Diplomatic Text
Audley End -- Saffron Walden
Janry 9th 1801 --
My dear Friend,
So far are you from being to Blame in giving me your
advice concerning my return to Tring -- that I feel my self
More obliged to you than I can Expreʃs -- I shall certainly
adopt it. but that determination must be a Secret at
present -- it has also been of further Service to me -- as I could
not convince my dear Infatuated Sister -- by any other means
than by sending her a Copy of what you so kindly wrote to
me -- which I apprise you of -- as I never will (however neceʃsary)
do any thing of that sort without informing the writer --
there was no one thing in that paragraph which reflected
in the smallest degree upon my Sisters Conduct, it was therefore
safe & that part of yr Letter, & a private intimation of
the Wickedneʃs of the Man in whom she has plac'd such
a Confidence has at length open'd her eyes & I trust
will be productive of great Advantage to Dr & Mrs. De Salis.
I will now trouble you to send for Harry Baily. be so good to
give him the Enclos'd Note -- my first order to him, is to send
you one of my Turkey's & the other to Mrs Vincent[1] No
8 Berkely Square. by the Waggon. be so good to allow Baily
to read the Note in your presence & if he cannot make
it out, be so good to read it to him. as you my dear Mrs
Dickenson are the only person to whom I entrusted that Secret
Excuse my giving you this trouble -- believe me I would do as
much for you -- & do desire Hūtley ------------ , --- some of
those people who go about to look out for a Lodging -- or
some little Cabin or other where I will put my self til
I can get into my House. I will write to Major Gilpin
& beg & implore him to Expedite matters with all poʃsible
dispatch -- I sd think Either Woburn or Ampthill -- or
some of those parts such as convenient temporary Habitation
may be found after imploring yr forgiveneʃs -- I will ------
now to attempt amusing you. but first I must aʃsure you how truly
sorry I am to find that Mr D: has been so much indispos'd, into
his troublesome complaint. I hope to be able to send a recipe of
the famous Dr Freind which has done great Service th'o to some Consti
tutions it may be too heating. but Sir Francis Milmans remedy is
I believe the most certain Cold Water any Morning at first rising --
this Place is as all the world knows very Magnificent, tho Still
the Salon, the Source that Slots out what was formerly the Buttery
Hall & the Chaple -- are I really think ------ finer than is to
see -- was at
Warwick Castle -- than here are magnificent buildings & a Column in
the Pleasure Ground which are extensive -- a fine river the Cam
Meanders thr'o the Park -- a beautiful Menagerie & pretty flower
garden are new tho Have the other at some distance -- to the latter
I walk'd & round the Garden & home again -- at my first arrival I found
Miʃs Forest Mr Metcalf & Mr Crutchly great friends of Lord Braybrookes
both Members of Parlmt & both had been in Trade -- Metcalf is a great
distiller & pays £60 000 pr annum duty -- so you may Judge of his Wealth --
Crutchly more properly descends from Trade, his father was a
Brewer his Uncle a Scarlet dyer. Who left him more than one
£100 000. These Men are full Sensible -- & full Vote the right way,
that is for Pitt & the Grenvilles -- my good Host is more Aimiable
& I believe from my Heart better than any body I have in the World --
but one thing he wants to be perfect! he has given up to Pity
! what was mean'd for Mankind. he is intolerant in his Political
Principles, & I really think He lets bad News made him ill -- for we
were all much alarm'd the day before Yesterday -- but Thank god without
a Cause. Of Course I can send you no information respecting Politicks
the Papers will record all we hear upon that Subject -- Lord B:
has Six Children at home, I think his Eldest daughter the most extraor
dinary, Young Woman I ever yet met with -- she is Pretty in her person
lively, Gay & Youthfull at the same Time has the most serious way
of thinking she is very religious, her mornings are occupied in visiting
the Sick, & the needy, in the management of this large Establish
ment she is peculiarly clever, she is at this moment gone to pray
by a poor man who has work'd 41 years in this Garden. & is now
dying -- the Chaplain being from home she lost no Time in giving her
aʃsistance -- I must Tell you a pretty Episode -- about Ten days or more
since -- she met a Young Girl in rags begging -- she ask'd her many
questions which she Answer'd & told her that She was an Orphan
Girl without Father or Mother. she also told her where she resided.
