William Emery.

William born in Rooksbridge in 1874 chose to go to Africa at the turn of the century. Where he must have led a tough existence while contracting to build Railroads across hard and difficult terrain.

He returned to England for a short period and was possibly living in Kent  where he met and married his wife Ethel.

He would soon abandon Ethel to return to Africa. Where it is presumed he  remained until his death?    

While working in Africa Bill regularly kept in touch with his family in Rooksbridge by letter. I have taken the opportunity to reproduce some of them to give an insight into his life and thoughts while away working.

It seems that contact was lost in the 1920's when Bill would have been about 50? As far as we know the family could not discover what happened to William after then.

With the kind permission of Margery Fear I have reproduced the text of some of the letters sent by William to his family in Rooksbridge. Which give an insight into his life in Africa.

Also there is reproduced a copy of a letter sent by his wife Ethel, pleading to his family to ask him to get in touch with her.

The dates on the letters are unclear or not stated.

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George Hotel

March 14th 191?

c/o Mr W G Scott

Rly. Const.

George

Cape Colony

My dearest mother and father,

Just a line or two just to let you know I have arrived here safe and in the best of health, hoping you are all the same now. I have only been here a few days at the time of writing so I cant tell you a lot about the country yet. I have not started doing anything yet, I can get a job anytime when I like, but I am after something big. I have been mountain climbing for days and I am very near knocked up after so long holiday. I have been looking at the railway work on the side of the mountain. I am going to contract for some of it but it is a terrible place to get, thousands of feet from the level I would think. It is known as the Montague Pass, Perhaps Fred knows something about it.

I think it is the highest in Africa it will be an awful place to go with a train. I am contracting for a tunnel in the mountain. I don't know whether anyone will be under me, I have put in a big price as it is such an awful place to get, It makes me feel nervous to look down but I shall get used to it in time. If I don't get a contract I'm going to help my chum with his.

We had a splendid time coming out, I had a couple of days in Capetown, it is a beautiful place and this is a nice little place at George but I shall not be here very often when I start to work. I shall have a camp on the mountain. I have been to my mates camp and I am going again tomorrow. It is 7 miles and climbing all the time but I have got a horse to ride as far as he can climb and then send him back home.

It will be a hard life for a while but I hope there will be some money attached to it and it is nice and healthy up there.

Now dear Mother I think I have told you all present. Best love to all at home

From your affectionate 

son Bill.

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George Hotel

July 31st 1911

c/o Mr W G Scott

Rly. Const.

George

Cape Colony

S Africa

Dear Mother and father,

I now take the pleasure of writing a few lines hoping it will find you much better by this time. As Alice told me you had not been well. Now I am keeping alright myself but rather miserable at times as I am not doing anything at present and it cost a lot of money to live here in a respectable place. It costs me 10/6 per day living at the hotel but I hope to have some more work soon. I need not be here but it is so cold on the mountains, they are covered with snow but springtime is coming here now and I am hoping to get a very big job soon. So I am having a rest as I shall be very busy when I start.

I was surprised to hear about Mrs Popham being dead, I have had news of another of my chums on the West Coast being dead. I am glad I left that place although I was doing well there.

Now Dear Mother I have not much to tell you this time. More news later on so I must close with best love to all at home from your loving son,

Bill

PS. I received papers about Mr Leales death it came rather sudden. And I saw about Charlies promotion in the Primrose League. Tell him to pay my fees what I owe them I will pay him. 

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c/o W G Scott

Rly Construction

George

C Colony

Dear Mother and Father,

Just a few lines hoping it will find you all in the best of health as it leaves me at present. Now I have just received your letter and the small parcel at last, you must excuse me if my letter upset you the way I wrote, I was a bit upset because I didn't hear anything about it.

Now I am getting on pretty fair here but not making much money yet, but hope to do better soon. We have been getting much rainy weather cant work half the time. I am nearly finished my job here I don't know where I am going yet. I shall be staying in George town for a few weeks perhaps. I have got the offer of plenty of work here on the mountain but I don't want it if I can get anything else.

Now you seem to be having lots of weddings about there now and the Coronation will be over by the time you get this. I am going for a holiday on that day by the seaside it is not far away from here, we can see the ships from the mountains. We had terrible weather here a week or two ago. wind and rain for days and nights. Afraid to go to sleep on my birthday night expecting our little tin house would be blown away and us with it. but we had it tied down with wire the same as the telegraph poles so it kept alright.

