BIB_ID
459113
Accession number
MA 14909.12
Creator
Edward Augustus, Prince, Duke of Kent, 1767-1820, sender.
Credit line
Bequest of Gordon N. Ray, 1987.
Description
1 item (4 pages) ; 25 x 20.5 cm
Notes
Edward suffered an injury to his leg from a horse-fall in October 1798 and arrived in England the following month to convalesce.
The Western District was a British Army command in Britain headquartered in the county of Devon. Lord George Lennox was governor of the Royal Citadel at Plymouth in Devon from 1784-1805.
The Wentworths' only son was Charles Mary Wentworth.
General James Ogilvie served as acting lieutenant-governor of Cape Breton (in the stead of absentee lieutenant governor William Macarmick) from June 1798 until his replacement by General John Murray in May 1799.
"Macdonogh" is Thomas MacDonogh, who served as private secretary to Wentworth while royal governor of New Hampshire, went with him to Nova Scotia after the American War of Independence, and later served as British consul to the New England states.
Thomas Barclay served as a British commissioner in boundary negotiations with the United States that concluded in late 1798.
Part of a collection of letters from Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent, to Sir John Wentworth, 1st Baronet (MA 14909).
The Western District was a British Army command in Britain headquartered in the county of Devon. Lord George Lennox was governor of the Royal Citadel at Plymouth in Devon from 1784-1805.
The Wentworths' only son was Charles Mary Wentworth.
General James Ogilvie served as acting lieutenant-governor of Cape Breton (in the stead of absentee lieutenant governor William Macarmick) from June 1798 until his replacement by General John Murray in May 1799.
"Macdonogh" is Thomas MacDonogh, who served as private secretary to Wentworth while royal governor of New Hampshire, went with him to Nova Scotia after the American War of Independence, and later served as British consul to the New England states.
Thomas Barclay served as a British commissioner in boundary negotiations with the United States that concluded in late 1798.
Part of a collection of letters from Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent, to Sir John Wentworth, 1st Baronet (MA 14909).
Provenance
Gordon N. Ray.
Summary
Acknowledging receipt of Wentworth's letter of November 17 on December 25; complaining "nothing whatever has been done relative to my Establishment" despite a promise from Mr. Pitt a month ago that he would "state the matter to the King", about which he has heard nothing since; wondering if this is due to prevalence of more urgent business or to "a determined intention of keeping me still in the background"; reporting on his health, including persistent bouts of "violent cold or rheumatism"; reporting he has "recovered greatly the use of my leg" from thrice-daily applications of "warm fomentations" for a month and then "the daily use of electricity" and can now "walk without much apparent lameness"; detailing remaining pains from injury; explaining he has not been to Bath because "the faculty here have devised to try other means before they came to that"; expecting to be appointed second-in-command to "Lord G. Lennox in the great Western District" and stationed in Exeter; wishing to be "placed nearer the King's person" than that; reporting he has often seen Lady Wentworth and their son and both are generally in excellent health; relating that he is going to see Madame de St. Laurent; confiding that lieutenant governor Ogilvie "will be recalled in the spring if the orders do not go out by the present Mail", that "General Murray will remain", and that "General Simon Fraser" has been named district commander of Nova Scotia; speaking of career matters of "our good friend Macdonogh" and "Colonel Barclay", including prospect of Barclay replacing the late John Temple as British consul-general to the United States in New York at an annual salary of £1,000 and MacDonogh's salary being increased to the same; praising "the able manner" Barclay has conducted himself in the "important business of the Boundary line"; lamenting at Wentworth's still "indifferent" health and hoping the spring will improve it; conveying Madame de St. Laurent's gratitude "for your polite remembrance of her"; asking in post-script to convey to General Murray the contents of letter as regards him and Edward; requesting in second post-script to send future letters care of the "Secretary at War."
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