Our Family History
The Genealogy of the Story Family
Arthur Patrick Story
1896 - 1975 (78 years)
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Arthur Patrick Story - Letters 1917
July 1917
From his mother (MS)
Bingfield
Crosdoney
Co. Cavan
July 22nd 1917
My dearest Patsy
Laila is writing to you, going over what I have written faintly at her dictation. She went to church today, and wriggled a bit but she sat out the sermon. Dennis Maxwell was there, on leave from some warship. He has much nose and little chin very much like the the charicatures one sees in comic papers. Are you anywhere near the Ulster brigade, are they north or south of you? Lord Farnham is on General Nugent's staff. The Burrowes girls are at No. 9 General Hospital, Rouen. I suppose you do not come across men are out of your own a lot, very much. Talking of hospitals, your cousin surgeon Col. Frank Begbie is somewhere in France and Dr. Jim Gowans, a connection of mine also, keep the names in your head, they may come in useful. Do you remember Emily Begbie, the sisters? Grannie Story and their mother were sisters, Reids. Jim Gowans is a stepson of my first cousin Florrie Haggie as she was. One of his brothers, Bill, in the Durham Light Infantry was killed early in the war. He came to Bingfield once. I am glad you are getting your parcels. Mosquitoes are a nuisance, does anyone use mosquito curtains? Would...
That Russian business is bad, and will prolong the war. The women regiments seem to have done well. Betty is going to France as a nurse in one of Jim Gowans' hospitals,(he is married to her aunt Mary Angus.) She is delighted. Teddie says he thinks it is somewhere behind Arras she is going. She gave her age as 23, as she is really under age.
We have lots of raspberries, but no sugar for jam, anyway I have enough jars saved up. I wonder if you can get any fruit? Do you ever try reading French, for it seems to me you will pick up a wonderful mixture of dialects where you are. It is lucky that Teddie likes maths for Daddy gives him little rest from them. I get a rest in the holidays.
Uncle Frank was in the G.P.O in London, where he censors, in the big air raid. A sentry near him was killed, and a good deal of damage done, but he was not hurt. If you have an address book puts this in it
Lt Col. F. Jollie, Cavalry club, Piccadilly, London
If you ever have short leave it may be useful to you. He lives in a flat near Paddington station - 36 St Mary's Mansions, St Mary's Terrace, Paddington.
All send their love,
Your loving mother
May Story
August 1917
From his father (RS)
9.8.17
My dear Pat
I cannot say more than this at present - there are friends at work in your interest, old comrades of mine - so it depends entirely on yourself if you get any promotion. I advise you therefore to be as smart & alert as you can in a quiet way, without pushing yourself forward.
Above all, look up your writing, spelling, & French especially the latter. Take any chances you may have of chatting with XXX, so as to get into the way of talking easily. On the occasions I have spoken to any of them, I found they speak better French than an our Tommies do English, but then they are drawn from all ranks of life.
After a long spell of dry weather, we are having heavy rain; just my luck, when a lot of hay has been cut. The crop in Monery is very poor & bad both in quality and quantity. We shall have to use straw for winter feed. The rest of the crops promise well. I have got in XXX of binder twine, & arranged for a man to cut the corn with a reaper and binder, as we have not hands enough to bind in the usual way.
Ralph has settled down to his work at Wesdon - No. 3 RFA cadet school. He is learning to groom horses properly & all the first duties of a gunner.
The other boys are playing tennis for the most part. Teddie came out second in a tournament.
The Evinrude is hors de combat. I unfortunately bent the crankshaft in getting off the flywheel & that caused the long bearing on the bottom of the crank case to break. I cannot get it replaced just now; but I now have the use of another engine when I want one.
If you should come under the notice of Sir Alexander Godley, and he asks you how you came to be in New Zealand, you might mention that you are a grandson of Edward Jollie who was an old friend of John Godley.
I expect you have been having stirring times & we hope to hear from me you soon. I leave money to finish this.
Yr loving Dad
R. Story
October 1917
From his father (RS)
19.10.17
My dear Pat
Hearty congratulations in being in Blighty. By the way that word is a bit of Tommies hindustani. Vilayat means any a foreign country, & vilayati is a foreigner - so soda water in India used to be called Bilati pani (bilati corrupted from vilayati) so that Tommies get Blighty from the natives saying " you going vilayati" i.e. to your foreign country. Our Afghans in the 8th B.C. were vilayatis.
I wired your address to mummie at once, so that you may see her all the sooner.
I wonder if my letters to you after you were wounded will be sent on to you.
Numbers of people have come here to enquire for you. Lady Farnham, the Burrowes, Mrs. Pouety, M. Jane etc. & XXX the Moores XXX over. Our circle is not large & the Cavan people don't know about you as I rarely go outside the place. I cannot walk very well & we are so busy at farm work that I very rarely indeed drive anywhere. We have three horses but one is a jibber - a great pity, she was an excellent trap mare but suddenly took to it. I shall have to sell her. Another is a heavy untrained cart mare; so there is really only one trap horse. The jibber has to be well XXX to make her do any work.
The rest is missing
November 1917
From his father (RS)
Roebuck Hall
18.11.17
My dear Pat
I did not forget your 21st birthday & now wish you many happy returns. It is a poor place in which to celebrate your coming of age - a hospital; but you have the satisfaction of knowing it to be in a good cause.
