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Archive Reference / Library Class No.D8760/F/FEG/1/6/3
Former ReferenceD3287/1/10/9/1
TitleLetter from Elizabeth Gell to her daughter-in-law Eleanor Isabella Gell, on death of Arthur Gell and on the finding of bottle with message from Franklin expedition
Date4 Oct 1849
DescriptionVery touched by Eleanor’s sympathy note, and calling her “mother”; had hoped that Arthur would return one day, God has decided that he should be taken from them, hope that they will meet again in heaven; thankful that John is safe after “perils of various kinds”; anxious to know if there is any news about Eleanor’s father in the bottle found by Captain Paterson: a cutting from a Derby newspaper is attached and alludes to finding of a bottle containing documents from Sir John Franklin; questions about when Eleanor was moving into her new home, furniture will mainly be new, will not have the stress of a “removal”; hoping to see her in her “own comfortable home”; does John wish her to send his portmanteau bag and surplice, Frederick can bring them, or by another means; John’s father wants her to ask John how best to recover Arthur’s “little property”, sheep, cattle, quarter of an acre of land in North Adelaide, probably money in the bank – “a bill drawn on the Bank at Wellington”, they do not know what he did about Lady Franklin’s property; not sure where they will be living as they currently have no prospect of a house; suffering from eye weakness and cannot write a lot; hopes that Eleanor’s eyes have recovered; the “dear Girls” have been badly affected by this bereavement.

With small newspaper cutting from a Derby newspaper of an excerpt in John o'Groats Journal on news of documents from Sir John Franklin being in possession of Captain Paterson late of the Jane (wrecked in the Davis Strait), in sealed bottle addressed to the Admiralty.
Extent2 sheets
LevelItem
RepositoryDerbyshire Record Office
SenderElizabeth Gell
Sender LocationClifton
RecipientEleanor Isabella Gell
Recipient LocationNo address
Archive CreatorEleanor Isabella Franklin, later Eleanor Gell (1824-1860)
Gell family of Hopton Hall, Wirksworth
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