Wilby Rackham - His Life and Letters
Synopsis of Letters
PART ONE
Letter 1 - From the Brig “Harriet Julia " of which Wilby is Captain. Wee Dick chats with his master about home affairs - Beleive me , dear Maid.
Letter 2 - Part letter from Calloa. Wilby’s proud spirit - teetotaller or moderation? - George's ill-temper quite ineffective - Write to Jemima - not favourably impressed by Calloa.
Letter 3 - From the Ship “St. Magnus" of which he is mate. Waiting for a favourable wind - Lamlash an out-of-the-way place Has Sarah written to Mr. Bews? You need not tell my Parants to write.
Letter 4 - Still at Lamlash - How to make the time pass cheerfully - keep from Idle habits - he would prize some dark blue worsted stockings - Mutual comfort and prosperity. Dibden's sea song.
Letter 5 - Buenos Ayres - safe arrival - if only he were Master of a nice little ship - love is making him fat - will she put on weight and want to be Master?
Letter 6 - Her most welcome letter - go to Edinburgh no cockatoos at Buenos Ayres - will he do in a cage? - love should not make her thin - Sally has not written to Mr. Bews - dear "Willie".
Extract of Marriage Lines inserted between Letters 2 and 3.
Letter 7 - She is improving in her letter writing - Why Mr. Bews did not write to Sarah - Clyde Place - A glass of your Best, Mr. Crosbie - soap is a shilling a pound.
Letter 8 - His last sheet of Coloured paper - loaded & ready for sea - will she take a walk to the riverside? Parrots are too dear - the long race - buying soap - kisses to pay for the washing.
Notice. House for Sale.
PART TWO
Letter 1 - Wilby now Chief Mate of Barque "Leesburg" bound for Cuba, writes to his parents-in-law - Mary to visit Hanley - the fare by steamer and Parliament train.
Letter 2 - Another letter to his father-in-law - his torturing suspense - Is Mary iII?
Letter 3 - Aunt may make remarks about letters - life in London - Beware of sharpers.
Letter 4 - Still at Rothesay - Letter sent c/o J. Tomlinson - wishes for Christmas - look up the Herald - her allotment.
Letter 5 - At Matanzas - Mary complains of toothache - one set of teeth will serve two - Old Man - may go to Havana - vexed she didn't write - she must occupy herself and not brood - My Lady - the bed to be large enough - Christmas dinner - Rum cheap.
Letter 6 - The long serial letter. 5000 miles away - frowns for the postman - party on board - oranges plentiful - slaves taking cargo off ship - he peeps at her portrait – Collision - climate - hurricanes - reading a novel on the Sabbath - The British Consul - a new hat - she is ailing somewhat - funny letter like old Journal.
Letter 7 - Jemima meditates on the joys and sorrows of a sailor's wife.
Letter 8 - The Battle of Leesburg - have the Yankees detained the letters? - forty two days coming - she must keep her mind easy and trust her Loving Husband to prove a kind and Affectionate Father - the Christening cake - Aunt and the Parrot.
Letter 9 - From New York - no letter - will the Post Office clerks think him a madman?- horrid dreams - pushed about from port to port - lodgings at a shilling a night - proof against the temptation that befel the Dark-eyed Sailor.
PART THREE
Letter 1 - From Mrs. Crosbie telling of the health of Mary and the little one.
Letter 2 - Wilby at Lowestoft.
Letter 3 - Wilby at Gisleham - Edward intends to come to London.
Letter 4 - From Edward. What happened in the tunnel?
Letter 5 - Another from Edward
Letter 6 - The Blessing
Letter 7 - A short note from Cardiff.
Letter 8 - How Whitehaven gets its weather.
Letter 9 - Wilby anxious - call in Dr. Weekes - he hopes to get from Southampton.
Letter 10 - What a disappointment! Ship goes to Liverpool instead.
Letter 11 - At Cardiff - will she come to see him?
Letter 12 - From Portland Bay - little Polly has a cough.
Letter 13 - A letter from a landlady.
PART FOUR
Letter 1 - July 20. 1863. Ship "Lord Elgin” at anchor in the St. Lawrence. Calms, contrary winds and fogs - one must take the weather as one's Beloved, for better for worse - Little Polly's birthday day dreams. No fruit in Quebec - Fruit pies and green peas, please.
Letter 2 - From Newport to his Parents in law. The female child.
Letter 3 - To the same. Meet Mary at Paddington - the Parrot - the Ship Cygnet.
Letter 4 - A short note per the Pilot.
