The Mary Hamilton Papers : Letter from Wilhelmina Murray (née King) to Mary Hamilton

Murray (née King), Wilhelmina

The Mary Hamilton Papers

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Letter from Wilhelmina Murray to Mary Hamilton, containing general family and society news. Murray hopes that the waters and the society of Bath will soon cure Hamilton of her 'complaints'. Murray complains that she has been too 'bustled' to be a good correspondent, and that her husband is unable to obtain a leave of absence from his ship, as he is under sailing orders, which has added to her strain. She reports on the family's approval of the marriage of the Duke of Atholl [Sir John Murray, 4th Duke of Atholl (1755-1830)] to Margery Forbes [her first husband was Maj-Gen John Mackenzie, Lord MacLeod (1761-1842)], who was 32 and had yet had no children. Murray describes the wedding and the bride.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Murray writes of the death of a brother for whom she has just finished mourning and with whom 'the papers amuse themselves with a 1000 lies about him all without foundation: but not worth refuting'. Another relation, Lady Amelia Clarke, went to Jamaica with her husband, who was a Major. He died there of a fever and leaves her a widow 'without man, woman, or child belonging to her there'. She was taken in by the Lieutenant Governor and his wife, in whose house she received much kindness and hospitality. On her return home, her ship, the William and Elizabeth, met with an accident on the sands. Murray assumed no life had been lost, but she has not yet been able to find out what has become of her. (Later in the letter, news is received of her safe arrival at Portsmouth.) Murray continues on the dangers of the sea and of the enemy.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>The letter ends with Murray asking that Hamilton excuse her 'stupid' letter.</p>