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(Transcript by Turner. At the head is written, ‘The original is among Autographs, Series A.’)

Norwich.—Suffield has been appointed head clerk in the Isle of France (Mauritius).

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Transcript

Norwich 22d May 1813

My dear Sir

I rec[eive]d yesterday your favour of 20 Inst. & feel myself very much obliged by your kind remembrance of poor Suffield. I am happy to say that through the Interest of our excellent Bishop {1} he has obtained the situation of Head Clerk in the Isle of France {2} with a salary of £450 P[er] {3} ann. & I am doing what I can to raise a sum to enable him his wife & five children to make the voyage thither with some degree of comfort. His compagnons de voyage will be Theodore Hook Pic Nic Greville {4} & Sir Rob[er]t Barclay. I will not omit to avail myself of your kind invitatation when I come to Yarmouth & am my D[ea]r Sir

very truly yrs
John Pitchford

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Mounted on a larger sheet, i.e. inserted into a space cut out for it.

{1} Henry Bathurst.

{2} Mauritius.

{3} ‘per’ is represented by a special sign.

{4} Henry Francis Greville.

Part of a collection gathered by Cordelia Whewell. See also items in this box: 26-125, and 273-323.

Franks of:

• Hon. Shute Barrington, Bishop of Durham
• Henry Bathurst, Bishop of Norwich
• Christopher Bethell, Bishop of Gloucester, later Bangor
• Charles James Blomfield, Bishop of Chester, later London
• Thomas Burgess, Bishop of Salisbury
• Robert James Carr, Bishop of Chichester
• Edward Copleston, Bishop of Llandaff
• Edward Harcourt, Archbishop of York
• William Howley, Archbishop of Canterbury
• John Banks Jenkinson, Bishop of St David's
• John Kaye, Bishop of Bristol, later Lincoln
• Charles Thomas Longley, Bishop of Ripon
• John Lonsdale, Bishop of Lichfield
• John Luxmoore, Bishop of St Asaph
• Spencer Madan, Bishop of Peterborough
• Edward Maltby, Bishop of Chichester, later Durham
• Herbert Marsh, Bishop of Peterborough

21 Grande Rue, Boulogne Sur Mer. - Remorse after sending letter last summer; encloses pamphlet [no longer present] on Hayti [sic]; would Milnes draw Palmerston's attention to his own copy? Bathurst's father Robert was the eldest nephew of Henry Bathurst, bishop of Norwich [in fact he seems to have been a younger brother]; he made a fortune in India and bought Bream Lodge, near Lydney Park; died there in 1822 [actually 1821] when Edward Bathurst was four. Describes disposal of estate. Bathurst's uncle Charles ran the Indian business but ruined the family and 'died of a champagne surfeit in 1832' [1831?]. Bathurst himself went to India in 1835 but was unable to recover anything; accuses James Weir Hogg and Elliott Macnaghten of profiting from Indian crash.

Travelled in India; sailed to St Helena and witnessed the exhumation of Napoleon: 'the massy chest unclosed, and behold - such was the skill of the embalmer - the features of the Emperor in all their well-remembered beauty; features over which corruption seemed to have no power'. Returned to England and entered Lincoln's Inn before obtaining Vice-Consulship at Copenhagen through Lord Bathurst; his labours there; accepted posting to Cape Haytien on Sir Henry Wynn's advice but was unable to obtain any details; criticises 'esoteric mysteries of the Foreign Office; problems in Jamaica and Haiti; expense of building and other privations; abolition of post without recompense; creditors include Copeland, who unfairly supplied an expensive crockery service; has snubbed Haytians but otherwise gained approval; has not asked for promotion but for reinstatement; pleads case rhetorically.

Enclosure: 'Copy from a manuscript of the Character of the late Robert Bathurst [Junior?] Esq. originally taken from the Cawnpore Advertiser' [c May 1822], copy dated 23 Dec. 1833.