Letters of Harriet Twelves

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surnames/tags: Twelves Medcraft Malta

Harriet (Twelves) Medcraft (abt.1827-1915) to Ann Lissa Twelves (1814-1897)

Notepaper bearing a sketch of Camp Pembroke, Malta, with the note “very near here Eliza’s living”. Mars a Malta January 26th 1872

My dear Sister I have not heard had the pleasure of hearing from you since July last, I have been anxiously looking for one of your welcome letters every mail but only got a newspaper which we are indeed very much obliged to you for as by that we know you must be well. I hope my dear sister this will find you much better than last time you wrote and that you are stronger. I wrote a very long letter to you and dear Sophia last October but I fear you never received them as the steamer that had the mail on board was wrecked when leaving Point de Galle for Australia, the steamer was called the Bangoon, it appears to be a very fatal place for four have been wrecked in the same spot and the pilot was on board at the time we have heard since that they recovered all the mail after being under water for several days. I am anxious to know if you received the letters if so you must prize them the more. I also sent in the letters a Malta lace tie for Georgina, who was so kind to send me those beautiful ferns. Pray thank her very much for me, with my love.

Yesterday being a holiday we spent with Eliza, and I’m sorry to say we found dear little Edie was suffering very much from her legs again she has been so much better since they went to live a Slainia it always was a little but now it has stopped [is stopable?] altogether and when it is so she cannot sleep at night, but the little dear is so very pleasant [patient?], also poor Fred is suffering from a boil on his leg but that will soon be well, they all send their love to you, he is very anxious to pay a visit to his mother before he is sent to some distant place and that will be a great disappointment to all, he hopes to go soon if he can.

George and family are all quite well now, he was very ill all the summer suffering from fever, and was obliged to close the school, as Alfred is still away, he will be here about June, as they are very anxious in Scotland he should pass his examinations, he is studying very hard and wishes to help his father although he does not like teaching. Mary is suffering from continual headaches and not at all well, and suffers from shortness of breath. I often wish she would come and live a while with me, although I do not know what they would do without her, for she is the one who takes more interest in the house, she sends her love to you. We have passed a most anxious summer for there has been a great deal of sickness. Malta they find is not as healthy as it used to be, but I find that the only way is to trust to God in all circumstances and pray to him and then we may not fear.

My children are both quite well and getting on very well with their studied and growing fast, dear little Elissa is quite a pet with us, she is very affectionate. I still continue to teach her and is getting on very well, they both send their love to you and also Richard, he has been very busy, but I am thankful to say he is well, we have had rather a cold winter, now it is quite warm, I fear we shall have a very hot summer, the small pox is still here, and some place very bad. I suppose you do not have those contagious diseases there, that must be a blessing. I have sent a Malta Times, when you have read it you will send it to Sophia, who I hope is quite well, give her our love, and accept the same from your affectionate sister, Harriet Medcraft.

Hoping to hear from you soon, received the photo of Patra and her dear little boy, she may well be proud of him for he is a fine boy. I hope he may be spared to them, give her my love.

Notes (Jenny Greet) My dear sister – Harriet’s older half-sister Ann Lissa Watts in New Zealand. Eliza – her sister Eliza Deborah Greenwood, wife of Edward Frederick (Fred) Greenwood, at this time Army Captain and Paymaster of the British Garrison in Malta. “dear little Edie” (not Ellen as originally thought) – Eliza’s daughter Edith Charlotte Greenwood, born in New Zealand 1864, died at Pontefract, Yorkshire in 1883, aged 18.

Acknowledgements

Jennifer (Francis) Greet