Michael D.Heath-Caldwell M.Arch.

C35

Mr Marsh Esq.

Dearest Martin,

I send you your drawing called Up. I hope you will like it and think it an improvement upon the last. If you put it between two heavy boards for a night it will press flat again. I hope you will like the gingerbread loaf, it is made after a receipt I brought from the (Pyes?). Tell me if there world approves of it. One always feels rather in the character of a mother sending her son into the world as to the result of a receipt of one’s own introduction. Mr Roscoe come here on Saturday if we all survive the weather till then.

Ever dearest M your own (sister?) Louisa M.

C37

Mr Martin Marsh,

At Mrs Horsfords

Eton College,

Bucks.

27^th July 1843

11 York Gate

Regents Park.

My dearest Martin,

I fear you must think me lost, it is so long since I have written to you. I am sure you need not reproach yourself for not writing as I know how much your time is taken up and wished much to have answered yours by return of post but was quite unable and I find whenever I lay out my plans for the morning and determine to write such and such letters I am always frustrated in my intentions by letters coming requiring an immediate answer or friends popping in from Blackheath and also where’s stopping all my proceedings (?). this morning just as I had sat down to my writing table who should come in but Mrs (Prosser?) and two children from Blackheath and who is now resting on the sofa whilst I write and waiting for an omnibus to take them to the city in time for the Blackheath coaches. Mr Prosser quite well. The examination begins today and the school breaks up of course. I heard of your visit to Eastbury. I hope our turn will soon come, just now we are in the comfortable bustle of sweeping chimneys for the summer, beating drawing room carpets and cleaning paint &c and I have a great deal to attend to before I can leave home in looking  through and replacing house linen &c &c. We have had the house so full all the spring that I have had not had time to attend much to these necessary duties. Your sisters have all been here in detachments and Mrs Jones, her sister from Oxfordshire and Miss Delmar for three weeks. In short we have had a cheerfully if not a gay spring, but gaiety in the usual acceptation of the word is not much in our way. Grandpapa enjoys his life and house and all and looks very well indeed, every one likes him. We shall be delighted to see you my dear Martin whenever you come but if you can give us a days notice we shall be more comfortably ready for you. Aunt ME comes on Thursday en route to Miss Jerards so she will only be here a couple of hours. When that visit is over she is going to tow or three more friends and then she will come here for a short time before leaving for St.Servan. I hope the plan will answer for it is a great undertaking packing up furniture &c so often. Dear Willy passed one night here. He is now at Eastbury thoroughly enjoying himself with his brother. He is immensely grown and very much improved in every way I think and so do we all. So all Aunt Mee’s pains have not been thrown away. George to is excessively impressed do not you think so. I hope your two friends like Eastbury. It must be looking lovely. I long to get there. We have not been since Xmas and Grandpapa gets every day I think more averse to leaving home which is not unnatural at 87. The only surprising thing is that he can move at all. However I do hope to go there for a little while. Thank you for your glowing description of the day making party at Sir (Williams?). I had not heard much about it so your account was very welcome. I think they seem to lead very cheerful indeed tolerably gay lives at Eastbury which I am delighted at their having – one family they know was a very happy circumstance and the Milmans seem a great acquisition.London is thinning apace and I dare say in another month we shall walk about the streets quite freely and cross without risk. I wish our visit to Eastbury may be in August as we have a notice to paint outside from the Commissioners of the Woods and to (asti?) in that month and we have consented that they should do it so we shall have no trouble but to pay for it and probably they will do it in more reasonable terms than we could and it tests the very – to be out of the way during the time. I must now say goodbye my dearest Martin. We send you our kindest love. Ever your affectionate Aunt Georgina Marsh. 

C41

Letter to Posy, looks like it is written by a young girl from Edinburgh.

Mayfield, January 19, 1835.

