Letters,
References and Notes (1843)
Relating to
Anne Marsh (Marsh Caldwell)
The following is a listing of letters, references and general notes from 1843 relating to Anne Marsh (Marsh-Caldwell) and her family, in particular her husband Arthur Marsh and their son Martin Marsh. For notes relating to other years please go to Letters, References and Notes (1780-1874).
Letter from Arthur Marsh to his son Martin Marsh. The letter reads as follows:
Eastbury
16 May 1843
My dear Martin
I enclose a note which I have just received from Mr Clutterbuck.
What do you say to standing for a Postmastership at Merton this
year? Do you feel up to it? Consult Mr Corkesley sharing
Mr Clutterbuck's letter. In the meantime I have accepted for
you the offer of the Rector of Exeter and you will at all events be
entered at that College. But I do not quite understand whether
it will be necessary that you go up and matriculate there this next
month of June. Perhaps you can ascertain that point by
enquiring at Eton. The days of examination at Merton for the
Postmastership, and at Exeter for matriculation are about the middle
of the month and within a week or so of each other. You observe
that Mr C. says that should you be so fortunate as to get a
Postmastership this year; you need not go into residence until after
the long vacation of 1844. He does not say so positively in his
note I see, but he told me so verbally, when I met him by chance
yesterday afternoon in Watford, after his note was written and
dispatched. Your first object I think should be to get a
Postmastership, failing that you are entered of Exeter; but on
several accounts I should prefer the former for you and either this
June or next you must try your chance, but I expect consult Mr
Corkesley on the expediency of trying this year. Yesterday came
Sir Henry Mainwaring and Miss Carry M. who with Miss Lyon and your
Aunt Roscoe fill us well up and give . . . enough to your
Mother! But I . . . swear she will find time to
write to you. My complements to Mr Corkesley. We shall be
delighted to see you and Mr Garth on this Holiday you speak of and if
you bring a Postmastership in your pocket, so much the better.
Ever most affectionately yours
ACM.
Martin Marsh's "Aunt
Roscoe" was Ann Marsh-Caldwell's sister Hannah Elizabeth Roscoe
(nee Caldwell) who married William Stanley Roscoe.
A "Postmastership" was
a scholarship, carrying with it a great reduction in fees, available
to Eton students wishing to go on to Merton College, Oxford University.
Letter from Ann Marsh (Marsh-Caldwell) to her son Martin Marsh and also a letter from Arthur Cuthbert Marsh written on the same piece of paper. The letters read as follows:
May 30th 1843
My dearest boy
I hope you got Posy's letter yesterday to tell you why I most
unwillingly gave up writing to you. I had to go to the farm on
an errand for your father, then to pay a visit to poor James, and
before I could get back from this George came flying after me to tell
me that the Wedgwoods were arrived. We had Mr & Mrs
Hensleigh Erasmas and Catherine Darwin and two children. They came to
stay the day and before their departure it was time for me to go and
dress to dine at Morden, so my letter to my sweetest boy was t . . .
d to be put off till today. I congratulate you most heartily my
dearest upon your success in getting into the saying class and I
. . . and . . . your fur foolest representative
not being able to miss his loved master. My tenderness for said
dog is always much increased by him playing the part of proxy for you
and I offer him several dainties to celebrate the good news all of
which he refused which you will consider if not a sign of tenderness
and gratitude to his grand ma, at least as a proof that he gets
dinner enough. Before going further while I remember I will ask
you whether you received a letter from Louisa enclosing the
£1. I hope you did but always acknowledge a money letter
by a few lines as soon as you receive it. I hope too you got
your cape which left this by . . . load on Thursday.
We have been made very sorry this week by an account of the
dangerous illness of Baron Alderson at Hastings. Our Doctor has
been down to see him twice and I fear he is yet not quite out of
danger. His poor children have been in great affliction.
They are now a good many of them at the Grove, and Fanny and Georgy
are just gone down to enquire the news from Hastings and to ask
whether they can be of any use in amusing the children. He is a
clever and a good man. His loss to society will be great, to
his family incalculable, but I trust he will be spared. We
dined as I said at Morden yesterday. We met no one but Mr and
Mrs . . . [Robert Eden?] He is a clergyman and a brother
of Lord Auckland's and a most excellent man. Your father found
him very agreeable also. There was much talk of the present
secession of the Scotch Ministers 400 of whom have thrown up their
livings at once and ploughed themselves and families into poverty for
conscience sake. Everyone is sorry for they think the point in
dispute is not one which called for such a sacrifice. It being
merely one regarding the appointment of the Ministers of their
church, yet when one looks at it in another point of view, one cannot
but be glad that so many exist in these evil times ready to sacrifice
all worldly good for conscience sake. They talked also of P . .
