WCP1325

[1]

61 Clyde R^d.

West Didsbury

Manchester.

March 7^th 1904

My dear Pa¹

Thanks for yours of 3^rd2 & for M^r Dressers³ letter.

I have heard from Sleigh & if I do not hear again in a fortnight I am to tug him up.

In the meantime he is digging up his genealogical tree.

He says his uncle — John S. born about 1820 dies 1897 wrote something on the subject & [2] traced his descent from a knight who came over with the conqueror, but of course this would not help us as we only come in late on the female side.

I am very glad to hear that M^r Sims⁴ has kept hose old papers I hop you get hold of them all.

I will write Sleigh again in a day or two & get more details.

My early recollections are of a vague nature & as nothing startling happened to me during my early years I cannot fix the dates[.] I can however remember a [3] number of trivial incidents which happened at Grays — such as Violet⁵ & me⁶ playing on a plank on trestles behind the house near the hedge between us & Redferns (?) & eating stolen carrots. I've called the plank 'the high board' & it seemed about 8 ft high to me.

I can also remember the library table being let down out of an upper window[.]

Ma sometimes took us to Gravesend & at the landing there was a ^covered passage with round glass windows in which I saw a resemblance to certain mother-of-pearl button which I wore on a velvet suit.

We used also to see fires glowing across the Thames & were [4] informed they were the cement works.

You used to bring us back jumping frogs from London which evidently made a great impression on me.

I have a recollection of a hound bovine beast of some description running at me between the Dell & the railway crossing — I had on red petticoats or pants, but there was a feud between us & I was not alone, but I was much frightened though probably it was nothing very fearful in reality.

I can remember Blair Williams who had long curls & a splendid wheelbarrow!

[5] 2/ I expect these reminiscences are not of much use to you & may not be accurate.

Tell Ma⁷ I will write soon but nothing has happened to base a letter upon lately.

Has Violet come back yet?

Your affectionate son | W. G. Wallace. [signature]