L30/12/35/63

Letter from Elizabeth Hume-Campbell (Lady Marchmont) to son Alexander Hume-Campbell, Lord Polwarth. Mention of nephew Ned Barker, who did not sail with Captain Tonyn.

19 Dec 1768

From: 1768 To: 1768

Sir William Beauchamp-Proctor lost the Middlesex election. Both he and lady Beauchamp are vey ill; she is with child. Details of attendees at a dinner party. Tom Gore is now quartered at Hastings; he complains that nobody takes any notice of him or invites him to their houses. Have just returned from visiting Captain Riddle to see 'the greatest curiosities in the world, the finest pieces of machinery, all gold, pearls, diamonds and other precious stones; a large elephant, several temples and pagodas, which move by clockwork. They are made here, and going to the Emperor of China. Somebody said thet were worth fifty thousand pound. There was also a saddle so rich with pearls and precious stones that it is impossible to give a description of it.' 'Mr Wilks [John Wilkes?] has again published so infamous a libel which the printer proved him the author of, by showing it in his own hand writing; that I have just now heard, they expect that he will be expelled [from] the House, and made incapable of being elected anywhere. Whether this story is true or not I will not pretend to say.'

item

Hume-Campbell, Elizabeth,
Crompton, Elizabeth,
Marchmont,
Beauchamp-Proctor, William [1st Baronet],
Tonyn,
Barker, Edward,
Gore, Tom,
Riddle,
Wilkes, John

family correspondence, CORRESPONDENCE, elections, gold, elephants, Middlesex, Hastings, China, libel