. which there seems an endeavour to check at Oxford, if it
cannot make its stand in the University. I for one hope that
the cause is lost, and that the great schism with which the Church of
England is threatened may be avoided. Now for farm news.
The foal is born and proves an ugly cart horse. So much for
fine expectations in that line. The calf we most valued is
dead. The arable land at least the B. . . is in a very
uncompromising state. Poor James is again laid up with his
leg. In short the bulletin from home is anything but
satisfactory. However the rain seems to be over and that will
help us in every way it is to be hoped. You cannot think how Mr
Darwin admired Mary's sketches or how much he admires the pretty
sketcher herself. He thinks her quite beautiful. Your
father wishes to write you a few lines so I have left him a piece of
my letter. We are very sorry not to see Mr Garth on the
24th. If the weather be fine we shall have a pleasant party at
Sir Williams. We are going to town on Friday to stay a few
days, so will you direct your next journal to me at James Booth Esq,
Hyde Park Square, London. I will write to you from there and
tell you all the wonders I see in the Great City.
Fairwell my beloved boy. Ever your most loving Mother.
My dear Martin
I am highly gratified by the distinction you have obtained in being
placed in the Saying Class and I flatter myself that all these little
triumphs are but earnest of the success that will . . .
attend you through life. I shall be glad to hear more about
Mr . . . [Schimitedt's?] friend at . . .
[Bingen?] and I suppose it will be time enough to decide on the
matter when you are here on the 24th next month. I fell in with
Mr Clutterbuck about two days ago, no it was yesterday week after
church and I thought he talked less confidently about getting you
entered at Exeter College, how difficult it was, how great a favour
of the Principle and so forth. However he is to be at Oxford on
1st June and I sent him Corkesley's last note to me, together with
the examination paper to show to the Principle from which I hope he
will comprehend that it is not for an idle blockhead that we seek
admittance. Merton however for choice. Has Mr Corkesley
seen his Oxford friends yet? And what say he?
Ever most affectionately yours
ACM
We shall be delighted to see Frank . . . Garth.
George is probably a reference to young boy who seems to have been a family relation living with Ann and Arthur at Eastbury. The list of the contents of Eastbury compiled in 1849 lists one of the rooms as being Mr George's Room (4229/1/1/4 Stafford Record Office). George may have been George Cuthbert Marsh who was the son of George Marsh and his wife Josina Arendina Marsh. George Marsh died around 1862 and at this date his son George Cuthbert Marsh is noted as being older than 21 years (4229/1/5/1 Stafford Record Office).
Letter from Arthur Marsh to his son Martin Marsh. The letter reads as follows:
E. . .
20 June 1843
My dear Martin
I enclose a few lines for the Warden of Merton, which you will
enclose or not in your letter to him, at your discretion; but it
strikes both your Mother and me that I should at least convey to him
some expression of my desire that you should be admitted at his
College. Write me a line to say what you think on this subject
and also to say for what day I must write for leave from Dr Hawtrey
for you and Greenwood to come home. I expect your Mother with
Fanny and Mary on Wednesday Evening next.
Ever most affectionately yours
ACM
These showers of yesterday and today although light are doing us much good here. I have mown about 18 acres but shall now wait in hope of . . . crop.
Letter from Arthur Marsh to his son Martin Marsh. The letter reads as follows:
Monday 20 June 1843
My dear Martin
I enclose a Post Office order for £5. James expected your
timeous arrival at Drayton last night. You will let me hear in
due time all about B. . . [Bingea?].
Ever most affectionately
Arthur Marsh
Letter from Arthur Marsh to his son Martin Marsh. It would appear that Martin is on a holiday in Prussia and is learning to speak German. The letter and envelope are all one piece and it is addressed as follows:
Mr Martin Marsh
Am Hezz Doll's
St Goar
Prussia
The letter reads as follows:
London Thursday 7 Sept 1843
My dear Martin
Your letter leaves us in considerable uncertainty as to the state of
your funds when you reached St Goar after your tour by Frankfurt
. . . so I must make the best calculation by estimate that I
can and then remit you what will appear ample funds to settle with
Herr Doll and bring you home. I have therefore paid into the
House of Rothschild & Co £25 which you will receive on
application at de Rothchild & Co at Frankfurt on the 13th or any
day after . . . the Rothschilds here do not write to
Frankfurt until tomorrow. You will ask for £25 in £20
and £5 seeing that I paid in the latter sum today thinking that
the former which I deposited yesterday might be hardly enough, so
that they may possibly give the credit with their letter . .
