Diplomatic Text
X
From Honble Wilhelmina Murray
April 5th. 1787
▼
my Dear Mrs Dickenson
to shew, You, how much I aprove
Your obliging intention of never remaining silent so long
again, have taken up the pen to sett the example
and thank You for Your kind letter which gave
me double pleasure, by aʃsureing me of Your Health
and that of the charming Louisa, who I already
see, poʃseʃsed of a thousand Jolies petites manieres to
shew her own good humor, and expreʃsive of the
good sense &c &c that she will shew, when a little
more time, enables her to speak. -- in the meantime,
Mama will already understand her meaning in
her Eyes: and (if report says true) in some months
hence will present her with a companion & rival,[2]
no bad thing to prevent the danger of being spoilt.
having said so much of Chereye Princeʃs tis time
to say we are sorry to find Mr. Dickenson has not
found the benefit expected from Bath. but have heard
it often remarked that the virtues of those waters are found more
strongly after they have been left off. sincerely hope
Mr. Dickinson will experience the truth --
Lady Stormont looks very thin and complains of
nerves and headachs; Miʃs Cathcart came to her for
a month and unluckily was taken ill of the chicken
pox, which she gave the children: they are all got
well again so I think it a lucky thing over for
them; but it has disapointed Miʃs C. very much who
was in the time to have had masters & seen a
little of the World -- but all this You have from
better Authority -- so shall say no more of that
part of Yr. Familly -- Lady Caroline Peachy enquired
kindly after You a few evenings ago at Mrs. Lelands,
she did the same and beged her compts -- Ly. Caroline
does not seem to have recover'd her loʃs. Lady
Wallingford is as You heard in a very complaining
way, her age is much against expecting much
amendment: and, the pleasure she enjoys, with partaking
of a good dinner (when invited to one) is often atended
with bad consequences -- Mrs. Leland is wonderfully
well, her Doctor is now the patient, and all the town
is enquiring after Doctor Warren who it is said has a 21
days fever & has had 3 relapses so thought in danger
having told You enough about sick people will change
the subject but not till I have said H. Majesty has
had the gout in his foot to the great joy of the
Gentlemen about Him who triumph in the idea
that He must now acknowledge that cruel disorder
will attack sober people as well as those that sit
over the bottle. as he always insisted, that the gout
was acquired by sitting too much round the brown
table -- [3]
at the Dutcheʃs of Cumberland's last thursday, Lady
Ferrars[4] took her leave of the Faro table as usual
at a stated hour, being too great an invalid to keep
the fashonable late hours -- on quiting the table she
left five guineas, saying if any body would play with
that for her she shd. be obliged but she would lose no
more a friend undertook it -- but she was no sooner gone
than the Prince of W—— sat down & said he would play
for her. about 3 in the morning he had won 100 Guineas
delighted with his luck he left the table saying he must
carry it imediatly to Lady Ferrars. it was in vain told
him she would be abed and all the Familly asleep. he
was determined and getting into the coach with Lady
Eliza: Lutterrell[5] drove to Ly. F—— after repeatedly knocking
frighted Servant out of window begged to know where the
fire was, he answer'd that they must open the door ins
tantly as Ly. E. must speak to Ly. F—— the door was
opened the whole familly frightened out of their sences
the Prince & Ly. went up stairs, H.R. H. had the
grace to stop at the bedchamber door while she
went in saying the Prince of Wales sends You a
Shower of Gold and flinging the money on the table
went home leaving the whole house in an uproar
& the neighbours alarmed -- Lady Hopetoun gave a
great Ball the Prince was there so drunk he could
not stand making violent love to the Dutcheʃs of
Argyle & swearing she was still handsomer than all
the D——d[6] young things that thought so much of them
selves & were so admired -- it seems the fashon to
marry without wanting house or home -- Mrs. Fox
(Miʃs Clayton) is trying it; Miʃs Charlotte St. John is just
Married to Mr. Yates with having only 800 a yr. to spend
on which they have got a handsome coach & Phaeton
& gone to Brighton, Miʃs Caroline Walpole is next week
to try the same fashon with Mr. Neish -- they have
no house but are to live among their Friends it is
certainly a new scheme & seems an uncomfortable one
my Sister joyns with Capt: Murray & self in best wishes to
yourself & Mr. Dickenson & remain Yrs. Affectly. Wilhelmina Murray
Gen: Murray lives in George Street
Westr. and is so kind to give me
leave to have my letters under cover to him
so you direct to me that way and
he will be so good to forward it wherever
I may be -- we go next tuesday to
Ockham for a week after which
I hope my Brother & Ly. King will
come to town where they have not
been yet for more then a day
Miʃs Cholomondley[7] 16 years old a young
beauty just presented is going to be married
to Lord Mulgrave. she is daughter to preaty Mrs
Cholomondley, and daughter in law to Miʃs Smith that
was -- it is thought an extrordinary choice on all
sides addio mia Cara Amicia [8]
5 Ap. 1787[9]
P. of Wales
& Duchess of Argyle[10]
red text is normalised and/or unformatted in other panel)
