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Archive Reference / Library Class No.D8760/F/FEG/1/31/12
Former ReferenceD3287/31/13
TitleLetter from Henrietta W. Wright to her niece Eleanor Isabella Gell, on the continued absence of her brother Sir John Franklin, and news of his former colleague John Hepburn, her son Arthur at Cambridge and the fall of Lord Derby's government
Date20 Dec 1852
Extent1 sheet
LevelItem
RepositoryDerbyshire Record Office
SenderHenrietta Weeks Wright
Sender LocationWrangle Vicarage [Boston, Lincolnshire]
RecipientEleanor Isabella Gell
Recipient LocationNo address
Archive CreatorEleanor Isabella Franklin, later Eleanor Gell (1824-1860)
Gell family of Hopton Hall, Wirksworth
CopiesA digital copy of this item can be viewed on the public computers at the record office.
Transcript or Index[At top in pencil - Wright]
Wrangle Vicarage Dec.er 20th 1852
My dear Eleanor
The year is so near drawing to a close that before I suffer myself to be called off to a thousand and one occupations which crowd upon me at this season I will write and thank you for your kind letter received the other day, and wish you every possible happiness with your Husband and Children in the coming year. Oh! May we hear some satisfactory tidings of my dear Brother before another December comes if our own lives are granted to us, either may our eyes be blessed with the sight of him or may we learn that his departure from this world to another has been peaceful. I never can avoid having my thoughts occupied about him morning, noon, and night. As years wear away, I do not find myself loving him less than I did in my childhood, when we were inseparable companions.
Poor Hepburn!! I wrote to say how glad I and my family should be to see him in his journey from Aberdeen to London, if he travelled by land; he did not, but I live in hope that I shall see him sometime for I have ever looked upon him as the saver of your dear Father’s life, and an unspeakable comfort to him at different times. Therefore pray tell him I [?]entertain the greatest respect for him so do all my family.
I am thankful to perceive by the Cambridge Chronicle which Arthur has sent me today, that Edward Kendall is in the 1st Class in the College Examination. No mean thing to be attained by a Freshman at St. John’s, for the young they are compelled to work very hard there to get any any advantage. I felt quite thankful to hear of his having done so well. Arthur is preparing for his Degree and I am sorry to say has been suffering severely of late from a bad sore throat and cough. I fear his lungs have been affected – we were a good deal alarmed about him last week, but he gives us a better account of himself today and even gives us hopes of being able to spend four days at home at Christmas, all he can possibly spare he says – as he has been so much pulled back by his late illness.
The floods at Cambridge and Oxford are very alarming, for young men are extremely careless – and Arthur says every night from the overflowing of the Cam an exhalation rises which must be extremely injurious to such as expose themselves recklessly to the damp air, ulcerated sore throat and low fevers are universal. We have just heard (for we have no post on Sunday) that the Ministers are out. Whatever our private feelings may be about Ld. Derby it is well if a better Premier can be found – With kindest regards to Mr Gell and the Children: I remain my dear Eleanor after wishing all once more from myself my Husband and Children, every happiness in the coming year ever
Your affect.te Aunt
Henrietta W. Wright
I quite long to see all your Children.
You say nothing ubout the Canterbury settlement.
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