Difference between revisions of ".MzMx.MjI2MQ"

Revision as of 12:38, 28 July 2017

                                                 Liverpool 28 April 1862

                                                    Monday afternoon

Dear Ann

                  I am adopting your plan of taking up

my pen when I have the leisure.

     I returned here by 10½ a.m. today from my visit to Mr.

Robt Heath. Yesterday was so fine that it made

amends for the rain throughout Saturday; & today is

still fine – not a cloud to be seen! – On Saturday

I had Mr. Ryley – Hodgson & Ryley – Jim Ryley’s old

-est son – vis a vis with me as far asWarrington;

& I got out at “Acton”? the 3rd: station beyond Warrington;

having provided myself with a return ticket (cost 7/6)

available for return on Monday.  Mr. Heath’s man-servant

& gig were in waiting for me; & in about 10 or 12 min=

-utes I was at his door with comfort bag & umbrella.

     His two nieces were not the ladies I supposed nor were

they sisters, but first cousins, & daughters of two of

his sisters. – They were quiet, amiable girls, but too

young to be interesting to me. – He goes to London to-

=morrow to stay with his brother John, the barrister,

& to be present at the opening of the Exhibit.  He does

not take these girls with him: they are to leave [a portion of the letter is missing]

the day after, bound for L'pool, on a visit to  [missing]

Edwd. Heath. –

     I had sat up so late on Friday night writing [missing]

I was short of sleep, & therefore glad to go to bed on Satur-

=day: but 7 hours' sleep set me up again entirely.  We

all 4 walked to Weaverham (called Wareham) church

for morng. service, at 10½ o’clock. It is ½ an hour's

walk.  And we were home again a few minutes after

12.   Dick Ashton & his Wife were there, & he & I ex-

=changed greetings as we came out of church. – I

was much pleased with the very neat & orderly ap

[missing]rance of the cottages in the village, with the small

[missing]tches around them, studded with flowers, after the

fashion so beautifully described by Washn. Irving. It was

a very striking contrast to the smoke of Liverpool, which

is so very destructive to vegetation. – Robert Heath & I

spent the afternoon in strolling about his grounds, &

in basking in the sunshine, seated in two very easy

chairs made of iron & wire.  They were as yielding & as

comfortable as Mr. Hutchison’s chair. – We did not

walk in any direction as much as ¼ of a mile from

his mansion. – Old Lady Brooke lived in this mansion

for 40 years, & died at the age of 92, about 8 years ago.

     The country looks so brilliantly green & lovely, & today is

so fine that if it had suited both parties, I should have

liked to have remained there all today, & let Robt. Heath

drive me about in his gig as he did on my former visit.

     I was glad to see that he is on intimate terms with Mr.

Wilbraham of Delamere, an estate that adjoins his. He

has not yet recd. any attentions or notice from Sir Philip Eger

=ton M.P.; nor is he likely until there is a contested election

for South Cheshire. – I told him he was very remiss in

not taking to himself a wife; but whether he has any

[missing] I don’t know. – He recommended me to sini-

[missing] example, by quitting business, & living on a

[missing] property in the country in England. I told him I had

[missing] money enough to do so, tho’ now possessed of more

than I had ever had before: & that even if this obstacle

were removed, I did not think it would suit me to live

altogether in the country & betake myself entirely to rural

pursuits as an occupation for my time. – He farms a

quantity of land for the sake of occupation, & keeps cows for

making cheese. He has now on hand about 100 cheeses, the

produce of nearly 12 mos. manufacture.

I have just been interrupted with the presentation of the

bill of Messr. Christopher Bushell & Co. for the pipe of

Port Wine, & have paid them accordingly:

1 pipe of T.G. Sanderman’s 1858 Port ex Cintra

from Oporto contg. 116 galls           £55 9/7

at £55 in bond per 115 Gallons

Bottling & shipping charges on

58 dozen: - vizt Bottles, Corks

cases, bottling & packing, bond

[drus.?], portage, cartage, entries

shipping – at 5/- per dozen                  £14.10/–

Bills of lading 1/7, Castans do 1/7 =  0.3/2    £70.2/9

packed in 20 cases –

MB   1 e 9 – 19 do of 3 dozen each

  #      20             1 do .  1   "      —

           deduct 4 mos. discount off   £55.9/7   =     0.18/9

          paid this day (28 April ’62 in cash   £ 69.4/–

It will be shipped in one of C.H. Marshall & Co.’s

(Baring Bros. & Co.’s) sailing packets. –

     I hope it will arrive safe & suit your palate.

