BIB_ID
413500
Accession number
MA 1581.3
Creator
Abercorn, John James Hamilton, Marquess of, 1756-1818.
Display Date
London, 1813 October 27.
Credit line
Purchased from Benjamin Ifor Evans, 1954.
Description
1 item (4 pages) ; 24.9 x 19.9 cm + wrapper
Notes
Signed "Abercorn."
Abercorn gives the place of writing as "Priory," which is probably a reference to Bentley Priory in the district of Stanmore, now a part of Greater London.
Wrapper with intact black wax seal and postmarks addressed to: "Sir George Beaumont / Bart / Dunmow / Essex."
This letter is from a large collection of letters written to Sir George Howland Beaumont (1753-1827) and Lady Margaret Willes Beaumont (1758-1829) of Coleorton Hall, and to other members of the Beaumont family.
This item was formerly identified as MA 1581 (Abercorn) 3.
Abercorn gives the place of writing as "Priory," which is probably a reference to Bentley Priory in the district of Stanmore, now a part of Greater London.
Wrapper with intact black wax seal and postmarks addressed to: "Sir George Beaumont / Bart / Dunmow / Essex."
This letter is from a large collection of letters written to Sir George Howland Beaumont (1753-1827) and Lady Margaret Willes Beaumont (1758-1829) of Coleorton Hall, and to other members of the Beaumont family.
This item was formerly identified as MA 1581 (Abercorn) 3.
Provenance
Purchased as a gift of the Fellows from Benjamin Ifor Evans, 1954.
Summary
Telling Beaumont that his letter gave him "the greatest pleasure"; saying that though they have recently seen less of each other than they used to, he was very glad to receive this "token & assurance of undiminished kindness & interest"; adding that he is also glad that they are in agreement on the subject of his portrait, which is being painted by Thomas Lawrence; saying that there is only one other person in Europe, a mutual friend of theirs, whose taste and judgment he considers equal to Beaumont's; discussing what clothing he should wear in the portrait: "The only plea in favour of Robes, is that they have been & must be at all times a true & unvarying Costume. A dress which I never wore (Vandyck or Fancy or what you please) I should think a Cheat & fallacy upon Posterity"; writing, however, that "a five minutes essay of my Garter robes sufficed to [inwardly?] fix both Lawrence & myself in our determination: whether those robes will smile in a corner or on a chair will depend upon his pleasure. But me, you will see, (& I hope like) just as you have seen me any afternoon these five & twenty years"; adding that Beaumont's letter confirms his own feelings on this point; sending his compliments to Lady Beaumont.
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