The Mary Hamilton Papers : Letter from Frederick Hamilton to Mary Hamilton

Hamilton, Frederick

The Mary Hamilton Papers

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Letter from Rev. Frederick Hamilton to Mary Hamilton. He writes that he has now been twenty-five years in Ireland at the same preferment and that he has higher connections than most people in his profession in Ireland; yet during his time in the country he has seen a number of men from the lowest class move up the ranks. They have done this by means of 'base marriages, by servile situations in great Families, by being The Managers of Corporations & Borroughs, not to mention country Schoolmasters & College Tutors'. He continues to note that when he was beginning his career, 'My Rank in life, did not [...] prompt me to aspire after [...] any of these departments'. In the letter he suggests that it was the Prince of Wales who had increased his expectations by condescending 'to adopt his Royal Fathers intentions towards me'.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>The letter continues about Frederick Hamilton's future plans. He has written to the Bishop informing him of his intention of resigning his living. He proposes to travel to Geneva and reside there for a time and supervise his children's education. He will dispose of his personal property in Ireland as soon as he can find a purchaser, and his estates in Scotland and Ireland are in a position that should not require his attendance. He is philosophical about the change in his circumstances and writes a line in Latin, for which, he notes, he will not apologise to Mary Hamilton as he remembers being surprised to receive a whole letter written in Latin by her.</p>