About the Memoirs: Arthur James Richardson (1879-1967) sent this memoir to his oldest grandchild, Roy Filbert who shared it with me. It is neatly handwritten and is very similar to one that he had sent to his nephew in Canada. There were 13 pages in total of which one page, page 11, is missing, as it was probably skipped in the photocopying process, but probably still exists in the possession of the owner. I was unable to understand my grandfather’s use of punctuation and capitalization, so they are not exactly as scribed by him, but I did retain all of his unique spellings. These were written when he was in his last years. Along with this copy, my cousin Roy Filbert, also included a note describing the "Burial Location" of Arthur’s father in Johannesburg, South Africa, the date was 5th March 1897, on the corner of President and Small Streets, Johannesburg, Grave #6383. The information came from Mrs. K. Swann, 56 Siddons Road, Forest Hill, London SE 23, who was probably a descendant.

Written by Arthur James Richardson 1879~1967

Arthur James Richardson was born in 1879 on the Mallam Rd, Forest Hill, London, England and in 1887 I was 8 years old and my Father and my Mother emigrated to New Castle, New South Wales Australia on a pretty sailing ship name The Dallem Tower and when we got a weeks sail from England Terrible storm came up. The night was dark and stormey and the wind was Holing wild. There was 300 pasenger’s on Board. They was afrad the ship would sink. There was an old sailor on his knees bowing up and down, crying to God to stop the storm, he looked like sandy claws white whiskers when a terrible crash came the wind broke marst in to but in the morning the storm carmed down and the sun shone all over the ocean and not a Ripple on the Ocean to Be seen. The sailiors put a new marst up and the ship went on its way to New Castle. It took 8 months to get to Australia. But we got there and my Dad got a house to live in. We was all happy again togather and my Dad got houses to build. He was making money, a pound a day £1.10. And on Sunday my two brothers took me to the beach swimming. There was a rock, 10 feet from the ocean and 4 miles long and flat on top so my brother Frank got on Top and a big wave came over him and took him over in the ocean full of man eating sharks. So my brother Henry said to me, you see this six-inch knife. I said yes. Well, he said, I can kill any maneater with this and he jumped into the ocean and swam to his brother Frank. They was both good swimers. They swam the 4 miles to the sand beach and walked out smiling and never got a bite. It was luck. Many a shark caught a mans foot and draged him to the bottom. We had some good times in New Castle. So work getting slack my Father took the family to the Great sity of Melbourn. We landed on Christmas day. The church bells was ringing so pretty and the street cars full of people and the Buses a City Full of life and nice people. My Dad got a House to live in and we soon got togather again. So my Father contracted for a Ladies College to build. It had a hundred and 25 rooms. We got a nice house to live in. It was on the corner and the porch was covered with black grapes, and I had my share of them. Well, my Dad started work on the Lades Collage. I learned to lay bricks on it and when it was finished my father and I went to Queensland to visit his old Irish Aunt. She lived in a log caben on it was a large chimney and fireplace. She sit by the fireplace and smoked a clay pipe. She took me to see the oldest living thing on this earth. It was called the marzaler Tree, like a palm tree. They grow near the Tamboran Mountains. The water flows, The Farm she can get A level Gold any Time and Take it to the Bank. They gave her English Gold sovereigns with queen Victorys Head on For the Gold. The Old Aunt said she would leave the Farm to my Father. But he never stayed any place long so we left the old Aunt and went back to Melbourne and work getting slack, my Father took the old Family to Hobart Tasmania we was in Australia 15, years and went to Tasmania. My father got two Bunglows to Build, one for a stoor keeper and the other for a millioneair. He had sailing ships and caught wales in the Ocean and got wale oil from them. And while I was in Tasmania I and another Boy climed mount wellington. We had to go Through a Thick Forest to get to the Foot of the mountain and when we got There we see a long chane 50 foot to Clime. My Buddy would not Clime the Chain, so it was up to me. I climed