Miʃs Neville sent to the Parish, received a very impartial account, &
the Girl had spoke the truth as to her destitute Situation -- adding
that it wd be a mercy if she could be saved from Prostitution -- she
has cloath'd her, she maintains her -- she has already taught her to
say her Prayers, & is now teaching her to read. as yet the Girl goes
on vastly well & I sincerely hope Miʃs Neville will be rewarded by saving
a Soul from death. she sends to me to Lecture her. the Girl
already knows her Letters. so it is Aimiable to see with what patience
& perseverance she gives her leʃsons. Miʃs Forest. Mr Crutchly Mr
Metcalf have all left this place. since their departure, we have
had Mr Tho's Milles the Dean of Exeters Son & Mr Rainsford -- they
are also departed. & I am the only inmate. Mrs Jalabert charges me
with her best Compliments to you -- she is very far from well & has occasion'd
me much uneasineʃs, we Yesterday prevail'd with her to take advice,
I hear she is better this day. but complains of being Weak & low -- I have
heard from dear Mrs Carter. & of her. she is in London. I wrote to her
a very few days ago. she did not complain, so I hope she is quite
well. in the last Sad News, we read that Col. Byng was killed[2] he is
Nephew to Miʃs Forest, & no letter having been received from her since her
departure we were afraid it is true. his Employment abroad did
not require him to hazard his Life -- it was one of the Scanda
lous jots of this Ministry. Wyndham having married his Aunt -- so that
Whilst we are starving the Publick Money is wasted. I do sincerely hope
that little Margaret will as fully compensate your kindneʃs to her. as
I wish Philadelphia may that this of Miʃs Nevilles -- Margaret is
very grateful for a very small favor & that is a good Sign -- tell yr dear
daughter how much I love her -- & be aʃsured how sincerely I wish her
all a return of many happy years[3] -- have you heard of or read the
Modern Philosophers[4] -- I was some Time before I could be persuaded
to read this Novel, having been entirely sicken'd into French principles
but I think the Author has entered by ridicule to do some
effectual Service tho the most serious divines has been able
to Confeʃs -- pray read it. There is infinite humour, & the moral
is fine for it proves that however good the disposition -- without
the foundation in religion it must fall to the Ground --
I find Lady H——n is not to be received at Court the Q: has
positively refus'd. she has excited some uneasineʃs in Mrs Fitz
& the Story goes that at Mrs Richard Walpoles she bawl'd
out is that old Woman Mrs Fitz. she calls her self 32.
I am sure she is a great deal more: the P: forc'd Sir W. & Lady
H——n to stay thro supper but whether Madam Fitz terrified him or
whether it was Caprice, he went away. & so did Mrs Fitz --
She was Mistreʃs to C:—— G——lle -- I for one think this last News
is good as any News can be, when so many human creatures see
Sacrific'd to Ambition, it certainly will oblige the Emperor to make
Peace. & I trust we shall also be obliged to follow his example --
we have a great deal to give up & they have not any thing to return
which I trust will enable us to make an Advantageous Peace --
how good you are about my letters. I did not expect much the
one from my Aunt St Leger. but I have received one from her direction
here poor Mama she is almost blind. who wd wish for old Eyes.
I cannot bring my self to wish that hers may see another Century.
we have Prayers in this Chaple every morning -- I must tell you a
trait of a boy of 12 years old. he went in Sunday morning to the
poor man who is now dying -- & read him a Chapter in the New
Testament -- you see how these Children are brought up --
▼
I think I must have tired yr Eyes as well as tried yr Patience, I shall
therefore bid you Adieu with my kind wish to you Mr D: & the dear
Lsa. I remain most truly & Affecly yrs, DBloʃset.
Pray write to me. Lord B. goes away from the 14th. to the 25th. or 26th.
so do not inclose to him. I do not mind Postage -- indeed I do not -- pray write
after seeing Harry Baily
[5]
red text is normalised and/or unformatted in other panel)
Notes
1. Wife of George G. Vincent, Esq., who was Chapter Clerk at Westminster. They lived at 8 Berkeley-Square.
2. This must have been a false report as all of Bridget Forrest and John Byng's male children lived well into the nineteenth century, including George Byng (d. 1831), to whom this probably refers. Byng was appointed Captain of the 32-gun frigate Galatea in 1797 with his brother Henry Dilkes Bying serving under him: neither held the rank of Colonel, thus Miss Blosset probably means Captain Byng. In 1801, returning from the Bay of Biscay, the Galatea encountered a violent hurricane and one man was lost. The report of Byng's death may have arisen from this incident.
3. Louisa Dickenson's birthday was 26 January.
4. Elizabeth Hamilton (1800), Memoirs of Modern Philosophers.
5.