My dear Posy,

I am much obliged to you for your letter and I shall write an an account. I will first begin to tell you what we do throughout the day. We get up at half past seven, we go down and read and have prayers, then the boys set off for school directly and we go to breakfast. After that we go out till ten then Miss Inglis comes, then we do our lessons to till one, then we take a walk till 2, then we go on with our lessons till four, then the boys come home and we dine. Mama when (Robert?) is not here dines with us. Then we have our lessons till five, then our governess goes and the boys tutor comes to teach them their lessons for school the next day. He stays till seven. We are then with Mama in the drawing room but when Robert is here they are at dinner. It is hard work for the little boys so the days pass with (Ees?), on Saturday we have a half holiday, it is custom here; it is very old, George has just recovered from the Measles, the Dean of Faculty and Mr Lochart are here at breakfast. Charlotte and Jane are going to their singing master this morning. I am going with them and have never been before. We were going to have a party an St.George and the dragon on Tuesday but George had the measles so we could not but we going to haves it next Saturday. George is the St.George Scott, St.Andrews of Scotland. I am Sabra and Jane the enchantress. Mr Moritt the dragon, a great friend of Mama, he is an officer. He comes here very often, it will seem like Roehampton and wish you were here. I have not much to put in my diary as we been doing nothing particular lately but what I have told you at the beginning. Mama has a twelfth cake sent her from London as they do not keep it here and we are going to keep till Saturday all our dresses are made, they are better than last year. I will give you an account of the house, I will draw on a piece of paper as well as I can, next opportunity. Pray send me a drawing of yours. I thought you would have this time, I have left off heads and begun landscapes, I am sorry to hear Hannah is (going?). What is she going away for. I do long for you to come here. I would then all the places inEdinburgh, I really do not think that I could lost myself in any of the streets in the new  Town.

C43

Dearest Martin,

Georgey and I are immensely indignant that Posy should have written her condolences and congratulations as we find all in the first person singular instead of the plural. So dear boy here are (sus?) one side of our face laughing the other crying for the two sides of the affair.

Ever your most loving sister,
Louisa Marsh.

C44

Pencil sketch of trees on steep hills.

On reverse scribbled in pencil

Where we had our (pieme?) at Mashobra and – (India)

Eton College

Election, 1843

Marsh Esq.

To Sn Schönerstadt. For Instruction in German during two School terms. £8.8.0

Books.

Oct 1842

6^th Schiller’s Works £1.16.0

£9.18.0

C47

My dearest Martin,

It is an age since I have written to you and now we hope to see you so soon that it is hardly worth while. Georgey will have told you all about their proceedings at the Maines and at Gorhambury and I do not think that I have much to amuse you with as I have been most part of the week alone with Aunt Georgey, Grandpapa and George that is to say very nearly by myself as the little hot room was impossible to sit in up stairs. I did not however find it in the least dull as housekeeping music and drawing filled up the time completely. I could not help thinking while leading these few days of solitary life what a gift to man the arts are in them. There is not as in society any disappointment to the feelings and affections. You may love them and devote yourself to them and they daily improve under your care and attention not like some that have been and yet are to be loved, return it with coldness, neglect or changeableness. How I have been talking and moralizing, you must be quite sick of me. Yesterday Aunt Georgey and I went up toLondonfor the day. She to do some business and I do have my teeth done. We walked aboutLondonand were very tired. I do hate pegging it inLondon. A most charming place it is for a short time with your carriage and servants but without these appendages I think it perfectly odious, being pushed about in a crowd, now to one side or the other. May be into the kennel or against the wall. This is only disagreeable for ladys as for men c’est tout autre chose. Aunt Georgey says it is being very proud to dislike walking in this way but I confess I do not see that it has anything to do with pride.  A woman has a natural feeling, not to like to be jostled about in every way, if it is pride it is a pride of nature and I say justifiable as long as it does not prevent your being useful. If I had a sick friend and would not go and see them because I did not like walking without a gentleman in the streets that would be quite another thing and what one never in such a case should a moment think about. Mama, F, P and M come back this evening after dining (at least Mama) at Sir Benjamin Heywood’s. 

There seem to have been a great many people in London and to have had an entertaining visit. Had anybody told you that last Sunday we had Lizzie Pell and her future husband Mr Alex Pym staying here. They seem very happy and talk of taking carpenters(?) which would be delightful and as Mama says quite a piece of “(prike?) justice.” Everything is looking in its lovely (tinted?) springness and as the wind has changed today I hope we may at last have some warm weather. I amused myself this week by cutting a walk through that part of the large wood which we call the Beechwood and Papa has let me have two benches put up which both command pretty views. I hope when you come you will think it an improvement. I must write to Kathy Mainwaring so will close this dear Martin and with many kisses and much love,

Believe me our ever affectionate,

Louisa Marsh.

