JOSEPH LIGGINS’ NINETEENTH LETTER THE TOKOMARU LETTERS
There is a gap of nearly two years between this letter and the last one, which was dated - Longburn, 13 September 1889. It is possible that other letters were written from Longburn but, if so, they are no longer in existence. This is the first letter we have that was written from Tokomaru and it would appear from its contents that it is in fact the first one from there. Tokomaru, Near Wellington, N.Z. 17 August, 1891 Dear Will, You will have often looked for a letter from us. I have deferred writing from time to time but at last have to face it. There is nothing to cry about but would have liked to give you better news. We have, however, lost everything. Bad debts, failure of milk supply, bad market, adverse circumstances have all combined in the end. We are not alone in this. The factories all over New Zealand have come to and are coming to this situation. You will be glad to know, however, that the land that Sarah bought has come in handy and we are now living on it making cheese and butter. "Butter and Cheese and Whey". We have 24 good cows and expect to make up to 30 this Summer. The land is 60 acres. We lease 98 acres grass too and are about to take another lease of 100 acres. The bush is being fallen now. We live in a very nice house of four rooms. I ought to know it is a good one for I built it myself. It is not so big as we should like but hope to put on a few more rooms. We face the railway and are perhaps 2 chains back. We have about 1 1/2 or 2 acres fenced in for a garden and have planted 150 apple and other fruit trees. We have the makings of a good place here. The boys now are getting big and help me to milk, fence, gather and sow grass seed in the season and in fact are getting to be very handy. Katy of course is housekeeper and Sarah makes the cheese and butter and bosses around generally. We hope to go into sheep eventually but shall have to get the fences up and a good bit of other work before we can do that. We shall be able to get along nicely and no doubt get over our loss and put something by. I had a letter from Luke saying Mother would like to hear from us. When you read her this, tell her that we are pretty comfortable situated here; in fact many an overburdened man at home would like to swop. We have not a school at present but have a school reserve which the settlers have fallen and grassed and expect to get a school on this summer. The money is provided for it, we have hardly enough children but there are a good few couples here who are patriotic so we shall jog along with a few for a time and shall have to board the schoolmaster amongst us somehow, as he can't hardly live in a tent and will want someone to cook his tucker. We are getting a through road made now so that we shall be able to ride or drive to town soon; at present we have only the railway and they stick it on. We had them through a while ago. They are rated pretty heavy. So we outvoted them and got a loan of £5000 for the road and have saddled them with the bulk of the rates in spite of their opposition. We are having very good weather now although we caught just the tail end of your frosts. It has been the hardest winter known here but what we have is nothing. You would not call it hard weather at all. Now is our nicest time as we have no mosquitoes. I may say that we have plenty in the season. Pharaoh’s flies are not a patch on them. We put muslin curtains over the beds. A woman here wraps her legs in paper so you can fancy the mosquitoes can bite. We are now very busy tree planting - shelter and fruit and are getting ready for getting in the crops next month. We are planting some alder, oak, ash, willow, etc. so that the place will be somewhat like home some time. We grow here buckwheat and linseed amongst other things and when in flower we look quite gay. We shall not be able to see you as soon as we intended now but hope to see you after the boys get up a bit and the place can be left. The steamers take passengers very reasonably now. Many people go out home and back. The steamers are pretty crowded with passengers and no doubt it will get cheaper as other lines are getting in opposition to carry mutton. There is a great freezing works at Longburn now and they turn out a lot of sheep. They have all the latest appliances, engines and electric light, etc. The freezing machine is I believe - Haslam's, Derby. We got your papers by the bye and were much interested with the Queen's visit to Derby. Thanks for same. We are all well and very busy, plenty to do. We trust this will find you all well at home. Give our love to mother in particular, accept the same yourselves and to all generally, there is so many but we mean all without exception. Shall write again soon now. With love from all, We are Your Loving Brother and Sister Joseph and Sarah. Liggins Sarah wishes to give her love to Aunt and Uncle Dobson
The Liggins’ outside their First Home at Tokomaru We
live in a very nice house of four rooms. From Left to Right : - Edie - who returned to England when she was in her early twenties and later married Joseph Smith Joseph and Sarah Liggins Joseph Junior – Joseph Huia Palmerston (JHP) Maggie – baby in the letters Katie – eldest daughter William Liggins – Joseph’s brother, to whom most of Joseph’s letters were sent, and who stayed with until his family come out to New Zealand
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