THE FIRST LETTER FROM WILLIAM LIGGINS
S.S. REUMUEIA (?) Friday Dear John and Katie, I have just time to drop a line which I am trying to send by the pilot who, leaves directly, and let me again give you every thanks for great kindnesses. I am so far comfortable and no one has yet been put into my berth. Ellen will show you her letter and I shall write you again from Tenerife. Goodnight and God bless you all, Yours, William
This letter is from William’s wife, Ellen,
22-3-17 William will write soon. The School House, Ararata, Hawera, New Zealand My Dear Katie and John, I shall try to write to you as much and as often as possible. First, I thank you so much for all the Burton Chronicles you have sent, we have posted them to Osborne and Maggie, for they so like to see the home news, and the patterns you also enclosed for me. They all come in useful, also the crochet patterns. We were so glad to hear of you all being safe after so many air raids having taken place, and hope you may still be protected. Neither Osborne nor Will were drawn in the ballot last week. Needless to say we were very pleased. The ballot is drawn every month here and we get so anxious near the time for fear they should be drawn. They are all well, Sarah and Katie have been to see Maggie and Will, and Osborne was there last week. He frequently has to go to Wellington with troops from Palmerston North. He says Maggie and Will are quite well and very comfortable and happy. I hope you got my letter telling you what a nice holiday we had at Christmas. We have only had one shower of rain since we returned home and it has been frightfully hot and water has been very scarce. But today it has been raining gently and we are hoping it will continue to do so. Bush and grass fires have been ranging all round us. A week ago a Moari man set fire to some thistledown and twigs and it spread so rapidly that thousands of acres were on fire, all at once, and the sheep farmers had to rush to get their sheep and cattle out of the flames and the poor sheep dogs got their feet burnt badly. These dogs are wonderful creatures and at a sign or a whistle from their master they will bring up hundreds of sheep and if they miss any, back into the gullies they go back and search for them again. They will fetch up cows for milking in the same way, or take them to market for sale and their master sits on horseback and simply whistles to them. They know what he means. I often watch them as they pass by, it is very seldom their master has to speak to them, and if he does have to do so, it is woe betide it (poor dog), it knows it has been disobedient and then it is chastised. I must leave off now as it is bedtime, half past eight, (don't laugh) and will finish my letter tomorrow, all being well. I just forgot, we always go to see our friend, Mr. Ogle, on Friday night, the weather permitting. He is our great friend and they are the ones that so often take us to Hawere on Saturday. He has got a Ford car and for some reason or other it stuck us up twice in coming home last Saturday, and William and Mr. Ogle had quite a go with it. William helps him if anything goes wrong, to the best of his ability. We do have some nice outings with them. I will try to write more on Sunday, we may go to Hawere on Saturday unless the car gets the hump again and wont go. 24 th March Now I will try and finish my letter to you. We have had a letter from Maggie and Will today. They had a surprise visit from their Uncle Joe last Wednesday. He and Sarah were in Wellington and Will happened to be in when they called Maggie says Will and Joe had a long chat, so you see, they all call to look them up. I hear young Joe (Joseph Liggins' son, JHP, he was in the New Zealand army at that time) has been to see you. I am sorry his health has not been too good; his complaint (scabies) is a tiresome thing to have, Osborne once had it rather badly. I hear Alice is running him round, he left his lady love behind in Palmerston and she had just heard of his safe arrival in England when we were at Palmerston at Christmas. I expect Harry (my father) too will be leaving for the front soon. Now I must close with every good wish to you all. I hope Edith will write soon. Be sure to give our love to Ernest, Willie and Alice,, Edith (baby), George also big Edith, and Polly, Jim and boys. Love to yourselves. From your loving, Ellen and William
The people refered to at the end of this letter are:- Harry - Harry Wheatcroft, my father Ernest - Ernest Stanfield, son of John Stanfield and my uncle Willie and Alice Stanfield, son and daughter-in-law of John Stanfield and my uncle & aunt George - George Stanfield, brother of John Stanfield and my great uncle Edith (baby) - Willie and Alice Stanfield's daughter, Edith Winifred, and my cousin Big Edith - Edith Stanfield, daughter of John Stanfield and my mother Polly, Jim and the boys - The Walker family, Polly had married Jim Walker. (See the next group of letters) Polly was Annie Elizabeth (nee Liggins) & Joe Smith's daughter. (Annie Elizabeth was Joseph & William's sister) The boys were Jamie & Roy
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