The Mary Hamilton Papers : Letter from Charlotte Finch to an unidentified addressee

Finch (née Fermor), Charlotte, Lady

The Mary Hamilton Papers

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Letter from Charlotte Finch. As with HAM/1/12/29 above, it is not clear whether this letter is addressed to Hamilton or Goldsworthy. Finch addresses her letter to ‘My dear Miss [...]’ at the start and in the middle of the letter. This subseries contains letters addressed to Goldsworthy from Finch.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>The letter relates to Mrs Fielding’s distress on the capture of the ship she was on. In Vigo [Spain] Mrs Fielding and her companions are lodging in a ‘miserable’ house which is little more than a barn but they are all thankful that they have escaped. They are waiting for passports. One of Finch acquaintances, Mr Brett, a merchant in Oporto has offered them the use of his house and credit if they can make their way there. Mr Fielding has returned to Lisbon so Finch has written to him to inform him to return to Caldas again ‘and propose he should go to Oporto and fetch her back here. I hope to God this project will succeed’. She will be distressed until she has her daughter back with her and writes that this will take at least a fortnight or three weeks as travelling is difficult in this country with no possibility of changing horses or mules and the same pair for the whole journey. Finch continues about her distress at what has happened but notes that she should be joyful that Mrs Fielding was not ‘carried to America’. Finch writes that Mrs Fielding was to deliver letters to the Queen and the princesses on her behalf and to acquaint them of her situation. She asks Hamilton [or Goldsworthy?] if she would do this for her and that she will write to them at her first opportunity.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Finch writes on the health of her son and of her worries of how she is to get back to England safely ‘now the seas are so infested’. Besides the difficulties of travelling through Spain and Portugal, the expense of a Land journey would be too great. She will never attempt travelling back in the packet and writes that she will have to find a neutral ship to return in.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>The letter ends by Finch hoping to receive news of the Royal family and all her friends at Windsor.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Dated at Caldas.</p>