Bowes, near Greta Bridge. - Lord Galway's previous charity; is nephew of the late Colonel [George Caesar?] Hopkinson; was educated for a profession and fell from favour with his uncle; has been teaching since the age of seventeen; has fourteen children and a rheumatic wife; death of his cousin Charles [Barrow?] Hopkinson ten years ago deprived him of a small allowance; now has debts of £30. Has left recent employment where his salary was £40 p.a. without board: 'My determination this way was greatly accelerated by the instability and brutal tyranny of my late employer [William Shaw, on whom Dickens modelled Wackford Squeers], who since the publication of Nicholas Nickleby, and the consequent decline of his school, has become so outrageously overbearing in his manners, as to render it almost impossible for any assistant, who has not the soul of a slave, to reside long with him. Mr Dickens has depicted him most accurately'. Has been promised a clerkship but until it becomes vacant he requires funds to open a small school of his own. Postscript: Rev. Lambert or William Atkinson will vouch for him.
Has written to Richard about Mrs Blackburne's mis-sent letter; she should tell him to write a 'threatening address to [the] Postmaster', Has had 'sixteen Pomfreters [to visit] & expect as many more today'; they had a 'jollyfication dinner [to celebrate the birth of Milnes' grandson?] yesterday of 18', with dry champagne. Guests included [Thomas] Thornhill, 'Dick Lee', [Charles?] Jerdein, Hart, and Mrs Fawkes.
Has 'quite a love for Miss Crewe [Annabella Milnes' sister, see HOUG/BN/3/8]. She would never come to Fryston, when I would have loaded the house with R[oman] C[atholic]s'. Told Annabella she had his 'full permission to make any daughter a RC'... has 'doubt as to the ROAM, or whether Amy could look grave enough'. More details about his guests, hunting with Galway etc.
P[all] Mall. - Milnes' accident; delighted to provide shooting for Lord Galway; cannot visit Milnes in October as he will be in Scarborough; has forwarded Milnes' letter to Richmond in Boulogne; talents of Milnes' son Richard.
29 Linc[oln's] Inn Fields. - Last met Milnes about fifteen years ago; requests copy of Milnes' poems, extracts from which were printed in London & Westminster Review; has followed Milnes' career with interest; recalls Viscount Galway's 'very amiable disposition; remembrances to Milnes family; his own movements.
B[awtr]y. - Uncertain visiting arrangements for Easter; possible inclusion of Mr Disraeli - 'Whatever be his morale, I find both a use & an enjoyment in the occasional society of a man of rare intellectual accomplishment - & this undeniably he is'; continual rain; Galway rowing over his estate; poor prospects for Oxford crew [in University Boat Race] in flimsy racing boat]. Railway dealings with Cooke and others; Bill now less likely to pass this year.
Bawtry. - Bland's wife's convalescence and his sister's accident; doctor at Worcester assured him that breaking a bone late in life ultimately restored the constitution; hopes Miss Bland's fracture will permit some movement. Heavy rain welcome here but disastrous at Thorne: 'my first wrath at the corn bill - it is quite coming back'; duty-free imported wheat urgently needed to lower prices if harvest fails; great local distress; is employing many he does not need; sketch of local characters. Milnes' wife has been at court, but Galway's entrée to the Queen's stables through Lord Rosslyn is probably more valuable.
Postscript: hopes Bland will rally resistance to new turnpike proposed for the Castleford-Ferrybridge road; he himself is disinterested, but objects to their proliferation. Encloses the Chartist Weekly Despatch which he would like to keep. The Captain is to take out the Mauritian Governor and has a handsome entertainment allowance. Is glad to hear better accounts of Bland's wife and sister. Additional note by F. J. Monckton.
HOUG/BO/1/43 also addressed to George Edward Arundell Monckton Arundell, Viscount Galway, since it is 'half on business'.
Dundalk. - Will Milnes mention him to Lord Herbert for the Medjidie Order of Turkey; sent details last December; Lord Galway's lucky escape; Welfitt had a bad fall; Sir George Brown plans to assemble army on the Curragh; hopes it will be more suitable for dragoons than aquatic birds; no trouble recently, but there may be if the flag is not permitted to fly on Londonderry Cathedral on 12th July.
The Easton. - On the death of Robert Pemberton Milnes; [Viscount] Galway called on him this morning with the note from Milnes and the sad news. Intends to leave here tomorrow by morning train for Fryston; Milnes need not trouble to have him met at the station.
Fryston. - Notes that Fanny 'boast[s]' of her handwriting and writes a paragraph in imitation of it: 'I don't know whether you admire this new style better than my accustomed, but I am keen [?] it is bitter than your ordinary scrawl'. Doesn't expect he will hear from London until Richard appears; Fanny has the 'merit of having drawn him down. I am sure he would not have come her, & faced the Pontefractians in the humour they are in just now''.
The sheep are being sheared today; 'it is the custom always to feed these people'. Mr Waddington will be in Harriet's good books, as he has been voting against Sir Robert Peel. Galway write to him that Lady Ber? is 'so furious against Sir Rob', & so are all the Suffolk farmers, that I suppose it was necessary - indeed Newton told me he would be turned out for the County if he did not. Looks as if there 'has to be fighting in Ireland'.