Eastbury,

Saturday.

C51

Wilburton

[Pell/ Pym residence?]

Monday 27^th October

My dearest Martin,

Now you are fairly settled at Oxford I will let you know that I am still alive and without the slightest symptom of that death and burial which Grandpapa seemed to think a necessary consequence of my coming to the Fenns, and really I do not think this country so very hideous after all. There is much more idea of foliage than I had any expectation of though to be sure what I expected was about one tree to a quarter of a mile distance round and the immense expanse of country from the heights looks to me rather pretty than ugly though it is so flat from the depth of the indigo blues. Still now after what I have said I have no doubt that if you were to come here you would pronounce it frightful. On Saturday morning I went to Ely which is certainly the finest Cathedral both inside and out that I have seen in England and I am not sure though, smaller if I do not admire it as much in its way as that of Cologne. The service as far as the chantry goes is very well done there and it does one good to hear it in that noble pile. Very different (you see I have made a mistake in turning the (page srept?) but I shall not waste another piece of paper so pardonney) from the way it is done in Wilbarton Church where it is performed by a stammering and half (paved?) clergyman in manner which puts me into such a state of irritation that by the time we leave church I am ready to (scratch?) anybody! And I feel convinced that I shall return home in a very unchurch like mood. Please dear boy write and tell how you got through you (sittings, settlings?) as I am very anxious to know and I have not heard though they are very good in writing to me from home where all seems to be going on well, only think of Mr Thomas Roscoe telling Papa that Mama was “undoubtedly the first honest (honed?) writer of her day” not that I am surprised for I myself cannot doubt it but it sounds (plaid, ward?) said by another person. Tomorrow we are going to Norwich and Yarmouth buy the Railroad as an expedition which it is very kind and good natured I think of Lady Pell to do, and on Saturday we go to Cambridge which I wish very much indeed to see. By the way Bridge, Lady Pell’s maid said she wondered whether Miss Marsh’s father was the Mr Marsh she recollected a fellow commoner of St John’s. How oddly things and people meet again in the world. Papa’s (Jips?) is not that the word? Was a friend of hers. Dear Martin I must now stop suddenly as we are going out. Mind and don’t forget to write me a line and direct the Honourable Lady Pell’s, Wilburton, at Ely.

Ever your truly attached sister, E Louisa Marsh.

C54

Page from a letter written both sides horizontal and vertical, signed M.Marsh

–

Suffering from the remains of a stiff neck and fireless in a draughty room on a windy day. I sit down to comfort myself with auditing an epistle to my well beloved sister Posy!! But what to say, that may interest you, exhausted as I have all the news of the past week in my journal. So arrival that remains my – really so sorry that it will not be in time this week but I lay in bed on Saturday morning, not able to turn my head round and so I saw no one to ask to carry it to the box. I was very much –ed when I found it was too late and offered our Cerleras a sop in the shape of two pence to admit it, but alas! In vain the door was closed. The mail made up and I rejected and disconsolate returned my steps now slowly and desponding. But it shall fly upon the wings of love(?) duly to Eastborough tomorrow morning. We have had such showers here, the trees look green and refreshing even to my garret view. I may ask you how old Tippy dog is? Whether you have tickley wickley’o him lately. But I shall be back as it were tomorrow the 4^th of June, is the day, any how the first of May is here. I rather look forward to being at home this season of the year as I have not experienced it, and I certainly am fond of Summer, and then if it is possible as well ask John over. And be very merry. Pray remindAdelaide to be careful of the dear dogs safety. N likes are not there running away’s. Thank her very much for her letter and I do hope the Polka is a pretty one and if it is not I am most sorry but it is hard to fudge if you have never heard it played, is it not? Please whoever next writes to the Giffords will they be so kind as to tell her Ladyship that I have performed her Ladyships behest and have already written to

To have heard my little girl from so unpartial an authority as the gallant Lasc that you have written a faultless German exercise. The boat races being on Monday evening, that is tomorrow. You must all breathe your best wishes for our brave boat at 7 o’clock and ½ of an hour precisely, and the same repeated every other evening for the next 3 weeks. There is something for you to do and please if you write to Emily will you ask her about that book of mine that was to have been left atBrook Street. Kiss the dear dog for me and hold, as ever your most affectionate brother,

M. Marsh.  

C55

Martin J.W. Marsh Esq

Mrs Horsfords’

Eton College

Bucks.

