Among the letters which were received by my Great-Grandfather, Alfred Stone from family members in Tasmania were two which have not previously been alluded to as far as I know. The first was written by his nephew, John Thomas Hope in 1866 and the second by the latter’s mother, Emma Hope (née Stone) a few years later.
Unlike his brothers, James Somerville Hope and Charles Alexander Hope who had proceeded to tertiary studies in Edinburgh and Cambridge respectively, John Thomas had learnt a trade. He was a currier.
According to Wikipedia “A currier is a specialist in the leather processing industry. After the tanning process, the currier applies techniques of dressing, finishing and colouring to the tanned hide to make it strong, flexible and waterproof.
“The leather is stretched and burnished to produce a uniform thickness and suppleness, and dyeing and other chemical finishes give the leather its desired colour.
“After currying, the leather is then ready to pass to the fashioning trades such as saddlery, bridlery, shoemaking and glovemaking.”
John Thomas had then travelled to Victoria in the hope of obtaining employment in his trade as well as visiting his relatives in Laanecoorie. As we can see he could not get suitable employment so returned to Hobart Town.
The letter is addressed from the family home at Elboden Place, Hobart Town and dated 31 August 1866.
Dear Uncle,
I am sorry I could not write you before but you must know what it is to be unsettled.
I was no use whatever in Victoria for I could not obtain work at my trade nor at anything else but as a waiter & I took that.
I wrote home & told them what I was doing so they advised me to return to H.T. so I did & I am doing well now, as well as ever I did.
I have plenty of work & constant with an advance of wages every few months for I am very much out of practice. When I landed in H.T. it was very wet for 3 or 4 days so I did not venture out, but the first day I went out I obtained this engagement…
With his prospects greatly improved he married Lucy Elizabeth Smith on 31 December 1868 and in 1873 his mother is able to give a good account of his life in her letter to his uncle, dated 30 July 1873.
After referring back to the time she visited Laanecoorie and some comments about different churches Emma continues:
John is living next the W. Chapel at New Town in a nice cottage working at his trade. He has three children. He and his are attendants but do not think members but in a fair way of becoming so—
The three children were: James Somerville Hope (1869-1952), Douglas Campbell Hope (1871-1962) and Edith Rebecca Madeline Hope 1872-1958).
Alex. Stone
