Roorkee
1st December 1875

My dear Mother,

I received your letter of the 26th Oct two days ago and we were all glad to hear you were keeping well and strong.

You have quite mistaken me about the tea, I sent you some samples to know which kind you liked best so that I might know which kind to bring. I intend to bring some with me as I know it is purer than what you can buy in England (sic), even if cheaper, where it is adulterated so much. I get it from the Tea plantation where it is grown and prepared, they are only about 150 miles from where we live. The kind we generally use ourselves is the green bush, and if you don’t like it so strong it is very good to mix with another kind as it has a good flavour.

I cannot understand why you did not get the letter I sent to George (Editor’s Note: George Paterson). When I sent it – I could not lay my hands on his letter so that I did not know his address, so I sent it to you asking you to give it to him, however I will write to him again.

Jamie came home from School on Sunday last, he is taller than me. I was once thinking of bringing him home with me, but I find I cannot afford it and it would interfere with his studies and he must stick to them as close as he can now, for he is of an age now to look forward to his entering the College.

You cannot teach them a trade here so that all that you can do is to give a good education to fit them for some post under Government.

I will not get my Medical Certificate till the end of this month and then it has to go for the sanction and orders of Government. About a month ago I got a letter from the Commander in Chief’s Office stating that a passage for myself and family had been alloted (sic) to me in the Troopship that leaves Bombay on the 23rd March 1876, which is the” Crocodile” but I see by the paper you sent me that she has broke her engines at Portsmouth so that I may come in the “Jumna” who I see is to take her place; however it matters little as they are all alike. I believe the accommodation I am allowed is very good, I have nothing to do with anybody on board.

HMS JUMNA
Euphrates Class troopship-launched 1866

I am bringing a few photos of views in India which perhaps Mr Boyd will like, and I will try and get some feathers at Eden when we get there, and if there is anything else let me know.

I forgot to mention that I am only getting leave for 18 months instead of 24.

We have left our house which has been rented to the College for the time I will be away. All our furniture, horses and conveyances are sold.

Lettie, Jamie, Ernie and Ann send their love to you hoping this finds you still enjoying good health.

With love from

your affectionate Son

J. Johnston

Roorkee

22/12/75

My dear Mother,

I hope this finds you as I am happy to say it leaves all here, in the enjoyment of good health.

I sent to you by last mail parts of an Indian newspaper giving all the particulars about the landing and doings of the Prince of Wales, which you will find much more authentic than what you get from the home correspondents who have come out here. Their ideas of India and Indian life is something very rich indeed (some of the illustrations I have seen during the late famine in Bengal is very good specimen of the English Special correspondent). I fancy the way he has been received here has rather taken people at home a little aback. Instead of all the cry against his coming it has been the best thing that could have happened to England (sic) as the Natives see and look to him as their future King and they have different ideas to your Odgersites and Bradlaughites and such of their sort as to which pertain to Royalty. (Editor’s Note: George Odger 1820-1877 and Charles Bradlaugh MP 1833-1891 were prominent Victorian radicals and republicans). I will send you aware, perhaps tomorrow (the mail leaves tomorrow) but I am so pushed for time I have a great press of work and I am busy stock taking that I have not a moment to myself.

I will be sending my papers off tomorrow for my leave as the Sick Certificate only holds good for 3 months and I am in orders to sail from Bombay on the 23rd of March ’76 so that I hope to leave Bombay 3 months tomorrow. I hope to get a step in promotion before I leave; my papers were called for a few days ago and they are before Govt. and I expect an answer shortly.

You mentioned about my trying to some Ostrich feathers at Eden-well the Regt that was staying at Roorkee is going there after the Camp of Exercise at Delhi is over, and I asked the Band Master to look out for some for me , which he promised to do; he will arrive there about a month before I will. I want you to let me know what kind I should get-there are white tipped with grey and all grey-now you must write me by return of post if possible.

Jamie is back from school; I think I told you the poor fellow has quite made up his mind to rough it out uphill next cold season. If it had been possible I should have liked to have taken him home.

Letty send her love to you, also the children. Christmas is on us, but it is a very dull one as we are not living in our own place and are in camp fashion (marching order).

