Our Connections to the Edmondston Family
Although Margaret Cooley was born with the surname Aberdeen, she took the name of her stepfather John Edmondston. She was just six years old when her mother Elizabeth remarried and took Margaret and her siblings to live in the Edmondstone household.
This connection came to light with Foster Budworth's research and made sense of the letter below addressed to:
Mr Thomas Todd Cooley
Innkeeper
New Town
Hobart Town
Van Diemens Land
122 Rose St,
[Edinburgh]
May 25th, 1842
These lines I send you to let you know that we are all well here, God be thanked, and we earnestly hope they will find you all enjoying that great blessing - health. Once more I must trouble you to know if my Dear Brother is well, where he is, what ship he went to the whale fishing in, if it has arrived at Hobart Town again, and every other particular which you may be able to send us, as I am very anxious to hear of him. In my former letters I stated that if there were an opening, such as you could recommend, we Would come out, but as I would wish to hasten one foot before I would slacken another, I should like to know the salary, the hours of attendance, for what term of years I would be engaged. There is not one of us who feels the least grudge to leave our native land if it is to better our prospects in life.
Our native land ! it's but a name
Where pleasure is its worth
Within our breasts it has no flame
Save mem'rys bringing forth
It once had charms, it now hath none!
Our youthful days were sweet!
These were the days that knew no groan
No pain , nor base deceit
But as in years we riper grew
Our troubles grew apace
The hours of innocence swift flew
They had no biding?place
So now, no native land have we No home with binding spell;
From birthplace charms forever free, We care not where we dwell!
Beneath the sun, whatever clime, The same God reigns above;
He knows no change from fleeting time What can this throne remove?
Thus, with Scotland's God may we Australia's shores proclaim The home of life's futurity!
Life's fortune and her fame.
Jean and I are still keeping at a distance from one another, and it is likely it may be some time before we become agreeable, as Jean is ill at giving in, and I being in the right, it need not be expected I will yield. but, so far as I am aware, they are all well and I may venture to send out to you all their best respects and I have no reason to think otherwise.
Myself and family send out our kindest love to your whole family, each individual apart. We again sincerely thank you for your kindness to my only brother. We can do no more than send the grateful breathings of true hearts. Our thanks are not the mere words of form, but the deepest troublings of ardent, anxious souls. We cannot say he is homeless in Australia with such a fireside as yours, if he will but do well. Oh that God would show him the error of his ways. Oh that God would open his eyes that he might see and know his TRUE friends. ( Have you put on mournings for our Mother?)
FRIENDSHIP! sweet word of breadth and lengths Of height and depth of love Thy power to man a tower of strength Thy truth is from above. A FRIEND! he's foolish who would dare Despise a friend in need Who would with him his plenty share Whose heart for him can bleed. That is a friend! not he who favours With words of honey sweet Whose greedy malice slyly yawns While plotting vile deceit. The one is born of realms of bliss Where Saints delight to dwell The other of that dark abyss The ruined soul's home Hell!
We add no more but hope you will answer as soon as possible and we remain your affectionate Friends till death.
John Edmondston (Jnr)
The original of this letter is held by Gillian Tansley, great grand-daughter of Thomas Todd Cooley. It has an image of Edinburgh Castle printed as a letterhead.
Further note
A search of the 1841 Census for the Parish of St George in Edinburgh revealed that John Edmondston(Jnr) was living with his wife and daughters at 122 Rose St Edinburgh and he was a printer. Also living in the same building, but in another "door" was his mother Elizabeth, a 70 year old widow. Living with her was John's 8 year old son Robert Stuart Edmondstone (named after his Uncle the convict)