Andrew

I have attempted to decipher the two letters you attached. I think they are pretty correct. I've left a couple of spaces where I couldn't make out a word or words but at least you have something to tinker with. I had to do a cut and paste because I couldn't attach the "Word" document. See below

Paul

Letter No 1:
My dear sister, I can quite sympathetise with your thirsting for more about your old home, also your friends and relations here. It is so long ago since you was here in old England. It is such a distance that __ __ us, I should like to see you very much indeed, but I suppose I’ll never shall in this world. My dear sister I am hating that I cannot send you the Portraits of myself and wife this time as we cannot get it taken in Wotten Under Edge, but sometime I will the first opportunity. Dear sister, brother Joseph & Henry and families are also pretty lucky. It was unkind of Henry not answering your last two letters. Dear sister, my wife thanks you for the female present you sent her and also received the newspapers you sent also on them. My dear sister we have had a splendid harvest this year but I think there will be a great many out of work this winter, the Great seems to have left the Country. I thank you for promising me the portrait of your grandson. You yearn to have a great many of them. I thought when I came home from India I would not have any, India ............
Letter No 2
He said we was not to see about him for he could see where he was going too and we was not to __ about him he travelled the country up to the very last and he came to see one in any work about 4 days before he died and he was going to take a journey then to do some grinding and I begged him to go home. Again I gave him a piece of bread and cheese and a pint of beer and put my hand in my pocket and gave him a shilling and I send him home and he went home. I did not see him alive after. I hope you will not forget me in being a cripple for I do suffer a great deal in my hand. I am afraid that you will hear in your next letter that I have got to have it off. I have got a very bad wound in it. The sovereign you sent me I put part of to help bury my father and the other I put on Mrs Child’s back my wife and family is pretty well at present. I have 5 children Annie is the eldest 18 years of age, Samuel is 16 years of age, Clara is 10 years of age John is 9 years of age Sarah is 5 years of age. I ____ hasn’t in this world but I hope I shall in the next. When I offered my father the shilling he busted out crying and said he did not like to take it off me being a cripple but I said he should have it as I should never want it and that I should have a friend another day when I wanted one. Dear sister do not forget me nor your daughter Eliza for you are the only friend I have got. Mrs Jordan is still living and her daughter and they are very glad to hear of you, but now I must conclude with all. First my eldest son should like to come to Australia if he could emigrate.........