William and Mary Bartie letters and textiles

A letter from an unknown correspondent to his sister updating her on his latest news.  

The letter was written from Edinburgh, Scotland.

A letter from John Chicken to his brother about:

• his brother's mining claim 
• their mothers health
• countrywide strikes due to reductions in wages
• a new bridge
• a nitro-glycerine explosion.  

The letter was written from Saville Court, England.  It is likely that his brother was William Chicken who resided in Australia.

A letter from James Bartie to his sister Maggie about:

• his recent wedding to Margaret Hay
• potential job prospects
• his parents health
• other news

The letter was written from Edinburgh, Scotland.  It is likely that his sister was Margaret Chicken who resided in Australia.

A letter from James Bartie to his brother about:

• his parents and their health
• his and his parents wish that he come home soon.  

The letter was written from Edinburgh, Scotland.  It is likely that his brother was William Bartie, who resided in Australia.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary on his arrival in Ournie, New South Wales about:

• his arrival and the conditions
• the need for her to send money
• a workers dispute that had left many men idle

The letter was written in Ournie, New South Wales. 

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary:

• thanking her for sending the money
• apologising for not being successful mining in Ournie, New South Wales
• describing the opportunities for mining gold and tin on the Burra, Tumburumba, New South Wales and his wish to try his luck there

Letter was written from Tumburumba, New South Wales.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about getting established on the Burra.

The letter was written from the Burra, Tumburumba, New South Wales.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about:

• his wishes for her to stay with someone for her health and to ease her loneliness
• the disappointing mining prospects at the Burra
• his horse
• his curiousity and/or encounters with wombats, possums and ferns

Letter was written from Burra Creek, Tumburumba, New South Wales.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about:

• injuring his foot
• his happiness that she has taken up his suggestion and left their home, which was likely to have been in Victoria
• his apologies for not finding his fortune on the Burra, Tumburumba, New South Wales

The letter was written from Burra Creek, Tumburumba, New South Wales.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about his injured foot and how he is leaving for Koetung, Victoria, tomorrow.  

The letter was written from Tumburumba, New South Wales.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about the mining opportunities at Koetung, Victoria.  

The letter was written from Koetong, Victoria. 

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary:

• wishing her a Merry Christmas
• about his mining prospects and how he is still hopeful despite a disappointing start  

The letter was written from Koetong, Victoria.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about his work and his continued hopes for good mining prospects at Koetung.

The letter was written from Koetong, Victoria.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about:

• his mining work and prospects
• the growing development of Koetung
• his encounter with a man with whom he holds an old grudge  

The letter was written from Koetong, Victoria.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about his mining work in Koetung.  

The letter was written from Koetong, Victoria.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about his mining work in Koetung.

The letter was written from Koetong, Victoria.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary:

• apologising for not being successful on the mining claim at Koetong
• describing why he had worked the site for so long, why he had failed and what he was going to do next

The letter was written from Koetong, Victoria.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about his arrival in Brisbane, Queensland and his intentions to head to Stanthorpe shortly.  

The letter was written from Brisbane, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about:

• how he enjoyed Brisbane
• the mining claim he is starting work on in Stanthorpe
• his excitement about his mining prospects  

The letter was written from Stanthorpe, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about the mining claim and his excitement about his prospects of a a long stretch of work.  

The letter was written from Stanthorpe, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about:

• his mining work
• urging Mary to join him
• providing instructions on how to get to him
• the countryside

The letter was written from Stanthorpe, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about:

• how he will not be able to get the money he expected so cannot send as much money to her as he had hoped
• enquiring after her plans to come up

The letter was written from Stanthorpe, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about:

• her decision not to join him for Christmas
• a thunderstorm
• his intention to leave this mining claim when he can due to it's position in the surrounding landscape.

The letter was written from Stanthorpe, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about his work and wishing her a Merry Christmas.  

The letter was written from Stanthorpe, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about his work and how he is thinking about going to the Palmer when the weather in that area improves.  

Letter was written from Stanthorpe, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about:

• how the tin has been sold and he has been paid
• his mining work and how he was thinking of joining another party on a different mining claim
• his intention to leave by March for the Palmer
• the influx of Chinese workers

The letter was written from Stanthorpe, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about:

• working on the new mining claim as a blacksmith
• how has has heard promising reports about gold from the Palmer
• how he enjoys his new job  

The letter was written from Stanthorpe, Queensland.

Letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary:

• reassuring her that she means the world to him
• about his pay and his excitement about his mining prospects on the Palmer goldfields

Letter was written from Stanthorpe, Queensland.

Letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about:

• how he is still working as a blacksmith
• the Palmer area, including such topics as commodity prices, Cooktown, the Endeavour river, the population, gold yields and interactions with Aborigines
• how he can't send her any money this pay

The letter was written from Stanthorpe, Queensland.

Letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about:

• how he is still working as a blacksmith
• news from the Palmer that the population is now 3000 and that 8000 ounces of gold had left recently under escort
• the Lord-Ashley (ship)
• his dissatisfaction about his low wages.  

The letter was written from Stanthorpe, Queensland.

Letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about:

• his journey from Stanthorpe to Brisbane
• how he plans to board the Minora (ship) for Cooktown
• the current conditions up north such as floods, the Endeavour (river) camp and the lack of communication between Cooktown and the diggings and between the Endeavour and Palmer camps

The letter was written from Brisbane, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about:

• a coach accident from Stanthorpe that was carrying the mail bag
• the ships leaving for the north
• the fear of Aborigines for many heading north leading to a rush for guns 

The letter was written from Brisbane, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about:

• his dissatisfaction over accommodation for the horses on the Minora (ship)
• a visit to the reefs at Enoggera (15 miles from Brisbane)
• conflicting news over the favourability of the Palmer and his hopes that it will still be rewarding and that he has a good chance with his party
• how Brisbane is still crowded with people heading north
• about the government sending help for the miners up north caught between the rivers
• Brisbane and his like of it

The letter was written from Brisbane, Queensland.

A partial letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about his passage to Cooktown which was not enjoyable and resulted in the loss of many horses including one of his own.

A partial letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about

• his dead horse
• the Palmer gold fields and the cost and procedure for obtaining provisions

Letter was written from Cooktown, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about:

• his return to Cooktown
• his trip to the Palmer and his experiences such as the poor conditions (lack of food, weather, sickness and death) and his mining work (and low gold yields)
• his short time working in a road gang for the government
• his search for further work
• his desire to return south and leave the Colony if he can't find any work in Cooktown where there are many looking for work  

Letter was written from Cooktown, Queensland.

Letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about:

• some short term work fixing roofs in Cooktown
• the large number of men looking for work in Cooktown
• his passage to Brisbane on the Leichardt (ship) where a large number of the passengers were sick or starved and about how a number of the passengers were arrested by the police in Brisbane for not paying their fare.  

Letter was written from Brisbane, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to a friend about:

• his trip to Cooktown and the Palmer
• his experiences on the Palmer such as the poor conditions on the Palmer (deaths, his mining work there)
• his passage south where many passengers were sick
• his return to Brisbane where many men were without work
• how he obtained a job in a coachwork 

The letter was written from Brisbane, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about:

• Brisbane being swarmed with emigrants and returned diggers
• how he has some work at present
• his fear of heading to the tin mines at the moment as he is ill prepared for the weather
• apologies for how badly the Palmer turned out 

Letter was written from Brisbane, Queensland.

Letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about:

• how his expected job didn't eventuate
• how he has returned to the tin mines in Stanthorpe as a blacksmith for the MaryLand Ruby Tin Mining Company

Letter was written from the Maryland Ruby Tin Mining Company, Stanthorpe, Queensland.

Partial letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about his latest news including news from those on the Palmer.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about: 

• how he likes his job but how the work is likely to end shortly
• other news  

Letter was written from the MaryLand Ruby Tin Mining Company, Stanthorpe, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about:

• how he is still working but may lose his job shortly
• other news  

Letter was written from Ruby Creek, Stanthorpe, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about buying into his former manager's mining claim that had 4 months of the mining lease remaining and how he is cautiously optimistic about his chances with it.  

The letter was written from Stanthorpe, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about:

• how pleased he is about Mary agreeing to come up and live in Stanthorpe and how he thinks there might be enough money if they both live together
• how his mining lease actually has 9 months remaining on it and how he is getting good yields
• a little hut he has taken possession of  

The letter was written from the Maryland Ruby Tin Mining Company, Stanthorpe, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about his work, life and news.

The letter was written from Ruby Creek, Stanthorpe, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about:

• his mining work and life
• how he is saving money to try and bring her to Stanthorpe
• possible places they could live  

The letter was written from Ruby Creek, Stanthorpe, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about:

• how he has had no luck working the mining lease
• apologising that the lease has not brought them better fortunes
• how he hopes to have enough money to bring her up soon.  

