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

Napier, Francis Scott, 8th Lord

The Mary Hamilton Papers

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Letter from Francis Napier, 8th Lord Napier, to Mary Hamilton. The letter is concerned with the Scottish Peerage election and with family news. Napier writes on John Dickenson Senior's accident [he suffered a fall] and hopes the effect of it will not be as bad as it seems. Napier informs Hamilton that he has now moved to Edinburgh from Ireland. He returned to aid Lord Cathcart at the election of Peers [representatives from Scotland]. He had heard from some of his correspondents amongst the Peers that it would be a difficult contest for Cathcart but he still had hopes for his success. Instead Napier notes that he had the 'mortification of seeing one of the most distinguished men in the Peerage sent to Parliament'. Napier suggests that Cathcart lost some votes over the way he has treated people recently. Two friends of Napier's assured him 'that had Cathcart behaved in general to them with decency, they would have preferred him to any of the candidates; but as his attention & civility was only visible when he was canvassing, they never would support him'.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>The letter also continues with news on both Hamilton's and Napier's families. Napier's daughter, Mary has been suffering the 'effects of the Itch which her nurse gave her' and which Mary had for a full three months before it was discovered. At the same time the nurse was concealing her pregnancy until her increased size caught Napier's attention. He believes that if Mary had not such a strong constitution then the bad milk along with the itch would have killed her.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Napier's regiment has gone to Halifax and Newfound land and he hopes not to join them there for at least two years. He reports that he has bought a house in Edinburgh at a cost of £1100 which he is just finishing furnishing and his sister Harriet now resides with his family.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Dated at Edinburgh.</p>