The Mary Hamilton Papers : Letter from Lady Catherine Herries (née Foote) to Mary Hamilton

Herries (née Foote), Catherine

The Mary Hamilton Papers

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Letter from Lady Catherine Herries to Mary Hamilton. She has no doubt that Hamilton will know the pleasure that reading her journals has given her (seeHAM/1/17/240, probably referring to HAM/2/16). Clearly missing her life in London, Herries writes that since leaving town 'nothing has brought me so near the friends I have made & made me feel myself in some degree with those so dear & pleasant to me'. Herries sends her regards to John Dickenson and notes that Mrs [Anne] Hunter has told her that he [John Dickenson] is in 'Good Spirits', and she hopes that the same can be said of Hamilton. She is sure that it would have 'done [Hunter] good to have a Chat with [Hamilton]'. Herries wishes she could be with Hamilton and Hunter. That her 'spirits was & will be with you in these interesting Conversations in whi[ch] I well know I was not forgotten'. Herries continues on Mrs Carter, who Hamilton had written her a 'delightful' account of. She asks Hamilton to pass on her 'affection' and regards to this 'venerable & excellent friend whom life so enjoyed'. Writing of other friends, she reports that Miss Bowdler is to be in London shortly. She has 'embarked' or at least was to embark at Leghorn (Livorno, Italy) on a merchant vessel named 'Eliza', which was 'bound for London'. Herries has left a letter for Miss Bowdler at Lady Templeton's informing her that Hamilton is in town, as 'two friends so dear to me ought to know one another', and she is sure that Miss Bowdler 'will take a call from you as most flattering'. It seems that Sir Robert and Miss Bowdler did not care for each other's company, as Herries had broached with her husband the possibility of visiting Miss Bowdler once she had left London; he had suggested that if Herries wished to have Miss Bowdler visit her for a few days, he could 'easily go away for the time'. Herries thought this kind of him but could not think of his leaving his own home for anyone. She justifies her decision at not inviting her suggesting that Miss Bowdler and Sir Robert are incompatible. That Sir Robert has the 'first claims to my duty & my feelings & whose misfortunes make me more than ever anxious not to give him a moments additional pain'.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Herries ends her letter 'rejoic[ing] in the good news from the Continent' and on neighbours of hers, the Crewes, who have lived in Cheltenham 'since the previous Summer'.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Dated at Cheltenham.</p>