Letter to Thomas Benbow Phillips from Evan Evans. 17 December, 1851

Description

Letter writtten to T B Phillips Esq, at Nova Cambria, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil by Evan Evans, Brynmawr dated 12 December, 1851

Evan Evans thanked Thomas Benbow Phillips for the parcels which arrived safely, and explained that he translated his letter, and those of Morgan Jones, David Davies and John Davies and sent them, one per week, to the “Amserau”. Due to unfavourable news about life in Nova Cambria being printed in Welsh magazines, there has not been much talk of emigration in recent months. Evan Evans asks for more encouraging letters to be sent to him, so that hundreds would consider emigrating. He did, however, note that the Welsh had doubts about religious liberty in Brazil because Catholicism was the faith of the country. He refered again to his uncertainty to be able to afford to pay £10-£11 a year towards his Life Policy, and asks if poor people could be assisted with the price of their boarding, and able to repay the cost over a number of years, since some were able to go to Australia cheaply. Evan Evans talked of a very poor, honest family of parents and three girls who were very anxious to emigrate, but weren't able to pay their way, and suggested that they would repay their debt through hard work, if their passage was paid for them. Evan Evans asked Thomas Benbow Phillips to let him know about the whereabouts of John and Isaac Griffiths, the shoemakers. John's wife and mother-in-law were worried because they had not received an answer to their letter. His wife and children would be willing to emigrate or welcome him home to stay.