

*$1 in 1911 would be about $23, today.

*$6 in 1911 would be about $137, today.

*$21 in 1911 would be about $478, today.

January 19th, 1910

This is Amy's letter from mysterious Green Lane. Is it in Pennsylvania? Is in Canada? Is it in Narnia? I think it's probably the first choice, but I don't know. What I do know is Amy's handwriting is not as easy to read as Matthew's. Part of it is that she wrote this letter in pencil and this was the best quality I could make it.

I'm pretty sure that the family is no longer in England. Amy is writing to her sister, Annie, after voting season and mentions that Matthew didn't get to vote. That's right, it would be another eight years before Annie could have voted, and it would be a year after that before Amy would be able to.

I'm adding extra punctuation to the transcription where it needs to be so it's easier to read. I know I didn't really do that for Matthew's letters, but I think it's necessary for this one, at least. If it bothers you, just read the actual letter. Keep in mind that this is on the same stationary as Matthew's first letters, so read the first page, the read the right side of the second page, followed by the left.

Jan 19th 1910

11 Ellison St

Green Lane

(Who did you vote for? Mat did not get a vote. Hope conservatives get in.)

Dear Annie,

Just a line hoping you are keeping well and have plenty of visitors in. I expect you will think I am a long time writing, but to tell you the truth I have not had money to spare for a stamp. I have hardly had any for a month. Matt did not get a penny in for a fortnight. I don't know what I should have done if Matt's mother had not have sent us any. She sent us 3a/- at New Year and it had to last me and Matt's pocket a fortnight. But we are a lot better off this week but don't be down-hearted. I think we will be getting on better now. He has got another partner and he seems very nice. We were at his house on Sunday night at Waterloo. They live in a big house-- stands in its own grounds-- he is the manager. Matt used to be under when he was working in the crane works in Glasgow.

Dear Annie, I had a letter from Matt's mother. She says she had a card from you. She will be writing to you as soon as she is able to send you something. So don't refuse what she sends. She liked you very much.

Dear Annie, I have been cleaning for Aunt this last two Fridays from 1/2 past 6 (am?) till 11 at night. After (the) children had gone to bed she gives me a 1/-. She does not part with much. Louie is not well again. Her rupture is bothering her again. She does look bad. I would send you a ... what Matt's sending round in next letter so with love to all, I remain your loving sister Amy

Childrens' heads are getting on nicely, you had to cut all their hair off.

XXXXXXX Write soon Amy XX

This letter gives us quite a bit of information. First, any amount of money with "/-" after it can't be very much. My guess is that's Amy's way of writing the cent sign.

Next, we learn that Matthew has a new partner who lives in Waterloo. Which Waterloo, I don't know. In fact, I don't even know if there's more than one Waterloo, in the same way I don't know if there's more than one Green Lane. Expect this portion to be edited in the near future. Hooray for the internet! (EDIT: There are Waterloos in Iowa, New York, Ontario, Illinois and Wisconsin. I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that the Waterloo mentioned in the letter is not in Iowa. New York or Ontario seem the most likely to me at the moment.)

Also, Aunt Louise had a rupture somewhere on her person. Gross! How terrible that must have been. And either it was a goof, or Amy likes to call her sister "Louie".

Finally, I think it's very possible the Nelson family came to the U.S. through Ellis Island. The remark about having to cut off all of the childrens' hair is what makes me suspect this. Ellis Island had strict sanitation and immunization procedures when it was open and I believe cutting hair off was one of them. It would also explain why they might have gone to Pennsylvania before Michigan (I hope. Again, expect an edit). My dad always told me that they arrived in Canada first to visit family, then made their way into Michigan. That is still possible if Canada had strict entry procedures as well. (EDIT: Apparently, you went to Ellis Island through Canada, as well. The site below has records of people who passed through Ellis Island, but it doesn't look like they have records on my family. Any information would be appreciated.)
The Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation

And just for fun, here's 11 Main Street in Green Lane, PA. I got the idea to type in Main Street after my dad said the name of the street Matthew's shop in Marshall was on was changed to "Main Street". Go to street view and there's a house that looks like it could have been standing in 1910. And look, right across the street is an auto shop!
11 Main Street, Green Lane, PA

Moving to the United States

In 1910, Matthew and his family moved to the United States. From what my dad has told me, they stopped in Canada first, because they had family there. Then they settled in Marshall, Michigan. I don't know the exact date they left England, but I can tell you it was in the early part of the year. The next letter I will be posting is the first letter I have written by Amy Nelson. Her hand writing is very difficult for me to read, so my transcription will probably have a lot of "..." in it.

