Diplomatic Text
1. 1.
Mary on tour in
1776
My dearest Clara
I am quite penetrated with
sorrow to hear that you are & have been
so extremely Ill -- & quite hate Mrs. C. for
her want of feeling -- for she aʃsured me
She never saw you look better -- that you
was in good Spirits -- & that you had been
perfectly well -- I am not a little anxious
to know what occasion'd that agitation of
Spirits You hint at -- for believe me
my dear friend I never can be indifferent
when your happineʃs is concern'd --
-- Surely, Surely my Clara you was not
in earnest when you told me you imagind
my Sentiments with respect to you wld.
vary with my acquaintance -- nor can
I allow you to say “my “superiours in every
“Respect” -- was they equal to you Clara
in Sentiment we should have many
Shining Characters in high Life -- of wch.
there is but too great a Dearth --
I am quite astonish'd & vextd to find you
have not recd. more of my Letters -- I can account
for it no other way -- that (& Ldy. D. has suffer'd in ye. same
Manner -- for many letters she wrote to her friends
she finds have never come to hand) than attributing it
to ye. dishonesty of a Valet de Place -- (who was
detected in an Unfair action) -- & who was charged
wth. our Letters to ye. Post office -- we imagine he
put ye. Money given wth. ye. Letters in his Pocket &
then destroy'd them -- if you had directed to Dover
as I desired -- ye Letters would have been safely forwarded
by ye. People of ye. Inn to I will now my dear for
Your amusement transcribe ye: chief part of my Journal -- no critisism
or remarks & pray burn it as fast as You read it
for it will not I know, bear a re-perusal
[1]Tuesday 30 Left London -- din'd at Rochester where ye.
Mr. P—— & Mr. F—— join'd our party -- slept at Canterbury
we did not omit taking an observation of that
vast body wch. almost obscur'd ye. light of the
Moon, & wch. had a very singular & extroadinary
appearance -- I leave ye. discription to astronomers
& it would be presumption in me Clara to tell
You any thing about it.
Thursday Wed. Morng. -- I was ye. only person in
Company who had not seen ye. Cathedral, Ld. & Ldy.
D. who were all goodneʃs & attention to me would
not suffer me to leave Canterbury without
Seeing it -- we went after breakfast[2] -- I was
much pleas'd with this Noble & venerable
Structure -- Vast in Size -- & the Architecture
P --- plain & Elegant -- no Pictures
or remains of Romish Ornaments or
decorations -- under ye. Body of the C. is a
large french Church. -- About one oClock
got to Dover -- the Corn fields was not ye. least
agreeable Objects we paʃs'd -- ye. Stalks loaded
with grain of ye. most beautiful richest tints
of Gold -- but yet no appearance of Harvest -- the
Fields were quite luxuriant -- the Hops too in
the most beautifull state -- at our arrival at
Dover met Mrs. Carter & Miʃs Cooper -- they remaind
at our Inn till ye. Evening -- the Carriages were
put on board ye. Ship -- ye. Wind & tide against us
for this day -- In ye. Afternoon I walk'd up ye. Steep
Hill to the Castle -- a sight worthy ye. observation
-- 30 Acres of Land are inclosed within its
walls -- wch. are now of no great use -- ye. walls of
ye Square Tower of Julius Caesar are still rem
remaining -- its preservation is of consequence
to ye Curate of the Church here for he has £30
pr. An: whilst it remains standing -- a Round
Tower is Close to ye. Above & it is call'd ye. Belfry
-- Admiral Rooke in ye. Reign of Queen Anne
After obtaining a Victory; -- on his return home
to England -- desired permiʃsion to remove
those the Bells in it (wch. were put up in
ye. time of J. C.) to Portsmouth -- were they
now are -- there are 400 Men now in Garrison
at ye. Castle -- they have comfortable & neat barracks
-- a Most remarkable Well 360 feet deep is in-
closed within a Building -- it was sunk in ye. time of
J. C. a large Wheel turn'd by 6 men draws ye. water up
to ye top -- there is always 20 feet water in it, &
what renders it still more remarkable is ye echo --
I heard a Pin wch. I threw in beat against ye.