Wishing you a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year – when it comes

Your affectionate Son

J Johnston

Roorkee
1st March 1876

My dear Mother,

This leaves us all well and hoping it finds you the same. We are all busy packing ready for the start. I hope to leave Roorkee on the 11th and Bombay on the 23rd of this month by the troopship “Jumna” and the trip to England will take, I believe, about 33 days so that I may expect to be in Portsmouth about the 28th of April.

As I am uncertain until I get to Bombay as to whether I will be able to get Jamie home with me in the troopship, I don’t know when I may get to London as if I cannot take him with me. He will have to go by the next P&O Steamer, which leaves Bombay 4 days after me, however it will be a matter of 2 or 3 days. I may stay a couple of days in London and then I will go down to Cambridge and see Aunt Agnes, as it is a short distance from London, and then I will start for “Auld Reekie” (Editor’s Note: affectionate Scots name for Edinburgh), but you will hear from me before then.

You ought to hear the yarns the youngsters have about the trip, it would amuse you and I wish we were off. It is a blessed job this packing. Poor Letty is fagged out as I am only at home morning and evening so that the heavy share of it falls to her lot. I expect she will stare when she looks at the sea for the first time and sees the ships, and in fact it will be quite a sight to me after so many years. The last time I saw a ship was 30th September 1853, the day I landed at Calcutta. (Editor’s Note: see ‘About James Johnston’ for more information on his arrival in India).

You mentioned in your last letter about bringing home some “Tussa” (Editor’s Note: Also known as Tussar which is silk made by Tussar silk worms used for making a saree and other Indian garments) and handkerchiefs. I wish you had spoken earlier as the men only come round at certain times, but I will do what I can at Allahabad where most likely we will see some as we will stay there a couple of days. We are bringing some of that curry powder with us – I hope you will like it – it is a daily dish with us – but we cook it different to what they do at home – Letty can make very good curry she often makes some herself as a change from the books.

We all send our love and kisses hoping to meet you soon

Your affectionate Son

J . Johnston

Southampton
26th April 1876

My dear Mother,

Here we are in England. We arrived in Portsmouth on Monday the 24th. As we came up to the key (sic) I was looking out for Jamie who had gone in Mail Steamer “Pekin” and I was astonished at not seeing him, but as soon as we were made fast I heard he was very ill-had been brought ashore sick and was at Southampton.

The “Pekin” steaming through the Suez Canal 1876
Print from The Illustrated London News

The news gave me quite a turn, for we were all so well and we expected to start off at once. However, as soon as I got my luggage passed, we got ashore and got to the hotel where I left Letty and the children and started off for Southampton where I found Jamie in a very low state; but the sight of me seemed to act like magic on him, poor fellow, and I think (it) done him more good than all the doctors could do. He had been very ill with fever and is skin and bone, scarcely able to stand. I had hoped to have been able to take him with me-but I went to see the doctor and he thought he was too weak to be moved, so I returned to Portsmouth by the last train and made arrangements the next morning about my spare luggage being sent on direct to Edinburgh by goods train, where it will remain till I arrive. Then we all started for Southampton and wasn’t Jamie glad to see us all once more together-he was much better, his head was nice and cold and skin moist.

Jamie had a nice night of it last night; had a good refreshing sleep and I think he will pick up fast now he has kind faces round him.

We had a very good voyage. We left Bombay on the 23rd March at 11.30 and we arrived on the 24th April just one month and a day. Letty stood it better than I expected she would and was the only one that was sick, and that was little. She was a fine ship, I never saw one like her before-we had altogether on board about 1500 men women and children, including the ships officers and crew. We lost 3 men and 3 children at sea and one child the morning we came into Portsmouth-they were all Invalids-and those that died were bad cases when they came on board, but I will tell you all about the trip when I see you.

Letty is quite delighted with what she sees of England, the shops take her eye and the prices of things compared to what we have to pay for inferior articles in India.

We are all very anxious for Jamie to get a little stronger and then we will be off.

I told you in my last (letter) that I would call on Aunt Agnes on my way home, but I won’t stay-however, I will write and let you know when we start.