6. Bishop mark reads ‘FREE JAN 10 1801’.
7. Seal in red wax remains intact.
Normalised Text
Audley End -- Saffron Walden
January 9th 1801 --
My dear Friend,
So far are you from being to Blame in giving me your
advice concerning my return to Tring -- that I feel my self
More obliged to you than I can Express -- I shall certainly
adopt it. but that determination must be a Secret at
present -- it has also been of further Service to me -- as I could
not convince my dear Infatuated Sister -- by any other means
than by sending her a Copy of what you so kindly wrote to
me -- which I apprise you of -- as I never will (however necessary)
do any thing of that sort without informing the writer --
there was no one thing in that paragraph which reflected
in the smallest degree upon my Sisters Conduct, it was therefore
safe & that part of your Letter, & a private intimation of
the Wickedness of the Man in whom she has placed such
a Confidence has at length opened her eyes & I trust
will be productive of great Advantage to Dr & Mrs. De Salis.
I will now trouble you to send for Harry Baily. be so good to
give him the Enclosed Note -- my first order to him, is to send
you one of my Turkey's & the other to Mrs Vincent No
8 Berkely Square. by the Waggon. be so good to allow Baily
to read the Note in your presence & if he cannot make
it out, be so good to read it to him. as you my dear Mrs
Dickenson are the only person to whom I entrusted that Secret
Excuse my giving you this trouble -- believe me I would do as
much for you -- & do desire Huntley ------------ , some of
those people who go about to look out for a Lodging -- or
some little Cabin or other where I will put my self til
I can get into my House. I will write to Major Gilpin
& beg & implore him to Expedite matters with all possible
dispatch -- I should think Either Woburn or Ampthill -- or
some of those parts such as convenient temporary Habitation
may be found after imploring your forgiveness -- I will ------
now to attempt amusing you. but first I must assure you how truly
sorry I am to find that Mr Dickenson has been so much indisposed, into
his troublesome complaint. I hope to be able to send a recipe of
the famous Dr Freind which has done great Service though to some constitutions
it may be too heating. but Sir Francis Milmans remedy is
I believe the most certain Cold Water any Morning at first rising --
this Place is as all the world knows very Magnificent, though Still
the Salon, the Source that Slots out what was formerly the Buttery
Hall & the Chapel -- are I really think finer than is to
see -- was at
Warwick Castle -- than here are magnificent buildings & a Column in
the Pleasure Ground which are extensive -- a fine river the Cam
Meanders through the Park -- a beautiful Menagerie & pretty flower
garden are new though Have the other at some distance -- to the latter
I walked & round the Garden & home again -- at my first arrival I found
Miss Forest Mr Metcalf & Mr Crutchly great friends of Lord Braybrookes
both Members of Parliament & both had been in Trade -- Metcalf is a great
distiller & pays £60 000 per annum duty -- so you may Judge of his Wealth --
Crutchly more properly descends from Trade, his father was a
Brewer his Uncle a Scarlet dyer. Who left him more than one
£100 000. These Men are full Sensible -- & full Vote the right way,
that is for Pitt & the Grenvilles -- my good Host is more Amiable
& I believe from my Heart better than any body I have in the World --
but one thing he wants to be perfect! he has given up to Pity
! what was meant for Mankind. he is intolerant in his Political
Principles, & I really think He lets bad News made him ill -- for we
were all much alarmed the day before Yesterday -- but Thank god without
a Cause. Of Course I can send you no information respecting Politics
the Papers will record all we hear upon that Subject -- Lord Braybrooke
has Six Children at home, I think his Eldest daughter the most extraordinary
, Young Woman I ever yet met with -- she is Pretty in her person
lively, Gay & Youthful at the same Time has the most serious way
of thinking she is very religious, her mornings are occupied in visiting
the Sick, & the needy, in the management of this large Establishment
she is peculiarly clever, she is at this moment gone to pray
by a poor man who has worked 41 years in this Garden. & is now
dying -- the Chaplain being from home she lost no Time in giving her
assistance -- I must Tell you a pretty Episode -- about Ten days or more
since -- she met a Young Girl in rags begging -- she asked her many
questions which she Answered & told her that She was an Orphan
Girl without Father or Mother. she also told her where she resided.