. in the 2 sums. You will have been about 5 weeks .
. . . . . when this reaches you which .
. . . . . . . .
. . . will take £15. But supposing that you
have still a considerable part of the . . . £20
left. Hope you will reach home with a purse tolerably well
stocked. Do not my dear boy lay out anything in presents for
your mother, or sisters or me; the . . . . .
. , making money the most acceptable article you can
bring. Set out on your return as soon as you conveniently can
after you get this. Do not hurry yourself nor even fatigue
yourself but get a good bed and a good nights rest if you can every
night. If you like to vary your route by . . . at B
. . . Antwerp, . . . When you arrive in London,
either stop at York Gate or come home according to the time of day
you are over. . . . . .
. . . . . . . simply that
you have in your pocket . . . . .
. . . . address both in England and St Goar
and written both in English and German. Your . . .
fit at Frankfurt has made us all a little uneasy. I fear I have
written a stiff business sort of letter . .
. . . . . . . for time and
cannot say all I wish, however I must add that I hope that you have
derived both pleasure and . . . from your sojourn at St
Goar and you know with what heart felt joy and delight we all shall
see you again at Eastborough. God bless you my dear boy.
I am ever most affectionately
ACM
We hope to see you on the 20th at latest.
Letter from Arthur Marsh to his son Martin Marsh. The letter reads as follows:
Eastborough
11 October 1843
My dear Martin
You will suppose I was a little anxious to hear of your fortunes,
which I first did on Monday from Lady Gifford who had read the
account in the newspaper. I own that when the word second prize
were p. . .ed I felt very much as if a wet blanket had been thrown
over me. You must have been very weak in French me thinks and
have lost a good deal of ground in that tongue; for if I remember
right you were away the first six at the examination before the
holidays. However to be the first German scholar of the lot, is
something, for it is out and out a more difficult language than
French. Now I wish you would lay aside the Moderns, or take
them up only as a recreation, and devote yourself to the regular
business of School. I hope that Mr Corkesley still thinks you
worthy of being started for the Newcastle, and although I do not at
all expect you to . . . that, I am very anxious that you
should be well placed. It would be so strong a recommendation
of you at Merton. Your Mother is still at Melford and I mean to
go there myself either Friday or Saturday and hope to have her at
home again the beginning of next week. Good bless you.
Ever most affectionately yours
Arthur Marsh
Pray make my best compliments to Mr Corkesley.
Letter from Pozy to Martin Marsh. Pozy appears to be one of Martin's sisters, possibly Rosamond. This letter was not tied up with string but was in an envelope and was separate from the other letters. The envelope is addressed to Martin at Eton and has postmarks of Brighton 14 November and Windsor 15 November 1843. The letter reads as follows:
Lewes . . .
Have you thought me neglectful ungracious unkind etc for not having
answered your letter. I never got it between this and Brook if
it was lost. You will be surprised dearest boy to find me still
here but one thing and another has made me stay but I have not
written to you have I since I have been staying with Tho Lyons but of
course you have heard from headquarters of my being here. They
sent me your Journal letter of the Sunday before last so I have not
been quite in the dark as to your proceedings. I have been
enjoying myself here very much. I have made great friends with
Emilia Lyon. One of those you met at Col G . . .
[Giradeaus] amusing she over heard you entreating Fanny to give you
topics to talk about and the delight you evinced when Fanny after
long search remembered the approaching Richmond ball. Mr Lyon
is here. I like him very much. He is so nice to his
mother and sisters. At first we were like two . . .
together but we are getting more genial I fancy. . .
. how American you mistook when you fancied . . .
fine, not but that I discover they have rather high notions of their
family which is certainly very old and good as they can trace .
. . to Robert Bruce but what cannot scotch families do.
In that way they would make nothing of tracing again a . .
