The Mary Hamilton Papers : Transcripts of verse and prose (1758-1780)

Gilpin, William, Oxenden, [...], Lettice, John, Digby (née Gunning), Charlotte Margaret, Gunning, George William, Cautley, Thomas, Lyster, C., Beckford, William, de Guiffardière, Charles

The Mary Hamilton Papers

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Manuscript anthology of letters, verses, sermons and other prose pieces, written in Hamilton's hand and in at least two other hands. See p.1 under 'Transcription' for a detailed inventory of the whole volume, with page ranges.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Included in the volume are copies of: a long letter from William Gilpin to Hamilton's friend Richard Glover (see <a target='_blank' class='externalLink uom-purple' href='https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/manchesteruniversity/data/gb133-ham/ham/1/13'>HAM/1/13</a>), dated 5 August 1769; a letter written by a Mr Oxendon (see HAM/2/7 p.3, dated April 1758; and three letters from the clergyman John Lettice (1737-1832) to Charlotte Gunning (see <a target='_blank' class='externalLink uom-purple' href='https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/manchesteruniversity/data/gb133-ham/ham/1/15'>HAM/1/15</a>), describing his tour of the Northern Lakes in 1779. Hamilton writes that Gunning had given her 'leave to copy' the letters.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>The volume also contains a copy of 'Mr Gunning's Cambridge Prize', being an essay 'On the Utility of the Study of History'.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>There are also copies of numerous poems and prose pieces written by Hamilton's many friends, such as a poem 'On the death of Sophy Rose, a favourite dog belonging to Miss Hobart', by Miss Gunning; a piece on 'Winter's amusements Bath', by Mr Cautley; 'Verses written at the Grand Chartreuse', by Hamilton's relation, William Beckford; a letter written by a 'young Lady to a Gentleman, who had laughed at her, for having pronounced improperly the name of some ancient Grecian', which includes diagrams; and a piece of prose on the subject of 'What is the chief Virtue in a Woman'. There are also a small number of poems written in French.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>On the inner back cover, Hamilton writes '23 November 1779 at St James's' (p.165). On the inner front cover, Hamilton writes 'Mary Hamilton, London, April 1780' (p.2.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>The images on pp.142-150 and p.165 (a series of extracts begun from the opposite end of the bound volume) appear upside down but can be rotated in the viewer.</p>