I spent mine very quietly in those very dirty barracks in Dublin situated in Ship Street; at the back of the castle. My father died soon after & I came in for what was then considered to be a good property one that was increasing in value. I naturally hoped some day to leave it to my eldest son, that he might carry on the honorable name of Story of Bingfield. I need not go into the matter of how that property was reduced in value & finally sold by the Govt. for political purposes & how the result was to render me almost a beggar.
I only want you, dear boy, to understand this. I have made plenty of mistakes in life; but one thing I did not do - namely squander my estate. The fact that I have so little to leave behind me he is due not to me, but to the Govt. Of course if anyone could have foreseen events I would never have gone into the army, but into some money making profession.
Well - dear boy - I am telling you this to explain matters while I am yet alive. The Govt. Has left me so little to dispose of and Vida's family are entitled to the greater part of that under marriage settlements. This charge would have been a fairly heady one under any circumstances upon my estate, but if my heir had gone in for any profitable profession, he could have paid it off and kept the estate. But now there is no estate to keep & the position of an Irish country gentleman of small means in Cavan is a very poor one.
Under all the circumstances therefore I have thought it best to leave all of I may die possessed of to your mother absolutely in order that she may be able to keep some sort of a home for herself in her old age, & for the girls if they don't marry, & which may be a haven of a refuge for any of you boys who may need one, through accident or sickness, or any other cause that may prevent your making your own way in the world. She has a good & loving heart, & will do the best she can with the very small means that she will have. This, I am convinced, is better than splitting it up into portions that would possibly be unfairly distributed. The whole business has been a very sad one for me; as I remember when Bingfield & the Story family held an important position in the county, & I hoped that we might again do so someday. However that was not to be.
As for Bingfield itself - I cannot even say whether I can continue to hold it, or what may have to be done in the near future - times are so very bad & uncertain. But one thing I do hope, & and that is that the library may not be dispersed. An old library like that may not be worth very much money but it is the result of the labours of love of many generations of scholars in getting it together - even as a schoolboy, I used to spend my pocket money adding to it.
I had a short line in pencil from Teddie " somewhere at sea". He said he was getting on well, & soon would be beginning lectures on Hindustani, but it was beginning to be hot. They had lots of deck games & other amusements & he seemed very happy.
Ralph seems to like his artillery work but I cannot say how soon he may be sent to the front. News of every kind is more than ever concealed now.
I expect to hear from Halpin tomorrow when Emma Beattie's case, in which I am a witness, is likely to come up for hearing; & then I shall know whether I go home at once or not. I have seen the Jebbs & the Roothams, & also Evie, & found them all very well, as well as the JBs.
A Sikh called Gurjit Singh has been a couple of times to talk over Persian poetry - poor chap -he is having a very unpleasant time among the Sinn Feiners in poor lodgings in Dublin. He made us laugh like anything at his account of some of their doings.
Believe meever your loving dad
My dear PatsyR, StoryDecember 1917
From his mother (MS)BingfieldCrosdoneyCo. CavanDec 25 1917
I enclose P.O. for 7/6, for your razor. I address this to the camp as I expect you will be back. I am sorry you did not get to Southbourne Uncle Fran would so much have liked to have you, Aunt Edith wrote to say so. It is a straight run from London to Bournemouth & from there you can train to Southbourne. I am afraid you would not care much for London for your leave. Or perhaps you did like it but Aunt Lou seemed a little alarmed at the idea, perhaps she found you less a savage than she feared. She is a good sort, very kind.
I wonder was Mardie there. I believe it was Mary you met the first time from what Aunt Lou said. Basil has been here a week, and looks a very different boy. He & Daddy were ferreting yesterday, and got 14 rabbits. Basil is also very busy, as usual, catching rats. He is going to join the badminton club in Cavan, for the holiday. It is warmer here again, a great relief. How do you find it in your tent in the frosty weather.
If you are in London again go to the NZ Records Office, Southampton Row, Strand, I think no. 6 or 8, anyway there are always a lot of new Zealanders hanging about outside it. Please call on Colin Fitz Herbert & Mrs. Wray. They are both very old friends of mine and would make you welcome. Also they are officials and it XXX help towards promotion if they know you personally. They know the Goods well.
Uncle Frank is at Torquay, but hopes soon to be back to work. Make a note of his address: 36 St. Mary's Mansions, St. Mary's Terrace, Paddington. It is not far from Paddington station. I'm sure if he was at home, he would gladly give you a bed if you wanted to be a day or two in London. I will let you know when he goes home if I hear.
Ralph is at Wrighton & comes here this week. I think he does not get as much leave as he thought. I am afraid you will miss him. I hope you had a good time in London, let me know what you did.
Rex King-Laverton has been killed, Jean's young man. I am so sorry, he was so nice. Only 19. It is hard on Jean and Aunt Bessie too, she was fond of him, and he was a great friend of Robert.
Best wishes for the new year, and hope for many more for you.
Your loving mother
May Story
| Date | 1917 |
| Linked to | Mary Jollie; Arthur Patrick Story; Lt. Col. Robert Story |
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