Letters from John Simpson Kirkpatrick to his Mother, 1913 - Part 2 of 2

1.5.13
SS Kooringa
Newcastle

Dear Mother
Just a line to let
you know that we are
leaving here tomorrow
for the West Now Mother
I hope that you
and Annie are keeping
well I got a letter
from you yesterday
and you were telling
me that Will Balneaves
was at
Broken Hill Well
send me his address
in your next letter
for I would like

to meet Will for
he is decent fellow
Now I told you in
my last letter where
to address my
letters. when I leave
the Kooringa Now
Mother I am sending
you a P.O.
for 3 quid So give
my love to Annie
and with love to
yourself
I remain
Your Loving Son
Jack

11.6.13
616 Bourke St
W. Melbourne

Dear Mother
Just a line to let you
know that I have left
the Kooringa and that
I am having a spell
ashore in Melbourne
I left the Kooringa.
last week I have
been laid up with
influencza between
the West and Melb.
so that I finished
up when we got
in but I am beginning
to feel all right
again but I am going
to have a spell ashore

until I feel all right
again Now Mother
I hope that you and
Annie are keeping
all right and that
things are still going
all right at home
t Now Mother I am
sending you a P.O.
for ten pound so
that you will be
all right for the
next three months
and then I expect
I will have started
by then and then
I will be able to send
you some more;

X

I have not had
a letter from you
for over one month
but I expect that
there will be some
letters lying for
me at Stockton so
just keep on
writing there and
I can have them
forwarded on to me
Now Mother remember
me to all my frien
at home and tell
them that I am
keeping all right
I will be getting
my photo taken

before I leave Melb
again and I will
be getting a big one
for you I was
weighing my self
this Morning and
I went 12 stone 7 pound
so that is not too
bad for I have not
any sloppy fat on me
for I am pretty
solid X I will be 21
on the 6^th of July X
so Give my love to
Annie and with love to you
I remain
Your Loving Son

Jack xxx

11.8.13
330 Raglan St
Port Melbourne

Dear Mother
Just a line to let you
know that I am still
alive and kicking I had
a letter from you about
3 weeks ago and it was
five weeks before since
I had the one before
you were saying in your
last letter that you
had never had a letter
from me for two months
well I think that there
must be a mistake
somewhere for I have
not missed a month
in writing to you

and sending you a
P.O. since I joined the
Kooringa I left her over
two months ago but I
told you in my last
letter that I had left
her and in my last
letter to you I sent
you a P.O. for ten
pounds I expect you have
got that all right
by now Well Mother
I had six weeks holiday
after leaving the Kooringa
and I was going to go
to sea the next week
when I got a very had
dose of cold I have been

in bed about
a month and I am just
beginning to get about
again it has given me
a shakeing I can tell
you for I am as weak
as a rat I was about
12 stone six before I was
sick and I have lost about
8 pound in weight I look
properly consumptive
I got my photo taken
before I laid up I am
sending you an enlargement
and three small
ones Well Mother I hope
that you and Annie
are keeping all right
and that things

are going on all right
at home for I cant
sent you any more money
until I start again
for I am dead broke
I hope to be able to
start again about next
week If I feel strong
enough for a man
dont want to be feeling
f very weak to be firing
on this coast now that
the summer is coming
on again So with love
to you and Annie
I remain
Your Loving Son
Jack

THE ADELAIDE STEAMSHIP CO. LIMITED

SS Tarcoola
21.12.13
Port Pirie

Dear Mother
Just a line to let you
know that I am still
alive and kicking Well
Mother you will be
wondering why I have
been so long in writing
well things have been
bad with me this last
few months so it was
no good writing as I had
nothing to send I am
firing in this ship she
is a pretty fair job
but I am in pretty good

2

trim just now I feel
as fit as a fiddle
I was weighed last night
and I went 12 stone 5 lbs
so that I am in pretty
good nick for to be working
in the stokehole for I have
no soft fat on me Now
Mother I think I have
had all your letters up
to now and I got your
Xmas Card and one from
Annie and one from Sarah
it was good of you's to
remember me I beleive you
have be keeping poorly
lately I wish I could
send you some of my
good health but I suppose
the winter is just as
miserable as ever in the

3

old country Now I am
sitting under the shade
on the forcastle head
and the heat is about 105
degrees in the shade
for it is the middle of
summer here now. I met
a chap named Jackson
here in Pirie last trip
he is working as a brick
layer in the smelting
works and his brother
is cook on the Prophet
I was with them both
last night they used in
the same lane as us in
Frederick St you know
there Mother You were
telling me about Billy
Budle buying a house for
600 pound what rot

4

he paid about twenty pounds
down and he pays the rest
off as rent he will be years
in paying it off and as
regards the furniture he
has a nice little home
and I think he had got
it pretty near paid for
by now but it is just
since he got married that
he has started to be saving
for before that he had not
got to pennies after the
Monday but he is married
to a good steady girl
and he is on the steady
now So I will now
draw to a close hopeing
that this will find you
as it leaves me at present
and wishing you all

5

at home a happy
New Year
I remain
Your Loving Son
Jack
P.S. I am enclosing
P.O for three quid