QUOTES taken from several letters from Lettisha and her Mother Elizabeth to John Campbell Steele II.
Lettisha: 6.2.1884 to Uncle John Steele ' there is one thing that I would ask you and I trust that you will answer me that is how many wives has every Elder allowed to have. Brigam Young had a great many wives. Well dear Uncle, this is one thing I have against your ideas for when God made Adam he only gave him one Eve and if he had have thought that one was not enough he would have given him more, but I think and many more with me that it is abominable in the site of God and ought to be in the site of man, it is great and terrible; and one of the greatest sins on Earth is this, I truly believe that God never allowed more than one man for one woman nor more than one woman for one man, and if we were all to heed this, there would be much less sin in the world. Tell me truly how many more Aunty's have 1, 1 trust no more than my own dear Auntie Catherine. This is the greatest fault I have against you Mormans. It says in the scripture it is wrong but I will say no more on this subject.
“Oh I think that I see my darling mother when she was nearing the river bank. She lived in Sydney with my brother, 150 miles from where I lived but I went down to her, she use to come and star with me often and oh how I miss her now. I know that she will not come to me but if I'm faithful I will go to her where pain will be no more. Give my love to all my cousins.
Mother Elizabeth: 12.5.1872 to brother ‑ John Steele
'I am quite well yet myself and able to work, yet I go nursing ladies in their confinement so you see dear brother that I'm not depending on my children. They are all very well off.. It is printed in police news that Brigam Young visited the theatre in New York with 45 wives and 73 children, is this true. I have told you all about myself dear brother, you speak of your happy home, fruit trees, flowers, I wish I could have one look at them and you but if you will send me your likeness and Catherine's I will content myself with that, I now send you mine, tell me what you think of it.'
'the next is Lettisha, her husband David Todd a farmer has a large station, 18 hundred sheep besides cattle and horses and she has seven children, 4 boys and 3 girls’
Mother Elizabeth: 2.9.1879 to brother John.
‘I received your kind letter and your likeness. I was glad to see the old faces once more, but you are so altered, you are so like our father, but Catherine I can but see very little change. But I would not have known you. You want to know more about our parents. Your Grandmothers fathers name Samuel McKelveans and his sister married John M. Dot and that was how it came. Your Grandfather name Arthur Steele and he had six brothers and mothers grand mothers sisters married John Gibson and another married Robert Maffe. (etc)
Mother Elizabeth: 26.8.77 to brother John Steele.
'Three of Elizabeth's children died and two of Lettisha's children died'
Mother Elizabeth: 18.1.1879 to brother John.
Dear Brother, you want me to tell you something about our ancestors, I will begin with our mother's Grandfather and Grandmother. His name was John Kennedy and his wife's name was Elizabeth Martin and they had four sons John, William, Samuel and Marton. Marton William was our Grandfather and his wife's name was Jane McElveen and they had eight children, Mary, Grace, Betsy, Jane, Nancy, John, William and Margaret ..............I have only 4 children now Elizabeth McMurtrie, Lettisha Todd, Mary Wells and George Connelly and our Grandfather's name was Arthur Steele and he belonged to Glenevy about 60 or 70 miles from Belfast and his wifes' name was Elizabeth Greenfield ....... I have told you all I know about Grandfather's family. I remember him well with our father and mother . John Kennedy our Uncle went to Canada and had a large family there., He was coming home ‑ a trip for his health but the vessel was wrecked and all hands lost ............My husband was born in Hollywood in 1808, his Grandfather was the Captain of the Man‑o‑war that came into Belfast and the Connelly's are Scotch originally and now I think
I have told you all I can think of ..........
Mother Elizabeth: 1.5.1879 to brother John.
.......... 'I did not expect that even I would be able to write, I am still very ill to that degree that I cannot get about in fact my whole body is swelled. The Doctor says its dropsy, I have laid up for this four months, I am sixteen stone weight and it is no wonder my legs is swelled, Well my dear brother she is the first out of the three of us and I can not then expect to be long after her and I hope and trust we will meet on a happier shore where there is rest for the weary and there will be rest for you and me ...........
Mrs. Lettisha Todd,
Essington Nr
BATHURST. N.S.W.
My Dear Neice,
Your very kind letter came to hand this day and I hasten to answer as I do hope you will be pleased to hear from me from this far off north country, as I find you are situated in 1481 east longitude from London and thirty five' south latitude. So that you are about 4440 miles nearly in a south direction from where I am and as I am about 7500 miles west of London and you are about 8880 miles east of London making 16,080 miles between us or nearly that because they can sail in an oblique direction so you see that you are 213 round the world from me. You may say 24,000 miles round but when you compare the size of the sun to it, it looks rather small for you might place the centre of the sun at the centre of the earth and he would reach 200 miles beyond the moon. So that you can see that out earth is very little compared to some others. But far enough to separate many friends and kindred, as long as this life lasts, I have this day mailed a letter to your cousin Rachel Connelly and her sister Mrs. Elizabeth McGuiness, 11A Church Street, Hollywood near Belfast Ireland. I had a few days ago a letter from them and they feel well and I should say enjoying life. The Rev. Charles James McAlister said he baptised some of your children and I send his kind regards to all of you.
