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, relating to his regiment, the situation in Ireland and the possibility of the French invading the country.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Napier writes from Liverpool and teases Hamilton on the Lancashire Witches, suggesting she has the gift of second sight otherwise how could she have known that he was to arrive in Liverpool when he did. He reports that the day after he returned from taking his son to school it began to snow so heavily that he and his wife were virtually prisoners at Wilton Lodge [Roxburghshire]. Though luckily he notes ‘we are not yet so fashionable, as to be tired of one another, our solitude consequently proved no punishment’. He had to leave for his regiment on the March and he has no idea how long he will be in Liverpool. He writes that he dreads staying in a camp as he does not like to sleep in a tent and he knows camp life ‘will ruin my subalterns, who have nothing but their pay to live on’. He does not believe that he will be able to return home earlier than October.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Napier writes on Hamilton asking him about the possibility of invasions. He believes that the French will attempt something though his alarm at the ‘consequences of such proceedings is not very great’. To him the situation in Ireland is of more concern and somebody should pay for it, be it the late Chief Governor or the previous cabinet. He writes that his sentiments ‘though very favourable to the Roman Catholics, are perfectly hostile to what was called their emancipation & restoration to the bosom of their Country. They ought to be on the same footing with those of their Religion, in this Country’. He detests persecution over modes of worship but ‘a sufficient degree of cordiality does not exists between the Iris, Protestants & Catholics’ and he does not believe that the later ‘manoeuvres will not lead to an increase of it’.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Dated at Liverpool.</p>