JAMES WATSON WATSON
James was born in Poland on the 5th April 1835 to Alexander Scott Watson and Agnes Watson (nee Kedslie); one of 7 children. You will find more about this period of the family in Poland under WATSONS IN POLAND. They returned to England and James joined the Royal Navy. See WATSON JAMES AT SEA.
I do not know where the family lived once back in England, but we pick up on James and Dinah in Plymouth. [See WATSON, DINAH for more on addresses and some details about their children].
James married Dinah (Di) Richards on the 6th May 1869 in St Andrews Church, Plymouth, Rev. F Courtney, Incumbert of Charles Chapel (now St Lukes Church) immediately after his return form his four year trip to South America. Dinah was born in London on the 14th December 1834. She was the daughter of a doctor from North London.
They had 5 children :
- Dinah Kedslie Watson b 1st March 1870 in Plymouth. M William Roskelm Parsons in Plymouth 4th September 1894.
- Talbot Scott Watson b 1st April 1871 in Plymouth. M Alice Jardine 1899.
- Alexander Richards Watson b 30th January in Plymouth.
- Colin Peeke Watson b 3rd June in Plymouth. M Grace Bundett in Edgbaston 5th November 1903.
- Harry Arnaud Watson in Plymouth 31st March 1877. D in Emsworth 1961. Married Gladys Sealy in Durban 1907. She died March 1923.
Letters to and from James Watson and his son Alexander R Watson,1885.
I have several of these letters. Alexander being my grandfather, means that I have items passed down to me. Not all of these have year dates on them, but they appear to be approximately of the same period. I have tried to place them in order. Some text is difficult to decipher, but I have done my best. The letter from James to Alexander dated April the 24th has “'87” added in pencil at a latter stage and without information to the contrary I have taken this as correct. I have retained hyphens where used instead of full stops, but linked words split in two lines by hyphens and omitted crossing out corrections. Full stops and sometimes capital letters are sometimes missing. I have retained his spelling.
There is a degree of formality from both, but also love.
Alexander was born in 1873 and would have been 12 when he wrote these letter. Already quite mature. (His concerns remind me of discussing emigrating from South Africa, eg to Canada, while still at primary school and about the same age). There is a certain condescending approach by James indicative of a father who hasn't seen much of his family growing up and is a bit out of touch, but you can sense a subtle change as they respond. There remains a gap between what James seems to think of Alexander as a child and what comes across in Alexander's letters.
Alexander mentions naval personnel having to possibly stay on longer. His father to whom he is writing is in the navy at this point. The family is living in Plymouth and perhaps this proximity to and direct family contact with the navy raises more concerns in his young life than maybe others of his age elsewhere in Britain. Also note the changing context with Russia. James and his siblings had been born in Poland which was then under increasing Russian influence, and his family had moved to Plymouth.
Osman Dryna (Osman Digna) = a feared Sudan leader.
Battle of Tamai = East of the Sudan near the Red Sea coast in 1884, the year prior to this letter.
(Combatants at the Battle of Tamai: A British Army against the Sudanese Jihadists in revolt against the Khedive; mostly Hadendoa tribesmen).
The battle at Hasheen was on the 22nd March 1885, shortly before Alexander's letter of March 2th.
Di = Dinah, Alexander's elder sister.
Scott = Talbot Scott is his brother who is nearly 2 years older.
Colin was born in 1875.
Harry was born in 1877.
What appears to be the first of the letters that I have from James is to his son Alexander, there is no date at all, but there is a caricature stuck on, as were available for children's scrap books.
My dear Alicky boy I don't think I ever wrote you a letter before. I hear you have been to a party at Mrs Peekes and enjoyed yourself very much and were “as good as gold” which I am very happy to hear. I hope you know all your alphabet quite well and able to spell little words before you join Scott. I hope he likes school. Won't It be nice to be able to read pretty stories. I suppose Chicky reads to you sometimes. How do you like Harry, is he a good boy – I should like to see you all very much – and where I can come home we shall have some nice fun – I hope you are very obedient to Mama and Ann (?) - and don't make a noise by stamping about in the passage – you young rascal. Give my love to (???) and a big kiss – the same to Scott, Colin and Baby What a lazy fellow Colin is – tell him so from me – he ought to walk by this time. Tell chickens (?) I shall write her next time I hope you go over to see dear nice (??) Grannie sometimes with a big Kiss – to my boy ever your affectionate
Father
3rd February
My darling Alick
Perhaps you dont care about getting a letter from me, because you think you will be here to answer it and that is a great “bother” - you need not do that unless you like – altho' I shall be very pleased to hear from you, for you see I shall then be able to judge if you all in proving in your writing and spelling – and I am anxious that my little boys should get on well with their lessons – Mother tells me you have great fun with the Pickew (?) boys in the loft of the house – I hope you will take care and not be tumbling out of the window with your larks, Mother says you are fond of playing on the piano (?) but dont take the trouble to learn your notes which is a great pity for you will never be able to play well without knowing them. I wonder if you had any snow this year – do you remember last winter ? Of the fun we had with the sledge ! Have you boys had the kite out since I left ? Mother will tell you the names of the difficult places this ship is going to and you can answer (?) yourself by looking them up in the map. We are going close to Pakin (?) but I dont think I shall visit that place for I do not like Chinese cities – I shall write Scott next time. I did not forget your birth day You're “getting quite big by now” - I hope you are all good and dont squabble Mother always says you are very good – I hope you still like reading – A kiss to each of you and with much love to yourself
Your affectionate Father
Alexander replies in excellent handwriting.
