ARISTOCRATIC WOMEN

The Social, Political and Cultural History of Rich and Poweful Women

Part 1: The Correspondence of Jemima, Marchioness Gray (1722-97) and her Circle

Extracts from the Correspondence

The following brief extracts from a handful of the letters give a flavour of the style and content of the correspondence.  Original spellings have been retained and omissions indicated.

Jemima, Marchioness Grey to Catherine Talbot, 1737 or 1738:

“We shall be such meer Book-Worms that ‘t’will be absolutely impossible to travel even from hence to London without continuing to get some shelves put up on the coach, and so turn it into a Library.  Why Madam!  I have several constant daily Friends!  Whichcote is a standing dish for my breakfast, so is Catrou for my dinner, and I always sup upon De Shou….”

Jemima, Marchioness Grey to Lady Mary Gregory, Sept 1742:

“I fancy you thought yourself priviledged as an English Woman, & that the Figure we are making abroad induced you to take as much upon you at Home.  Surely we are grown great heroes lately, I hope it won’t end in being thought Bullies, we go fighting into all parts of the World and frightening Kings and Cities out of their Wits.  I would rather hope that the Neighbourhood to Italy has inspired our Men with the Old Roman Spirit….”

Jemima, Marchioness Grey to Lady Mary Gregory, Sept 1 1745:

“I am not at all in good Spirits at present – you see – the young Pretender’s Standard is set up in the Highlands, that he stiles himself Regent of these Realms for his father, and that he has been joined by about three thousand Men.  But yet I am not afraid for Ourselves here, I hope the Kings Troops which by the last Accounts were marching towards them will soon put an end to the Affair; but I am very uneasy about my Papa, he is much too near them at present, and should they move at all Southward is directly in their way, & to lye in the Route of a Parcel of Rebels is no desirable thing….”

Jemima, Marchioness Grey – Catherine Talbot Wimpole, Sept 15 1748:

“….I must mentioned a grand Excursion we made from hence yesterday – whether you ever heard of the fame of Sturbitch Fair I don’t know, but it is the Subject of Conversation for a Fortnight every year in this County, and One day of it is a sort of general meeting of the Gentry in the Neighbourhood.  We therefore, though not very near neighbours, yet as appertaining or related to the Knight of the Shire, were to be carried thither by him.

All the family except my poor Lord Chancellor who was left alone in a solitary house, proceeded in the Morning to dine at Cambridge and go about a mile or two farther to the Fair after Dinner.  – We enter’d upon a large open Plain, where are built Rows of extempore Houses or Booths made into very commodious Shops.  Your first approach to it is through a pile of cheeses that strike the Smell at a considerable distance.  A little farther your ear is saluted with a sound from a rais’d theatre…& the Eye is equally attracted by a Representation in Painting of the Dramatic Performance exhibited every Evening.  Monsieur Arlequin, or, the Spanniard caught in his own Trap, concluding with a grand Firework & a magnificent Temple of Apollo – in Honour of the Peace… you proceed on through the Lines of Booths expos’d to all the Temptations for spending your money that the Civil Looks of the Inhabitants & the Variety of their Wares can offer.  Here you may furnish yourself with everything that is necessary, convenient or ornamental for your Person or Family, - for the Fine Lady or the Country Housewife, - from a yard of Ribbon, to a … Cart Horse, which stand in rows, poor animals tied to their posts and made the Rear of the Fair.   …

I agree with you entirely in your opinion of Clarissa.  I don’t know whether I mention’d the Impression it made upon me as I read it but was quite what you express, Her management is so injudicious after she is with Lovelace, that it is inconsistent with the Good Sense and Prudence she is suppos’d Mistress of, and seems to proceed from a greater mixture of Pride and Vanity than you expect in such a Character.  The Story too & the situation she is drawn in, I think very unnatural and I am as angry as you with the Author for involving such excellent Qualities as her’s, and such intentions of Acting right, in such Distresses.  But I admire his Invention, the thousand little particularities she relates of her situation, the devilish cunning of Lovelace so perplexing to a mind like her’s, and the justness and rightness of her sentiments engage me in the Book & make me love & pity her exceedingly…”

Jemima, Marchioness Grey to Mary Yorke, June 1775/76?

“I wish I could give any more satisfactory Account relating to America than what you have already heard.  It is certain that everything there wears the worst Aspect and the Colonies are all united in The Plan to throw off any Dependence on this Country, and may probably succeed in it.  It seems to me the Plan was long ago laid and growing up amongst them as they encreased in Strength and Affluence… The Desire of Total Independence is Natural to all States, and every Argument they have used against a Superior Power over there would have held equally at all Times… the Americans have been assured by Englishmen that Resistance would succeed…  We shall probably hear Nothing New till the other Regiments arrive, nor Do nothing more at Home till some fresh Bad Event happens.”

Jemima Marchioness Grey to Mary Jemima Grey, June 7 1777? (From the Hague)

“The Ladies…it seems come in the Evening in their full Court Dress, and go home again (such as chuse it) to drop their Hoops for Dancing.  ‘Tis well the Hague is not so large as London or the Time would be half spent in the Streets.  His Excellency’s Desert was ornamented with medallions of The King and Queen, the King on Horseback in the Middle, and the Confectioner lamented very much that some great Event had not happened in America, as either Conquest or Peace would have furnished him with Trophies to accompany it….

The Flowers I thank you for but really wished you had not robbed yourselves of the Roses.  The American flower (I wish the country produced nothing worse) is new to me and I think pretty.  If another Blooms I recommend to you to Paint it.”