Sides of ye. well -- & then heard it distinctly
fall into ye. water -- a small pebble Stone thrown
in -- when it reaches ye. Water sounds like
ye. report of a Pistol -- ye. noise encreasing accor-
ding to ye size of whatever is cast in -- it is brick
only a few feet -- a fine Chalk Cliff forms ye.
rest of this well -- a Man has ventur'd to ye.
Bottom without being annoy'd by ye. damp. --
Queen Elizth- Pocket Pistol is another of ye.
Curiosities they show you; -- an Immense
Cannonand formidable looking Cannon -- they
would have shew'd us ye. Govenors appartments;
-- but we thought it too late -- I was very
much fatigued wth. walking down this Steep
Hill -- spent the remainder of ye Evening in
a Sociable manner at our Inn --
Thursday Morng. -- Wind still Contrary -- the
Sailors & Capt. tell us ye. paʃsage is safe --
& the Wind make little difference at this time
of the Year -- Ldy. D. apprenhensions alone
keeps us here -- for she always suffers so
much from Sickneʃs &c &c -- ye younger part
of us -- are as patient as Young people
can be -- who have no fears -- & are eager
to have their Idea's realiz'd -- walk'd before
dinner upon ye other head -- saw several Ships
go out & come into ye. Harbour -- The Sailors told[3]
red text is normalised and/or unformatted in other panel)
Notes
1. The following section can be found at the start of Mary Hamilton's diary HAM/2/1, albeit worded differently.
2. In HAM/2/1, Mary describes going to the Cathedral on Thursday 1 August rather than on Wednesday 31 July.
3. Any remaining sheets that were presumably at one point part of this letter are now missing.
Normalised Text
My dearest Clara
I am quite penetrated with
sorrow to hear that you are & have been
so extremely Ill -- & quite hate Mrs. C. for
her want of feeling -- for she assured me
She never saw you look better -- that you
was in good Spirits -- & that you had been
perfectly well -- I am not a little anxious
to know what occasioned that agitation of
Spirits You hint at -- for believe me
my dear friend I never can be indifferent
when your happiness is concerned --
-- Surely, Surely my Clara you was not
in earnest when you told me you imagined
my Sentiments with respect to you would
vary with my acquaintance -- nor can
I allow you to say “my “superiors in every
“Respect” -- was they equal to you Clara
in Sentiment we should have many
Shining Characters in high Life -- of which
there is but too great a Dearth --
I am quite astonished & vexed to find you
have not received more of my Letters -- I can account
for it no other way -- (& Lady Dartrey has suffered in the same
Manner -- for many letters she wrote to her friends
she finds have never come to hand) than attributing it
to the dishonesty of a Valet de Place -- (who was
detected in an Unfair action) -- & who was charged
with our Letters to the Post office -- we imagine he
put the Money given with the Letters in his Pocket &
then destroyed them -- if you had directed to Dover
as I desired -- the Letters would have been safely forwarded
by the People of the Inn I will now my dear for
Your amusement transcribe the chief part of my Journal -- no criticism
or remarks & pray burn it as fast as You read it
for it will not I know, bear a re-perusal
Tuesday 30 Left London -- dined at Rochester where the
Mr. Penns & Mr. Foster joined our party -- slept at Canterbury
we did not omit taking an observation of that
vast body which almost obscured the light of the
Moon, which had a very singular & extraordinary
appearance -- I leave the description to astronomers
& it would be presumption in me Clara to tell
You any thing about it.