41 Hill Park Crescent
March 26th 1885
My dear Father
We have all finished dinner except Colin who is not yet home & your letter is waiting for him Mother had your letter last night. We heard at school this morning that all the men had to go away from the Citadel & that the Volunteers would be stationed there & that people in the Navy would stay on two years longer but I don't know whether it is true. I often wish we could emigrate to America or Australia out of the way of the taxes & different things & be like a book I read called “Out on the Pampas” Where they immigrated to & fought the Indians, I think that this will be a bad affair with England & Russia. I see there are lots of ships being built 3 at Devonport, 10 at Portsmouth & 15 at Sheerness. There is an expected battle at Tamai & Osman Dryna has sent away all the women & children & means to make a desperate fight of it It was said at the battle of Hasheen that 15000 men woman & children were slaughtered. It is really a massacre What a lot of monkey's the boys are one of them wounded an officer There has just been a menagerie here & there is one coming after Easter. Di says she will write soon. Di sends her love. Yours affectionately
A. R. Watson
In this letter Alexander has crossed out the family address, written as if by habit, and added Eastbrooke. This may be the boarding school in Dagenham. It sounds as though he is coming home from there.
41 Hill Park Eastbrooke
April 24th 1885
My dear Father
Scott wrote to Mother and I am going to write to you We came on Monday & on Tuesday we drove to Twerton It was market day. We went to the parish Church It is a splendid building there are two tombs one dating 1490 The other 1613. A painting by Rueben & a chapel erected by a cloth merchant named John Greenway for Thanksgiving of the wreck of the Spanish Armada The Church dates 1100 A castle now in ruins having been savaged by the Danes now in possessions of the Carews There is water always running through every street in the town from a spring very near the town. On Wensday Miss Davis Scott & I with Jack the donkey went picking ferns to make a Fernery We had the cart packed full & in the afternoon. Miss Greggs & a lady called Miss Ruffel came to tea & afterwards we had a game of croquet. On Thursday we stayed to receive friends. Mr, Mrs, & Miss Stokes came. I daresay you know Mr Stokes who was Harbour Master of Halifax when you escorted the Marquis of Lorne in the Black Prince Mr Stokes asked us to go fishing to day but it was raining hard so we cannot go to day but are going tomorrow if it is fine We have had an invitation to Mr and Mrs Greggs for Monday. There is a canal near where we catch very large pike & are going to fish soon. The Misses Davis sends their kind regards
Believe me to be
your affectionate son
Alexdr R. Watson
24th April ' 87
My darling Alick-
I have been intending to write you for a long time, but something always came in the way – I am very pleased to hear you are getting on with your lessons and that you gt certificates from Mrs Pethes (?) school – I think we shall have to take you away from noisy & frequently disobedient to mother – this is vexing her very much – and then you do not love her as you ought to do – I should like to be home again and take you all out for a walk ! Are they going to put up the old Eddy stone on the Hoe? That will be a fine spot to get a view of Plymouth Give my love to all of them at home. I shall expect a letter from you one of these days with much love Your affectionate
Father
3rd August
My dear Alick-
I have been wanting to write you a few lines for some time back, but something always came in the way to prevent me – Well my boy how are you getting on at school ? I hope you are paying a little attention Have you broken any more windows lately? I have nothing new to tell you about , we went away on a cruise for nearly 3 weeks – it was not very nice because the places we went to were very dirty and the country was quite flat and sandy – it was also very hot, we had also lots of rain, and tremendous thunderstorms – almost every day, that would frighten Mother. I think you wouldn't mind that of course, I should like to know how you are getting on with your writing, so I expect a letter from you one of these days - when this reaches you , your holidays will be all over – I hope you will have enjoyed them I dare say Mother took all of you to Mount Gould one day – for a swing and tea & buns after wards , eh ! Well I only wish I had been there also for I think I like Plymouth a little better than this place and I shall be very glad to be with you all again whenever that may be – who is your chum now ? Is it still Oscar – I hope you go regularly to Sunday School – I suppose Scott is getting on famously and at the top of the class of course Give my very best love to them all and a big kiss to Colin & Harry. Do you and Alick Rei come home together from school now – Be sure to be kind and obedient to your Mother , and with much love to yourself
your affectionate Father
James died on the 21st January 1917. This is the record of his will.