Notes
1. Moved annotation here from below dateline.
2. See also HAM/1/4/6/1, dated three years later.
3. Perhaps a reference to the circle of Dr Johnson and other literary lions at the Turk's Head in Gerrard Street.
4. Possibly Charlotte Mainwaring Townshend (née Ellerker), Lady Ferrers (1753-1811).
5. Lady Elizabeth Luttrell (1739-1797), sister of the Duchess of Cumberland.
6. Probably Damned.
7. Anne Elizabeth Cholmley (1770/1-1788), who would marry Constantine John Phipps, 2nd Baron Mulgrave of New Ross (1744-1792), in June the same year.
8. This section appears in the right-hand side of p.4, written vertically.
9. This date appears to the left of the address when unfolded.
10. These two lines appear to the left of the address when unfolded.
11. Frank 'FREE' above address and postmark '5 AP' below address when unfolded.
Normalised Text
April 5th. 1787
▼
my Dear Mrs Dickenson
to show, You, how much I approve
Your obliging intention of never remaining silent so long
again, have taken up the pen to set the example
and thank You for Your kind letter which gave
me double pleasure, by assuring me of Your Health
and that of the charming Louisa, who I already
see, possessed of a thousand Jolies petites manieres to
show her own good humour, and expressive of the
good sense &c &c that she will show, when a little
more time, enables her to speak. -- in the meantime,
Mama will already understand her meaning in
her Eyes: and (if report says true) in some months
hence will present her with a companion & rival,
no bad thing to prevent the danger of being spoilt.
having said so much of the Princess tis time
to say we are sorry to find Mr. Dickenson has not
found the benefit expected from Bath. but have heard
it often remarked that the virtues of those waters are found more
strongly after they have been left off. sincerely hope
Mr. Dickenson will experience the truth --
Lady Stormont looks very thin and complains of
nerves and headaches; Miss Cathcart came to her for
a month and unluckily was taken ill of the chicken
pox, which she gave the children: they are all got
well again so I think it a lucky thing over for
them; but it has disappointed Miss Cathcart very much who
was in the time to have had masters & seen a
little of the World -- but all this You have from
better Authority -- so shall say no more of that
part of Your Family -- Lady Caroline Peachy enquired
kindly after You a few evenings ago at Mrs. Lelands,
she did the same and begged her compliments -- Lady Caroline
does not seem to have recovered her loss. Lady
Wallingford is as You heard in a very complaining
way, her age is much against expecting much
amendment: and, the pleasure she enjoys, with partaking
of a good dinner (when invited to one) is often attended
with bad consequences -- Mrs. Leland is wonderfully
well, her Doctor is now the patient, and all the town
is enquiring after Doctor Warren who it is said has a 21
days fever & has had 3 relapses so thought in danger
having told You enough about sick people will change
the subject but not till I have said His Majesty has
had the gout in his foot to the great joy of the
Gentlemen about Him who triumph in the idea
that He must now acknowledge that cruel disorder
will attack sober people as well as those that sit
over the bottle. as he always insisted, that the gout
was acquired by sitting too much round the brown
table --
at the Duchess of Cumberland's last thursday, Lady
Ferrars took her leave of the Faro table as usual
at a stated hour, being too great an invalid to keep
the fashionable late hours -- on quitting the table she
left five guineas, saying if any body would play with
that for her she should be obliged but she would lose no
more a friend undertook it -- but she was no sooner gone
than the Prince of Wales sat down & said he would play
for her. about 3 in the morning he had won 100 Guineas
delighted with his luck he left the table saying he must
carry it immediately to Lady Ferrars. it was in vain told
him she would be abed and all the Family asleep. he
was determined and getting into the coach with Lady
Elizabeth Lutterrell drove to Lady Ferrers after repeatedly knocking
frighted Servant out of window begged to know where the
fire was, he answered that they must open the door instantly
as Lady Elizabeth must speak to Lady Ferrers the door was
opened the whole family frightened out of their senses
the Prince & Lady went up stairs, His RoyalHighness had the
grace to stop at the bedchamber door while she
went in saying the Prince of Wales sends You a
Shower of Gold and flinging the money on the table
went home leaving the whole house in an uproar
& the neighbours alarmed -- Lady Hopetoun gave a
great Ball the Prince was there so drunk he could
not stand making violent love to the Duchess of
