The Mary Hamilton Papers : Letter from Francis Napier, 8th Lord Napier, to Mary Hamilton

Napier, Francis Scott, 8th Lord

The Mary Hamilton Papers

Letter from Francis Napier, 8th Lord Napier, to Mary Hamilton, noting the death of Samuel Johnson (1709-1784, author and lexicographer). ‘I could not resist the inclination I felt to condole with you and the rest of the Indigo tribe on the death of Dr Johnston [sic]. Alas poor Mary he fell a victim to Signora Piozzi's marriage therefore I insist if you are not already married, that you will not by a pretended cruelty run the risk of sacrificing Mr Dickenson. It would certainly make a fine subject for a Poem for the blue stocking tribe that one of the society had murdered a deserving young man’. Lord Napier suggests, somewhat in jest, that Johnson died of a broken heart because of Hester Thrale's marriage and teases Hamilton about her own forthcoming marriage to John Dickenson. Dated at Dublin Barracks.

Letter from Francis Napier, 8th Lord Napier, to Mary Hamilton (HAM/1/20/90)

Letter from Francis Napier, 8th Lord Napier, to Mary Hamilton, noting the death of Samuel Johnson (1709-1784, author and lexicographer). ‘I could not resist the inclination I felt to condole with you and the rest of the Indigo tribe on the death of Dr Johnston [sic]. Alas poor Mary he fell a victim to Signora Piozzi's marriage therefore I insist if you are not already married, that you will not by a pretended cruelty run the risk of sacrificing Mr Dickenson. It would certainly make a fine subject for a Poem for the blue stocking tribe that one of the society had murdered a deserving young man’. Lord Napier suggests, somewhat in jest, that Johnson died of a broken heart because of Hester Thrale's marriage and teases Hamilton about her own forthcoming marriage to John Dickenson.

Dated at Dublin Barracks.

Information about this document

Physical Location: John Rylands Research Institute and Library
Collection: Mary Hamilton Papers
Classmark: HAM/1/20/90
Title: Letter from Francis Napier, 8th Lord Napier, to Mary Hamilton
Language(s): English
Author(s): Napier, Francis Scott, 8th Lord
Origin Place: Dublin
Date of Creation: 20 December 1784
Date of Sending: 20 December 1784
Recipient(s): Hamilton, Mary
Destination: London
Extent: 1 sheet; 462 words
Condition: Not stated.
Script:
Hand of writer of the main text, Francis Napier.
Hand of writer of the annotation on p.3, probably Mary Hamilton.
Project Information:
Editing supervised by David Denison and Nuria Yáñez-Bouza.
Acknowledgements:
Cataloguer: Crawley, Lisa
Cataloguer: Hodgson, John
Transliterator: Wallis, Christine (completed 2021-09-28)
Last Revised: 2021-12-03

First edited in the project 'Unlocking the Mary Hamilton Papers' (Hannah Barker, Sophie Coulombeau, David Denison, Tino Oudesluijs, Cassandra Ulph, Christine Wallis & Nuria Yáñez-Bouza, 2019-2023).

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Information about this document

Physical Location: John Rylands Research Institute and Library
Collection: Mary Hamilton Papers
Classmark: HAM/1/20/90
Title: Letter from Francis Napier, 8th Lord Napier, to Mary Hamilton
Language(s): English
Author(s): Napier, Francis Scott, 8th Lord
Origin Place: Dublin
Date of Creation: 20 December 1784
Date of Sending: 20 December 1784
Recipient(s): Hamilton, Mary
Destination: London
Extent: 1 sheet; 462 words
Condition: Not stated.
Script:
Hand of writer of the main text, Francis Napier.
Hand of writer of the annotation on p.3, probably Mary Hamilton.
Project Information:
Editing supervised by David Denison and Nuria Yáñez-Bouza.
Acknowledgements:
Cataloguer: Crawley, Lisa
Cataloguer: Hodgson, John
Transliterator: Wallis, Christine (completed 2021-09-28)
Last Revised: 2021-12-03