The letter was written from Ruby Creek, Stanthorpe, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about:

• how he has run into a few difficulties with both the agent and his boss and his indifference towards the outcome of either
• an unexpected payout 

The letter was written from Ruby Creek, Stanthorpe, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about:

• buying an interest in a mining claim in the area and that it is yielding tin well
• how he is getting things ready for Mary's arrival and his hopes that he will have enough money to bring her up by Christmas  

The letter was written from Lode Creek, Stanthorpe, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about how the ground is yielding well though they need rain.  

The letter was written from Lode Creek, Stanthorpe, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about how yields are good and how pleased he is to be finally able to succeed for her.  

The letter was written from Lode Creek, Stanthorpe, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about his work and about trying to convince her to come to Stanthorpe instead of her desire to live in Melbourne.  

The letter was written from Lode Creek, Stanthorpe, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary consoling her regarding a death and about his work.  
 

The letter was written from Lode Creek, Stanthorpe, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about:

• how the ground looks good
• the need for rain
• how he should soon have enough money to bring her up

The letter was written from Lode Creek, Stanthorpe, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about:

• the need for rain
• a share in a new mining claim
• how many men are idle
• talk of mining opportunities in New Zealand

The letter was written from Lode Creek, Stanthorpe, Queensland.

A letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about how the ground looks good and how much needed rain came.

The letter was written from Lode Creek, Stanthorpe, Queensland.

Letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary:

• trying to convince her to come up and arrangements should she decide to do so
• about the influx of Germans and Irishmen
• about the disputes occurring 

Letter was written from Lode Creek, Stanthorpe, Queensland.

Letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about his disappointment with his life and prospects and that he didn't know whether she should come up as he wasn't sure how things would go due to the lack of water.  

Letter was written from Lode Creek, Stanthorpe, Queensland.

Letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about:

• how there is too much rain now and how it took the roof off the hut he was living in
• various disputes
• his options and how he hopes to be able to send for her soon.  

Letter was written from Lode Creek, Stanthorpe, Queensland.

Letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about his mining work and about how he is now living in a tent.  

Letter was written from Lode Creek, Stanthorpe, Queensland.

Letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about how one mining claim has gone bad but that the original claim is still holding and about the snug place he has built.  

Letter was written from Lode Creek, Stanthorpe, Queensland.

Letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary:

• describing the place he has for them to live in
• how he has bought his partner out of the mining claim
• urging for her to leave straightaway and not delay any longer  

Letter was written from Lode Creek, Stanthorpe, Queensland.

Letter from William Bartie to his wife Mary about how he has heard she is coming and describing her new home that he is still building.  

Letter was written from Talgai, Queensland.

Letter from John Chicken to his mother about how his father doesn't know whether he has the government job yet and other news.  

Letter was written from Sale, Victoria.  It is likely that John Chicken is the son of William Chicken.

Letter from James Bartie to his brother William Bartie about family news.  

Letter was written from Edinburgh, Scotland.

Letter from Mary Bartie to her sister Margaret Chicken about her husband William who was gravely wounded, losing most of his right arm, his left hand and his left eye.

Letter was written from Warwick Hospital, Queensland.

Partial letter from an unknown correspondent to Johnie Chicken about the health of his Uncle William Bartie (including news of his partial sight in his right eye) and how the Masons promised William a living.  

Letter was written from Warwick Hospital, Queensland.

Letter from James Bartie to his brother and sister about William Bartie:

• in sympathy
• urging them to come home and offering to pay the cost
• inviting them to share his house should they decide to return 

Letter was written from Edinburgh, Scotland.  James Bartie's brother and sister are likely to be William and Mary Bartie.

Letter from James Bartie to his brother and sister urging them to come home.  

Letter was written from Edinburgh, Scotland. James Bartie's brother and sister are likely to be William and Mary Bartie.  The letter is accompanied by its envelope.

Telegram for William Bartie from John Chicken regarding the death of his father William Chicken.  

Telegram was sent from Wagga Wagga, N.S.W.

Letter from William and Mary Bartie to their sister Margaret Chicken in Wagga Wagga:

• offering condolences about the death of her husband William Chicken
• about how they intend to go home to Scotland via the Windsor Castle (ship)
• about the health of William Bartie
• about a letter from Sam (Samuel Vinniecombe) about leaving from Melbourne but how they would prefer to leave from Brisbane

Letter was written from Warwick, Queensland.

