| Description | (Directed to Green Lettice Lane.)
Dear Sir,
Not having been able to get five minutes' conversation with you this morning, I take this method of informing you that I have communicated to Mrs. Fothergill as nearly as my recollection wou'd permit me the conversation that passed between yourself and me yesterday, which I believe is as follows:
"That you had suffer'd most exceedingly by taking upon yourself B. & F.'s debts, which were enormous and not yet extinguish'd, and consequently that, shou'd you die now, your family wou'd be saddled with them, and that even in the case of your living it was a vast diminution of property to them; that, in addition to that, Mrs. Fothergill had been supported by you ever since her husband's decease, and that to the amount of several thousand pounds; that, had she continued in the same distressed situation she was when you took her up, you wou'd have struggled hard to have continued that support, tho' it was a voluntary act and nothing to bind you to it; but that, on the contrary, she was now in better circumstances comparatively speaking than you; it therefore was an injustice to your own children to continue to allow her what you had done, and that you cou'd not do it; but that you were willing to allow her £150 per annum during your joint lives, unless any unforeseen circumstances shou'd prevent you."
The foregoing I believe to be as nearly as possible what you expressed to me, and which I related to Mrs. Fothergill; and I also added to her of my own accord that nothing cou'd bind you to allow any sum; this being actually the case, I cannot but consider it as an act of generosity on your part, and with your permission I will pay Mrs. Fothergill for your account one hundred and fifty pounds per annum by half-yearly payments of £75 till I have your orders to the contrary.
I am, dear sir, your obedient servant,
C. Matthews
[Edited transcript.] |