Should you want to write to me, direct to me at Aunt Agnes at Cambridge.

We are sitting at tea with a nice coal fire and gas burning, which is quite a treat.

Letty and the children send their love to you and are all anxious to get home to you.

With my love till we meet

Your affectionate Son

J. Johnston

I’ve got a bad ‘hoast’ with a cold I’ve got.

(Editor’s Note: It is not clear as to how long James Johnston and his family stayed at home before returning to India. Clearly from the next letter following this one, he returned perhaps a couple of months before 11th October 1878).

 Allahabad
11th Oct 1878

My dear Mother,

I have not heard from you now for a long time and of course I have not written neither, but it is not very comfortable writing with the sweat trickling down your nose on to the paper. I hope this finds you enjoying good health as I am happy to say it leaves us all here. I have been very ill with fever for some months, but am glad to say I have got rid of it, altho it has pulled me down very much. I lost 2 stone in two months and it came at such an awkward time when the College examinations were going on and which were all in my possession that I was obliged to attend, the Principal sent me home several times.

You will no doubt have received the paper  I sent you announcing my transfer to Allahabad. There was no one more taken by surprise than I was when the appointment was offered to me by Scy to Govr Colonel Fraser, my higher flight of fancy never reached to this and yet here I am at the seat of Govt in Allahabad, as Assistant Secretary to Government, North West Provinces and Oudh, Public Works Department . A position of great trust and responsibility in charge of Govt Secretariat.

Civil List (1st page) for North West Provinces and Oudh 1878.
Conductor James Johnston is mentioned four lines from the bottom.
NB: Conductor was the most senior rank of Warrant Officer in the army.

I have left the Army as I could not hold the appointment otherwise, but the Governor General in Council has been pleased to allow my back service in the Dept to count towards my Civil Pension, which is a great boon. My appointment has astonished a great many here who were applicants, – but I have received the warm congratulations of every one who knew me. Officers with the Govt of India and elsewhere have written to me who knew me years ago.

I have now been here a month in my new appointment. I find the work quite strange to me but hope soon to master it, – I only trust the climate of the place will agree with both myself and Letty- she was quite knocked up when we got here, she had all the packing to do at Roorkee before we left as I was on the broad of my back and could render her no assistance, the excitement kept her up for the time, but she felt it very much afterwards.

This is such a different place from Roorkee; it is a very large Station with such long roads, and very hot in the summer. In fact there is very little cold weather and very few houses have even fireplaces, but we must put up with those things here. Here  in the middle of Oct and we have to get ice to use with our drinking water.

The children are both uphill although far away, about 550 miles from here, they will be coming home for the holidays at the end of the month; we get very good accounts of them in their reports.

I am very sorry I have not been able to keep my word with you, but it cost me so much to get my place put to rights again and now again having to sell at a loss-my expenses here and to start afresh (means that) we are great losers for the present and my position here demands that I keep up appearance(s)- another drag on me in that being on the personal staff of the Lieut Govr as one of his Secretaries I am bound to attend all the levies-which I would rather avoid if possible.

I suppose Mr Thos Boyd is married ere this, in a letter Lettie had from Lizzie she mentioned you were going to Midfield in connection with it. If you should see him, tell him of my new appointment. I suppose you have already mentioned it to Mr and Mrs Boyd.

Letty says she will write to you when she gets a little more settled. At present we are all sixes and seven as we have a large house and furniture is so expensive.

We are living alongside the Cawnpore Road and when I marched by this spot about 25 years ago, there was no a single home to be seen- the station has sprung up since.

Have you heard from Anty at Cambridge? I hope she is well as Letty wrote to her but has received no reply-If I can manage it I will write by this mail.

Letty joins me in love to self and kind regards to Mr and Mrs Neilands and Mrs Ross should you see them. Also Joseph at Midfield and Ann if she is still with the Boyds.

Your affectionate Son
J . Johnston

Address me.

J Johnston, Esq
Asst Secy to Govr
NWP and Oudh
P.W.D
Allahabad.

James Johnston –
with thanks to the Great Granddaughter of his second son Ernest MacFarlane Johnston -Jane Johnston Lock