John Moody 1884

Brother of Helen Eliza Moody Rebbeck

Southamerica May 8/1890 Dear sister and brother and all send you a few lines to you hoping it will find you all well and happy as thank god it leaves us well as we can expect for the bitter place as we are in dear sister and brother I was silley enough to emegrant out here in which I am very sorry for but dear sister I can tell you that it is something dreadful out here I sold my home and living last year we left Southampton the secont of March and I wish that we both had died the morning as we are come away dear sister and brother we are about six hundred miles from bueonos ayres and we are fell into very bad hands our master is a frenchman and have great property there is five of us english here to of them came from portsmouth and to with me from southampton dear sister we are nearly starved our food is nothing but maize and rice bread and cheese and butter and vegetables we cannot get none for bread is only ten pence a pound suger shilling and sixpence a pound no tea no potoatos atall our pay is soposed to be 30 dollars a month and it takes 3 of this paper money here for to make one of gold dollars so our money amounts to 2 pounds a month all the masters have got shops of there own and they charge wat they like and they only give us paper money to go to there own shops to by what we want we have abeen here 13 months and we have had no settlement since we have been here dear sister and brother what I shall do i do not no the rest of the english is going to leave me here by my self there friends and gentlefooks is getting there money to go back to england the to that come out with me from southampton goes back next month and the others are expecting there letters every day but dear sister and brother I must stop here to perish and die I have no friends to look to for help but the only true god and I look to him for help dear sister do send me back a few words of comfort and tell me if my poor father is alive or dead and how my only brother is and your self dear sister and brother I cannot write no more for I am blinded with tears good by and god bless you from your loving brother and sister if we never met on earth the lord grant that we may meet around his throne in glory good by XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX from a long unworthy brother XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Mr John Moody Colonia Ocampo Argentine Republica South America

Colonia Ocampo is still in existence being some 300 miles from Buenos Aires and on the coast. According to a website (now no longer traceable) it was a holiday resort with fishing as its main attraction in 2002.

This is a sample of the company banknotes to which John Moody refers in his letter. They are often offered for sale on the web and can make 60,000 times their face value!

Poor John and his unnamed wife could have done with that sort of value judging by the letter.

UPDATES

2001
Over the last two years I have been trying to find out what happened to John Moody with little success. I have made a little progress - there was one MOODY listed in the Argentinean telephone directory - AIDA MOODY. I have since discovered that this lady died 20+ years ago but had 3 children. The search continues My thanks to those in Argentina for their help.

May 2002
It seems that the British Government of the day did bring many ex-patriot British subjects back from exile in Argentina. However, these unfortunates were normally incarcerated in the workhouse. In the light of this information it is possible that John and his wife returned to England.

November 2003
Repatriation was to the parish of origin. Now all I need to do is find out where they were before they emigrated! All we know is they left Southampton on 2nd March 1890

December 2003
Kerry Collins sent me details of a searchable website giving records of "PLANTATION INDENTURES - John Moody". I am now endeavouring to get copies. Is this our John Moody?