| Sender Location | Fort Franklin, Great Bear Lake [Canada] |
| Recipient Location | Ingoldmells near Spilsby, Lincolnshire |
| Transcript or Index | To Mrs Booth, Ingoldmells, near Spilsby, Lincolnshire
Fort Franklin, Great Bear Luke, 6 Feb'y 1826
My dear Hannah
The Sentiments with which you commence your last letter are in exact accordance to my own. So also are the conclusions that you draw from the promises therein given, and I can assure you that the circumstance of my quitting England on Ash Wednesday led me to make reflections similar to those which you have done, at that time. I have already mentioned to you the comfort I derived from having of my own Sisters as well as hers in attendance as my dear wife during her last illness, and I know it was also a source of consolation to her for she felt convinced and often acknowledged the compassion with the deepest gratitude, that everything which the most tender solicitude could do, would be cheerfully given, and she more than once told me you were a kind and good nurse and that she liked to have things done by you. She was aware of your delicate health and regretted much that you should on your visit be called to perform those painful offices on her behalf. Where she might have hoped, but a short time before, to have been employed in reestablishing your health and contributing to render your visit comfortable. Such being the sentiments of her maid, it is most probable that the kind gesture did give specific directions respecting the watch she gives you. My heart was too deeply impressed with sorrow on the melancholy occasion after deliverying to Mrs Kay the charge respecting her clothes and trinkets to remember the purport of her words. Though I have a perfect recollection of her mentioning your name, and Mary’s and of her desiring a token of rememberance to each member of my family. Mrs Kay has written to me at length on this particular subject – but the letter having been sent to New York, will not reach me before next spring. This too I may remark is the fate of your letters also which were sent to that place. I am particularly glad that a ring has been sent to Mr Rawnsley, for I am convinced my dear Eleanor derived very great consolation from the conversation he had with her. However able she might have thought Mr Musgrove, his youth might have withheld her from entering on the subject of religion with the intense interest she did with Mr. Rawnsley, of whose experience and judgment she had a high opinion. I have often regretted that my deafness forbade my hearing the whole of their conversation, but I perfectly remember being delighted with those parts that did reach me. The conversation I subsequently had with my dear Eleanor on similar subjects convinced me of her having thought intensely on all the parts of religion, and of her resting entirely for Salvation through on the merits and intercession of Christ, and of her entire acquiescence in every doctrine and precept which the Lord taught. These indeed were themes on which she delighted to dwell with me, and the knowledge that self examination and fervent prayer, and devotion to the almighty will [form?] her constant occupation, and has created in my mind the strongest ground for hope that her spirit has fled to the Lord who gave it and that she has joined the Society of the just made perfect. I heartily join with you in the prayer that we may again be united in that blessed assembly with our dearest friends whose loss we have had to mourn.
The delay in letting my house arose from not having found a suitable tenant, and not I apprehend as you have been led to suppose from Mrs Kay’s not having the things ready. They were in treaty with a Lady in March last respecting it which seems to have passed off, but the present occupier is exactly the kind of person we could wish being without family and with a sufficiency of servants to keep the furniture and house in good order. She has taken the house certainly for one year and conditionally for three if she pleases. Mrs Kay is certainly undoubtedly a fidgitty person and I always feared her hurrying frothy manner would teaze you. Her female acquaintances complain and think with reason of her formal and perhaps overbearing manner, but with all these drawbacks she has many excellent qualities and is certainly a dear woman, and as respects my affair she seems to be managing with equal judgment friendship and good feeling. Knowing her peculiarity of temper and the way to manage it, I should have wished that the entire management of the house during my stay had been committed to you, but I considered you were strange to the house the servants and the way of marketting and providing daily as in London and that you would in all probability not remain long after me, and therefore I deemed it better not to submit the point to my poor Eleanor whose state of debility as she would have been apprehensive such an arrangment might have been disagreeable to her sister, who was accustomed to our habit of living, though she had never managed for us, but Mary Anne had occasionally done so during her visits when her Aunt was unwell. I must admit however that during my latter days we were living more expensively than we had been accustomed and than there was occasion for, and I could not see the necessity of crowding the house at such a time with the family from Greenwich. Mary Anne perhaps was useful and certainly was always desirous of being so, as she is a most amiable girl and well informed, but what was the need of William’s [living?] there every day I know not. He is a nice lad and so are all the family, but the mother always has a train of them near her, and at such a time they may be in the way, however glad you may be to see them at other occasions. I often felt for you and wished that it had been in my power to relieve you, but in the multitude of my sorrows and the many engagements that then pressed on my attention, I was not equal to the task. In the arrangement of my affairs I had constant need of Mr Kay’s advice and assistance and ever found him prompt and kind in his desire to help me. His absence I should then have missed. Until then I had never taken an active part in my wife’s affairs, but left the management of them to herself, but at the mournful time, these were of a sudden added to my public occupations, and I was almost overwhelmed with business. I have described my situation and feelings this fully to account for my appearance of insensibility which I might unconsciously have shown to your inconveniences. The retrospection of those scenes ever calls upon me to praise the almighty for the support which I and the members of the House then received, our nights were almost sleepless and the waking hours racked with ansiety. Mrs Kay I fear took the female servants, but Charlotte is about to leave her. I hope the cook may remain till my return, for she is a most valuable woman. Poor Sarah is thought to be declining, and her husband too weakly to work continually, I most sincerely pity them and wish to help them for Sarah's sake who was the kindest of servants to her late Mistress.
