Descendants of Frederick and Mary Paulin gather here
And here is where the family lived in 1913 just after Ernest died – 39 Audrey Road, Ilford. There is really not that much difference between all the house that I have identified so far – row, probably 3-4 bedrooms, and narrow. They were not that old when the family lived in them either, so new suburban/urban housing from the late 19th century.
EA Paulin to Frederick Pauline, 23 March 1897
[letterhead – Kynoch Limited Late G Kynoch & Company, Limited – Ammunition Works: Witton & Thames – Engineering Works: Witton – Rolling Mills: Lodge Road & Witton – Crucible & Siemens-Martin Steel Foundries: Witton – Black Gunpowder Works: Worsboro’ Dale – Cordite & Nitro-Explosive Works: Witton, Arklow & Thames – Smokeless Powder Mills: Thames – Chemical Works: Arklow & Thames – Soap, Candle & Glycerine Works: Witton – London Depot: 25 Heldon Street, Regent Street W
Lion Works, Witton, Birmingham]
March 23rd 1897
Dear Fred,
I received your very welcome letter dated the 27th ult on Saturday last and can read quite, quite, a story from [illegible] Winman’s clippings went Pleace ad the other beauties. Nemesis must be close behind. It is a pleasure to feel that you write cheerfully after having made a general analysis of your letter, your references to fishing preparations rather tends to create an unusual run of saliva, also your proposed return visit to Yale in April, when I hope you will be more successful in your search. You do not say what Jack is doing, your news re Goodwin surprises me, as to shortage at all events, altho I heard from Rutherford that Braund had that news some time ago, in fact Braund seems to be pretty well posted on one family matters. Both Braund and Rutherford are beauties, the latter I am totally disgusted with and shall be deeply thankful l when, what business we may have with him comes to a close in order that there need to be no necessity of even speaking to him. Your remark re Oak Bay finances interest me and am sorry you have to stand up as you do: anything I can do here in the way of urging on the transfer of the trust I am at your services, but I must get my instructions from Victoria
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I cannot see that any good can come of Fry’s guardianship of the property. I understood Rutherford to say that Fry claimed the Acock’s Green tenant had not paid any rent for some time, had failed or something , now you say he has given notice to leave at Easter, not without paying up I hope. Rutherford is willing (and has to Fry so too) to release the Trustee + join in the indemnity deed, on the condition that a sum the equivalent of Louise’s interest, or pro-rata, or whatever the will calls for, shall be left invested in England for the benefit of Louise’s children, and also R inferred to me when I last saw him, that this arrangement would remove Fry’s objection, but then I believe the latter is just a trifle nutty and has a vacillating mind. If Fry could be finished off and I cannot now see why not (providing his accounts are square) the Stocks could be easily enough converted and at once and transferred to BC then the Acock Green house could be dealt with as soon after as possible, anything at all, to improve the finances at Oak Bay would be better than under the present circumstances. Let me know what you think about it. I am waiting for authority to collect the pictures for you, they are at Rutherford’s brother’s house, have been cleaned and provide a handsome decoration to his walls, also he has Dad’s Secretaire and Japanese table, all of which Rutherford has asked me
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To inform him when I am ready to fetch them and he will go with me and see that everything is handed to us just as he left it with his brother. Fred, I don’t think it would pay to pack the table and Dad’s secretaire for such a journey, so if I may take care of them for you until they are wanted, I should so like to and besides I have no sitting room furniture at all and those two things would be a start for another room. I have not heard from the Dad for 3 or 4 months now and suppose all my cutlery table linen, pictures, bed room & Parlour furniture has been well used, they evidently take a pride in showing to what extent their greed and selfishness will go without any comment, I hear my best curtains are in use in the Front room and I suppose my tools are on the down run, nevermind. I shan’t forget their cruelty in a hurry and may have a chance yet to prove what I say. I believe Emmie has written to mother about the things. We have just completed the re-construction of our company and next month I hope to be able to write and give you some idea of my progress during my short acquaintance with the Company, I have done very
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Well indeed as far as a personal satisfaction goes, the matter of increased remuneration must wait a little while, remembering I have only been here less than six months and am in name (as yet) chief clerk of Kynock Limited over a staff of 83 men and 38 ladies – the chief clerk as far as salary goes, our Mr Atkins, takes the management of our new cycle works in line next – Our secretary Mr Frank Hirscham FCA in an interview with him about two months ago, expressed pleasure on behalf of himself and the Board at the improvements I had made in the accounts depart and asked me to be good enough to overseen the whole of the general offices as well as telling me that Mr Atkins would shortly be given a position he was more at home in than accounts and hoped to shew his appreciation of my services more substantially. I can let it rest at that. Eh!! Altho there is an immense amount of jealousy of “that cute yankee chap” that has to be contended with especially among the old servants of which there are quite a number. I could have given both Bert + George good situations several times over, in fact we are very short of Juniors (good) now, labour of all kinds is at a premium in Birmingham we have had an advertisement out for 300 girls for the works for 3 months, in which time we have only succeeded in obtaining 29 just fancy
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If it will not be a trouble to you Fred I wish you would ask Blackwood to give you particulars of the Port Crescent property I bought with him (5 acres with Blackwood and 5 acres with Tom Ella) I want to know whether any taxes have been levied on it per se. If you could get all information from him and all that it is all right I should very much like you to get the papers made out for the whole two lots in your own name and hold them in trust for Emmie, whose money it was that purchased it. I suppose there is no chance of selling it, so Emmie wants it put into shape and held so that if ever is of value she will be able to give it to Harold, or at any rate she will not let me rest until sure that the property is still there, you will create a blessing on me by looking this up.
