Unlocking the Mary Hamilton papers

Single Letter

HAM/1/20/99

Letter from Francis Napier, 8th Lord Napier, to Mary Hamilton

Diplomatic Text


                                                         Kinsale, 25th. Novr. 1786.



      Had you been my Wife, my Dear
Sister, I certainly would have applied for
a Divorce. Pray has not your husband an
undoubted right to tumble down Stairs
whenever he pleases, without your pre=
=suming to be alarmed?[1] I see Mr. Dickenson
is a Jerry.[2] When my Wife was with Child
of Mary, we were stopped in the Streets of
Dublin by Six footpads. I was obliged to draw
my Sword when She was in the Carriage &
we got away without being robbed, but She
durst as soon have eat my Sword as played
me such a Trick, as You did Mr. D——. I must
give him some proper Advice, relative to the
true mode of managing Wives[3] -- I shall
however be glad to hear You have made
up for disappointing him, be the production
Male or Female. I think the only way You
can effectively do so, will be by presenting
him with Twins. There is no sight by
which I should be so much gratified, as
to see You dancing your Child. I dare say
You will look at it as my Wife did viz.
As if she had no right to have one. Now,
she begins to know how to touch them,
as if they were not made of Glaʃs. As for
me, I keep the whole Nursery in proper


Awe & subjection. I approve of your going to
Northampton for a multitude of good reasons.
The Cathcart's can aʃsist in Nursing You &
the Air of Dallington may be of service
afterwards. You do not tell me whether
you propose nursing yourself or not. Ld.
C—— is I find a Candidate to succeed one of
the two Scotch Peers who have been called
up to the House of Lords by new Titles, & he
wrote me word he intended going to Scotland
to canvaʃs in person. I fear he has no
chance of Succeʃs & with all due deference
to his Lordship's wisdom, I think his Journey
be no means prudent. He & his family seem
to exist more in Post Chaises, than in com=
=fortable houses. I am very sorry to hear
such unfavourable accounts of Charles Cath=
=cart's health. I ever considered him as the
most amiable of that set of my Cousins. I
suspect he has not saved as much as he
might have done in the East with credit,
as an Officer of Rank who is lately come
home told Me that Charles wasted all
his time in Journey's between or rather
Voyages between the two Country's. His
constitution has been bad from his Infancy,
& I recollect before he first went to India,
he was tormented with a spitting of Blood. I
suppose the Graham's are now at Dallington.


Your Uncle Frederick has I supposeimagine taken
a new lease of his Life. I think the Bedford
Square House might have contented him,
but poʃsibly it may not be his disposition
to be contented. Mr. Pechell returned some
time ago from his Royal Visit, has since
that been appointed one of Her Majesty's
Ushers & obtained excellent Rooms in
Hampton Court. Mrs- Pechell has not been
in the straw lately,[4] but I suspect bids
fair to be there next Summer. Sir John
& Lady Warren are gone to paʃs the Winter
in France. They have taken their Son with
them & left their daughter with Lady
Clavering, who has removed her abode
to Clar[ges] Street[5] Lady Warren tried some
experiment of rearing a Girl she produced
a few months ago with spoon meat[6] only, which
ended in the Infant's departure from this
World. My wife & brats are well. My boy is
called William John after his two Grandfathers.
We propose innoculating him in a fortnight
or three Weeks. An operation I would allways
recommend to have done when the Child is
about two Months old & which is absolutely
neceʃsary for children, who like ours, are
liable to be moved at a moments warning.
Pray do you know a place of the name of
Mansell Park in your Neighbourhood? I


▼

▼ ▼ ▼

saw it advertised for Sale & was half inclined
to enquire about the price of it. As the Ad=
=vertisement is discontinued, I suppose the
place is disposed of.
      Maria joins me in every
poʃsible wish for your Safety, welfare
& happineʃs. Mr. Dickenson tho' personally[7]

unknown to Us, has his full share of our
Affections; his having chosen You to
torment him is a convincing proof to Us that
we must love him. Ever your faithfull
friend & affectionate Brother
                                                         N——[8]

                             JD desires Love & kindest respects
                             Beech Sat.             going to return home
                                                 alone[9]

[10]
[11]
                             Mrs. Dickenson
                                   Taxal[12]
                                   Chapel le Frith
                                       Derbyshire[13]

By
Chester.

