Found Treasures: A Life Sketch of Joseph Pollard in his own words

I know this is lengthy, but I was delighted to find it in Joseph Pollards profile on Ancestry.com. I have updated the spellings here where I was certain errors were just that, but left variant spellings as is if it might have been the usual spelling at the time, especially names. Thank you, from all of us to whomever made this available!

A short history of Joseph Pollard copied from the book in possesion of Mary Ann Alred written in the hand of Joseph Pollard. (a copy now in possesion of Lisa Paul, great great granddaughter)

 "Joseph Pollard son of James Pollard and Elizabeth Threshire, born at Corfe Castle, Isle of Perbeck Dorsitshire, Old England. November 23 - 1819. Corfe Castle is a amall town on account of the ruins of an old castle standing several hundred feet from the levie, destroyed by the noted statesman and general, Oliver Cromwell in the 16th century. My father and mother were poor working people making no profession of religion but the Church of England and not much of that. They had a family of nine children, six sons and three daughters, named: Sarah, John, James (James died in childhood) then James the second, then Fannie, then twins William and Elizabeth (Elizabeth also died in childhood) next Joseph and then George. The remaining seven all lived to marry and raise families except brother James who lived and died a bachelor. He was about seventy years old when he died. Our facility for learning was rather limited, but we could all read and write except brother James, he had the same opportunity as the rest but could not or would not. My father and mother were sober and industrious people. My mother was a very strong woman and worked much in the fields hay-time and harvesting while raising her family as wages were low in that part of the country. Father worked at masoning and brick laying. By his industry he managed to build a good house for his family with about three acres of land, and all as soon as able were at work. By these means we made a comfortable living. We were all Christened at the Church of England and all at 14 years of age comfirmed by the Bishop. To be qualified for comformation we had to learn the Lords Prayer, the Ten Commandments and the Church Catecism. That entitled us to all church privledges as full members of the Church. Do just as you wished all the week but go to Church on Sunday, ask the blessing on Sunday dinner. Say the Lords Prayer on going to bed Sunday night, that was all my religious education. When a boy we were considered, for a poor family, by the neighbors as a good family of children and much respected. We were living not far from the sea shore of the British Channel and when only a small boy I felt much pleasure in visiting the beach and looking at the surging billows as they dashed and foamed, and the ships as they sailed up and down the channel. How time and time again have I imagined the pleasure of going to foreign countries and i fully made up my mind that as soon as old enough I would follow the sea. I told my mother and father of my intensions, they described the dangers and the hardships and exposures of such a life but all to no purpose. I worked around home in the garden and sometimes for neighbors but never felt contented. Mother often remarked I was different from the rest of the family, yet she manifested more anxiety than for the rest and I was also particularly fond of mother. I think I would have left home sooner had it not been for her. I was now fourteen years old and time to make my choice in life. Father wished to apprentice me to a carpenter and wheelwright in the neighborhood but I could not see any sea or foreign countries in the business. My father and brothers as well as my mother all persuaded me to stay at home and not go to sea and be drowned, as they thought. We lived about seven miles from the port of Poole, the principal shipping town in that country. Several hundred ships both foreign and (can't read - coastal?) belong to the port and there were four yards for the building of new ships and for repairing. I now got father in mind to accompany me to Poole to look after a ship. I think this was the latter part of February 1834. The shipping was all busy repairing and fresh-rigging and painting for spring. We went on board many and had talks with the Captains and men. I rather wondered at the talk of some of the old sailors and Captains in the discouraging way they talked of sea life. Their experience had taught them lessons that I was then unaquainted with. some of the old captains, though seemingly rough have sympathy and feeling and I think they had more for my poor father than for me. By their past experience they knew that the only thing that would satisfy me was that knowledge. One in particular seeming to understand better our circumstances than the rest gave me and my father the council we wanted. Boy, he said, if you must have your frolic for sea, I will give you my advice. Ship building is now brisk, you go learn that business that will give you a double chance in life. You can follow the sea and get good wages or leave and remain at home if you should not like the sea. Father thought the council the best yet and after some persuasion I began to think it looked reasonable. We went across the harbor, into the first shipyard after landing from the ferry boat. We were shown the two master builders, told them our business. They both, although I being a country boy, seemed to fancy me at first sight. They told us their terms of apprentice for seven years. They told father to let me come on trial for a month and if we suited each other then we would secure legal documents. They also called the foreman of the yard, he living in the yard, and requested him to take me to board with his family, to which he readily consented. We agreed to start on Monday morning. Father felt glad and happy the way things were now shaping. We returned home and found all waiting to know our success. What we told them what we had done in the matter, they were all glad and all readily consented, even poor mother, and I confess I also after more consideration of the matter felt glad for the turn things had taken. Monday morning March 2nd 1834 I commenced to work, all were strangers, not one in the whole number that I was the least acquainted with. I went to Mr Webber, the foreman, he took me to his house, introduced me to his family. They told me to make myself at home with them and I did for my seven years of apprenticeship. The foreman after having something to eat set me to work to learn the first lesson in my new business. They had about twenty five apprentices. I being the youngest had to open the doors in the morning and close them at night, turn the grindstone, supply the men with stones and learn the name of the different articles as fast as I could. Those alone that have left home when young can realize the feelings in leaving brothers and sisters and especially with me my dear mother. I still think mother was one of the most tender hearted women I ever knew. I think the first week away from home was the longest in my life. Every day to me was something new. I finally made out the first month. I began to get acquainted with some of the apprentice boys and learn the names of the men. I always spoke very civil in answering the men and I will say that I do not know that I ever swore an oath in my life or gave any man a sassy answer. But I could soon see other apprentice boys seemed to be rather cautious, they did not like me. Boarding with the foreman they thought perhaps I might tell some of their tricks to him to gain his favor, but after more acquaintance with me they found I was not a boy of that sort. They were rough fellows, but in time they all respected me and would trust me. After a few months I began to like the business. They took other boys below me and gave me tools. I now went long side new ships to work with the men. After working several months my master desired me to invite my father down with me and then to sign my indenture for the remainder of the seven years, which we all did. Things now went as pleasantly as we could expect and I felt reconciled, and I will say I was particularly fond of the work and tried my best to learn all I could, was ambitious to do as much work as the men. The sooner we learned the work the better for us and the master. He could charge more wages for the apprentice on all old ships under repair as soon as they could do men’s work and pay us more wages. Nothing happened more than common until 1837. I now had been a little over three years at my trade when my poor father was taken sick and in a few months he died on the 19th of June of that year. My father lived and died a good man, a true believer in the Lord and his providence. We had no death in the family for many years before this. My friends felt very badly over the death of father and particularly on account of what the religious Methodists said father had gone to Hell, because he was not converted to their doctrine. I will now relate a dream my father had a few days before his death. You know I was away from home and had to cross the bay about seven miles in a boat. Therefore I only went home once each week and in bad weather not in several weeks. I arrived home on Saturday night as father died on Monday morning, he was sensible and had expressed a longing desire to see me and speak to me before he died. When I went to his bedside he shook me by the hand and said Joe, I am glad to see you before I leave this life. I said I was also glad to see him still alive. He then said I have had a dream about you and want to tell you what it was. He dreamed he was traveling through a beautiful fertile valley and running through that beautiful country in the centre there was a most lovely clear river of water and as I was traveling along who should I behold, but you in the centre dressed in all white linen and then I awoke. This was Saturday night, he lived till Monday following and died about 9am June 19th, 1837."