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, expressing her joy at hearing a good account of Louisa Dickenson's recovery. With the change of season, there is reason to hope that she will be returned to full health. She advises her friend to guard Louisa against the 'March wind', as this may affect her cough, noting that 'all coughs in young people make flannel waistcoats & warmth of clothing in general particularly on the breast highly expedient'. She continues on the fatal illness of her sister Mary (see HAM/1/17/131) and on her then physician, Sir Walter Farquhar [1738-1819, prominent physician to the nobility]. Sir Walter always declared that her 'coughs till the last fatal one [...] were not of ye Lungs. I do think fell a Sacrifice to having too a light Clothing on at ye ball from which her Illness had its commencement'.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Herries continues on Hamilton's health, which has been precarious. Her own health is improving and she can now walk. She wonders when they will be able to meet. If Hamilton is to travel from Northampton to Lancashire, she will of course not be able to arrange to see her as originally talked of in earlier letters, but perhaps there will be a possibility to do so on her return journey to Leighton.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Herries continues with general news. She may visit Bath shortly, as the waters were once beneficial for her stomach complaints, though she now finds them less so and her sister-in-law, Miss [Grace] Herries, is to visit friends in London and will stay there for a month.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Dated at Cheltenham.</p>