[14]

                             6½
41- 
10-10
51-10
 7 18
59-8-6½[15]

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


Notes


 1. This fall is also referred to by Frances Harpur (see HAM/1/16/36 p.2).
 2. This is primarily an allusion to Jerry Sneak, ‘a henpecked husband: from a celebrated character in one of Mr Foote's plays, representing a man governed by his wife’ (Francis Grose (1788) A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, 2nd edn., Hooper: London. Accessed 19-10-2021 via the Eighteenth Century Collections Online). The play in question is Samuel Foote’s The Mayor of Garratt or Garret, performed in 1763, published 1764 (Wikipedia). Napier continues the joshing in HAM/1/20/100 and HAM/1/20/101, and the character is also alluded to by Henry Hamilton in HAM/1/4/6/4. In the present instance, Napier may conceivably be playing also on another entry in Grose, ‘jerrycummumble, to shake, towzle or tumble about’.
 3. Compare from Hamilton's diary, before her marriage, when Napier ‘threatnen'd[sic] to write a letter to Derbyshire & give a few instructions to Mr. D—— to keep me in order & above all things never to let me have my own way’.
 4. ‘In childbed, lying-in’ (OED s.v. straw n. 1, 2.b. Accessed 01-10-2021).
 5. Lady Clavering is listed as living in Clarges Street in tax records for 1787.
 6. ‘Soft or liquid food for taking with a spoon, esp. by infants or invalids’ (OED s.v spoon-meat a. Accessed 01-10-2021).
 7. This section, which continues on from p.2, is written below the address panel.
 8. Moved this section here from the top of the page.
 9. Moved annotation (ann2) here from the middle of the page, to the right of the address, written vertically. This is perhaps a note from John Dickenson to his wife on returning Napier's letter to her.
 10. Faint Bishop mark in black ink, dated 2- November.
 11. Postmark 'KINSALE' in blue ink.
 12. Manuscript figures ‘4’ and ‘1/3’ written beside the address, denoting recalculated postage.
 13. Moved address here from the middle of the page, writtten vertically.
 14. Manuscript figures in brown ink, written vertically, ‘19’ and ‘3/2’.
 15. Moved annotation (ann1) here from the middle of the page, to the left of address, written vertically.

Normalised Text


                                                         Kinsale, 25th. November 1786.



      Had you been my Wife, my Dear
Sister, I certainly would have applied for
a Divorce. Pray has not your husband an
undoubted right to tumble down Stairs
whenever he pleases, without your presuming
 to be alarmed? I see Mr. Dickenson
is a Jerry. When my Wife was with Child
of Mary, we were stopped in the Streets of
Dublin by Six footpads. I was obliged to draw
my Sword when She was in the Carriage &
we got away without being robbed, but She
durst as soon have eaten my Sword as played
me such a Trick, as You did Mr. Dickenson. I must
give him some proper Advice, relative to the
true mode of managing Wives -- I shall
however be glad to hear You have made
up for disappointing him, be the production
Male or Female. I think the only way You
can effectively do so, will be by presenting
him with Twins. There is no sight by
which I should be so much gratified, as
to see You dancing your Child. I dare say
You will look at it as my Wife did viz.
As if she had no right to have one. Now,
she begins to know how to touch them,
as if they were not made of Glass. As for
me, I keep the whole Nursery in proper


Awe & subjection. I approve of your going to
Northampton for a multitude of good reasons.
The Cathcart's can assist in Nursing You &
the Air of Dallington may be of service
afterwards. You do not tell me whether
you propose nursing yourself or not. Lord
Cathcart is I find a Candidate to succeed one of
the two Scotch Peers who have been called
up to the House of Lords by new Titles, & he
wrote me word he intended going to Scotland
to canvass in person. I fear he has no
chance of Success & with all due deference
to his Lordship's wisdom, I think his Journey
be no means prudent. He & his family seem
to exist more in Post Chaises, than in comfortable
 houses. I am very sorry to hear
such unfavourable accounts of Charles Cathcart
's health. I ever considered him as the
most amiable of that set of my Cousins. I
suspect he has not saved as much as he
might have done in the East with credit,
as an Officer of Rank who is lately come
home told Me that Charles wasted all
his time in Journey's or rather
Voyages between the two Country's. His
constitution has been bad from his Infancy,
& I recollect before he first went to India,
he was tormented with a spitting of Blood. I
suppose the Graham's are now at Dallington.