Letter 5 - To Cousin James. Winter conditions in New Brunswick - frozen meat for the Northern Army in the U.S.A.
Testimonial. Jan. 13. 1864.
Letter 6 - Letter written from the Ship W.D. Dinsmore at St John, New Brunswick and dated January 20th. [1864]. [Nance had omitted this letter from her Synopsis].
PART FIVE
Letter 1 - Wilby is now under steam. S.S.Northumberland. From Sunderland. Domestic Economy - a bit of stake.
Letter 2 - From Dunkirk, a nice little town - will Mary make the trip? - cargo Iron and Silver ore.
Letter 3 - The Sabbath at Santandar - wasting kisses on St. Sebastian.
Letter 4 - A short [note] from Victoria Docks.
PART SIX
[VARIOUS PAPERS RELATING TO THE “EMERALD ISLE”]
Letter 1 - Barque "Emerald Isle". Capt. Wilby Rackham. First impressions of ship and crew - waiting for a fair wind - off Dungeness - hopes of winning a new hat.
Letter 2 - A real chatty one -equinoctial gales - War on Bugs - Satan sends cooks - a good-looking Stewardess required, one child not objected to - the Captain's concertina.
(Personal reminiscences inserted here,)
Letter 3 - From the River Essiquibo. Why go to Glasgow? the Capt. practises diplomacy - parrots are plentiful - Londonderry not London.
Letter 4 - From the same place - no meat or fowl for the Christmas mess - an adventure on a sandbank - the Black captain - fever - Wilby needs new white shirts.
Letter 5 - At Havana - the Captn. has quite a family party this voyage, his wife and daughter and young brother-in-law. Charles, however disgraces himself.
Letter 6 - To Edward Rackham telling of domestic details and of money investments - Mary and the little girl are first-rate sailors kisses for dear Miranda from Wilby and Mary.
PART SEVEN
Letter 1 - To George Crosbie. Glasgow memories - changes at Langside - Mary is sad at the sight of her old home.
Letter 2 - From Lagos New Year 1867. Mary is full of fear regarding the approaching event – Wilby’s admonishings will arrive too late - He wishes he could be Doctor - another order to be given if the present is of the right kind - Lagos pleasanter than Havana or Nuevitas - mosquitoes, sandflies, parrots. Toasts for New Year's Eve - Mr. Fisher's kisses - the only white women here - Mary has not followed instructions regarding Sarah's affair - Wilby is displeased.
Letter 3 - From Liverpool. Preparations for the voyage.
Letter 4 - From Accra. Trading in Ivory, Mahogany etc. at Cape Coast Castle. Trading in houses in London - Mary's education. Wilby plans to live ashore so that they may not always be separated - love and happiness. The “young Captain's" first birthday may be the occasion for a wee drap but "Dinna be aye dram drinking”.
Letter 4. P.S - All these moralisings caused Wilby to forget to endorse the draft.
Letter 5 - He has made a record passage so wins a new hat – Mary must superintend her daughter's lessons - Willie must be schoolmaster too. Connolly has not got his Mate's ticket.
Letter 6 - From Lagos. He has been very ill but is recovered - disappointed at receiving no letter by last Mail.
Letter 7 - From Lagos. Connolly and Sarah - did she deceive him? Little Charlie is teething - tea without milk is better than Brandy for a sick stomach, it is less expensive too - Wilby has had another attack of malaria - if only she could have nursed him - his cheerfulness and natural buoyancy - the plug and the £25 - trade is not too good - the washerwoman - Battersea v. Bucknall House - hopes to be home for New Year - New Year of seven years ago.
Letter 8 - Christmas morning at sea. “My Darling”.
Letter 9 - From William Crosbie - business matters.
Letter 10 - From Mary to Wilby- very domestic - they have sat for their likeness. "The Blessing". “Forget me not".
PART EIGHT - SUSPENSE
Letter 1 - From Edward and Miranda. Sept 27. 1868. Wilby may be aboard a foreign ship.
Letter 2 - From Miranda. Aunt Ward had hoped to see Wilby.
Letter 3 - From Miranda. Depend on me and edward.
Letter 4 - From Jemima. I trust the Lord will comfort and soport you.
Letter 5 - From Edward and Miranda. Dec. 23rd. The Christmas Hamper.
Letter 6 - From Miranda. She will meet Mary and the children at Lowestoft.
A Letter - dated 1929 and not included in the original synopsis, from the daughters of Edward Rackham to Mary Jordan Rackham.