I'm going to spoil her letters (the second one is also by Amy) and tell you what I have figured out happens in a short amount of time.

• 
  
  Amy writes the address that she's writing from on her letters, whereas Matthew puts the address he's writing to.
• 
  
  On January 19th, 1910, the family was some place called Green Lane.
• 
  
  Shortly after the family arrived in Marshall, their oldest son John fell down some stairs and hit his head. He died two days later from complications from his head wound.
• 
  
  The doctor who examined John said he had diptheria. It is my belief that he probably fell from the stairs because his illness made him faint or dizzy, but it's possible horseplay was involved.
• 
  
  Once the doctor made his assessment, the family was quarantined. They were not allowed to leave their house to hold a funeral for John.
• 
  
  On January 21st, 1911, Amy gives birth to a daughter, Maraget.

Diptheria - Google Health

Update: I Googled Green Lane, and the only location that came up was Green Lane, PA. Although, it is possible that there was another Green Lane in Canada or somewhere else that has since been renamed. This could mean that the family actually left England in 1909. Maybe they spent Christmas in Canada? I'm not sure how safe it would have been to travel the Atlantic from November to January. Either way, I don't have any letters (as far as I know) that explain what happened. If anyone has any information (again), please feel free to put the information in the comments.

October 18th, 1909

This is the last letter I have (as far as I know) of Matthew Nelson's when he and his family still lived in England. It looks like maybe he is now the sole owner of The Pembroke Engineering and Motor Company, or maybe his partner just took a less demanding role? If his family was well off and in the same business, maybe F.J. Edwards joined his father in business? I don't know, and perhaps might never know, so we won't worry about that in this post.

A new family member is introduced in this letter: Herbert. I know he is not one of their children, but I have know idea who he is. From the sound of the letter, I would guess he is a child, but he could be an older gentleman. Whoever he is, he doesn't see very well.

 

October 18th 1909

To Mrs. John Wilson

Briardale

Grange Over Sands

From

The Pembroke Engineering and Motor Co.,

Mechanical and Electrical Engineers,

12 & 12a Hart Street, Liverpool

Principal, M. Nelson

Dear Annie,

I am sending you Six pounds* and I am sorry I can't afford you more. I have been trying to sell my motor bike but I can't get anything like a price for it and I don't want to let it go for nothing. I am expecting some money shortly for a patent I am bringing out and if it proves a success I won't forget yourself and Jack as you have been a good friend to me. Amy has taken Herbert to the hospital today again to have his eyes tested - they say his sight is very weak and I expect he will have to wear glasses but we will know this afternoon.

I hope this little assistance will tide you over for a few weeks till I can scrape up something more.

With love from Amy & Self I remain your loving brother M. Nelson

* £6 in 1909 would be about £141, or $220 today.

April 6th, 1909

Here is Matthew's fancy new business stationary! So it's about six months after his last letter and it looks like he's finally paying Annie back. Times are tough, still, but Matthew is ever the optimist.

I just noticed this, but right there in the "To" box, Annie is listed as Mrs. John Wilson. So I guess that clears that up. If you're curious where "Aunt Louise" fits into all of this, she marries Annie's son, Harry. Now that I think about it, the Louise that Harry marries is most definitely not the Louise I have a letter from. The letter I have from that Louise was written in 1912, I think, and little boys didn't get married in the western world by then, either.

April 6th, 1909

To: Mrs. John Wilson

Briardale

Grange Over Sands

From:

The Pembroke Engineering and Motor Co.