Your Uncle Frederick has I imagine taken
a new lease of his Life. I think the Bedford
Square House might have contented him,
but possibly it may not be his disposition
to be contented. Mr. Pechell returned some
time ago from his Royal Visit, has since
that been appointed one of Her Majesty's
Ushers & obtained excellent Rooms in
Hampton Court. Mrs- Pechell has not been
in the straw lately, but I suspect bids
fair to be there next Summer. Sir John
& Lady Warren are gone to pass the Winter
in France. They have taken their Son with
them & left their daughter with Lady
Clavering, who has removed her abode
to Clarges Street Lady Warren tried some
experiment of rearing a Girl she produced
a few months ago with spoon meat only, which
ended in the Infant's departure from this
World. My wife & brats are well. My boy is
called William John after his two Grandfathers.
We propose inoculating him in a fortnight
or three Weeks. An operation I would always
recommend to have done when the Child is
about two Months old & which is absolutely
necessary for children, who like ours, are
liable to be moved at a moments warning.
Pray do you know a place of the name of
Mansell Park in your Neighbourhood? I


▼

▼ ▼ ▼

saw it advertised for Sale & was half inclined
to enquire about the price of it. As the Advertisement
 is discontinued, I suppose the
place is disposed of.
      Maria joins me in every
possible wish for your Safety, welfare
& happiness. Mr. Dickenson though personally

unknown to Us, has his full share of our
Affections; his having chosen You to
torment him is a convincing proof to Us that
we must love him. Ever your faithful
friend & affectionate Brother
                                                         Napier

                            



                             Mrs. Dickenson
                                   Taxal
                                   Chapel le Frith
                                       Derbyshire

By
Chester.



                            

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



 1. This fall is also referred to by Frances Harpur (see HAM/1/16/36 p.2).
 2. This is primarily an allusion to Jerry Sneak, ‘a henpecked husband: from a celebrated character in one of Mr Foote's plays, representing a man governed by his wife’ (Francis Grose (1788) A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, 2nd edn., Hooper: London. Accessed 19-10-2021 via the Eighteenth Century Collections Online). The play in question is Samuel Foote’s The Mayor of Garratt or Garret, performed in 1763, published 1764 (Wikipedia). Napier continues the joshing in HAM/1/20/100 and HAM/1/20/101, and the character is also alluded to by Henry Hamilton in HAM/1/4/6/4. In the present instance, Napier may conceivably be playing also on another entry in Grose, ‘jerrycummumble, to shake, towzle or tumble about’.
 3. Compare from Hamilton's diary, before her marriage, when Napier ‘threatnen'd[sic] to write a letter to Derbyshire & give a few instructions to Mr. D—— to keep me in order & above all things never to let me have my own way’.
 4. ‘In childbed, lying-in’ (OED s.v. straw n. 1, 2.b. Accessed 01-10-2021).
 5. Lady Clavering is listed as living in Clarges Street in tax records for 1787.
 6. ‘Soft or liquid food for taking with a spoon, esp. by infants or invalids’ (OED s.v spoon-meat a. Accessed 01-10-2021).
 7. This section, which continues on from p.2, is written below the address panel.
 8. Moved this section here from the top of the page.
 9. Moved annotation (ann2) here from the middle of the page, to the right of the address, written vertically. This is perhaps a note from John Dickenson to his wife on returning Napier's letter to her.
 10. Faint Bishop mark in black ink, dated 2- November.
 11. Postmark 'KINSALE' in blue ink.
 12. Manuscript figures ‘4’ and ‘1/3’ written beside the address, denoting recalculated postage.
 13. Moved address here from the middle of the page, writtten vertically.
 14. Manuscript figures in brown ink, written vertically, ‘19’ and ‘3/2’.
 15. Moved annotation (ann1) here from the middle of the page, to the left of address, written vertically.

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

Shelfmark: HAM/1/20/99

Correspondence Details

Sender: Francis Scott Napier, 8th Lord

Place sent: Kinsale

Addressee: Mary Hamilton

Place received: Taxal, near Chapel-en-le-Frith

Date sent: 25 November 1786

Letter Description

Summary: Letter from Francis Napier, 8th Lord Napier, to Mary Hamilton. He says that if Hamilton had been his wife then he would have got a divorce and asks her whether her husband hasn't the right to fall down the stairs whenever he likes, without her worrying herself.
   

Length: 1 sheet, 771 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 1 October 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)