HAM/1/1/5/16
Journal-letter from Charlotte, Princess Royal, to Mary Hamilton
Diplomatic Text
Dear Hammy
I have behaved well in
every occasion except last Wens-day that I dansced ill
I am very sorr - y to be obliged to add that, but alas it
is to[1] true, however I hope that you will not give me
quite up, since I have done every thing elʃe well and
that I dansced better last Fryday.
I was determined not to let this opportunity gopaʃs
without writing to you. I hope that you are as much
entchanted with Eastbourn as Lady Sha
for her
description of it is quite charming and makes me wish
myself there.
We have had a great deal of amusement since your
departure. Monday 12th we went to Town & drunk
Tea at Miʃs G's in the Evening. Tuesday went again to
Town, saw the Duke of Gloucester with whom I am
quite delighted; last Fryday he ------ went to Prince of Wales
in the Evening and Ernest Augustus and Dolly went
the also. In the Evening Mrs Hotham came to
us we worked.
Wensday Evening Mrs Feilding &
Miʃs Fielding her Sister in Law[2] came to us we played
at Cards. Thursday came the News of the taking of
Charlestown[3] we had Fire Works & Mrs and Miʃs Fielding
her Sister cain law came to see them ------------ in Miʃs G's Bed-
chamber. Fryday drunk tea at Miʃs G's Miʃs Hothams[4]
came to see Mary they walked with us after the
young people went - we read & worked, one fire
Work was let of. Saturday we went to London
went with Mama to see both Camps & General
Carpenter's Regiment. In the Evening Mrs Hotham
came to us and we worked. To Night we are to Drink
tea at Goully's.
When you read this list of diversions you will
certainly think that you are reading the Memo-
randoms of Some one of the bon ton. Monday we
are to see the Duke of Cumberland who will come to
Prince of Wales's and my older Brothers are to bring
him over to see us.
I must now return you thanks for your pretty
remembrance of me which I have at this time
round - my Neck.
My Brothers & Sisters beg their love to you.
Dear Hammy
Ever yours
Charlotte.
Sunday 18th Kew House.
Jan 1780
To
Miʃs Hamilton
Eastbourn
Princeʃs r.
June 18. 1780[5]
red text is normalised and/or unformatted in other panel)
Notes
1. The word ‘to’ seems to have been partially erased. If retained in the text, it would have to be a spelling of too.
2. We have not yet identified who Charlotte means here and five lines below, possibly Miss (Harriet or Henrietta) Finch, Sarah Fielding's sister.
3. Charleston, South Carolina, fell to the British on 12 May 1780 after a siege of six weeks.
4. Probably Diana Hotham (c.1770-1810).
5. Written vertically in the right margin.
Normalised Text
Dear Hammy
I have behaved well in
every occasion except last Wednesday that I danced ill
I am very sorry to be obliged to add that, but alas it
is true, however I hope that you will not give me
quite up, since I have done every thing else well and
that I danced better last Friday.
I was determined not to let this opportunity pass
without writing to you. I hope that you are as much
enchanted with Eastbourn as Lady
Charlotte for her
description of it is quite charming and makes me wish
myself there.
We have had a great deal of amusement since your
departure. Monday 12th we went to Town & drank
Tea at Miss Gunning's in the Evening. Tuesday went again to
Town, saw the Duke of Gloucester with whom I am
quite delighted; last Friday he went to Prince of Wales
in the Evening and Ernest Augustus and Dolly went
there also. In the Evening Mrs Hotham came to
us we worked.
Wednesday Evening Mrs Feilding &
Miss Fielding her Sister in Law came to us we played
at Cards. Thursday came the News of the taking of
Charlestown we had Fireworks & Mrs and Miss Fielding
her Sister in law came to see them in Miss Gunning's Bedchamber
. Friday drank tea at Miss Gunning's Miss Hothams
came to see Mary they walked with us after the
young people went - we read & worked, one firework
was let off. Saturday we went to London
went with Mama to see both Camps & General
Carpenter's Regiment. In the Evening Mrs Hotham
came to us and we worked. To Night we are to Drink
tea at Goully's.
When you read this list of diversions you will
certainly think that you are reading the Memorandums
of Some one of the bon ton. Monday we
are to see the Duke of Cumberland who will come to
Prince of Wales's and my older Brothers are to bring
him over to see us.
I must now return you thanks for your pretty
remembrance of me which I have at this time
round my Neck.
My Brothers & Sisters beg their love to you.
Dear Hammy
Ever yours
Charlotte.
Sunday 18th Kew House.
To
Miss Hamilton
Eastbourn
quotations, spellings, uncorrected forms, split words, abbreviations, formatting)
Notes
Metadata
Library References
Repository: John Rylands Research Institute and Library, University of Manchester
Archive: Mary Hamilton Papers
Item title: Journal-letter from Charlotte, Princess Royal, to Mary Hamilton
Shelfmark: HAM/1/1/5/16
Correspondence Details
Sender: Charlotte Augusta Matilda, Princess Royal
Place sent: Kew
Addressee: Mary Hamilton
Place received: Eastbourne
Date sent: 18 June 1780
Letter Description
Summary: Journal-letter from Charlotte, Princess Royal, to Mary Hamilton. She hopes that Hamilton finds Eastbourne enchanting and asserts that she has been (mostly) behaving well. Charlotte writes that she has had a great deal of amusement since Hamilton's departure, including going to town for tea, watching a firework being set off, playing at cards, visiting General Carpenter's Regiment in London with her mother, and she also saw the Duke of Gloucester 'with whom I am quite delighted'.
She reports in passing the news of the taking of Charleston in South Carolina. [The siege of Charleston was one of the major battles near the end of the American War of Independence. The city surrendered to the British in May 1780].
Charlotte ends her letter thanking Hamilton for her gift 'which I have at this time round my neck'.
Length: 1 sheet, 376 words
Transliteration Information
Editorial declaration: First edited in the project 'Unlocking the Mary Hamilton Papers' (Hannah Barker, Sophie Coulombeau, David Denison, Tino Oudesluijs, Cassandra Ulph, Christine Wallis & Nuria Yáñez-Bouza, 2019-2023).
All quotation marks are retained in the text and are represented by appropriate Unicode characters. Words split across two lines may have a hyphen on the first, the second or both fragments (reco-|ver, imperfect|-ly, satisfacti-|-on); or a double hyphen (pur=|port, dan|=ger, qua=|=litys); or none (respect|ing). Any point in abbreviations with superscripted letter(s) is placed last, regardless of relative left-right orientation in the original. Thus, Mrs. or Mrs may occur, but M.rs or Mr.s do not.
Acknowledgements: XML version first created without transcription as part of project 'Unlocking the Mary Hamilton Papers', funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council under grant AH/S007121/1. Transcription added after the funded period under the supervision of David Denison and Nuria Yáñez-Bouza.
Transliterator: Mercedes Bermúdez-Santiago, undergraduate student, University of Vigo (submitted 20 February 2025)
Cataloguer: Lisa Crawley, Archivist, The John Rylands Library
Cataloguer: John Hodgson, Head of Special Collections, John Rylands Research Institute and Library
Copyright: Transcriptions, notes and TEI/XML © the editors
Revision date: 24 February 2026