Altho I wrote you about the stuff I left at Oak Bat very fully once before, I do not want you to mention my present remarks to them, I would sooner leave that to their own conscience (if any). I shall as soon as this is posted commence looking forward to another letter from you, you have very little idea what a treat it is to heard from some of my
[In red at the top of the page]
We are sorry no one is likely to come over this spring as we very badly want Harold with us. Have not heard from him lately – if any chance of sending him, let me know + I will make some provision or another to get him here.
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People.
It will be a very uphill summer for me (the weather does not suggest any summer yet) we are expecting another addition to our home about the end of June and have commenced speculating already as to the sex (if only one) and how we shall manage to provide a carriage paid entrance into the world, but suppose the ever watchfull providence has got on eye on [illegible] us + would have us not meet troubles half way. But I for one shall be very thankfull when it is all over and what kind of a hole were landed in is known.
I hope your family keep well, I suppose our other branches are alright or I should have heard. I had a letter from George yesterday, he writes briefly but not too blue, hope by that he is doing better, am marking him a few lines today, he tells me Edith is likely to assert herself in June too, two of my wife’s sisters May + August so something must be wrong somewhere Eh!!
Stavirt any more to bother you with old man, so with Best Love + wishes for the future I would like a line from Bert to hear how he is getting on
Your affectionate Brother
Ernest
Letter, Ernest Paulin to Frederick Pauline, 7 Dec 1896
109 Whitehead Road, Aston, Dec 7th 1896
Dear Fred
I received your kind and most welcome letter yesterday, Sunday 6th having been the usual (lately) 17 days coming. It is very kind of you to take so much trouble in endeavouring to collect the money Pleace owes me and I sincerely hope you will be successful. I suppose all Pleace’s personal estate is by transfer merged into the Standard Co Ltd ? but at any rate a judgement against him would cover any estate he has; He had some property at Wellington, his own house at Nanaimo was in his own name and he has life Insurance and numbers of interests in departures of a more or less speculative nature in fact everything belonging to the Nanaimo business, either the hardward +c or property in connection therewith was recorded as Pleace’s, Tye was never even known in the business at all until I managed to handle the Pleace with the result as I left it last July, he then having paid Tye’s attorney out – what Pleace has been up to since goodness only knows. The whole lot of them are a lot of scheming swindlers and the weakest among themselves will, I suppose go to the wall.
Re being employed –
I am surprised at the knowledge of old S[illegible] Kelly and can only trace it to the immaculate Thomson again; during Expressmen’s orations, because Amy was
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the only person who my wife mentioned it to and giving no particulars at all + I certainly have not mentioned it to anyone save yourself or the Dad = the fellow is a born idiot.
Next time Galley asks you as to the where abouts of the Kelly Estate books, it might be as well to ask him what business it is of his, the ignorant booby, if any particulars are required re the Kelly Estate, I or my co Trustee can only furnish same to interested people, not idle curiosity mongers.
Mr Hall the manager of Hudson’s Bay Co, is my co trustee and wanted me to call a meeting and tell the Crs there was nothing for them, as there is in fact not enough in the Bank BNA to our a/c (and which represents it all) to pay legal expenses but he went east for 2 or 3 months _ so it slid on again.