. . . . to Adam, but they are well
connected besides. I think I leave this letter Thursday to
Friday. I shall then stay at York Gate till the 23rd when I go
to brook . . . till the end of the month and then go to
the dear place with Emy. I am so glad dear boy for your sake
you are going to . . . but you must excuse my feeling
very delighted. I like this place as much as I did at first and
this end of the town better than the other. Eleanor and Mary
Lyon are staying with their cousins the L . . .
[Lewards?]. There are some Lewards at Eton . . .
Do you know a . . . or . . . a jacket
boy he said he knew you. He is staying here for his
health. I have not been out once here in the evening. I
mean so I have no events to tell you of. I heard the other day
from Louisa who is now staying with the B . . .
[Barnadestons?]. She seems to be enjoying herself very much but
I don't imagine we shall see her again this year. I can't hear
anything of . . . so please be so good as give me your
second hand information about him. All the Eastburianes seem to
be keeping too flight even George. I wish I could send you an
entertaining letter but il ny apas de g . . . to make one
how exiting the breakfast seems to have been. I hope you are
not working yourself to fiddle . . . You seem
really as if you were going to become in a short time a living
elegant extracts. Pray present my most affectionate complements
to Mr Frank Holland. I hope
he is in a robust state of health. Tell him I aided in the
connections of his two French letters sent to Brighton. I
should have written a small paragraph of German but there is no
dictionary hence please send me word how bad my German was. I
have nothing more to tell you though I could go on in insane writing
but as I do not wish you to become anxious as to the state of my
intellect I cease. Ever dearest of all brothers yours
affectionately Pozy.
I think I will make you conceited so will tell you there's nothing
like you under the sun except
. . . . . . . .
. . . . ?
Have mercy and if you can write soon soon soon.
11 York Gate, Regent's Park, London, was owned by Arthur Marsh's half sister Georgiana Nelson Marsh (1800-1861) and appears to have been used very much as a town house by all the family. It was purchased in 1840 and sold on her death in 1861.
Letter from William Corkesley to Arthur Marsh. The date is difficult to read and appears incorrectly to be January 7. The letter is filed between 11 October 1843 and 17 December 1843. The following letter from Arthur, dated 17 December, seems to make a reference to Corkesley's letter being received only a day or so earlier so it was presumably sent mid December 1843. The letter reads as follows:
Eton College
My dear Sir
I have very great pleasure in telling you that your son has done his
examination papers for his private business remarkably well. He
has got the prize the numbers being
S. . .y P. . .th Total
1.2.
1.Marsh 80 428 374 882
2. Woodbridge 80 410 283 773
3.Jones 50 420 300 770
4. Walker 40 388 270 698
He always gives me satisfaction. His fault is that he thinks
things are easier than they are, and so does not do as well as he
might from want of . . . This is particulary the
case with his German.
Believe me my dear Sir.
Yours very truly
W G Corkesley
Letter from Arthur Marsh to his son Martin Marsh. The letter reads as follows:
Eastborough
Sunday 17 December 1843
My dear Martin
If you are as anxious to know the result of your examination as your
Mother and I were you will be glad to see the enclosed. I
congratulate you my dear Boy on your success and begin to feel
assured that whenever you take pains towards the attainment of any
object, you will not greatly fail. You are favoured in your
weather and I hope you are amusing yourself; if you hunted yesterday
and had a tolerable run you must have been delighted. I am
writing in the dark and make a bad substitute for your Mother as a
correspondent; but she is lying down with one of her annoying pains
in the back and cannot write; so rather than delay the sending of the
examination paper another day, I have taken the pen in hand.
All . . . . . . . .
. . . .
Ever most affectionately yours
ACM
Walter wants to know when Master Martin will come home for he
promised him not to . . . the Bacon for Rats until he
comes back.
Write.
Adelaide asks whether I have told you that the dear Dog is well.
William Gifford Corkesley (1802-1880) was educated at Eton and King's College Cambridge. He was the Assistant master at Eton. Edward Craven Hawtrey (1789-1862) was educated at Eton and King's College Cambridge. He was Provost of Eton.
Letter from Arthur Marsh to his son Martin Marsh. The letter reads as follows:
M Club
23 November 1843 (or 1842?)
My dear Martin
Your Mother tells me that she thinks you may be in want of a little
money so I enclose a Post Office order for £5 on Windsor.
I shall look out for you and Frank on the 6th
Keeping your walk a profound secret.
Ever most affectionately yours
Arthur Marsh.
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References & Notes 1780-1874)