We are having a clean-up and chuck-out effort at the Sandgate Museum, and this afternoon I had a call to come down because they had found Samuel Drew and Sons account books and work diaries in a box in a cupboard. "Would I like to take them away and have a look through them?" Is the Pope Catholic?
In the daily work diary commencing May 11 1903, it is all great-grandfather Samuel's handwriting up until close of business June 11, 1906. It then changes to a stronger hand with a definite Cornish 'sound' to the wording.
18 June 1906 - "Father a little better"
Amongst the ensuing entries, there are little snippets as to who has come to visit "Father" but nothing much about his condition. Then, in April 1907 the company is building a house for Mr Neilson at Samford.
22, 23, 24 April 1907 - "All hands painting Mr Neilson's house."
25 April 1907 - "Alb. (Albert) and Jack all day painting. Will half day. Will left us again today went to Mr Early's in the afternoon. Father died at 4-30 pm today. Got word at 8 pm to come home, arrived at midnight. Will at 7 pm."
26 April 1907 - "Father was laid to rest at sun down today by the Rev Powell after 12 months of terrible and very painfull (sic) suffering."
27 April 1907 - "Alb. home all day cutting firewood. Jack in Brisbane in morning about his teeth and home in afternoon."
Do I detect a fair bit of Cornish Wesleyan stoicism in there?