Post mark Windsor, 11^th July 1844

Journal? From Posy.

 - and all come to say he could not come on Saturday as J Vaughan does not allow them to go out last fortnight. The last hope but Mr Darwin gone for EPP he comes and stays a day or two before he goes hence instead. Dinner with Papa, reading I suppose and blessed bed in due time.

Wednesday. Papa, Mary and I to town toB. Street. Mary went to her drawing to pose, I and Emily worked and talked in the evening, to dinner Mrs Darwin and Buxton and Mr Kaye, in the evening we had a very pleasant evening, a little singing and much talking. Settled we were to go to the Buxtons Brewery tomorrow.

Thursday – a put of till tomorrow seeing the Brewery. Went to see (fauus?) Browne’s statue which is quite wonderfully beautiful, he was there himself and promised to come and – tomorrow. Dr and Mrs Holland dined at the Aldersons. Harry came to dinner and danced in drawing room (Veiled?) we danced, tea and a/4 of an hour after left to go to chambers.
Friday – James Roscoe sent an excuse, Mrs Buxton came to breakfast, preceded us on horse back to the Brewery down in Spitalfields. We first went to see the Brewery schools where they teach 1,000 children, the present Master is turning out his 3^rd thousand. They admit any children of any denomination at 2^d a week, educate them highly, that is teach them the power of using their brains. The Master told me he is convinced the high education answer best those that remain in their present station fulfil their lot in life more efficiently and those who have talents rise to the higher grades. He has not had one criminal yet and remember these children are all the (commonsuch?) in Spitalfields and very few that are not most thriving and are clergymen, several superintends of railways and many taking the higher branches of the trades as designers, mechanics etc. He finds the – difficulty in giving the girls a proper education so as to teach them household duties. It was a very interesting sight after that we went over the Brewery. The first thing Mr Buxton showed us were large bins for Barley which had been turned into malt. We saw at least a dozen large ones, each of which contains the produce of 200 (lbs, acres?) and there were several smaller ones besides. They pay in malt tax alone enough to fit out yearly a Man of War frigate, they had 3,500,000 gallons, or rather more porter ale and beer in their warehouse, vats when we were there. Their barrels if laid in a string would reach 39 miles. They are obliged to give all the entire (bonds?) which cost them about £1,000 a year, then (yield?) leave taking £300 of this they keep 100 Dray horses, not one of which with the exception of a sick one were in the stable when we were there. They never admit anyone into their service unless they (promise, perceive?) to lay by and their men have laid by 39,000. These are, I think, all the facts. We went into Mr Buxton’s sanctum and a charming little room if was, - round with his stuffed birds fouling(?) pieces, antlers (authors?) favorite prints, a picture of their old game keeper, in short all the little treasures he had collected. A book shelves and table covered with papers, pamphlets etc. This is the Mrs Buxton who wrote his fathers life, he is going to enter parliament but his politics were philanthropical questions as his father did. After this we went to see the Exposition d’Collective Francaise where there were most beautiful things. At ½ past 4 George came for me and at the Euston Station I met Emily Page Turner. We came home in a pouring rain, the evening passed in talking and bed.

Saturday -  A letter from Mrs Eden to advise with a (felt?) – of (Henty’s?) success, he is a 2^nd and they say would have been first but for his extreme nervousness. Of course she is much gratified after all her pains, to be so well rewarded. General Packer spoke most highly of him. Spent the morning talking, at present Emily, Louisa and Anne are gone toHarrow. Having a cold but allowed to go pick up Mary who staid in Btt and George and hence to dinner, to which we expect Mr and Mrs (Pooke,Poole?) and Miss Ramsay, a young connection of Emily’s. Mr Darwin coming, dinner, ditto. And now dearest I must have done. I am so glad you like your gown. I am sure you could not receive it with more pleasure than it gave us to send it you. Kiss Bibbins and give my best love to Richard, it is only 3 weeks now before we are to have the felicity of seeing you,

Yours truly, loving (Cduate? Educate?)

