Single Letter

HAM/1/20/46

Letter from Francis Napier, 8th Lord Napier, to Mary Hamilton, including copies of letters between Francis Napier and William, Lord Cathcart

Diplomatic Text


                                                         Welwyn, 13th. March 1781.




      This days Post made me extremely
happy -- It brought me my Dear Sisters
letter, in which she does not accuse me of
a want of friendship for not accepting
her very generous proposal; and the Accounts
of Mrs- Hunter having upon the 6th. of the
Month presented me with A Nephew. So
you may now salute me, Uncle as soon
as You please. I aʃsure you I am
quite proud of my new Dignity; when
we meet you will find me more saucy
(if poʃsible) than ever.
      Accept of my Gratitude
for your good wishes. I may perhaps
some time of my Life enjoy a competent
fortune, tho' not an Affluent one. I am
however determined to enjoy & be thankful
for what is now in my power viz. Content --
Happy in the esteem & confidence of a few
sincere friends. I'll e'en make the best
of a bad bargain, & comfort myself ------with
the re-collection that All things under the
Sun are Vanity & Vexation of Spirit.
I shall be happy to see Mr- Farhill.
I cannot promise him amusement in



this barbarous Village, but I will promise
him a hearty welcome. As I have just
disposed of my Ensigncy I may perhaps
be obliged to visit Town to receive the
payment, in which case I will give
him a personal invitation. This intended
Trip is only a perhaps & not to be depended
upon.
      Lady Cathcart continues to be
what she ever was -- wonderful -- and
looks better than she has done for some
time past. I now hope that She will
do well. She seems to think so herself
having just ordered a new Post Chaise
to be built for her. God grant she may
live to order another. She is really
a Valuable Life. Her best wishes ever
attend You --
      I am sorry for what
you write about a certain Person --
I had before heard of his situation, which
I hoped would have made him see his
folly. I don't think his intimacy with his
R. Uncle
will do him much good -- I
feel for the K. & Q.
      As you wish to know how
matters stand between Ld- C. & your humble
Servant
I have subjoined a Copy of the
correspondence which has paʃsed --



Conscious of having acted with all proper
Attention to his Lordship & the whole Set
I am the leʃs concerned at their behaviour
to me, but I am determined for the future
to take no Notice of them 'till They
shew Attention to me. Adieu. Beleive
me ever Yours very sincerely & affectionately
                                                         N——.

Ld- N.s Letter to Ld. C——
                                                         London 9th. Febry- 1781.
My Dear Lord,
      A few days before my arrival
in Town I recd- a letter from Dr. Hunter in=
=closing
Copies of his letter to You & of your
answer to it. As your Lop/ seems to wish the
points in dispute should be settled by yourself
with me, Dr. Hunter & my Sisters have directed
me to state some facts which you at present
appear to be unaquainted with. It was my
intention & desire to have conversed with You
in person upon the subject of my Mothers
portion, but as your Lop/ did not give me
an opportunity of doing so, I feel myself under
the neceʃsity of taking this method of commu=
=nicating
my Sentiments to You.
      Your Lop/ may recollect
that Mr- Orr who had the management of
my fathers busineʃs died in the latter end of the
Year 1774. The decease of my Father in Janry- 1775



before his papers were recovered from Mr- Orr's
heirs
threw all my Affairs into the utmost
confusion, & it was not 'till a Year after Mr-
Orr
s death, that my Vouchers came into Mr-
Buchan
s poʃseʃsion. Upon an application being
made to your father to settle the Accompts
due by him to my Sisters, he directed that
Mr- Buchan should make out a state of
my Mothers portion still unpaid, which he
accordingly did & was aʃsisted in it by Mr. Chas-
Brown
. It is unneceʃsary for me to remind
your Lop/ that a stop was put to that set=
=tlement
by the death of your father whose
friendship & kindneʃs to my family & myself
I shall ever most gratefully recollect. When
I returned from America, being desirous to
have all Money matters settled with my Sisters,
I repeatedly applied to Mr. C. Brown to ascertain
the Sum due from your Lop/ to my Sisters &
as often received his promises to do so. Wearied
with numberleʃs delays, I one morning
waited upon Mr- Brown with my Vouchers
in my pocket & it was not 'till that day
that I was informed the Accompts could
not be adjusted, as a considerable difference
appeared between the State given in by
Mr- Buchan & that exhibited by Mr- Brown,
as your Lop/ arrival in England was daily
expected, I gave my consent to stop all