From J. G. Fulburne [?]
With addition by Fanny Monckton.
Spa, addressed to Milnes at Boulogne sur Mer, France. - Has won 'a beautiful spa box' in a lottery at a park today; 'the painting on it is certainly very pretty', but it is so big he is unsure how they are to get it home. That is the only gambling he has done: he 'showed H[arriette, his wife] the Roulette & Brage & Nine hand [?] going on at the Ridoutt [casino], but she thought it very stupid work'; a gentleman suggested that if she were to 'put some of her pin money down, she would think differently'. Thinks they 'play very low, & indeed very little sums'. The play at Baden is said to have been 'very great this year' and 'young Baron Suffield' has gone home 'with his pockets even emptier than usual'.
They think it right that Brooke Richmond has taken Milnes 'under his wing' at Boulogne. Discussion of future plans, political and diplomatic news etc.
Letters from: Caroline, Countess d'Andreis; George Davison Bland; Thomas Davison Bland; Edward Cheney; John Craufurd; Rev. William C. Fenton; Mary Gaskell, née Brandreth; his sister Caroline Milnes; his wife Hon. Henrietta Maria Milnes; his mother Rachael Milnes; his brother Richard Rodes Milnes; his nephew and son-in-law George Edward Arundell Monckton-Arundell, 6th Viscount Galway; his daughter Henrietta Eliza Monckton-Arundell, Viscountess Galway; William Moorhouse; his cousin John Thornton; his brother-in-law Marmaduke Wyvill; his nephew Richard Rodes Wyvill.
Green Bank, Falmouth. - Return of Charles Sager; he underwent Galvanic treatment in Exeter for paralysis of the legs; encloses letter; has always found Sager inoffensive and believes he was unfairly persecuted by his own flock, the Independent Dissenters.
Enclosure: letter, 9 Aug. 1848, from Charles Sager to Richard Byrn Kinsman. 34 Paul St, Exeter. - Asks Kinsman to write to Milnes to seek further assistance from Lord Galway; owes rent; received an encouraging letter from Mr [Sills?] of South Street, Exeter.
Serlby. - Congratulations on the birth of Milnes' son. Was sure that 'there was some good luck happening to the family, from our killing a fox on Tuesday under the windows of Bawtry Hall after a long gallop'; takes this as an 'omen that the young gentleman will not only inherit the poetical talents of his father, and the many amiable qualities of his mother, but that he will also imbibe a love for field sports, hunting in particular'.
News of 'the Galways'. Thanks her brother for 'the hamper and its contents'; do not need more this week. Adds postscript about Richard acting as chaperone at the Queen's ball. Amy [Amicia Milnes] 'is charming - but will talk quicker than any Milnes, or Waddington ever did!'
Fryston. Congratulations on the birth of Milnes' son. 'Mr Thornhill has been not a little amused with the Ponf[re]t [Pontefract] women besetting the front door all the day then pursuing him along the road with intreaties that he would present their claims to Mr Milnes. a very old woman was at the head of the 24th deputation.' Milnes' father is 'decidedly grateful with his name being handed down to Posterity, he is no worse for the excitement.' Lord Galway is sure that 'R. O. A. M.' will be a 'sportsman', because of a good run to hounds the day of his birth. Sends love to Annabel, and 'thanks to Mrs B[lackburne]'.
Nice, addressed to Robert P. Milnes at Fryston and redirected to Bawtry. - Discussion of their future movements; sounds as if they may well meet at Rome. Thinks she and her party should stay in Nice until June as they have paid a reasonable amount for their rooms until then, and so have the Wyvills; may seem strange that. Mr W. is bent upon going further South in the summer by the way of being cool', he has heard some 'glowing descriptions of Lucca which have taken great possession of his mind'. He hopes it will be possible to get cheap rooms there, as 'Most of the best English (in the worldly acceptatation [?] of that word) will be returning home for the Coronation [of Queen Victoria], & you know it is that order of Gentry who make prices high on the Continent'.
Discussion of forthcoming marriage of Lord Galway and Robert Milnes' daughter and of Richard's 'new career', as well as society at Nice
Fryston. - Called with his son Robin but missed recipient; Robin absorbed by International Exhibition and missed train, but was entertained by Mr. Bruce; his success at school. George [Monckton Arundell] gives a good account of his father [Lord Galway] at Kissingen; they will be at Serlby on Monday awaiting ducal friends.
Letters to: Emma Blackburne, née Hesketh; his sister Amelia Jane Milnes; his wife Hon. Henrietta Maria Milnes; his mother Rachael Milnes; his brother Richard Rodes Milnes; his sister-in-law Hon. Frances Jane Monckton; his nephew and son-in-law George Edward Arundell Monckton-Arundell, 6th Viscount Galway; his daughter Henrietta Eliza Monckton-Arundell; John [Thornton, his cousin?]; Mary [Anne Waddington, his sister?].