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| Archive Reference / Library Class No. | D8760/F/FEG/1/31/10 |
| Former Reference | D3287/31/13 |
| Title | Letter from Henrietta W. Wright to her niece Eleanor Isabella Gell, including references to Lady Franklin writing to her and to Lieutenant Pim's proposal to search in the seas around Siberia in Russia |
| Date | 23 Jan [1852] |
| Description | Letter only dated 23 Jan, but year likely to be 1852 [Pim had proposed such an expedition at the Royal Geographical Society in November 1851]. |
| Extent | 1 sheet |
| Level | Item |
| Repository | Derbyshire Record Office |
| Sender | Henrietta Weeks Wright |
| Sender Location | Wrangle Vicarage [Boston, Lincolnshire] |
| Recipient | Eleanor Isabella Gell |
| Recipient Location | No address |
| Archive Creator | Eleanor Isabella Franklin, later Eleanor Gell (1824-1860) |
| Gell family of Hopton Hall, Wirksworth |
| Copies | A digital copy of this item can be viewed on the public computers at the record office. |
| Transcript or Index | Wrangle Vicarage Jan'ry 23rd
My dear Eleanor,
It appears long to me since I heard from you. I dare say you don’t find yourself much disposed for letter writing if I hear right – it is too fatiguing an operation. Nevertheless I must enquire how you, your Husband and the little olive branches are now, and then. There seems to be, nay really is, so much sorry and trouble in Bedford Place, that I cannot (in pencil – Lady Simpkinson) help feeling anxious to hear about them occasionally, tho’ alas! it is not in my power to alleviate the sufferings of others, any more than my own.
I had a letter from your Mama a week or ten days ago written evidently in an agitated state of heart. With one shock after another the wonder to me is that she can endure the labor she does in writing etc, etc. Self imposed tho’ some of it be it is still labor, which, having undertaken she must go on with. What do you and Mr Gell think about Lieut. Pim’s chance of success, in being permitted by the authorities in Russia to prosecute his plan for searching those desolate regions bordering on Siberia? And how will Captain Beatson cross that dreadful barrier beyond Behring’s Straights? Surely this year will bring us some cheering tidings of those we love so well.
I wish I could tell you that my dear Mary made any advance towards recovery. I believe she gets weaker, and thinner but her complaint is not abated.
I hope to have Harriet at home at Easter. She has spent a second winter in Devonshire at the request of her friends, to the benefit of her health. It will indeed be a great comfort to me to see Harriet home again for I have never left Mary for several months scarcely for a walk, not at all for a drive – and on a Sunday to enable her nurse to attend Church once a day I am generally compelled to stay at home once myself as I cannot leave any inexperienced person with her.
So Willingham (Franklin - inserted in pencil) possesses another daughter! A son would have been very acceptable I should imagine, but Willingham did not say so when he announced the birth to me.
The united love of all my family party is for you, Mr Gell and the Children believe me to be my dear Eleanor ever yours affect.ly
Henrietta W Wright
I heard of Mr Gell calling at 15 Portman Square the other day upon Miss Warren for a [? …..] lamentations were expresssed that Mrs Gell was in too delicate a state of health to receive company as it was remarked that the Miss Warrens and a Mrs Crommelin wished to have called upon Mrs Gell. Mrs Crommelin is a niece of the late Mrs Wright’s. She as Miss Pennington went out to India and married a Captain Crommelin but is now a widow who probably will have a good slice of the old Lady’s wealth. I don’t know her personally but she has wished me to correspond with her and so I write to her occasionally.
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