Posy.

C61

Printed note.

Christmas 1842

First Set.

Pindar, Tomline’s Theology, Greek Testament Total

1. Blanchard                 317      176      230      255      978

2. Hervey                     310      130      210      275      925

3. Marsh                      315      186      140      270      911

4. Ld Darnley               286      160      200      255      901

5. Brine, K.S.               135      100      170      240      645

6. Rouse-Boughton       130      123      90        240      583

7. Close                       157      20        125      255      557

8.Woodbridge             63        100      80        220      463

9. Batchelor ma.K.S.    50        90        70        215      425

Second Set

Euripides          Virgil    Paley    Total

1. Ld Robert Cecil        150      350      150      650

2. Mr. Bligh                  115                              618

3. Boileau                     100                              500

4. Myers ma.                130                              483

Eq Myers mi                 20                                430

Eq Talford ma              20                                430

7. Leveson-Gower       50                                350

8. Baillie ma.                 54                                329

9.Burtonmi                 40                                307

10. Ld Guernsey           20                                210

11. Mr Finch                40                                165

12. Digby                     30                                130

13. Brown, K.S.           60                                120

Third Set

First Division

Seeker Corn.Nepos Total

1. Errington ma.            155      195      350

2. Errington mi. 125                  325

3. Sutherland ma.          120                  325

4. Mr. Sidney               110      198      308

5. Bunny                       135                  275

6. Sutherland mi.           110                  260

7. Tredcroft                  70                    250

8.Walker.                    90                    234

Second Division

Eq. Oldfield                  115      185      300

Eq. Vaughan                 85                    297

3. Payn             100      145      245

4. Wiss             50                    209

5. Cookesley                85                    191

6. Mr Brownlow           60                    150

7. Foulkes                    90                    140

8. Baillie mi.                  55        20        75

Agrotant.

Mr DeRos

Mr. Deane

Burtonma.

Jenner mi.

Absunt.

Ld. Dufferin

Abbot

Cooper

Board

Fitzgerald

Cole

Jenner ma.

Tilghman

Arithmetic.

Rouse-Boughton

C62

Woodchester, May 8^th.

My dearest Martin,

Many thanks to you for your kind assistance. I don’t know what I should do without you and I do not so much regret troubling you as you do not dislike it, and it is a (regretted?) German less or negotiating with him. Scott has been from home with Gifford ever since your last letter to (me?) so I can hold no consultations with him on the subject, but some friends of ours, or rather two cousins of mine are going to Germany the last week in May or first week in June and as Scott has never been abroad it might be pleasant to have company instead of going alone, so I do not think he will start till then, but if you will kindly tell Herr Doll I should be glad to send him there for about three months and it will be at that time but another letter as to the precise time. I will come again a week or a few days before he comes. You say he will take Scott on the same terms he did you but you do not say what those terms were and how did you manage about your money? The exchange of it or did he manage it? Does he understand English at all or not?

Will you be at Eastbury next month or not. I hope we may get there in the course of June if it suits your mother and because we are moving from home the middle of next week Were we not I should ask if you would come and see us. Very feasible now fromOxfordto Cirencester. It would give me much pleasure to see you. Ever dear Martin, affectionately hours MS.

Will you give me at time before the 14^th Inst.

C64

Monday.

Dear Martin,

If you will walk as far as the Essex’s Alms on Wednesday I will be there with the Poney chaise to meet you at 10 1/2. I hope that is not too early. We must make up some fun or other. We shall be quite alone at Number this week. I think I forgot to tell you that.

I remain

Yours affectionately

RH.

 C66

Black edged writing paper.

