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| Archive Reference / Library Class No. | D8760/F/FEG/1/45/4 |
| Former Reference | D3311/122/18 |
| Title | Letter from Mary Louisa Dixon to her cousin Eleanor Isabella Gell, deploring Eleanor's unreasonableness with regard to the settlement of Sir John Franklin's estate and urging her to accept Lady Franklin's generous offer |
| Date | 11 Aug [1854] |
| Description | She saw Lady Franklin yesterday and heard strong letter to Eleanor, which wil probably make her angry; Mary Louisa agrees with Lady Franklin's points as justified; she cannot think why Eleanor can ask for her father's private journals and papers, mostly addressed to his wife; Lady Franklin has already spent money copying some of them for her; Eleanor is wrong to say everything has been left her by the will except for plate, furniture etc; the rest has to be turned by Sellwood into money; Eleanor's demands are unreasonable. Lady Franklin will leave most papers and articles to Eleanor, but will not be forced into it; she will break off negotiations and leave to the Court of Chancery to decide; Mary Louisa urges her to accept Lady Franklin's liberal offer, which would allow Eleanor more than double what the law would assign her; Mary Louisa can not help speaking out, even if Eleanor is angry with her, as she thinks she is acting wrongly and it is potentially damaging to Eleanor's reputation and that of her husband. Glad she is enjoying her stay in Paris, even in the terrible heat, but it is unlikely Eleanor will meet John [Simpkinson] as he has to allow his curate a good holiday first. Sir Francis Beaufort is seriously ill, which is a great trial for Rosa [Beaufort, his daughter]. Mary Louisa hopes to go to Reigate then on into Wales; Emma [Simpkinson] is at Hedingham [in Essex]. Love in spite of speaking out from her still affectionate cousin. PS: Mr Gunn has accumulated interest on Eleanor's father's mortgages rather than send it out each year, which means £3000 more will be offer from Lady Franklin.
Only dated 11 Aug, but it may possibly be 1854 given the context of the legal dispute. |
| Extent | 2 sheets |
| Level | Item |
| Repository | Derbyshire Record Office |
| Sender | Mary Louisa Dixon |
| Sender Location | 45 Green Street |
| Recipient | Eleanor Isabella Gell |
| Recipient Location | Paris |
| Archive Creator | Eleanor Isabella Franklin, later Eleanor Gell (1824-1860) |
| Gell family of Hopton Hall, Wirksworth |
| Transcript or Index | August 11th, 45 Green Street.
My dear Eleanor
I called yesterday evening to see my Aunt when I was out and she made me stay to hear a letter she had been writing to you in answer to one you had sent to Mr Sellwood. I am afraid it will make you feel very angry and I told her I thought it was rather strong, but to you I must say I think she is quite justified in all the main points she touches on. I cannot think how you can even ask for private journals and papers of your fathers, most of which were especially written for and addressed to his wife, and which are both morally and legally her exclusive property now. It seems too that she has already given you some of the papers and has had others copied for you, in the doing of which she has spent many pounds. Even Mr Rickards it seems refuses to forward your claim or to have anything to do with it and says that it is a question which ought to be and which has been settled by the executor. You seem to be quite wrong in saying that every thing has been left you by the will, because with the exception of such plate, linen and furniture as there may be the reversion of which was left you and you are residuary legatee for nothing but money and unless you and my Aunt enter into some amicable arrangement about things, every thing must according to the terms of the will be turned by Mr Sellwood into money and go as part of the estates. But putting all of these legal reasons aside your demands are really so unreasonable, so unlike those I ever heard of any child during in the lifetime of the widow that I really can have no sort of sympathy with you and nor can I wonder at my Aunt’s indignation.
That she would naturally and as a matter of course leave you all or most of all the papers and articles of different kinds of peculiar family interest, one cannot I ought not to doubt but naturally and rightly she does not choose to be forced to do it by her husband’s daughter. She is quite determined not to yield and not to pledge herself any further than she has already done, and therefore if you on your part will not resign these most unreasonable demands, she is equally determined to break off all negotiations with you and leave you to the decision of the courts of Chancery to get what you can by law and nothing more. Your uncle Mr Sellwood being determined if you do now oblige her to withdraw her most liberal and generous offer, to pay her at once her £5000 legacy and leave you to oppose it if you will. Once more dear Eleanor I entreat you for the sake of your children, for the sake of your name and your husband’s character which will be utterly gone in the eyes of the world, resign these really preposterous claims of yours, trust if you will not to her principle, at least to her generosity which no one can doubt, to leave them to you at her death, and thankfully and quietly accept the extraordinarily liberal offer which I had hoped would have been closed by this time, and which certainly gives you in present possession more than double of what the law would assign to you and that not til my Aunt’s death. She declares she will not let the question remain in abeyance more than for another week and she says if you by these continuous demands and exertion are going to force her to fight about papers and portraits, she may as well fight about money too and save herself from the pecuniary sacrifice she had offered and wishes for peace sake to make.
I dare say you will be annoyed with me writing on this subject again, but I really cannot help speaking out even if you are angry with me, for I cannot see you behaving as I think so wrongly without expostulating with you before you have hurt yourself irrecoverably in the eyes of the world and above all hurt your husband in his ministerial character. I have left myself hardly any room for any other subject. I am glad you are on the whole enjoying your stay in Paris but how you can do anything in such heat I cannot tell. What a good thing some of the children are with you. Franklin hopes I believe to leave London this day week and be with you early on Sunday morning: John’s visit to Paris cannot I think take place till after you have left, as he must give his curate a good holiday first. They hope to come to Brington the middle or end of this next week, they are now in Lady J’s house in Harrow. Poor Sir F. Beaufort is no better and quite too ill to be moved into the country, in fact I quite fear from what I hear that he will never rally again. Poor dear Rosa fears the trial with true Christian resignation, but looks very ill and wan.
I hope to go to Reigate the beginning of next week and to stay there till we go into Wales which I hope we shall manage. Emma is I believe still at Hedingham but I have heard nothing of her for the last week. With my husband’s kind regards to you both and mine to yours believe me dear Eleanor not withstanding my speaking out my mind, your affectionate cousin
M. Louisa Dixon
I hear that in consequence of Mr Gunn having been accumulating the interest of the V.D. Land mortgages of your father’s instead of forwarding it to England year to year. There is now an accumulation of £3000 which my Aunt is willing to give up to you in addition to all the others and to waive her claim to it!! Provided her agreement is settled.
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