28 letters from William Leonard (1863-1877); 1 from his wife Jane Leonard telling of his death in New Zealand; 9 from William's cousin Nancy Rose (1861-1864), Four of these letters are from Pemberton, England pending her immigration to Australia in 1862 and 5 are from Sydney, one of which describes her voyage on the 'Lady Milton' and near ship-wreck; 5 letters from William Rose, William Leonard's uncle (1860-1862) who worked for Richard Dawson - iron founder in Sydney; Diary pages (26) of William Leonard's emmigre voyage (1863) on H.M.S. "Persia"; Birth-certificate of William Leonard (1839); 1 letter from Thomas Leonard, William's father, from America (1863); William's letters deal with colonial life and trades such as gold-mining and railroad building, and also unemployment.
Background
Papers document one family's experience of life in several of England's colonies.