Mechanical and Electrical Engineers

12 and 12a, Hart Street, Liverpool

Partners: M. Nelson

                F.J. Edwards

Dear Annie,

Sorry I could not let you have the money yesterday but you have no idea how hard it is to get money in at present. The people seem to be hanging on to it very tight and to make matters worse the cheque I was expecting on Monday was not made payable till the end of the month. But I am sending you four postal orders amounting to 16/6 and I will send you more when the post office opens in the morning as I got this money too late to get it tonight. I hope this will get you a few things till the other arrives. All I can manage to scrape up this week is three pounds* so I hope that will help you along till I get some more for you. I am going on very nicely now. I have three men & a boy working for me now so if I can hold out for a little while I think I will be all right. But it is a bit hard to find three mens wages every week when you have to lay out of your money for one two & three months but the time will come all right.

With love from your loving Brother Matthew Nelson

P.S. Let me know when the other money arrives.

I'm not sure what 16/6 would be in English money. I'll have to do some research on that. If anyone has an idea, please feel free to say so in the comments.

* £3 in 1909 would be about £71 today, or about $110.

October 20th, 1908

This isn't the happiest of letters, and I imagine it was rather annoying for Annie to read. This was written by Matthew about a year after the last one. It sounds like maybe Matthew hasn't paid anyone back yet, and the consequence is that Annie and Ethel are not get along anymore. In the letter, Matthew is trying to assure Annie that everything will be all right... later.

It looks like Annie and her family have moved. I'm guessing their new residence is on Craven Street, but I'm not certain (it looks like a "C" but it could be a "B"). I'll have to map it on Google to see what I can find. I just discovered google maps (especially the satellite and street views) for myself, and it can be pretty exciting.

Also, I'm wondering why Matthew is even writing to Annie, given where she now lives. As far as I can tell, Matthew and Amy are still in Liverpool, so I don't know why they corrosponded by letter. I'm glad they did so we have the history, but why didn't they just speak in person? Maybe Liverpool is a very large city and they lived at opposite ends? Or maybe Matthew, Annie and Ethel had been keeping this matter private from Amy all along and if Annie and Matthew spoke in person, Amy was bound to find out? Maybe this was just how the Nelsons and Ludlams talked about difficult situations?

20/10/08
24 Craven St
Liverpool


Dear Annie

Just a few lines in answer to your letter. I was very sorry to hear of the trouble between Ethel & you. I have written to her and told her I will pay heras soon as I can. I was going to send it last month only we were negotiating for a larger place as our business is getting too large for our old place and as we have taken over a much larger place we had to buy some more machinery but we will soon make up as we are very busy at present and expect to be still busyer.

It is a bit of an uphill job to gather together a business like ours and be out of our money for 2 & 3 months and us having to pay ready cash for all the material we use but we know that it will all come back to us in time as it still keeps on increasing so that is not a bad sign.

In fact I have not had a Sunday off since I was at Grange. If we had a bit more ready cash we could employ more men but as it is we have to do it ourselves for a bit.

Amy & the Kiddies are all well
hoping your lot are the same
I remain your loving
Brother M. Nelson

October 6th, 1907

It looks like Annie and Jack were able to get the money to Matthew, quickly. His writing is quite enthusiastic, and I think if life was like a musical, he would've broken out into song and dance after writing this.

The thing that confuses me is the mention of Harry and Maggie. According to the Nelson Genealogy (by Doreene Derr, Jeanne Kipker and Linda English), Matthew and Amy didn't have a son named Harry. Yet it sounds in this letter that they very much do. Also, they had a daughter named Margaret, but she wasn't born until 1911 in Marshall, MI.

My dad suggested that Harry might be Harry Wilson, a nephew of Amy's. He would be the son of Louise ("Aunt Louise" of Laugh-In fame, who's letter I have as well). It's possible that Maggie could be Harry's sister, and the two were spending a week with them to play with their cousins John and Ellen (although Ellen wouldn't have even been two years old yet).

