Drente den 1 July 1847
Dear Mother
and brothers and sisters and brother-in laws

I feel obliged to write you again and also to let you know that I have received your letter of 9 May in good health with wife and children. I cannot thank the Lord enough for this, and also I read in the letter of the 9th of May that you all are in good health.
Except my brother Jacobus and his wife and children which made me sad. When I read the letter I thought by myself again my brother Jacobus, who suffers again and again. But now dear brother Jacobus I wish you good health, that would give me great pleasure. You live in poverty as I do. But just think of Jop who said:"The Lord has given and the Lord has taken, we thank the Lord.
But brothers, now I have to let you know that my job is digging peat from one o'clock early in the morning till 6 o'clock at night, and my wife from 4 o'clock in the morning till 5 at night, and that while we are hungry, so you will understand that we all wished that the Lords of Walcheren kept their promise, that means that they will let us come back in the autumn, but not before 15 October because of the potatoes we have in our garden because if we don't dig these up we will have nothing to eat again this winter and things will be worse still.
Now brothers and brothers-in-law I will talk about the situation here.. The work is still as it always was, but making a living that gets harder and harder. A loaf of bread that cost 26 cents when we arrived here costs now 82 cents and a pound of flower 32 cents and a cup of gort 23 cents and a bowl of beans 15 cents and a pound of rice 18 cents and the .......... , so you will understand that things are hard here. .......... by stealing and murder that happens here regularly, in several villages they attack each other because they are so hungry, but now we hope that we have seen the worst of that as new wheat is getting ready for harvesting. It looks quite good
and now I cannot go on because I am tired and my eyes are closing that is why I write so badly.
Brother in law, you have written me about three letters from the Lords of Walcheren but the last two I have not written but signed against my wishes but I stand by the third one, I wrote that one myself and you wrote me that the Lords of Walcheren don't respond. Let them talk in public and rectify the situation and otherwise Mr Knibbes should tell us what to do because we cannot go on as it is, and if I have to stay I would like to know what to do with our house and garden.
And our greetings to the dear Lords of Walcheren. Signed Leendert Mse Brasser.
Brother in law Lourus be so kind to send our regards to all my friends and parents and family of J Toutenhoofd and his wife, M.Westerbeke and his wife and J.Bosselaar and his wife and all the children, hoping they are all healthy. Brother in law Lourus when you write again, address the letter streight to me not to ..... and when you write please ask the Lords of Walcheren to put a stamp on the letter, because the previous letter I had to pay again and I cannot do this anymore.
Kind regards from my wife and children. We are all healthy dear mother, brothers, brothers in law uncle and aunties, cousins friends and those we know and also to K.Minderhout and his wife and children.
Signed Leendert Maartense Brasser.
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Second letter
Dente 9 September 1847
Dear Brothers and brothers in law
I feel obliged to write again to let you know that I received your letter of 14 August in good health and read that you all are in good health. Dear mother, brother, brothers in law and sisters, we cannot thank God enough for this.
We are willing to accept the advice of the Lords of Walcheren to remain here in Drente. We see the prices of groceries come down somewhat and may make a living here if the Administrator A.Wolders is able to remain out friend. But in this case the Lords of Walcheren have to pay Mr.Wolders as soon as possible the loan we got during that difficult period here.
Wolders has told us some time ago that he had informed the Lords of Walcheren of the amount of this loan which has to be paid in any case. What else will happen to us and I think that it is easier for them to pay this than getting us back to Walcheren.
We request again that you go to the Lords again with this letter and then to let us know how the Lords responded. We cannot stay like this although there is plenty of work here, even for more families from Walcheren, provide they try hard like us.
Be so good to greet all my friends and parents and families, hoping they are all in good health. Greetings to Mother, Brother, Brothers in law, Uncles and Aunties, cousins and friends and we look forward to a good response.
Signed Leendert Mse Brasser.

To
Lourus B Timp
living at Westkapelle
Province Zeeland
on the island of
Walcheren
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