to the top of the chain and it had a small back to land on I sliped and caught a little tree 2 incehs around. I think that God put it there for me. If I had gone down in the rocks it would have killed me. Only for the little tree. Well I got behind another big rock and went to sleep and woke up fresh and climed to the top and there was a rock the shape of a saucer and it rocked with the wind. It was called the Rocking Stone. I stood on top and could see for miles and the Big Red Sun shining all over the ocean. It was a beautieful sight to Behold. I stood on top and sand sweet Bular land on the Highest mount I stand. Yes Mount Wellington is 5000 feet high. I could sing like a nighting gale and the sound of my voice came back through the rocks like a T.V. word for word. So I came back from the Rocking Stone down the chane to my Buddy was still wating at the bottom of the chane so we caught a rabbet and cleaned him, boiled him and got a cup of tea and walked through a very rocky part of the mountain. I sat down on a flat rock and played my mouth orgen, the sun was shining bright so my Buddy shouted to me and said Arthur look at those snakes cralling from under Those Rocks. I got up and we traveled through the woods home, so late at night we got home my mother was crying. She said where have you been? She said your Father and two brothers have gone to Johannesburg South Africa. So I went to work and saved one hudred dollars and and took the steam boat to South Africa and when I got on the Boat the Pasengers was all sitting quietly around so I got my consertinia and played dance musick. Boy, I got friends all over the Boat and when I got off the Boat I see a lot of people on the Beach having Holady, so I took my consertinia and played all along the beach. Boy I got beer Eats and a place to board and played till 2 o’clock in the morning so I stayed in Cape Town and layed bricks for 2 weeks and tok the train for Johannesburg. It was one thousand and 15 miles gaouney there and Johannesburg is 7000 feet high from the ocean, and I got there on Sunday morning and meet my Dear old Dad. He took me to church with him. I layed bricks a year and my father was building a two story building to an Hospitle. I was working on the far end low down when a big black labouror came runing to me and said Mr. Arthur scafeling all fall. Your Father is hurt. I ran to my Dad. He said Jesus is with me, Take care of your mother. They took him to the hospitle and I went with him and stayed till he died. The doctor told me that my Dad had broken the spinal cord in his neck. He might live till the morning. There was a Prety Blue Eyed Fair Haired nurse was with him. She was 17 years old and at 2 o’clock in the morning she gave me a Beef samuage and a cup of Tea, and she stood in frunt of me and my Dad till I finished and said Arthur, your Father ‘as gone to Be with Jesus. I got up and looked and cryed like a Baby and the Pretty Nurse cryed to. She said where is your mother. I said she is on the ocean sailing to England. She said you come home with me to supper. You will like my Farther and mother. I did. She was there only daughter. She played the orgen to me and I sang to it and went to Church with her on Sundays and promised to marry her and her Farther and mother Told us There Home was ower home to stay with them. I used to play checkers with her Father in the Evening. He worked in a Bank. But he liked me. We was Buddies and went out togather some evenings. I maid good money in the Transvail Johannesburg South Africa. The Highest paid wagers in the world at that time. I saved 4 thousand gold sovereigns while I was there. I came back to England well fixed. So my brother came to me and said I have got my ticket for England. I said you go I will come later. He said your mother wont like it. So I got my Ticket for England and told the Pretty nurse to come see me off on the Train in the Morning. She said I will never see you anymore. She did and watched the Train go out of sight. I Broke my promis listening to my own Brother. But he did not know I promist to marry. I should have kept my promice. So that is the way life goes on. So when I got to Cape Town I had we had to wait a week till the ship sailed for England. So I and another young man maid ower minds up to clime Table mountain. It was 4000 Feet Hight. We had to go through a forest. There was trees covered with silvers leaves. I used to paint steam ships on them, put them in books to mark the place I left off. When I traveled over