Miss Neville sent to the Parish, received a very impartial account, &
the Girl had spoken the truth as to her destitute Situation -- adding
that it would be a mercy if she could be saved from Prostitution -- she
has clothed her, she maintains her -- she has already taught her to
say her Prayers, & is now teaching her to read. as yet the Girl goes
on vastly well & I sincerely hope Miss Neville will be rewarded by saving
a Soul from death. she sends to me to Lecture her. the Girl
already knows her Letters. so it is Amiable to see with what patience
& perseverance she gives her lessons. Miss Forest. Mr Crutchly Mr
Metcalf have all left this place. since their departure, we have
had Mr Thomas Milles the Dean of Exeters Son & Mr Rainsford -- they
are also departed. & I am the only inmate. Mrs Jalabert charges me
with her best Compliments to you -- she is very far from well & has occasioned
me much uneasiness, we Yesterday prevailed with her to take advice,
I hear she is better this day. but complains of being Weak & low -- I have
heard from dear Mrs Carter. & of her. she is in London. I wrote to her
a very few days ago. she did not complain, so I hope she is quite
well. in the last Sad News, we read that Colonel Byng was killed he is
Nephew to Miss Forest, & no letter having been received from her since her
departure we were afraid it is true. his Employment abroad did
not require him to hazard his Life -- it was one of the Scandalous
jots of this Ministry. Wyndham having married his Aunt -- so that
Whilst we are starving the Public Money is wasted. I do sincerely hope
that little Margaret will as fully compensate your kindness to her. as
I wish Philadelphia may this of Miss Nevilles -- Margaret is
very grateful for a very small favour & that is a good Sign -- tell your dear
daughter how much I love her -- & be assured how sincerely I wish her
all a return of many happy years -- have you heard of or read the
Modern Philosophers -- I was some Time before I could be persuaded
to read this Novel, having been entirely sickened into French principles
but I think the Author has entered by ridicule to do some
effectual Service though the most serious divines has been able
to Confess -- pray read it. There is infinite humour, & the moral
is fine for it proves that however good the disposition -- without
the foundation in religion it must fall to the Ground --
I find Lady Hamilton is not to be received at Court the Queen has
positively refused. she has excited some uneasiness in Mrs Fitz
& the Story goes that at Mrs Richard Walpoles she bawled
out is that old Woman Mrs Fitz. she calls her self 32.
I am sure she is a great deal more: the Prince forced Sir William & Lady
Hamilton to stay through supper but whether Madam Fitz terrified him or
whether it was Caprice, he went away. & so did Mrs Fitz --
She was Mistress to Charles Greville -- I for one think this last News
is good as any News can be, when so many human creatures see
Sacrificed to Ambition, it certainly will oblige the Emperor to make
Peace. & I trust we shall also be obliged to follow his example --
we have a great deal to give up & they have not any thing to return
which I trust will enable us to make an Advantageous Peace --
how good you are about my letters. I did not expect much the
one from my Aunt St Leger. but I have received one from her direction
here poor Mama she is almost blind. who would wish for old Eyes.
I cannot bring my self to wish that hers may see another Century.
we have Prayers in this Chapel every morning -- I must tell you a
trait of a boy of 12 years old. he went in Sunday morning to the
poor man who is now dying -- & read him a Chapter in the New
Testament -- you see how these Children are brought up --
▼
I think I must have tired your Eyes as well as tried your Patience, I shall
therefore bid you Adieu with my kind wish to you Mr Dickenson & the dear
Louisa. I remain most truly & Affectionately yours, Dorothy Blosset.
Pray write to me. Lord Braybrooke goes away from the 14th. to the 25th. or 26th.
so do not inclose to him. I do not mind Postage -- indeed I do not -- pray write
after seeing Harry Baily
Leighton House
Leighton Buzzard
Griffin Braybrooke
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 Dorothy Blosset to Mary Hamilton
Shelfmark: HAM/1/8/2/22
Correspondence Details
Sender: Dorothy Blosset
Place sent: Saffron Walden
Addressee: Mary Hamilton
Place received: Leighton Buzzard
Date sent: 9 January 1801
Letter Description
Summary: Letter from Dorothy Blosset to Mary Hamilton. She is obliged to Hamilton
for forwarding her some information which relates to her sister. Blosset
had received correspondence concerning her sister and she assures
Hamilton that there is nothing 'in that paragraph which reflected in the
smallest degree after my sisters conduct'. She notes that 'part of the
letter is a private intimation of the Wickedness of the man in whom she
has plac[e]d such a Confidence' and it has 'open[e] her eyes & I
trust will be productive of great advantage to Dr. & Mrs De
Salis'.
Length: 2 sheets, 1673 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: Transcription and XML version created as part of project 'Unlocking the Mary Hamilton Papers', funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council under grant AH/S007121/1.
Transliterator: Cassandra Ulph, editorial team (completed 12 November 2020)
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: 1 February 2022