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, relating to the divorce of Nina Herries and Captain Edward Foote.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Lady Herries and Sir Robert had been recently in London, where Sir Robert had business and to see her brother, Edward Foote, 'whose peace as well as ours has been so deeply wounded by the dreadful misconduct of his unhappy wife', Nina. News of 'this sad business' [divorce proceedings] had not reached Hamilton when she wrote her last letter to Herries, but the details of the trial have now been published in the newspapers. The trial took place whilst the Herrieses were in London. Herries hopes that time will 'soften' her brother's mind. She writes of the pain that Nina has caused, that someone they have loved is 'guilty of such offences & that it should have been possible for her to have been so lost to all principle'. Herries will tell Hamilton the 'particulars' when they are able to meet, at the moment she is 'unequal to it'. She does believe that Nina is 'very repentant'; she is at the moment in London 'but will most probably go to another Country at least for some yeas'. [Foote remarried shortly after his divorce from Nina Herries.]</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>The letter continues on the health of Hamilton's family and on their return home from a visit to John Dickenson Senior. Herries reports that London was empty, although she did see a few mutual friends, such as Mrs [Anne] Hunter, Lady Cunynghame and 'our venerable Mrs Carter', who is said to look in better health than she did last winter, but 'one cannot flatter oneself it will last long -- but it was a comfort to me see her dear face once again'.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>She continues her letter with general news and gossip. She has a picture of Mrs Elizabeth Carter which was given to her by Miss Frances [Bowdler], whom she reports is now in Italy. Lady Mary Montgomery is to marry her cousin Lord Montgomery in the spring, and Miss Henry had left Bath some time ago.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Dated at Cheltenham.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>The two sheets of this letter were formerly catalogued separately as HAM/1/17/270 and HAM/1/17/271.</p>