Now I have got a man here with me from Cheddar he is the son of old Mr Packer. I don't collect him but he tells me he used to come to Rooksbridge chapel preaching very often but this son has been here a long while now.

The letter you sent me in the parcel was from the manager on the West Coast with a reference for me. He gave me a splendid one that will take me anywhere and told me he was very sorry that I had left him and yet he was always growling when I was with him. So now if I don't get another good contract somewhere I am going to the Chief of the railway for a permanent job on the line as a foreman, but it is better if I get a contract, more money in quick time.

This country is alright in some places but I am having the worst of it first I think. I have had a rough time here for a start I was in a blasting accident about a month ago it is a marvel how I am alive to tell the tale. I was only 10 feet from a hole when it exploded. It knocked me about a bit, both legs bruised rather bad and my head cut and bruised but not serious. It was the fault of another man that was with me. This is the second time I have been in it, once was just before I left West Africa.

Now dear mother I must close with best love to all at home thanks for card from Alice and Gladys.

I remain your loving son Bill

PS. Don't send any collars or anything out, they are cheap enough here.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No Address or date.

My dear Mother and Father,

I suppose you have been wondering why I haven't written to you for such a long time. I am sorry but I have had a pretty rough time of it. I had a job to pull through my contract. I struck some hard rock that I couldn't see on the top and I was in a bit of trouble about money. I lost every penny I had and I owed a lot as well. But thank god I am out of all difficulties again. Got another contract and doing well and hope to make up for it all. I have had a lot of worry and have not been too well but I am getting alright now. 

The winter is coming, it is terribly hot here. Couldn't get the boys to work and we are awaiting rain. The river is very near dry and shall soon have to stop work if no rain. Been very nearly six months without any and they have a job to keep the cattle alive and the farmers are having church meetings and praying for rain. My job wont last about another 2 months but likely to have another contract by then.

I have about 50 men working for me and I have my own shop to supply them with food and clothes and I do the shop work myself after we finish work at night and then I am pretty tired. I am going to get someone to do the shop work for me as it is getting too much for me as I am not very strong since I left West Africa but I think I will do well here yet and hope to be able to come home for another holiday in about a year.

Well dear mother now I must ask you how you are getting on. Archie told me you was better when he wrote to me so I hope you are alright by now. This is the first letter I have wrote to England since I wrote to you last, so I am in trouble all the way round but will write oftener now I am out of my troubles.

I hope the ten pounds will do you good. I have been wanting to send some before but you know the reason now and I may be better off later on and can do you more good. I have not lost heart yet and the old saying is 'Here one day a beggar and the next a millionaire'  So cheer up and don't trouble about me as I shall be alright in the end.

Give my love to all the family and I will write to them later. Hope Gladys and Alice are alright, I suppose Alice is getting useful to you by this time and also hope father is keeping well. Now I must close with best love for now. Write soon or make one of those lazy boys write for you.

I remain your loving son.

Bill

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Contractor

c/o Engineers Office

Gridtshoorn

C. Colony

Nov 20th 

My dear mother and father,

Just a few lines hoping it will find you all in good health as it leaves me at present. I am glad you are getting better after your illness and hope by this time you will be quite well again. I am getting on quite well here now after a hard struggle. I have not had much luck here until now I very near spent every shilling I had one way or another before I got this contract. But I think I will soon get it back again now. I have been working very hard for the last two months, so much worry starting the job. I stay out in the boiling sun from six in the morning until half past six at night and then have about an hour in my little shop. I sell everything very near and make a good profit. I had to have a shop to supply my boys with food because they never have any money. So I let them have any thing and stop it from their pay at he end of the month. I have about 50 boys working for me and I had to buy stuff to build houses for them as well as myself and buy all my own picks and shovels and barrows and everything I require for my work. And of course it will take time to get my money back and I hope to do it soon.

I have got a start, I have got a mile of work to do, mason work and everything. So you see I have got my hand pretty full at the moment.

Well dear mother,   You needn't let it worry you about the bit of money I sent, I hope I shan't want that and if I am a bit hard pushed I have still got a little bit at Highbridge for a rainy day if required. I shall be sending you a little at xmas but it may be a little. I am getting my first payment for some of my work in a week or two and I shall enjoy myself alright at xmas. But not in a pub, on a nice farm about 20 miles from here with some nice Dutch people that I have got to know. It is a nice Ostrich farm right away between the mountains and the people are very well off. They are going to send horses and a trap for me. I don't know why they have taken to me. But I was travelling all one night in a Post Cart with one of the sons and daughter and we got friendly and they invited me to the farm. I had a week there and the lovely flowers you would hardly believe. It is a real orchard of roses and violets all round the trees. Well I suppose I must stop about the flowers you wont believe they are as good as yours but it is summer here now and it is very hot where I am. I am very near black with the sun. so here it is worse than West Africa for that but it is healthy.