October 6th 1907
236 Litherland Rd
Bootle


Dear Annie & Jack

I can't express my thanks to you for your kindness in sending me the money and hope it won't put you to any inconvenience by doing it, but I hope to soon be able to repay it back. I was out today looking for more work, at a friend of my partners, and I expect to get a lot of work from him. And we are giving in an estimate for a job tomorrow and if we get it there will be about £400* worth of work in it so don't forget to pray hard for it to come our way for it would give us a good kick along. Things are beginning to look a bit brighter now of course we can't expect to get on all at once in a new business as it takes some time to get known but if any one gives us a job to do we are certain that they will come back with more as any work done by us is done in a first class way and we do it at a reasonable price we don't want to make big money all at once what we want is to get a good connection and do a class of work that recommends itself. Harry seems to be going on very nicely he seems to be taking his food very well only he varies some days. He will eat more than others but he can't keep still a minute and we do have a time in the mornings with John and Harry trying (to see) who can sing the loudest and I have to threaten them with the cane if they don't be quiet, but he is very little trouble, far less than Maggie only him and John keep telling tales on one another.

Thanking you again for your kindness and hoping you are all well as we are at present

Believe me your Loving Brother

XXXXX Matthew Nelson
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Okay, so maybe he wasn't the Nelson who was inclined to singing, but he could probably do a decent shuffle step with a cane and hat.

*£400 in 1907 would be about £9,100 or $14,180, today.

October 2nd, 1907

Well, Ethel loaned Matthew the money. This letter is to Jack, but it seems that it's also intended for Annie to hear. So even though Matthew asked her to keep the previous letter private, it was understood that Jack would know about it, too.

It's nice to see that Annie was starting her own business. Does anyone know what she did? Since Amy knew how to make lace and was able to train girls on how to sew, do you think it was something like that? Perhaps that was a Ludlam family trade?

Not how Matthew brings up that he's working on an invention. From what my dad told me, he remembered hearing that Matthew had a bunch of patents for inventions and ideas. It would be neat to find out just what he invented, and if any of them went into production.

Also note that Matthew writes in big run-on sentences in this one. I take that to mean he was really excited. My dad told me he'd only had a sixth-grade education, but I love the fact that he spells his words correctly.

(Edit - Thank you, Char, for telling me how to do the "£" sign with my keyboard!) 

Oct 2nd 1907

236 Litherland Rd

Bootle

Dear Jack

I don't know how to express my thanks to you in letting me have this money but it is a necessity at present but it won't take long to get on a proper footing and I thought you could have got Ethel to lend me it as I knew Annie wants to go into business as soon as she gets a chance.

I have now got the plans for about £200* worth of work for a new invention and expect to have a lot more for the same firm and unless we get that new Lathe we will have to refuse some of it or else take it in and let it out for some other firm to do and take the risk of them doing it right and I thought if I could have managed to get a Lathe of our own it would soon pay for itself. I was once thinking of going to a money lender but they charge so much on it that they would soon sum up an account bigger than the loan. The gentleman I am intending buying the Lathe and some other tools off is giving up business as he is getting too old to look after it and he says he will introduce us into his business if we can take the tools he has left and they are worth about three times the price he is asking for them, if you can manage to get Ethel to lend me some I will let her have some back as soon as we get a draw on this job.

Hoping to hear from you per return belive me your affectionate brother

Matthew Nelson

Love to Annie and the Kiddies

So it seems he's asking for even more money. The dude is good.
*£200 would have been $312 in US money. Today it would be closer to £4350, or $6800.

September 30th, 1907

Here is another letter from Matthew to just Annie. Times were tough, as I'm sure many of us can relate to, and he was asking to borrow money from her again. He actually asks Annie to ask Ethel, and I'm afraid I don't know who Ethel is. I'm thinking perhaps this is another one of Amy's relatives, but I could be wrong. It seems as though our family was very close and numerous. It sometimes gives me a hobbits-of-the-shire vibe. Although, there was an Ethel who was married to a cousin of Matthew's (also named Matthew) in Ireland, but again, I'm not sure. If anyone has any information, feel free to leave it in the comments section.

If you'd like to read the letter on you own, here's how you do it: the first page is first, obviously. This letter is written on greeting card-style stationary. On the open page, read the right side first, then the left. Finally, the last page is last. It may sound obvious, but it took me a while to figure it out and I kept thinking Matthew was feeling very stressed when he wrote this. His letter does evoke a sense of humility and he doesn't want to ask for the money.