       I saw Tom Addison today.  He returned last

night from Sheffield, quite pleased with Emily's

quarters in a cottage out of town, & surrounded by

a pretty country. -

     Fontaine & William dined yesterday with Mr. & Mrs.

Steele. – This evening they are to drink T with

“Cook.”? –

     Monday night –Welfield Place. – On coming to

dinner I found Master Willie on the point of departure for

school, and his Mother stretched out on the sofa quite

unwell.  Mary said Laura had a feverish sore throat.

but it seems that her stomach is also somewhat

disordered. She is has retired to bed early, & I

hope she will be better tomorrow. - Elizabeth at my

suggestion wrote to Miss Barbara Jones on Saturday

to say that she & I intended making a trip to

Beaumaris on Wednesday. An answer came this

morng. hoping I would defer the trip until next

week, because their house is in too great disorder

to receive E. B. as their guest, but wishing to hear

from E. B. in reply: - & at my suggestion E. B.

has written ^by this evening's post to say that we

purpose reaching Beaumaris on Wednesday afternoon,

& staying at the [Senge?] Inn at Bangor, & shall be glad

to have Miss Barbara's company on a 2 days excursion

(Thursday & Friday) in the country around Snowden,

but not to climb Snowden. - As you may guess, I

am instigated to this excursion far more by the

desire to afford a little pleasing variety to E. B.

than from any personal gratification I expect to

derive from the trip. - I may perhaps extend the time

so as not to return here before this day week in case the

weather should be fine, & Miss Jones consent to accompany

us in our ramble. -

Ann Hamilton jumps at the idea of Mary Bold

travelling up to London, under my escort, to stay with

them in Chester Square: and Mary consents; so we

expect to learn in the week ending 17th: May. But Anne

Hamilton will not let Mary return to L'pool before I

embark, if I am to embark on 7th: June.

I suppose we shall start on the 15th: May to London

with Mary Bold. That is the day that Mr. & Mrs. Addison

& their daughter Maggie have fixed upon for the same

purpose. The old Squire of Garendon Park, Mr. Phillips died

at Cheltenham last week. He was aged 83. -His brother

                                        5

died a few days ago. – The property of Garenden

&c: now passes into the hands of the Roman Cat[h]

=olics. – I asked of the Squire had left any legacy 

to Mr. Hamilton; & M. B. said she felt sure he had

not, as there are much nearer kindred who are in f[ar?]

more want of money. –

     29th: When I reached the office this morng. I

saw Mr. & Mrs. J. W. Cropper at the door in their

carriage. – He pointed to one of his feet, & his

wife told me he is at present disabled by Gout.

   I asked him if there were any very recent ti

-dings form Sedgwick.  He said there was not.

     At the Laura was reported to me as much

better this morng. – I slipped out before breakfast

& bought 4 oranges for her. – Whilst I was about it

I saw some nice looking fowls, & fancying Laura

might like some chicken soup or broth, I bought a

pair (cost 4/–) and brought them home with me

wrapped up in paper. – Laura enjoyed the Orange[s]

as I hope she has the chicken broth too. –

  Elizabeth feels as gay as a girl of 18 would do

at the prospect of this little out into No. Wales.

At the office I found Matthew's letter of the 15th:

via Niagara enclosing yours 13/15th: inst; & William

has today shewn me a long one of the 9th. from

Harriet. – I am glad that Tobin is so well pro-

=vided with letters of introduction & that Matthew

has given him 100 Mexican dollars, & got a

friend to write to his friends in China to supply

Tobin with the needful for 6 mos. after landing.  But I

wish Tobin was not going to China at all; tho’ as

                                    6

I said before I shall be most happy if he should

succeed. –

     I am glad to find that Harriet reports

poor little Maggie as rosy cheeked, & all her

children well. – I should be glad to hear of

you having a similar report from poor Nan.

     I will give E. B. the photograph of my

namesake.

     I am struck with your suggestion as to

you & me pulling up stakes in N. York and

planting ourselves in Liverpool. – I have no

fancy for any such thing. – I am opposed

to transplanting, even to a native soil, at our

time of life. – Many years ago I had dreams

of making money enough to pay off the Crs. of

J. Maury & Sons in full, & then reopening a

counting house here, if I had also the requisite

capital for that. – But I have dismissed the

latter scheme entirely long ago; tho I still have

a hankering after the payt,. of the 20/– in the £.

     I may be of little use to Matthew in N. York

by going there, but I do not see that I should

be likely to be of more use to him by remain=

=ing here. – The very fact that the U.S. are

in this sad trouble makes me the more

inclined to return thither. – I think too that

you are more usefully & happily placed where you

are.        yours affectionately    R. Maury