14 October 1888

Dear Mr & Mrs Proctor,

I am exceedingly sorry to have to inform you of the death of your brother Thomas Toft I went to Muston Colliery yesterday to attend his funeral.

I visited him a week ago & saw he was very ill but did not think he was near his end. He showed me the photo & the letters he had received from you informing him of the death of his sister Jane. It appeared to affect him very much, for he was then very ill & in great pain.

He was well respected & had a very large funeral & has left a good name behind him.

He talked to me a great deal about old times where you resided in Burleigh street  and how much he would have liked to be in Australia beside you, for the work he was at was too heavy for him, especially by reason of the complaint he had on him, & he would not give in, but worked to the very last almost & when I know he was very unable, but he kept a good heart & was of the independentspirit & very upright in all dealings, & I believe would not have done wrong knowingly to anyone & I believe has not left an enemy behind him.

If you will pardon me, there is one thing I should like to mention. That is, if you could send his widow a little pecuniary help it would be very acceptable and gratefully accepted. I have reason to know that his long illness & small income has run his resources dry. I don’t think he was in any Benefit Society but I believe there is a small sum (2-/- I believe) from a life insurance, so that if you feel inclined to offer a little assistance to his widow you will do a good deed. Pardon me for saying too much, but both you & I are getting well into years now & my very long friendship makes me rather bold.

The dying of so many old friends and acquaintances shows the approach of death to those of us who are left bids us prepare. There are very few of our old butcher friends alive. William Lourn died recently, John Hedley is still alive and well. All the Gibsons are dead except the youngest, though he is very feeble.

With best regards to you both, I beg to receive yours very truly,

Thomas  Greenfield