proceedings 'till your return & prevailed
upon the Guardians to approve of what I
had done, from the supposition that You
would yourself either have made a diligent
search amongst your Papers or have impowered
some proper person to have made that
search for You.
      I have only now to request
that you will give directions to your
Agents in Scotland to make such enquiries
as will enable them speedily to settle this
Busineʃs to the satisfaction of all Parties.
I shall expect your answer at Welwyn
for which place I shall set out as soon as
my Servant returns from delivering this
letter. I ever am &c &c &c.

      Ld- C—— to Ld. N——,
My Dear Lord,
      I found your letter on
my Table at my Return from Portsmouth
last Night. I will take an early opportunity
of writing to your Lop/ fully on the Subject
it contains, in the mean time I seize
the first Moment to aʃsure your Lop/
of the Mortification it gives me that
some Public & much Private Busineʃs, did
not allow me leisure to seek an interview.



with you during your stay in Town,
the more so as that hurry has now
ceased.
      I have the Honor to be with the greatest
Regard ever my Dear Lord N—— most faith
=ful
and attached Humble Servant.
                                                         C——
Albemarle Street
13 Febry- 1781.

Since the receipt of the above letter my
most faithfull & attached humble Sert-

has taken no further Notice of me.
                                                         N——

(hover over blue text or annotations for clarification;
red text is normalised and/or unformatted in other panel)

Normalised Text


                                                         Welwyn, 13th. March 1781.




      This days Post made me extremely
happy -- It brought me my Dear Sisters
letter, in which she does not accuse me of
a want of friendship for not accepting
her very generous proposal; and the Accounts
of Mrs- Hunter having upon the 6th. of the
Month presented me with A Nephew. So
you may now salute me, Uncle as soon
as You please. I assure you I am
quite proud of my new Dignity; when
we meet you will find me more saucy
(if possible) than ever.
      Accept of my Gratitude
for your good wishes. I may perhaps
some time of my Life enjoy a competent
fortune, though not an Affluent one. I am
however determined to enjoy & be thankful
for what is now in my power viz. Content --
Happy in the esteem & confidence of a few
sincere friends. I'll even make the best
of a bad bargain, & comfort myself with
the recollection that All things under the
Sun are Vanity & Vexation of Spirit.
I shall be happy to see Mr- Farhill.
I cannot promise him amusement in



this barbarous Village, but I will promise
him a hearty welcome. As I have just
disposed of my Ensigncy I may perhaps
be obliged to visit Town to receive the
payment, in which case I will give
him a personal invitation. This intended
Trip is only a perhaps & not to be depended
upon.
      Lady Cathcart continues to be
what she ever was -- wonderful -- and
looks better than she has done for some
time past. I now hope that She will
do well. She seems to think so herself
having just ordered a new Post Chaise
to be built for her. God grant she may
live to order another. She is really
a Valuable Life. Her best wishes ever
attend You --
      I am sorry for what
you write about a certain Person --
I had before heard of his situation, which
I hoped would have made him see his
folly. I don't think his intimacy with his
Royal Uncle will do him much good -- I
feel for the King & Queen
      As you wish to know how
matters stand between Lord Cathcart & your humble
Servant I have subjoined a Copy of the
correspondence which has passed --



Conscious of having acted with all proper
Attention to his Lordship & the whole Set
I am the less concerned at their behaviour
to me, but I am determined for the future
to take no Notice of them till They
show Attention to me. Adieu. Believe
me ever Yours very sincerely & affectionately
                                                         Napier