Amabel, Lady Polwarth to Jemima, Marchioness Grey  Southill, Saturday Night June 17th 1780

“The taking of Charles Town, Dear Mama, has at last clear’d up a little the dark prospects of Great Britain, & it is just come at as lucky a Juncture for his M—y & the Ministers as if they had chose it out for themselves, exactly at the time when they & the army reign’d triumphant, and the military were acknowledg’d the only Protectors of the Peace.  But though this last Circumstance is not what pleases me best and though I dare not hope for the entire Conquest of America, yet still for the Honour of England we were made happy by this News.  I thank my Sister for taking pains to convey it to us immediately, but we heard it as early as Thursday Night, which at first will perhaps surprize you.  An Express had been sent down from the Post Office to Mr Cartwright, who very kindly & neighbourly indeed, sent a man over to us between nine & ten, with the very letter that Ld Clermont had wrote him.  I did not know Ld Clermont had been so zealous, but he wrote like a Man most sincerely out of his wits for joy, & ended with a pious Ejaculation of God be prais’d!  He says that Ld Lincoln hopes this Blow will crush the Rebellion, (which is pretty sanguine) & tells his Friend, this is immense news for you, dear Harry!  I recollected the Carteret Property, but find by Burke’s Book it is in North not South Carolina, and I fancy it will be long enough before Mr Carteret sees a shilling of it.  But pray is the account true of poor Governor’s Hutchinson’s sudden Death.  I suppose it must be true, as you had mention’d his being in a Decline, & his life must long have been a miserable one, but one is tempted to call it hard that he did not live a week longer, when this faint Ray of Hope for his Family, might have comforted his last Moments.

We are to have I see, a Supplement to the Gazette, but most likely of no great Consequence, as the ship sail’d four Days after the Town was taken.  If these 7000 Men are really and truly Prisoners of War, the best use we can make of them is to release Burgoyne’s unfortunate Army, but it would go a little against one to release Burgoyne himself at the Price of giving back General Lincoln, who was reckon’d amongst their best.

Young Mr Scott came down here Yesterday Morning full of little stories about the Rioters, the Troops &c, but nothing very new, nor likely to be new to you.  Only he affirm’d that he knew a young officer who told somebody who told him, that this officer had seen French Money in a dead Rioter’s Pocket.  But I fear that we shall never be able to bring it home to the French or the Americans (whom I more suspect) which would make the Rioter’s Crime more clearly Treason.  I understand all the Doubts you mention and we have both consulted Blackstone, who very much favours the Idea that such an Insurrection amounts to levying War against the King, & a passage quoted in The Papers from Foster, is plainer still – the popular lawyers may deny it, but I have a strong notion that my Grandfather would have been of the same opinion, though my proof of it is a queer one.  When I was a child I heard him say that pulling down Houses of a certain class which he nam’d, might be High Treason, and the odd jumble of ideas has kept that Expression in my mind.  This Riot was at first directed against all Mass-Houses, which all is Blackstone’s Distinction, & Ld P says really at last it was levell’d against all Houses, without any Epithet good or bad affix’d to them.  But the Case of Lord G:G: who did not join in any of these Enormities, is very different, & if the Ministry attempt too much they may lose a Victory, which I once thought would have been as compleat though I trust not so fatal, as that of Charles the 2d.  For to have the soldiers become popular in the City of London, and be cramm’d with good things by the Citizens: & the Name of a Mob be so detestable, was a great stroke at the furious part of Opposition.  But I now see a Squabble begun between Ld Amherst and the City about disarming the Associations.  I verily believe that the Westminster & London Associations of last summer were on the same plan as those dangerous ones in Ireland, & that Government wants to nip that Idea in the Bud.   …

Miss Gregory has wrote me a strong picture of the Terror that seiz’d all the Inhabitants of the St James Palace who firmly expected an attack both Wednesday and Thursday.  She has at last gone out of Town to a lodging somewhere near Thistleworth I believe; though she does not name it.  But I suppose whether at Richmond or London, you will inquire after her.

I own myself impatient for the result of private Negotiations.  All that you mention of the Gentleman’s conduct has been hitherto very proper and handsome.  I fear the money transactions may create Difficulties and yet as matters have gone so far, methinks I should feel griev’d if the affair broke off on their account.  For I fully subscribe to the Doctrine of a Foolish Vauxhall Song, which I dare say you did not mind, that told the Ladies, they must not expect in these times to meet Lovers by the Score, young, handsome, rich and all that was desirable, - with much more good advice which I have forgot.

I have scribbled a great deal, and yet not mention’d Ld Ps Health, which is pretty good.  Our Love attends all our friends and our Duty to you both….

I remain

Your most dutiful Daughter

A Polworth

Jemima, Marchioness Grey – Mary Jemima Grey, Sept 22 1787  Knaresborough:

“’Tis your turn now my Dear child in return for your letter of Tuesday last…  I shall be very glad to return to you Both and hope to find you well.  Your Papa is so at present & Drinks the water again, & having been at the Well with him for some mornings I can now bear witness to all former accounts of its being the most Detestable of all mixtures.  It is as Salt I think as Sea-Water with the additional very bad Sulphur Taste and smell you have heard of & ought to be very Beneficial to make amends for its being so disagreeable. …

I am glad Don Quixote has succeeded so well.  What successor you can have found to him I can’t imagine, none equal his distinguish’d merit, but as you had other Books to finish at Wrest, if you want one to help you of an Evening now you are got to Wimpole, you may look for Gil Blas, which has Wit & is Diverting, though in a different Style, & read it together as you did the other.  I suppose the French must be there (which will be best) or a  Translation, & you must study the Catalogue or look about till you find….”

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