Table Mountain and at the other side I was sitting on a log chuing penuts, I always had a pocket full and a little baby monkey jumped on my knee and put its little hand in my pocket. After some penutes it would not leave me. It climed on my sholder. It was small little baby, not heavy, so I took it with me to CapeTown and when I got on the boat for London, the Capten fell in Love with my little monkey so I left it with him. But it cryed for me. I gave him all my penuts and left. And has I walked over London Bridge I heard a sweet voice singing Buy my sweet lavender, 15, Branches a penny. Please Buy my Pretty Flowers. She was a pretty Girl. Just like the nurse I left in Johannesburg, so I gave her a Gold sovereigns and I Told her I would come Back and Take her to the stoor and Buy her a nice new Dress and Take her with me and she would sell Pretty lavender no more. She said I will be here when you Come Back. I went on the Train to see my mother and stayed a month and Thort of my Promis to That Pretty Flower Girl. I got on The Train and went to the verry Place she promised to Be, But she Vanished, I looked every place But I went Back to my mother. She said God moves in a misterious way his wonders to perform. He plants……. (Page 11 is missing in the copy)

(Page 12)….came and Thousands of Canadins goine the Voluntear Army in the First World War I, went with the Great British Army. I tried to join But Canada did not take Fathers with Children and work being slack stoped me making money. I sold my house and 5 Building lots and had, 15000 Dollars and took the Faimly to Lake worth Florida. I Boought a small Farm and we lived in it Till a storm Came and Flooded it with 3 Feet of water. So I went to the Real estate man and Rented a house in Town and he gave me my money Back For The Farm. He said he could sell it any time, so I thanked him for That. I got work in Palm Beach on the Court House laying Bricks and when That was Finished I Built a school in Lakeworth and when That was Finished I went to Maken Gorger To work on a RailRoad Station and my wife and 5 children came to the Boarding House and the Boarding House lady put us all in one Room. But at 2 Oclock in the morning the place cough Fire. We all got out on the Frunt lawn. The young mans Christen Association Took us in and in The morning I ask the manager what I owed him. He said nothing so I thanked him for his kind thorts and Took the Faimly To The Railrod Station and Took them To Baltimore and we have stayed in This Lovely old Town Till now. Thire is know other City in this world can Take its place For me. I got work on the Gas and electrict and worked all over Baltimore and Maryland and one evening I went to The Bricklayers union and when I came out There was Croud of men listening to a soldier beging for Volunteers to Join the Army. Not one would, not one would Volunteear so I thart I could get Trip to England so I said Officer Take me. He said you Are an Englishman. I said you Talk English to, I am Fighting For The sake of the English Language. I cannot Take you have to many kids But I glory in your English Pluck. He said all these Guis will Be Drafted in a week From now. Well I put my mind to work and layed Bricks and Built a Brick House in Arbutus and my wife had a Grocers Stoor in Elkridge. I Built it For the Time we Retired. Well one Evening she came to me and said I cannot go on any longer. I am in Pain. I called the Doctor. He came. They Took her to the Hospitle and in 3 Days They sent her Home to Die in the House I Built For her To Retire in. I was left alone in it To Think of of the lonsum Tharts in my lonsum mind. Now I am to Think For myself. She Died with a Terrible Cancer and I went to stay with my son Victor and I got sick. He took me to the Hospitle and The Doctor sat on my Bead and said Mr. Richardson, you have got to have an operation. You have a Prostrate Glan, it must Be Taken out or you will Die. I said Take it out. He said you will Be a Better man I promice you that. There are 9 ahead of you had it out, you will Be the 10. I was and I have never had a pain since Thank God For That. Well I am now staying with my Daughter Myrtle and I am Trying to keep well so I am no Trouble To anyone. I am as well as can be Expected For my Age Thank the Lord. Time goes on, waits for no man. Till he cannot Find his way no more.

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RICHARDSONs from Hounslow Heath ~ Arthur Richardson's Memoir 2
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