Well Dear Mother I must close now and you must think yourself lucky to have such a long letter. It is Sunday and I have not much to do, I generally have a lot of books to put right but I managed it last night as I am getting more used to it, as I couldn't afford a to pay a clerk. So goodbye for the present and hope you are cheerful again by this time

I remain your loving son Bill/

PS.    I hope to get money enough out of this job to call on you again about the end of next summer if all goes well so cheer up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

July 25th ?

Beira.

Dear Mother and father, Just a line to tell you that I am alright now I am on the move. So cant give you any address to write.

I have been all through Rhodesia and am in this place Beira at present. It is in Portuguese East Africa.

Well I dont know when I will be settled again but I will write again as soon as quick as I am settled. I have not had a very good time lately I can assure you, been wandering for 2 months about Rhodesia until I got here and expect to be moving on in a day or two back to Delazoa Bay.

I have had bad luck lately but hope to do alright again soon. I may be going back into Rhodesia again from here, as I am trying to get a contract there. But it is as bad as West Africa and the same here in Beira.

Well dear mother i must close for the present hoping it will find you all perfectly well. Tell Charlie I was sorry to hear about his bereavement with the little girl will write to him soon if I get settled. So good bye for the present and dont worry about me if I dont write for a little while, as I dont know where I shall find my self yet.

I remain your loving son Bill.

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Eventually the letters from Africa stopped and the family were unable to find out what happened to William.

(It seems that some of the family think he might have been eaten by his workers)!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Letter from Ethel Emery. (Williams wife).

The following is the text of a letter to Williams parents from his wife Ethel from Kent, who he met and married while home from Africa, pleading for news of Williams whereabouts and asking him to return and provide for her. There are other letters from Ethel to Bill. 

Mrs W Emery

127 Killearn Road

Catford

Kent.

Dear Mrs Emery,

I dare say you will be surprised to hear from me, I am writing to you on behalf of your son William. Would you be kind enough to let me know if he is home from Africa yet?  He left me 4 years last July through other peoples lies. I do hope he will come to some understanding as my young life is properly wasted.

I have written to him in Africa but receive no replies. I am his wife and I think it only right that you should know he is married. He did talk of having a divorce but I have heard no more about it. I lost a good place in service last year through him and now I am working in the Laundry. I have had to work and keep myself ever since he left me.

He knows himself we were happy enough when we were together. The woman that parted us is away from her husband now so the Almighty brings it home to them. I will admit I used to like a little drink but now I hardly touch any.

I do wish you could talk to him I am sure he would never regret having me back. I will put a letter for him in your letter hoping I shall hear from him for I think he ought to let me know what he intends to do.

I will close now with my best love to you all. Believe me to remain your ever loving daughter-in-law

Ethel Emery

(The letters were never forwarded to William so perhaps they were written after he disappeared)?

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Letter from Ethel Emery. (Williams wife).

The following is the text of a letter to Williams parents from his wife Ethel from Kent, who he met and married while home from Africa, pleading for news of Williams whereabouts and asking him to return and provide for her. There are other letters from Ethel to Bill. 

Mrs W Emery

127 Killearn Road

Catford

Kent.

Dear Mrs Emery,

I dare say you will be surprised to hear from me, I am writing to you on behalf of your son William. Would you be kind enough to let me know if he is home from Africa yet?  He left me 4 years last July through other peoples lies. I do hope he will come to some understanding as my young life is properly wasted.

I have written to him in Africa but receive no replies. I am his wife and I think it only right that you should know he is married. He did talk of having a divorce but I have heard no more about it. I lost a good place in service last year through him and now I am working in the Laundry. I have had to work and keep myself ever since he left me.

He knows himself we were happy enough when we were together. The woman that parted us is away from her husband now so the Almighty brings it home to them. I will admit I used to like a little drink but now I hardly touch any.

I do wish you could talk to him I am sure he would never regret having me back. I will put a letter for him in your letter hoping I shall hear from him for I think he ought to let me know what he intends to do.

I will close now with my best love to you all. Believe me to remain your ever loving daughter-in-law

Ethel Emery

(The letters were never forwarded to William so perhaps they were written after he disappeared)?

Letters from William Emery