I have written [to] each of my sisters, some notices as to our situation [?and] prospect which letters I dare say you will receive in due course so tha[t] I need not dwell now on those points longer than to assure you every thing at present works as we could desire, and I think it it pleases the Almighty we are likely to do something on the Coast this year but whether our efforts lead to a successful issue depends on his Heavenly Will, our duty being daily I fervently being to implore his gracious blessing and aid to our pursuits. My whole party are in excellent health and spirits and my companion Dr. Richardson especially, desire their kind remembrance and best wishes to Mr Booth yourself & Mary and to every other branch of our family, which by the way I have omitted mentioning in my other letters. Though you expressed some doubts whether Tom went to College or returned to Westminster when you wrote I presume his is now seated at Brazen Nose, and I hope studying hard. Scientific knowledge as well as that of Natural History are become so general as almost to be a necessary for a gentleman and certainly for a cleryman who expects to make a figure in his station, and I should by all means advise his attending the lectures on these subjects, particularly those of Botany, Geology and Chemistry, so as to have a general knowledge of these subject. He should also make himself tolerably well acquainted with Astronomy. Will you tell him my sentiments if you & Mr Booth approve of them, and recommend his application. I wish he would write to me as well as Mary, whenever I am absent from England; I should have much pleasure in answering their letters and in giving them information on such subjects as they may suppose me to have some knowledge of. Mrs Kay & William have given me some very interesting details of the different exhibitions and of other subjects of general interest, in a manner that bespeaks them to be young people of good observation. The habit which Mrs Kay has taught her children of thinking and reasoning upon the objects submitted to them reading and observation seems to me a very proper and useful mode of instruction. So that when they have to enter into Society or to begin life (as the term is usually applied), they are prepared with ideas and can express themselves freely if not well on most points of common occurrence and general information. Tom appears to have the same facility of expression. Mary though she possesses the knowledge often does not appear to me to have acquired the habit of delicacy her statements in conversation on many general topics which otherwise she might with propriety in the circle of her family and intimate friends. I think you would do well to encourage her to do so. I am glad to hear she is practising her music so assiduously and tell her with my best love that I hope hope she will be perfect before my return for I cannot stand lessons. I delivered your message as to Mrs R to the Dr. he says he shall be delighted if she can visit you. I have written to James, and expressed my sentiments very fully as to the necessity of his corresponding with his family. The accounts of my little girl are delightful and I have to thank you for your affectionate care of her. We are doing well here and our prospects are as good as we could desire, as to particulars I refer you to my stisters letter. Remember me most affectionately to her brother and very kindly to Mr & Mrs Hart, Mr Jos. Walls, Mr Rawnsley
Ever Yours aff'tly.
John Franklin
I agree with you in wishing my little Darling had the Bust as a momento of me – but Mr Kay particularly requested to share the loan of it during my absence, and at the time I could not refuse him, besides in the favourable change in my poor Eleanor's health, I had the I felt the steps we were then taking might be only precautionary measures. I find that you saw Mr Jackson’s portrait of me, did you think the likeness as strong as that of Mr Phillips? Its execution is not so good and I do not like it so well as that of the latter. (vertical writing on fourth page) |