Mount Edgcumbe <1>
Friday Octr 12th 1855
My dear Henry
I received your letter on Monday, & should have written immediately to “illuminate your solitude”, as you say – only my time has been so much taken up this week & the last with the guests staying in the house, that I was prevented doing so. I can shed but a feeble ray upon you, I fear, for I have no news to tell you. You always hear everything by the papers; what is public that is to say – & I seldom pick up any private gossip.
We have had the Morleys staying with us, the Dowager do – (as amusing as ever)–<2> the Bulteels,<3> the Admiral & his daughters<4> whom we like very much – & a few other neighbours, After a very severe attack of rheumatism, Milord <5> was better again – & able to come into the gallery, & enjoy the society & music. On Tuesday we had a very pretty kind of field day in the Park. All the Boys belonging to the Impregnable, which is a school as well as a guard Ship, are now taught a species of military drill, in addition to their naval duties – that is to say enough to enable them to land & form in order – so as to attack a fort, & even to form square to resist cavalry – This & various other manœvres they executed extremely well – They Stormed a hill, dragging up & firing their field piece & muskets, – we were at the top, in carriages & on horseback – & the effect was extremely picturesque. The Boys were in their white summer dresses, with blue collars – & they afterwds – marched round the top of the park, headed by their band playing martial strains – & followed by us & many Spectators. Milord was out all the time in an open carriage & I fear rather stayed longer than he ought – for yesterday & today he has been rather suffering again. – I wish dear Henry you would come here now – at once – It is to [sic] long since I have seen you – & Such an age since you were here – I quite pine to see you here again.
On Monday Mr Gaisford & little Horace<6> are coming (At present we are quite alone) – & on Tuesday the St Germans’s<7> for one day on their way to Brighton for Ld Eliot’s<8> health – who is in a sad state –
Very soon we shall be obliged to take up our winter quarters at Stonehouse so please come & pay us a little visit directly. I shall take it very kind if you will – I so seldom see my own belongings now – or indeed anyone else
Yrs affly
Caroline
Notes:
1. Mt Edgecumbe, near Plymouth: seat of the Earl of Mt Edgcumbe.
2. Edmund Parker, 2nd Earl of Morley (d. 28 April 1864); his wife, Harriet Sophia, née Parker (d. 15 February 1897); and his mother, Frances Parker, née Talbot, Lady Morley (d. 7 December 1857).
3. Lady Elizabeth Bulteel, née Grey (1798-1880), widow of John Crocker Bulteel (1794-1843), and her daughters; Hon. Mary Elizabeth Bulteel (d. 1916, Maid of Honour to Queen Victoria; and Louisa Emily Charlotte Bulteel (1839-1892).
4. Admiral Sir William Parker (1781–1866), admiral; he had two unmarried daughters at this time, Frances Jane (d. 1871) and Elizabeth Anne (d. 1869). [See Doc. No: 07171].
5. Ernest Augustus Edgcumbe, Lord Valletort, 3rd Earl of Mt Edgcumbe (1797–1861), WHFT’s brother-in-law.
6. Capt Thomas Gaisford (1816–1898), JP, WHFT’s brother-in-law and Lt Horace Charles Gaisford (1851–1879), WHFT’s nephew.
7. Jerima Granville Eliot, Lady St Germans.
8. Edward Granville Eliot, later, 3rd Earl of St Germans (1798–1877).