Sept 30th 1907
236 Litherland Rd
Bootle

Dear Annie
You will think it strange me writing again so soon but it is a necessity, and I thought that you could help me out of the difficulty, as I don't like to ask off anyone else. I have had to refuse about three weeks today all because my Lathe was too small to do it on and I expect there was more to follow that order and I don't want my partner to think that I am short of cash we really want a bigger Lathe and also get the Telephone in as it means a lot to have the phone in a place.
So I thought you might ask Ethel to lend me 30 pounds* and I would give her more on it than she would get in the bank as the rate we are losing work now for wont of the necessary tools we would soon make them pay (for) themselves.
So I hope you will be able to persuade her to let me have the loan as my partner can get as much as he wants as his father is fairly well off, and in a good business as well and if he had to supply the money to get these tools they would be looking down on me as not being equal to them.
Hoping you will be successful
I remain your ever loving brother
M. Nelson
P.S
The Kiddies and Amy are all well
Keep this as private as you can

So, obviously I'm taking some liberties revealing this letter that he wished remained private. It reveals a lot about Matthew's insecurities at the time, but times were hard for everyone.
*£30 then would be somewhere between  £642 - £770, or $1000 - $1200 U.S. dollars, today.

Tom's inflation calculator
Universal currency converter

If you're interested...

Here's the wikipedia entry on Bootle
Bootle - Wikipedia

July 16th, 1907

The following is a letter written from Matthew to Annie and Jack. I'm guessing that Annie is Amy's sister, but I don't know for certain. Matthew had a sister named Annie, but she was born in 1899. So it wouldn't be her, because even though this letter is over 100 years old, girls didn't get married in the western world at age 8, anymore.

Matthew and his family were probably in Liverpool, I think. The two children that he and Amy have at this point were both born in Scotland, however their third child is listed in the Nelson Genealogy as being born in England in 1908 (Annie or "Nancy"). So they're either in Scotland or Liverpool by this point. But he says to give everyone his "reguards to all at Grange", and he also says the kids are doing better "now". Both sound like a big move has happened.

Matthew is struggling and has to resort to borrowing money from family members. But he is putting the money to good use. He strikes me as a very optimistic and sincere man. He was 28 when he wrote this.

If you can't read the letter, here is what it says (also, I added some punctuation):

July 16th, 1907

236 Litherland Rd

Bootle

Dear Annie & Jack

I am in receipt of your letter and order and thank you very much for the loan. I hope to be able to repay you before very long of course. My new venture won't be very much for some time but I hope for better times in the near future. Hope you are all going on nicely and hope Harry is still improving. Give our reguards to all at Grange and accept the same for yourselves.

Believe me your loving Brother, M. Nelson

P.S the Kiddies are going on all right now.

Matthew Nelson

Matthew Nelson was a Pisces who was born in 1879 in New Monkland, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He was the oldest of fifteen children (twelve of whom survived past infancy). He met his wife, Amy, while working in Donegol, Ireland. He later traveled to work in Liverpool, England, before the family moved to Marshall, Michigan in the United States. This probably means that he accumulated one heck of an accent.

(No, I am not a professional genealogist.)

Matthew was a professional mechanic and craftsman. He was able to make tools. He met Amy Ludlam in Donegol while they were both working to set up a knitting factory. Amy was born in Leicester, England in 1884 (she was a Taurus, in case you were curious). I don't know too much about her, but I do know she was also a woman of skill, and could make lace.

Matthew did what he could to find work and start a business while they lived in Scotland. Amy gave birth to two children there and gave birth to a third in England. By that time, Matthew was working in a mechanic's shop in Liverpool, but his ambitions were greater. In 1910, the family moved to Marshall, and Matthew got a job at an auto shop. He soon opened his own shop and was successful. He also had the first car in Marshall and gave people rides to those who did not (as a service, of course).

One horrible experience the family had to endure was the death of their oldest son, John, shortly after they arrived in Marshall. I have a letter that speaks about that incident, so we'll cover that in a future post.

Matthew and Amy had five more children after arriving to Marshall. In an ironic and sad turn of events, Matthew was struck by a car and killed on Halloween, 1943. Amy survived him until her passing in 1970.

If I am incorrect in any of this information, please let my know in the comments and I will amend it.