Yours of Jan 22nd 1891, said you were harvesting. I think, well I am now, putting in my garden, potatoes and peas. I have just got my peaches, apricots and apples trimmed and will commence on the grapes. Now we have a good climate here and the community all feels like brothers and sisters and in fact they have all married into each others families. You might count them up by the score. One of my son‑in‑laws was born in or near Sydney, but his family heard the gospel preached there by an elder of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints. I believe they all came here and they proved themselves ‑ good folks. He married your cousin Elizabeth and his name is James stapley. She was born in the Salt Lake City on the 9th August, 1847, the first white child born in these mountains and your Aunt Catherine has had nine. Her first was born in Belfast, Irelan Dec 23rd 1840 and her last one was born in this country and now I think there is about 100 in all. There are 3 sons here of your Aunt Em James and one in Bradford England, Her daughter died a short time ago leaving quite a large family. I ‑have one son at home unmarried, he is now 37. He is rather careless, but tends to the horses and teams. He is a stout man 6ft high and weighs 196 lbs and very good looking. All my children are larger than I am as this country provides large stock. At our last census the the Population was over 62 mill in the US and the mormon population in Utah territory is about 200,000. We have large settlements both in Canada and in Mexico. A distance of 2000 miles north of south and our people extend all over the world, in your country, N.Z. and other islands of the sea.
So, if you want to belong to the best company, embrace the gospel and come over here and see us. But you will say well done because I don't like your polyagammy, only to think of men having more wives then one ‑ oh dear, horrible, ‑ Very well ... Your Grandfather Steele had 2 wives which of them will he have in the ressurrection. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon and others had many wives and the Lord didn't find fault with them for it, but YOU gave order and rules to Gov. and Jesus himself was the Son or descendant from one of the King David's Polygamous wives. Now when you look at it in that light, do you suppose man knows more than his Maker. The people of the world have become accustomed to houses of prostitution and thousands of such places are met with in all large cities of Christendom and drunkenness, diseases and death runs rampant, and our good Presbyterians and methodists and all others just look on and say oh Yes , it must be so. But if men would take women and make wives of them and honour and care for them and honestly care for their children There is a howl and cry raised our craft is in changes for these mormons will marry all the girls, make honourable wives and respected mothers of them then every priest this side of the warm corner is howling about it and wants us to kill them because they would soon spoil their trade. I know of what I speak as I have travelled in most of the large towns in England, Ireland and Scotland also all over this US. And know the preachers of the different Sects are men who never had any authority from God to preach the Gospel to anybody. They are .....a man made sect and have taken the livery of heaven to serve the devil and I know it, and can prove it beyond the possibility of successful contradiction. I know that God has once more ............,the ever lasting Gospel with the Apostles as Prophets, Pastors and Teachers also all the gifts of the gospel and was held by all those in the days of Jesus and his apostles and not now nor has there been an authorised servant of God on the earth for the last 17 hundred years until this our day. Now I don't want to stumble you in your religion for I perceive you are religiously inclined, but would say look well to what you are trying to believe and if there is any elder of the Church of Jesus Christ within 500 miles of you, you would be the gainer to go and investigate for yourself.
Your Aunt is much improved and I think she will rally once more. I am this day 70 gears. our hale and hearty Aunt is 75, not to old to live along time yet.
All my sons and daughters are grand and great grand children to your husband and children.
Write soon again as I always pray for all my kindred. I pray for you that the Lord will Bless and preserve you,
I remain sincerely your Uncle John Steele.
LETTISH'S REPLY TO HER UNCLE 6th February, 1884.
My Dear Uncle,
Yours to hand January 18th 1884 and I am glad to hear you are all well when you wrote. We are all well, but sometimes ailing and I suppose that will be the way with us till the last of us is taken, but that be when God pleases, I hope and trust we may all be like the virgins of old, have oil in our lamps and they brightly burning them.
We care not how soon the Bridegroom cometh. We will be ready to go in with him to the Wedding Feast for ever. where there shall be no divessity or opinions, it is true that we hear alot about the notions that you have adopted, but there is one thing that I would ask you and I trust that you will answer me that is how many wives has every Elder allowed to have. Brigham Young had a great many wives.
Well dear Uncle, this is one thing I have against your ideas, for when God made Adam, he only gave him one Eve and if he had have thought that one was not enough, he would have given him more, but I think and many more with me that it is abomomable in the site of God and ought to be in the site of man, it is great and terrible, and one of the greatest sins on Earth is this. I truly believe that God never allowed more than one man for one woman nor more that one woman for one man and if we all to heed this, there would be much less sin in the world.
Tell me truly, how many more Aunty's have 1. 1 trust no more than my own dear Auntie Catherine. This is the greatest fault I have against you mormans. It says in the scriptures it is wrong, but I will say no more on this subject. How many cousins have I belonging to my poor Auntie Jane McCleland. Where is the rest of them, no doubt you would like some of my mothers' children with you but that can hardly be seeing that we are all married and have homes of our own.
My sister Mary is the only one of us that had no family. Poor Ann has left 2 little ones behind her when she went home to heaven. I was with her and oh how happy she seemed to be, How delightful it is to be near one that we love when they are leaving the world of doubts and fears and are going home travelling alone. The Christ is their Redeemer and Advocate above. Oh I think that I see my darling mother when she was nearing the river bank. She lived in Sydney with my brother 150 miles from where I lived but I went down to her and she used to come and stay with me often and oh how I miss he now. I know that she will not come to me but if I'm faithful I will go to her when pain will be no more.
Give my love to all my cousins and Auntie and I would like to have my dear Aunties likeness and your likeness if you please. My husband sends his love to you. Please send some papers. We will love you all.
Write if you please. Your loving neice Letitia Todd.
