Letters to Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott from various family members, September 1913 - September 1930 - Part 3

platform where a soldier was
dancing, & joining him with
great gusto.
By the way his latest may
interest you. A man in the
street asked him what he
intended to be when grown up.
- 'A gentleman' says Alec,
'I thought you would want to
be a preacher like your daddy'
- 'No, a gentleman' 'what,
isnt your father a gentleman
then?' 'O, says Master Al,
I see your joke now.'
We have been having quite
a succession of war-raids over
here, but so far, the Boston
Stump, over which the fathers
of the city woefully wagged their
weighty pows & predicted
things being under the fond
impression that all the world
was watching it - has escaped
though the Japs have been

withing hearing once or twice.
The darkened streets xxx xxxxx
the real danger - the open waterways
being responsible for
many deaths. The lighter
longer days are with us now
however & I am glad for I
had an unpleasant experience
which has made me nervous of
the dark lately. I was in
the lane leading to the :
schoolroom one very dark evening
about 8 oclock when I was
siezed from behind by a fellow
with whom I had a lively
tussle before I got free
to scream. He made off then
of course, but left me in such
a condition that I still feel
the effects now.
How are Katie & the children
getting on. I must write soon
& hear for myself. Poor girl

I guess she has anxious moments,
& the bairnies must think their
Daddy a long time in returning.
Im glad your foot is quite
recovered & hope you are
otherwise in good health. We
quite took forward to seeing
you again, tho' I afraid the
next parting will be a sad
one, for its a long long way to
far Victoria. However we'll just
have to enter into Katies
feelings & picture her joy
once her returning hero.
Im glad to hear of Charlies
advancement & trust he
will do credit to your kindly
notice & interest in him. I
fancy he will like the life &
trust the dear lad will come
safely through it all.
I suppose you get all the
news first hand from Low Fell 

Minnie is very busy getting ready
for her wedding. I expect we
shall be all going through
for the event. We've been nary
a laugh at poor Mother's expense.
After an apparently unimportant
chat with a member of the Gateshead
Church, she was confronted &
confounded by great posters
announcing that Mrs Elliott
was to open the bazaar etc.
I can just imagine how she
will declare now & evermore
that she did'nt, would'nt couldnt
should'nt make such a promise
- that she was only talking about
the weather etc. Poor dear
little deaf mother - what a
doubting - misbelieving family
he is afflicted with.
Alec & the bairns unite
in sending affect greetings
Your loving Cousin
N. Peaston

Dene House, Low Fell, Gateshead
Aug. 22d 1916.
My Dear Nephew,
We received your
Most welcome letter yesterday. &
were glad to learn that you were
enjoying good health. And that
Charles was also doing well, &
although sorry that he was not able
to be with us in our Merry Making,
I was not disappointed, as I told our
people it was impossible under the
circumstances for him to leave the Army,
to be with us. We have just had
a letter from Herbert & Minnie
from Landudno & they seem to be
engaging themselves in first class style. 

I think the Generals that were
dismissed the army got their deserts,
they ought to have supported you
or cleared out, & let somebody
else do it. Those that have been
appointed in their stead will act
in a different style from their
predecessors. I hope this war will
end ere Winter again sets in,
but we are blind as to the future.
We seem to be making progress in
all the fronts, but whether it will
end the War or not is more than
I am able to tell. 

Nellie & her 2 Little Kiddies have
been with us for a fortnight &
are going to stay another week.
They are intelligent children; but
very noisy & obstop obstropolus, at
least they seem so to me,
who am getting old, & not so well
able to stand them. The weather
has been very wet, & gloomy during
the last week, or so, & is doing
damage to the hay & corn
crops. I am very middling at present
sleepess nights, & sore heads are the
order of the day with me.
2DRL/0513 

Mrs Elliott is nearly knocked up
altogether with the excitement, & work
she has had for several weeks now,
but she hopes to get to get better
shortly when she gets rid of her company
Issy keeps pretty well, & Nelly gets
better daily & so does her 2 Lambs.
They all untite in sending their
warmest Love to You, & I conclude
with Love from Your affactionate
Uncle Robert Elliott 

42 Spilsby Rd
Boston. Lincs
Jan 11/17.
My dear Cousin,
We were very
glad to get your interesting
letter a few days ago, & we
trust by this time you
have quite recovered from the
shock you had. What a
wonderful escape, but whatever
you do, have that pain
attended to if it continues. It
may be the kidneys are affected
which you cannot afford to neglect
in that awful region with such
cold & damp prevailing.
The photos you enclosed
are just lovely & I quite
grudge having to return them
but I know how precious
they must be to you at this
time. They are charmingly  

natural & so sweet, I don't
wonder Katie & you & proud
of them. Our children talk
as if they had seen &
knew them well & are very
anxious that they should
come & live with them. I
have to convey their message
to that effect, so you must
see, of course, what can be done
They were very curious
to know if you supplied all
the demands of your wee laddie.
& think it must be grand
to have a general for a daddy
with such riches at his
disposal. Violet must be a
little darling. Alec-sonny I manny
thinks she is just like Beauty
in 'Beauty & the Beast', from the
reply she sent.
It has been a very 

sad Xmas for us. Poor Mother
is very courageous under trouble
but Father's death is a blow
to her & to all of us. Charlie
had evidently not received the
wire - & perhaps it was as
well. We've just had a
letter from him this morning -
in hospital again. I'm
very sorry and after getting
so much better too. He does
not say what is wrong, but I
expect it is the old trouble
again.
You must be having a
terrible time this weather, &
how any of you survive is
a mystery. It has been the
most awful year ever known
for rain & lack of sunshine,
& old England at present
seems one huge sneezing camp.