                                                         London 9th. February 1781.
My Dear Lord,
      A few days before my arrival
in Town I received a letter from Dr. Hunter enclosing
Copies of his letter to You & of your
answer to it. As your Lordship seems to wish the
points in dispute should be settled by yourself
with me, Dr. Hunter & my Sisters have directed
me to state some facts which you at present
appear to be unacquainted with. It was my
intention & desire to have conversed with You
in person upon the subject of my Mothers
portion, but as your Lordship did not give me
an opportunity of doing so, I feel myself under
the necessity of taking this method of communicating
my Sentiments to You.
      Your Lordship may recollect
that Mr- Orr who had the management of
my fathers business died in the latter end of the
Year 1774. The decease of my Father in January 1775



before his papers were recovered from Mr- Orr's
heirs threw all my Affairs into the utmost
confusion, & it was not till a Year after Mr-
Orrs death, that my Vouchers came into Mr-
Buchans possession. Upon an application being
made to your father to settle the Accounts
due by him to my Sisters, he directed that
Mr- Buchan should make out a state of
my Mothers portion still unpaid, which he
accordingly did & was assisted in it by Mr. Charles
Brown. It is unnecessary to remind
your Lordship that a stop was put to that settlement
by the death of your father whose
friendship & kindness to my family & myself
I shall ever most gratefully recollect. When
I returned from America, being desirous to
have all Money matters settled with my Sisters,
I repeatedly applied to Mr. Charles Brown to ascertain
the Sum due from your Lordship to my Sisters &
as often received his promises to do so. Wearied
with numberless delays, I one morning
waited upon Mr- Brown with my Vouchers
in my pocket & it was not till that day
that I was informed the Accounts could
not be adjusted, as a considerable difference
appeared between the State given in by
Mr- Buchan & that exhibited by Mr- Brown,
as your Lordship arrival in England was daily
expected, I gave my consent to stop all



proceedings till your return & prevailed
upon the Guardians to approve of what I
had done, from the supposition that You
would yourself either have made a diligent
search amongst your Papers or have empowered
some proper person to have made that
search for You.
      I have only now to request
that you will give directions to your
Agents in Scotland to make such enquiries
as will enable them speedily to settle this
Business to the satisfaction of all Parties.
I shall expect your answer at Welwyn
for which place I shall set out as soon as
my Servant returns from delivering this
letter. I ever am &c &c &c.

     
My Dear Lord,
      I found your letter on
my Table at my Return from Portsmouth
last Night. I will take an early opportunity
of writing to your Lordship fully on the Subject
it contains, in the mean time I seize
the first Moment to assure your Lordship
of the Mortification it gives me that
some Public & much Private Business, did
not allow me leisure to seek an interview.



with you during your stay in Town,
the more so as that hurry has now
ceased.
      I have the Honour to be with the greatest
Regard ever my Dear Lord Napier most faithful
and attached Humble Servant.
                                                         Cathcart
Albemarle Street
13 February 1781.

Since the receipt of the above letter my
most faithful & attached humble Servant
has taken no further Notice of me.
                                                         Napier

(consult diplomatic text or XML for annotations, deletions, clarifications, persons,
quotations,
spellings, uncorrected forms, split words, abbreviations, formatting)

Metadata

Library References

Repository: John Rylands Research Institute and Library, University of Manchester

Archive: Mary Hamilton Papers

Item title: Letter from Francis Napier, 8th Lord Napier, to Mary Hamilton, including copies of letters between Francis Napier and William, Lord Cathcart

Shelfmark: HAM/1/20/46

Correspondence Details

Sender: Francis Scott Napier, 8th Lord

Place sent: Welwyn

Addressee: Mary Hamilton

Place received: unknown

Date sent: 13 March 1781

Letter Description

Summary: Letter from Francis Napier, 8th Lord Napier, to Mary Hamilton, containing news of family and friends. Napier reports that his sister, Mrs [Mainie-Schaw] Hunter, has made him an uncle. He reports that Lady Cathcart is well and hopes that she continues to be. She seems to think she will as she has just ordered a new post-chaise to be built for her. He also notes that he will be happy to meet Farhill but that he cannot promise him any amusement in this 'barbarous Village'.
    Napier alludes to the Prince of Wales and writes that he is 'sorry to hear of a certain person'. He had hoped that he would see his 'folly' and he doesn't think his friendship with his Royal uncle 'will do him much good'. He writes that he feels sorry for the King and Queen.
    Napier has included in his letter copies of letters from Lord Cathcart to him relating to a business, legacy dispute. Napier notes that after receiving the letters his 'most faithful & attached humble serv[an]t has taken no further notice of' him.
    Dated at Welwyn [Hertfordshire].
   

Length: 2 sheets, 1065 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: Christine Wallis, editorial team (completed 21 September 2021)

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: 3 December 2021

Document Image (pdf)