Wednesday Morning -- I was the only person in
Company who had not seen the Cathedral, Lord & Lady
Dartrey who were all goodness & attention to me would
not suffer me to leave Canterbury without
Seeing it -- we went after breakfast -- I was
much pleased with this Noble & venerable
Structure -- Vast in Size -- & the Architecture
plain & Elegant -- no Pictures
or remains of Romish Ornaments or
decorations -- under the Body of the Cathedral is a
large french Church. -- About one o'Clock
got to Dover -- the Corn fields was not the least
agreeable Objects we passed -- the Stalks loaded
with grain of the richest tints
of Gold -- but yet no appearance of Harvest -- the
Fields were quite luxuriant -- the Hops too in
the most beautiful state -- at our arrival at
Dover met Mrs. Carter & Miss Cooper -- they remained
at our Inn till the Evening -- the Carriages were
put on board the Ship -- the Wind & tide against us
for this day -- In the Afternoon I walked up the Steep
Hill to the Castle -- a sight worthy observation
-- 30 Acres of Land are enclosed within its
walls -- which are now of no great use -- the walls of
the Square Tower of Julius Caesar are still
remaining -- its preservation is of consequence
to the Curate of the Church here for he has £30
per Annum whilst it remains standing -- a Round
Tower is Close to the Above & it is called the Belfry
-- Admiral Rooke in the Reign of Queen Anne
After obtaining a Victory; -- on his return
to England -- desired permission to remove
the Bells in it (which were put up in
the time of Julius Caesar) to Portsmouth -- where they
now are -- there are 400 Men now in Garrison
at the Castle -- they have comfortable & neat barracks
-- a Most remarkable Well 360 feet deep is enclosed
within a Building -- it was sunk in the time of
Julius Caesar a large Wheel turned by 6 men draws the water up
to the top -- there is always 20 feet water in it, &
what renders it still more remarkable is the echo --
I heard a Pin which I threw in beat against the
Sides of the well -- & then heard it distinctly
fall into the water -- a small Stone thrown
in -- when it reaches the Water sounds like
the report of a Pistol -- the noise increasing according
to the size of whatever is cast in -- it is brick
only a few feet -- a fine Chalk Cliff forms the
rest of this well -- a Man has ventured to the
Bottom without being annoyed by the damp. --
Queen Elizabeth Pocket Pistol is another of the
Curiosities they show you; -- an Immense
and formidable looking Cannon -- they
would have shown us the Governors apartments;
-- but we thought it too late -- I was very
much fatigued with walking down this Steep
Hill -- spent the remainder of the Evening in
a Sociable manner at our Inn --
Thursday Morning -- Wind still Contrary -- the
Sailors & Captain tell us the passage is safe --
& the Wind make little difference at this time
of the Year -- Lady Dartrey apprehensions alone
keeps us here -- for she always suffers so
much from Sickness &c &c -- the younger part
of us -- are as patient as Young people
can be -- who have no fears -- & are eager
to have their Idea's realised -- walked before
dinner upon the other head -- saw several Ships
go out & come into the Harbour -- The Sailors told
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: Incomplete journal-letter from Mary Hamilton to Ann Litchfield
Shelfmark: HAM/1/8/7/21
Correspondence Details
Sender: Mary Hamilton
Place sent: unknown
Addressee: Ann Litchfield
Place received: unknown
Date sent: between 1 August and 23 October 1776
notBefore 1 August 1776 (precision: high)
notAfter 23 October 1776 (precision: medium)
Letter Description
Summary: Incomplete journal-letter from Mary Hamilton to Ann Litchfield. She refers to Litchfield's
letters to her, expresses concern that Litchfield is melancholy, assures her of
her friendship and is 'astonished at the loss of her letters'. Hamilton
continues her letter with an account of her travels. At Dover she notes
that there are four hundred men in Garrison at the Castle. She also
writes of there being a well in the barracks that was 360 feet deep and
is enclosed within the building and continues her letters on other
'curiosities' that she has seen whilst at Dover.
Original reference No. 1.
Length: 1 sheet, 953 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: Tino Oudesluijs, editorial team (completed 19 April 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: 31 August 2023