Eastbury

Wednesday

My dearest Martin,

It is an immense time since I have written to you but there are so many always writing from here that there is a constant fight for topics. Consequently I retire from the lists as considering it a mere form when there are so many more(and of greater epistiolatory talents) waiting to do so, however, as I have now been staying in London a fortnight there must or ought to be some variety. In the first place though you will be sorry to hear that poor Elizabeth Roscoe is dead. You know that for some time she has been very far from well and under medical care and an attack of Influenza seems to have been too much for her as she sank most unexpectedly and suddenly under it. Aunt Roscoe had just been to see her and found her better and stronger than she had expected and left the house, then before she could be recalled poorElizabethsuddenly sank and expired. For her poor girl one must consider it a great release as her life latterly had been one of much suffering but her poor mother will feel it deeply and Mama started this morning with Papa to go and see her inTonington Squarewhere she is now staying. I spent a pleasant though not very gay fortnight inLondon, our party consisted of Lady Pell, Lizzie, Mrs Bedford (Lady Pell’s sister) and myself. Alex Pym, Lizzies affianced dined there almost every evening but of course they were not very lively company. Minny is gone down to Emily Fowler’s little girls christening and was only there two days of my stay which was a great loss to me. The night we went a larger party toExeter  hall to hear Beethoven’s “Engede” and Mendelssohn’s “Hymn of Praise,” both magnificent pieces and the choruses really stupendously grant but the music is of that kind which requires one to hear it once or twice before one truly understands it which I think is generally the case with all really good music. Our party consisted of Lady Pell, Minny and Lizzie, Maria Milman, Miss Pym, Alex’s sister who is a fine handsome girl of 19 with immense spirits. Mr Charles Pym, an uncle, very handsome, formerly, clever and satirical, a bad temper and therefore as the place was very hot not at all communicative. Mr John Vaughan the eldest son of our predecessor, very handsome, a widower, evidently thinks himself perfectly irresistible and a great flirt. I don’t admire him, and lastly Alix Pym. This was our party and Lizzie Pell and Bessy Pym made such a noise in their high spirits that Mr Charles Pym was ten times crosser and I am not sure that he was not right. In coming out I was accosted by the charming Crompton who as he saw me in the midst of a gay party thought me, I suppose, worth hunting up, however, I had not exchanged many monosyllables with him (you know I don’t like him) before I espied Lady Gifford, Scott,  John and Bella Alderson. Scott is settled in his lodgings and at the Foreign Office and seemed much pleased at the idea of coming down here. Not like your friends Martin, John has got a living atGuildford, not a very good one I believe but as a make weight till he gets a better. While I was inLondonI went with Minny one day to the Tower and as we were with an authority saw all over the Record Office and the dungeons of theWhiteTowerwhich are not generally shewn. The dungeon where Fisher was confined and also another where Sir Thomas More was before he was beheaded are the most dreadful dark holes you can imagine below the level of the ground beneath the White Tower with no opening to the breath of day. Here is an end of the paper dearest Martin so good bye and ever believe me your truly affectionate LM.

C70

Post mark 13 Ju 1830

Mr. Marsh

At Mrs Horsfords

Eton College

Bucks. 