Argyll & swearing she was still handsomer than all
the D——d young things that thought so much of them
selves & were so admired -- it seems the fashion to
marry without wanting house or home -- Mrs. Fox
(Miss Clayton) is trying it; Miss Charlotte St. John is just
Married to Mr. Yates with having only 800 a year to spend
on which they have got a handsome coach & Phaeton
& gone to Brighton, Miss Caroline Walpole is next week
to try the same fashion with Mr. Neish -- they have
no house but are to live among their Friends it is
certainly a new scheme & seems an uncomfortable one
my Sister joins with Captain Murray & self in best wishes to
yourself & Mr. Dickenson & remain Yours Affectionately Wilhelmina Murray
General Murray lives in George Street
Westminster and is so kind to give me
leave to have my letters under cover to him
so you direct to me that way and
he will be so good to forward it wherever
I may be -- we go next tuesday to
Ockham for a week after which
I hope my Brother & Lady King will
come to town where they have not
been yet for more then a day
Miss Cholmley 16 years old a young
beauty just presented is going to be married
to Lord Mulgrave. she is daughter to pretty Mrs
Cholmley, and daughter in law to Miss Smith that
was -- it is thought an extraordinary choice on all
sides addio mia Cara Amicia
Bath
King
London April five 1787
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: Letter from Wilhelmina Murray (née King) to Mary Hamilton
Shelfmark: HAM/1/5/2/11
Correspondence Details
Sender: Wilhelmina Murray (née King)
Place sent: London
Addressee: Mary Hamilton
Place received: Bath
Date sent: 5 April 1787
Letter Description
Summary: Letter from Wilhelmina Murray to Mary Hamilton. The letter contains general news of society and the Royal Family. A cousin of Hamilton's, a Miss Cathcart, went to stay at Lady Stormont's [Louisa Murray (née Cathcart), Viscountess of Stormont, also a cousin of Mary Hamilton], who was ill at the time, and became herself ill with chicken-pox and passed this on to the children, but they are all now recovered. Murray reports that the King has gout in his feet 'to the great joy of the Gentlemen about Him who triumph in the idea that He must now acknowledge that cruel disorder will attack sober people as well as those that sit over the bottle'.
Murray notes that at the Duchess of Cumberland's [Anne Hanover (née Luttrell), Duchess of Cumberland (1742/3-1808)] last Thursday, a Lady Ferrars [possibly Charlotte Mainwaring Townshend (née Ellerker), Lady Ferrers (1753-1811)] 'took her leave of the Faro table as usual at a stated hour, being too great an invalid to keep the fashonable late hours', and left five guineas on the table saying that she would be much obliged if someone would play for her. She 'was no sooner gone than the Prince of W[ales] [George Augustus Frederick, Prince of Wales (1762-1830), later King George IV of the United Kingdom] sat down & said he would [do so]'. The Prince had won about 100 guineas by 3 in the morning and wanted to go straight to Lady Ferrars' to give it to her even though she would be asleep. After he repeatedly knocked at her door a servant stuck his head out of a window and asked where the fire was. When they were finally admitted, the Prince 'had the grace to stop at the bedchamber door', while Lady Elizabeth [Lady Elizabeth Luttrell (1739-1797), sister of the Duchess of Cumberland], who had gone to Lady Ferrars' with him, entered her room 'saying the Prince of Wales sends You a Shower of Gold and flinging the money on the table went home leaving the whole house in an uproar'. At Lady Hopetoun's [Elizabeth Hope (née Carnegie), Countess of Hopetoun (d. 1793)] ball the Prince was 'so drunk he could not stand[,] making violent love to the Dutchess of Argyle [Elizabeth Campbell (née Gunning), Duchess of Argyll (c.1733-1790)] & swearing she was still handsomer than all the D-d young things'.
Murray continues her letter on the subject of it being seemingly fashionable to marry without adequate money for a home. She reports that Miss Caroline Walpole is 'to try the same fashon [sic]' the following week.
Original reference No. 4.
Length: 2 sheets, 1000 words
Transliteration Information
Editorial declaration: First edited in the project 'Image to Text' (David Denison & Nuria Yáñez-Bouza, 2013-2019), now incorporated 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: Research Assistant funding in 2014/15 and 2015/16 provided by the Department of Linguistics and English Language, University of Manchester.
Research assistant: Donald Alasdair Morrison, undergraduate student, University of Manchester
Transliterator: Gabriel O'Connell, undergraduate student, University of Manchester (submitted November 2014)
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: 2 November 2021