Powell, David - Letter from mother

Rachel Powell has been a widow for nine years, when on 21 December 1876, just prior to Christmas, she writes a letter to her son David in Utah. At this time, Rachel and presumably her son John are living at Pengarnddu, Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil. After some years of not hearing from her son David, Rachel his mother writes an anxious letter:

“My dear Son and daughter, I am taking the opportunity of writing you a few lines, hoping that you are all well as we are at present; we are very uneasy about you giving that you have not answered our 2 last letters which we wrote to you some time ago. I should like to know if you wish us to write to you or perhaps being that you are exalted a little in the world, that you don’t wish to hear from us; if so I should like for you to write and let us know. We have not forgotten you if you have forgotten us. You promised to pay us a visit, but we see the time very long, waiting for you, we should like to see you very much. I hereby enclose a likeness of Myself, William your brother and his wife. So see if you do know us. William and his family is living here at Pengarnddu now keeping the Lower Public. They all send their kind love to you many times. Jonathan and his wife & family and Margaret & Jenkin including family and John Edwards and Charlotte, send their kind love to you many times. The times are very bad here in Dowlais at present, likewise through the Country trade is so slack and wages very low and the food as high as it has been since I can remember, so between all, there are many people suffering for want of food, but we have not seen the want of anything Thank God so far. I have nothing else but if you will please write back I shall be very glad and let us know when you are coming over for I am too old to come over there or else I would. I now conclude with love ever lasting from your Affectionate Mother Rachel Powell P.S. Please write back per return I beg of you.”