My dear Marsh,

I suppose you little expected to hear from me before we reached Bombaybut, as now there is a chance of sending home letters by homeward bound vessels I take the opportunity of letting you know our situation and how I am getting on. I joined the ship at Gravesend on Sunday Dec 22 1839 and half an hour after I came on board we got under weigh being towed by two steam tugs which left us at Ramsgate, we had a wretched passage down Channel, heavy gales of wind, and squalls from S.W. occasionally sending us back in one hour, all the distance we had made in 12; however at last we got to the chops of Channel and it set in a furious gale which carried us into the Bay of Biscay where we were knocking about for 36 hours, several parts of the rigging were damaged, and 33 Butts of water fetched way and were stove to pieces in the hold; under these circumstances the Captain thought proper to put back to Falmouth, where one of the 6 officers left us, and a midshipman ran away, after remaining there a week we set sail, and for on pretty well until Sunday last when we had a tremendous squall and about an hour afterwards got into the N.E. trade winds, which takes along in fine style, what do you think of making 500 miles in 46 hours? We never saw that alone at Gaffers. The weather here is extremely hot and I wear nothing but duck trousers and a silk jacket. I suppose the gentlemen of the B.N.P.S. are about to return to that Paradiseof a school. The life I lead is an active one certainly, and at present a very pleasant one, but I look forward to coming home, and going to Blackheath with pleasure, I often think of her in the long night watches, and wish I was at Gaffers sometimes that I might have the pleasure of seeing her trotting down the Lee road; we had an officer, who left at Falmouth who knew the old man but he was very particular and (charge?) after them. I have just come form the Royal Masthead where I have spent four hours looking out for land, the island of St.Antonio, one of the Cape de Verde, is the object of our search at present, we are going along with a fine breeze 10 knots, it is a beautiful position aloft to see the ships go bounding over the waves which dash over the bows and go foaming astern; above everything, beholding hundreds of flying fish, several large green dolphins tossing about in the suns rays, and the dark brown sharks following in the ships wake, it is a beautiful sight certainly, and there is nobody up there to disturb you, only every half hour you are hailed from deck to keep a sharp look out; this is the time which makes one think of home, and Rosa, but I always comfort myself by supposing I shall soon be home again when I shall see her, you may be sure before I have been at home many days. Let me hear from you at Bombay, direct the letter to the Inglis and write the third week in March. There are on board 180 soldiers, 32 passengers, 94 sailors and 14 officers so you may suppose it is not very dull below. We have dancing on the quarter deck every evening and a very good band of eight men. We have on board scarlet fever, smallpox, and a few other beautiful diseases, but only one man, a soldier, has died and that of consumption. Feb 11. We are now in Lat 6N and the weather extremely hot, last night one of the soldiers went raving mad, and nearly killed one of his comrades, his madness was occasioned by the heat of the sun which affected his brain, and it is feared several others will share his fate, but never the less we have to walk the deck four hours under a burning sun; we are now becalming having lost the N.E. trades and may remain so for time. I do not know if this will ever find you as by the time it reaches Englandyou may be gone to Eton, but I shall direct it to be left at home until they hear some thing of you. Let me know all the Blackheath news in the long letter I expect to receive at Bombay. We shall no doubt go from Bombayto Chinaif the trade is open. It is now nearly noon and I have first to walk the sun, and when it will be my watch until four. And now after all this, will you not come to sea, it really is a very pleasant life and if you come out next voyage you will no doubt like it very much. I keep two servants, a solider and a sailor, you can not do on board a ship without one. You must excuse this horrid scrawl as it is written in a Midshipman’s berth which is a perfect paradise I can assure you. We have some excellent fun on board, last night all the midshipmen but myself with three officers were asleep under the spanker when the Captain came on deck and I immediately kicked the nearest one and told him oy it, up he jumped and in endeavouring to wake the others so entangled himself and the others in all the sail which was lying on the Poop, that no one could get out, the Captain at last got them all out and sent them to the Mast head for 4 hours. I must now conclude my letter as it is nearly 12 o’clock. Hoping you are well and enjoying yourself.
I remain your very affectionate friend,

Charles Currey.

Shop “Inglis” February 11^th 1840

C78

Master Marsh.

My dearest Martin,

I have got so bad a headache that I cannot write a long letter as I intended but I will write one soon. We have sent your whip and traces and whistle, your bible is not come yet but I hope I shall get it before Sunday and send it to you. Send me Mary’s Prayer book and the Latin book, not the Delectus but that other easy one. I hope you are very industrious particularly at your Latin exercises, and get on as fast as you can, for you must be a clever boy you know. There is no news. Always your affectionate mother,

Anne Marsh.

My best compliments to Miss Joyce.

C80

Master Marsh

Mr Allen says that all your sisters will ride very well. His horses it must be confessed are rather finer than those of Mr Pichlain. On Tuesday Mrs Crompton was here with her two little ones. This is all that has happened. I am ever my dearest Martin your most affectionate mother,

Anne M.

Your sisters are all asleep or would send their love. Your Papa is very much pleased indeed with Miss Joyce’s report of you.

C82

Martin Marsh Esq.

Mereton College

Oxford

I am happy we are to see you dear Martin, so soon though it is not very comfortable. Dear Georgina and I may have started for Cheltenham before you arrive, for I really want some change as I have not felt well for some time as I find by your letter to your dear good Mother that you take Eton in your way home, and I therefore think you may find the enclosed triffle a good Ally at the Christopher &c &c which pray accept with the good wishes of your affectionate grandfather
William Marsh

Eastbury, -

30^th May 1845