L30/11/339/304

Letter from Mary Yorke to Lady Lucas, sent from Beards Hotel, Malvern. Mention of a military fete attended by Lady Lucas - hopes the weather was favourable.

Oct 1811

From: 1811 To: 1811

Mention of a visit from 3 Miss Carews, 2 Miss Cocks' and Lady Somers. Description of the journey of the Pole Carew family. The travellers included Reginald Pole-Carew, his wife, 3 small children, 3 elder children and maids, nurses and servents. It being high in the Cheltenham season, they could not be taken in at any inn till they got near Tewkesbury between 2 and 3 in the morning. The landlord was ill in bed and refused to rise or send his keys down, so they put the children to bed and laid down themselves, having had nothing all day but a few dired biscuits. All but the babies visited the writer the next morning, dined and went off to Dorchester to sleep on their way to Hagley, where they remain till next month, leaving the daughters with the writer. [Reginald Pole-Carew's second wife was Caroline, nee Lyttelton; Hagley Hall is the family home of the Lyttleton family]. Reference to the owner of Hagley [George Fulke Lyttelton, 2nd Baron Lyttelton] 'he has been unfortunate as to his nervous system' and though now well has a particular timididy of mind and is never happy in company without his brother to support him. He entertains in the highest style - confectioners from London conduct the deserts. He is good natured and obliging, plays with the children, goes up to their rooms and if he finds them at dinner parthakes of their pudding. In the evening he lets his guests amuse themselves while he walks about the rooms. Mention of current affairs - Lady Somers had a letter from her son Charles suggesting that the inactivity of the troops was likely to continue. Reference to Lord Hardwickes satisfaction upon his daughter's match [Catherine Freeman Yorke married Du Pre Alexander, 2nd Earl of Caledon in 1811] 'after all his domestic lapses, one is glad he can enjoy and be cheerful upon the event.' Lady Hardwicke is equally pleased, but the writer fears her nerves will not suffer her to get through the business with composure, her voice quite failed her, and her spirits sunk soon after he arrived. The writer is told he has gone to Ireland to settle his affairs. The writer considers Catherine will be fulfilled and doing a great deal of good in her new station. Mention of the fright Lady Pollington [Anne Savile] had from a crazy woman. Pleased that she does not seem to be the worse for it - she expects to add to her family about Christmas [Henry Alexander Savile, born December 1811]. 'Our cousin at Castleditch [John Somers Cocks] is now determined to build a castle and to pull down the old house. He has his architect from London, The writer does not recall his name; he built Covent Garden theatre. The writer favours the plan, but considers it will be difficult to execute so as to make a comfortable habitation to dwell in. [Note: Eastnor Castle was built for John Cocks, 1st Earl Somers to the designs of Robert Smirke in 1812-20] The comet looks very bright from Malvern Hill.

item

Yorke, Mary,
Maddox, Mary,
Lucas, Amabel, Baroness,
de Grey, Amabel, 1st Countess,
Hume-Campbell, Amabell, 1st Countess de Grey, 5th Baroness Lucas,
Pole-Carew, Reginald,
Lyttelton, George Fulke [2nd Baron Lyttelton],
Yorke, Catherine,
Alexander, Du Pre, 2nd Earl of Caledon,
Yorke, Philip (3rd Earl of Hardwicke),
Yorke, Elizabeth Scott,
Savile, Anne [Lady Pollington],
Savile, Henry Alexander,
Cocks, John Sommers, 1st Earl Somers,
Smirke, Robert

family correspondence, militia, travel, specific marriages