Graham Letters

Photograph of photographic portrait of Joseph Graham as an elderly man c.1890s, n.d., [late 20th c.]

Photograph of photographic portrait of Joseph Graham as an elderly man c.1890s, n.d., [late 20th c.]

Letters from members of the Graham family and others at Killhope, 1852 - 1887

Durham County Records Office after Deposited 4 August 1993 (Acc: 2305)

Copies also stored at Friends of Killhope Archive at Killhope Museum

Friends of Killhope web site

The letters are some of those sent to Joseph Graham, John Peart and other members of the Peart family in the U.S.A. by their family and friends in Weardale and in the U.S.A. (1852-1887). The letters emanate primarily from the Graham family in Killhope but there are also a few from the Peart family in Allendale. Also included are 3 letters (2 from Robert Wilkinson and 1 from Jacob Peart) which were written in the U.S.A. In some cases the intended recipient of the letter is unclear. In other cases the letter is probably meant for a number of recipients all of whom cannot be identified. In these instances an educated guess has had to be made as to the most probable recipient or recipients. Given the large size of the families involved in this correspondence a short family pedigree has been compiled to aid the searcher.

The primary recipients of the letters are Joseph Graham of Killhope who emigrated to the U.S.A. in early 1852 and his friend, John Peart from Allendale who probably emigrated at the same time. Joseph left behind his mother, ten brothers and sisters and his daughter Jane Ann Milburn (whose mother he appears not to have married). John Peart left behind his mother and 7 brothers and sisters. His brother and sister Jacob and Hannah Peart were subsequently to emigrate to the U.S.A. also. Both Joseph and John were leadminers before leaving Weardale as were the majority of their male relatives and friends.

Joseph Graham and John Peart eventually went to live in Caton/Corning, New York where they became farmers. Joseph married Hannah Peart, John's sister, after her emigration to the U.S.A. in 1854. John Peart's wife was called Elizabeth, it is not known where she originated from.

Two of the letters were written from Pennsylvania by Robert Wilkinson, John Peart's brother-in-law. Wilkinson had married Margaret Peart in Allendale prior to their emigration. Wilkinson became a coalminer in Blossburg, Pennsylvania.

Two of the letters were written from Pennsylvania by Robert Wilkinson, a friend of both men. Wilkinson appears to have been from Weardale also, although no information is given of his family's exact whereabouts. Wilkinson may possibly have emigrated at the same time as Joseph and John. Wilkinson was a coalminer in Blossburg, Pennsylvania and in his letters he is most insistent that Joseph and John should come work with him in the mines. (It is not mentioned in any of the letters whether they actually do).

Jacob Peart, the brother of John arrived in U.S.A. in 1853. He was the writer of one of the most notable of the letters. It was sent from Mississippi just after the Civil War while he was serving in the 7th Illinois Cavalry. Robert Wilkinson also served in the same regiment.

As with all letters we learn much more about the writer than the recipient. Consequently, with these letters what we learn most of is the lives and the harsh conditions endured by the leadminers of Weardale and their families. Although most of these letters were written during the period when leadmining was at its height, they reflect the fairly precarious financial status of the miners. The bargain system meant that the mine owners entered into a contract with the miner, or more commonly a group of miners (partners), for work to be done in a particular mine. The amount of payment depended on the type of work contracted. In cases where the bargain was for ore extraction, then payment would probably depend on the weight of ore extracted and the price by weight agreed in the conditions of the bargain. In Weardale payment was usually made to the miners on a yearly or six monthly basis. Unfortunately by the time any advances made by employers were deducted there was nothing left to pay. It is little wonder that some members of the Graham family and many other leadminers had to rely on small scale farming to make ends meet.

The letters also describe very vividly the various illnesses, sometimes fatal, which afflicted several members of the Graham family. Whether the cause of some of these illnesses could be directly attributed to the working conditions endured in the leadmines is open to conjecture. Perhaps Jonathan Graham sums the matter up best when he says in one of his letters, 'It is an unhealthy business, is this mining'.

Courtesy of: Durham County Record Office, County Hall, DURHAM DHl 5UL

Telephone (091) 383 3253

Durham County Record Office

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