Emmie says the books were packed with my other things and are, if so, out at Oak Bay, there should also be some papers with particulars of what little money was collectable + a Bank + Cheque Book shewing account – there should also be a cheque given me by Mr E Crowe Baker in payment of an old widow’s a/c. I forget the name, this cheque was given me when Hall was away on his journies and for months I was unable to get his signature to it for Banking purposes, the cheque was dated some little time before Mrs Baker died and after that I let the matter slide again + finally forgot to ask Mr Baker to write out a new cheque as the other
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Was too ridiculously old to present. If Hall explains this to Baker + returns him his cheque I don’t suppose he would object to pay coin now, the amount (if the cheque is not amongst my papers at the Bay) is $15. All the packing was done by my wife as you know, long before I knew she insisted upon visiting her people + says she packed the Kelly books but I don’t recollect them ever having been removed out of the (Tye’s) office except when Fred Nickells had them to make out what accounts he could, ≠ to called under my instructions, those he made out were paid out or covered by contia when he presented them (some settled after assignment by not to all some himself) or not to and finally given up as bad. Mind, if the books are in one of the cases at Oak Bay they are joint property of myself + Hall and the everlasting Galley crowd have no interest in them, than the man in the moon, they will want to possess the earth in reality presently. I’ve no doubt their ignorance suggests to their own enlightened minds that it ought to belong to them. If the books are found let Hall have them, but send any papers to me in connection therewith to me + I will put them into shape and with instructions to
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Hall to let one or two of the largest expenditures declare what shall be done with the money then at any time I can sign a Bank BNA cheque so that Ha; can hand the funds over to whom it may legally have the paid claim upon it – But I shall not go to any further expense in the trust, I have already paid sufficient out without any chance of recovery.
11th
I have kept this letter back a day or two as I could not convincingly spare the postage money just at the time – I received the “Times” you so kindly sent me containing poor Fullers case + particulars of Wallis’ predicament. The loss of Will must prove a terrible blow to his parents, and will I suppose affect the Esquimalt firm in some way or another.
I have not heard from anyone in BC but yourself and am sorry that some one doesn’t write if it is only a line to let me know how they all are [illegible]
I don’t suppose this letter will reach you much before the New Year so will take this opportunity of wishing with all my heart that 1897 will be a prosperous one in business and that
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You and your family will be blessed with good health +
Give Emmie’s love to Cissie and tell her she will write a line shortly to her. I have had Emmie down for a considerable time now with a severe cold, she caught it from the children at first and had check after check until she lately had to give up, if we could only get some dry weather and less changeable atmosphere, I think we should fare better. Am very lucky in not being laid up myself, but mustn’t brag, there is a terrible lot of sickness around us; principally this being emplant + diphteria and am still without any line from Fry, so cannot give you any news of him or his idiosynchrisities.
Many, many thanks, again for your kindness to me and longing to hear that you are coming over in the spring, which I should do, if I were you, I suppose someone of your firm will make the trip and it is about time you had a change. When you write again please previously find out how dear little Harold is. I shall feel more at home when he is with us again, in the meantime I am struggling along and so long as I am left without kindness, to nurse my present occupation, no one need fear the result – your little lecture as you term it if applied
[written in red atop the page]
I would like a letter from George and Bert is the latter doing anything he had better come here – there is lots of work for willing people, that is better than no work at all.
[G Kyncoch & Company, Limited Ammunition Works Whitton, Rolling Mills Lodge Road Birmingham Crucible & Siemens-Martin Steel Foundries Witton; Black Gunpowder Works: Worsboro Dale Cordite & Nitro-Explosives Works Arklow London Depot 25 Heddon Street, Regent Street, W]
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To intemperance or reckless living I accept as you desire as genuinely given + with good intentions, the whole “history” of what creates in you + other minds an idea of my moral + physical down run, is not well understood and I it is here, have always avoided excusing myself having nearly amply sound reasons for many matters which have misconstruction to my cost and possibly in my weakness made me in ignorant anger worse and for which I have suffered alone, nevertheless Fred old man you will be pleased I know to hear – that what trouble I have now I have learned at all events not to abuse myself for, and this policy I adopted when I placed my foot on British soil last, amongst has never been left sight of + I do not think ever will was, and it is no more a necessity to use artificial + sont eating stimulants now I am happy indeed to sing in order to live.
I went over to Acocks Green last night to help them in an entertainment walked both ways, programme enclosed.
Let me hear from you again Fred as soon as you can get time. Kind love and more Best wishes for you next year
Your affectionate Brother
Ernest
39 Audrey Road, Ilford
Sunday 15th
Dear Fred,
My trouble is more than I can bear – dear Harold passed away last Thursday. I had a cable on Thursday (Harold dangerously ill, very little hope, from Grace & Co, London) I went to them Friday for me, the suspense was too awful. Mr Grace then told me the worst. I am afraid to write to Granny, it might give her a shock – she has so much trouble lately. I was taking Irene’s and Norman’s tickets on the Friday for Valparaiso – where they meant to work. I return the money to enable us all to go later – now it is all over – Excuse more. I have to write to Harold’s poor little widow. God help her.
Love to all, yours very sincerely
Emmie
PS I had the insurance last Wednesday.
The Amazing Paulin(e) Family 