The Mary Hamilton Papers : Letter from Mrs Sarah Dickenson (née Chetham) to Mary Hamilton
Dickenson (née Chetham), Sarah
The Mary Hamilton Papers
<p style='text-align: justify;'>Letter from Mrs Sarah Dickenson to Mary Hamilton. She writes that she spent most of the spring and summer in poor health and feared for her survival. Sally had also been ill with the measles. She continues that she has spent a month this summer in Buxton and found it beneficial. Her main compliant was rheumatism, which affected her badly. She asks if Mrs Hamilton suffers from the same complaint and if so then she highly recommends Buxton. Here there is 'often a great deal of good company, & when the weather is good you may spend a few weeks there very agreeably'. She writes that many people visit Matlock after Buxton and that it is a pretty place and that the 'wonders of the Peaks' offer an entertaining excursion.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Mrs Dickenson asks if Hamilton continues with her Latin and asks what she has been doing since they last met. She has heard that she is learning to draw and knows that she has a 'natural Genious[sic] for it'. She reports that Mary Hamilton's friend 'Jack' [John Dickenson, her future husband] is at home [from Northampton] and sends his compliments. He is currently boarding with a clergyman in Derby and is 'pursuing his studies with the greatest pleasure'. She continues that she is finding it difficult to describe her old friend (see HAM/1/3/1/5) and decides that the best way to do so is by forwarding Hamilton some of her letters so that she can get 'some Idea of the Beauties of her Mind'.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Dated at Taxal [Derbyshire].</p>