Letter from James Bartie to his brother and sister in law William and Mary Bartie about his anxiousness about their decision to come home or not.  

Letter was written from Edinburgh, Scotland.

Letter from Samuel Vinniecombe to his friends about the chosen route to Scotland and about how he has been fundraising for them and raised a significant amount of money which he will forward to them.

Letter was written from Eldorado, Victoria.  It is likely that Samuel Vinniecombe's friends were Mary and William Bartie.

Telegram for William Bartie from James Bartie about how he will be in London tomorrow and asking William to stay on board until he gets to him.  

Telegram was sent from Edinburgh, Scotland.

Letter from Mary Bartie to her sister in Australia about family news.  

Telegram was sent from Woolshed Cottage, Ratho, Edinburgh, Scotland.  Mary Bartie's sister is likely to be Margaret Chicken who resided in Australia.

Letter from William and Mary Bartie to their sister in Australia about:

• family news
• William's dedication to their garden
• William's health
• the work involved in keeping lodgers

Letter was sent from Woolshed Cottage, Ratho, Edinburgh, Scotland.  Mary Bartie's sister is likely to be Margaret Chicken who resided in Australia.

Letter from William and Mary Bartie to their sister in Australia about her sister's troubles and family news.  

Letter was sent from Woolshed Cottage, Ratho, Edinburgh, Scotland.  Mary Bartie's sister is likely to be Margaret Chicken who resided in Australia.

Letter from Mary Bartie to her sister about how they sold Woolshed buying a smaller place and investing the remaining money to serve as their income for the remainder of their lives.

Letter was sent from Woolshed Cottage, Ratho, Edinburgh, Scotland.  Mary Bartie's sister is likely to be Margaret Chicken who resided in Australia.  The letter is accompanied by its envelope.

Letter from Mary Bartie to her sister about family and other news.  

Letter was sent from Woolshed Cottage, Ratho, Edinburgh, Scotland.  Mary Bartie's sister is likely to be Margaret Chicken who resided in Australia. 

This letter may have been written 1893-1901.

Letter from Mary Bartie to her sister about family news and her boarders.  

Letter was sent from Woolshed Cottage, Ratho, Edinburgh, Scotland.  Mary Bartie's sister is likely to be Margaret Chicken who resided in Australia.  

This letter may have been written 1893-1901.

Letter from William and Mary Bartie to Mary's sister about family news and her boarders.  

Letter was sent from Woolshed Cottage, Ratho, Edinburgh, Scotland.  Mary Bartie's sister is likely to be Margaret Chicken who resided in Australia.

This letter may have been written 1893-1901.

Letter from William and Mary Bartie to Mary's sister about how they are feeling old and weary and family news.

Letter was sent from Woolshed Cottage, Ratho, Edinburgh, Scotland.  Mary Bartie's sister is likely to be Margaret Chicken who resided in Australia.

This letter may have been written 1893-1901.

Partial letter from Mary Bartie to an unknown correspondent about family news.

It is likely the unknown correspondent is Margaret Chicken.

This letter may have been written between 1879 and 1905.

Letter from Tom to his mother about how he has been attached to a French regiment as a liaison officer.  

The letter was written from France.

Partial letter from Helen to Mary about her news.

This letter may have been written between 1815 and 1962.

Letter from Roma, a relative of William Bartie, regarding Jane Bartie's request for letters.

Photocopy of a newspaper clipping from The Warwick Argus, dated 11 April 1878 describing the mining accident that caused William Barty to be seriously wounded.

This photocopy may have been created between 1815 and 1962.

Miscellaneous material including:

• a photograph of a church, with West Heath, Warwick inscribed on the back
• 2 references including a reference for Thomas Bartie given on 19 January 1815
• records of 2 payments by Thomas Bartie to the Mason's Society 19 February 1858 and February 1859
• record regarding the marriage of James Bartie (William Bartie's brother) to Margaret Hay in January 1869
• an undated note regarding the Bartie family tree
• letter written on the 24 September 1844 from Mary Shiels to her sister, a member of the Bartie family and a letter written on the 10 December 1848 from Willliam Bartie to his sister
• 5 envelopes, generally addressed to William Bartie, addressed to a variety of locations
• undated sketch of part of the Chicken family tree