L30/14/315/18

From Beilby Porteus, Chester to 2nd Baron Grantham at Newby:

Sep 1781

From: 1781 To: 1781

Glad Grantham settled at Newby and finds it so much improved. More improvement intended. Porteus left London "after the drawing room on the Birth-Day was over", thence to Kent [Parsonage, Hunton]. After that St. Cross, saw Mr. Pelham who one Sunday brought with him, Duke & Duchess of Richmond, Lord & Lady George Lenox and almost whole corps of Officers of the Sussex militia. "This made our old Monastery look very gay & gave a little relief to that severe discipline & mortified course of Life which we poor Monks of Sainte Croix are by the Rules of our Order obliged to observe...". Made a few secular excursions to Winchester, Southampton, Netley Abbey, New Forest, Lord Palmerston's house at Romney. Across to Oxford, visited Bishops of Oxford & Landuff, Dr. Kennicott, thence to Robert Lawley at Litchfield and finally Chester. Has confirmed in the Town & neighbourhood upwards of 11,000 catechumens and in a circuit through most populous parts of Lancashire expects to confirm 12,000 more. Will visit Newby when can. Postscript to a printed paper occasioned by correspondence with a worthy Lancashire magistrate. This produced a Resolution he is trying to make general throughout the Diocese. In spite of Charles Turner's and Lord Abingdon's wit & eloquence he is pursuing his Visionary Schemes of Reformation "not content with Subduing those Capital Monsters the Promenade & debating Societies, am now carrying my Arms into the Country & waging war with Stage-Coaches, Waggons, Carts & Ale Houses". Dining tomorrow with Lady Robinson at a beautiful cottage in Denbighshire belonging to Mrs. Warrington. Appointed Bishop Yorke to succeed Bishop Keene upon his death. Congratulations on Lady Grantham's situation, "It must be an Infant Don Thomas...he can hardly fail at being King of the two Sicilies". Attached note: compliments to Waddilove hope he made "a stout resistance and oblige[s] the Enemy to raise the Seige...not the first Ecclesiastic that has done so".

item

Pelham,
Richmond, Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of,
Bruce, Mary,
Lenox,
Palmerston,
Kennicott,
Lawley, Robert,
Turner, Charles,
Abingdon,
Robinson,
Warrington,
Keene,
Yorke,
Waddilove