Sir I beg most respectfuly to state that I am under the disagreable nesessity of requesting your ade, in behalf of my family
seeing that they are starving for want of food, which I cannot provide for them which you know, Sir, must be hart breaking
to a mother and if it is in your power to send me an order on Mr Sinclair’s for some flour tea and sugar you would much oblige
me as wel as relive me and my family from our miserable situation, and if it is not in your power be so kind as to write to
the Governor and let him know our miserable situation and your Humble Petitioner will ever for you pray.

P.S.Please favour me with an answer as soon as possible

(Signed) Elizabeth Lilly

1854, the settler’s wife, her husband sentenced to fifteen years for stealing sheep.  Herein the official’s list of her possessions:

Two old tables, three old stools, two cooking pots of iron,
camp oven, tea kettle, frying pan, three dishes and a bucket
One dish had a cover
four plates, one cracked;
A cruet stand complete,
one salt cellar, one pepper mill
a clothes box, table cloth
table oil cloth,
a wool mattress
and EIGHT books.

One barrel, one auger, one adze
a handsaw, two knives, a grindstone
a plane, a spade, two axes, a jack plane
a square, ironwork
scythe and sickles eight of the latter
two hundred post nails
and fifty feet of timber

Eight ale and porter casks
fifty pounds of salt

She had three sows, one boar, twelve sucking pigs,
seven chickens, a cockerel
three “whippentines”?

and four small childen