Autobiography of Mrs. Fletcher : with letters and other family memorials

Front matter

AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MES. FLETCHER.

■I I J

Edinburgh : Printed by Thomas and Archibald Constable,

Part I

Birth at Oxton, January 1770— Her mother's death— Her mother's friendship at school— Mrs. Brudenell's history— Happy childhood at Oxton — The Dawson family— Mrs. Brudenell's separation from her husband, 1776— Settles at Oxton— The mother-want supplied by Aunt Dawson— Cousins at Wighill Grange— Happy days there— The Hill family— Her aunt Mary Hill— Her love of hunting cured— Mr. Hill's letter to his son, 1767— Traditions in the Hill family of Grace Hill and Will Hill at Marston Moor —Sir George Savile in 1779— Traditions of her youthful days- Sampler disclosures— Account of Oxton scenery and May-day festivities — First grief going to Manor School— Life there— Friendships formed there— Leaves school in summer, 1785— Home life and happiness— Happy Highland tour— Ann Yearsley, E. Anthony, and Sarah Watson the good servant— Death of grandmother, 1787— First lovers— First meeting with Mr. Fletcher, 1787— First impressions deepened in 1788— Rev. E. Cartwright's friendship— George Crabbe's visit with his wife— Recollections of John Wesley— Rev. J. Clowes— Second visit to Perth— Visit to Ripon— Lord Grantley— Mr. Fletcher's letter in 1787— Correspondence continued with Mr. Fletcher— Her father's strong opposition to the marriage— Her engagement — Extract from letters to Mr. Fletcher— Marriage, 16th July 1791— Sorrowful feelings- Reflections on that event— Letter to Miss Cleaver— Mr. Cartwright's lines to E. D. in a blank leaf of Lavater's work,

Part II

Early married life and happiness— Letter to Mrs. Laycock— Edinburgh friendships formed— Society there— Thomas Muir— Her father's viii CONTENTS,

PAGE

first visit in 1792— Great joy to her — Birth of eldest son in September 1792— Visit to Mr. Fletcher's mother in Kannoch, 1793— Second visit from her father in 1794— Birth of her daughter Elizabeth — State Trials— Home life and happiness — Benevolent interests— Her father's death in 1798— First impression of Lyrical Ballads in 1798 —Edinburgh Society in 1802— Edinburgh Review and Henry Brougham— First visit to London — Friendship formed with Joanna Baillie and Mrs. Barbauld— Summer at Dalmeny— T. Campbell's friendship formed— Her delight in her children — Mr. Brudenell's death — His wife's succession to her estate — Mournful visit to Hebburn — Mrs. Brudenell takes a house at the English Lakes— Summer there— 1806— Great enjoyment at Belmont — Elizabeth Smith's death— Friendship with her mother— Mrs. Brudenell's death, 1806— Her character— Leaves her estate to Mrs. Fletcher— The summer of 1807 spent there- Lord Tankerville's society— Visit to Bamborough — Visit to Haggerstone Nunnery— To Alnwick Castle— Letter to Mrs. Stark from Hebburn— Visit in 1808 to Liverpool— Mr. Roscoe— Mr. Rathbone— Mr. Greg's, Quarry Bank— 1810— A country-house at Frankfield on the Esk— Great enjoyment in walks there, and in society of friends and strangers — 1811— Places her eldest daughter at Mrs. Barbauld's— Letters from Mrs. Barbauld— Letter to her daughter G. F.— To Mrs. Stark— From G. F. to her mother on Sarah Watson— Letters from Miss Aikin to Mrs. F.— 1815— From Mrs. Barbauld— From Mrs. Brunton— First summer at Park Hall— Manner of life there- Benefits of Tadcaster life- Letter from Allan Cunningham— Marriage of eldest daughter, 1814— Winter of 1816-17 in Edinburgh— Illness of Grace in April-Death, 16th April 1817— Return to Park Hall —Letters on that event, 62

Part III

Marriage of M. A. Fletcher to Miss Clavering, December 1817 — Visit to London with her daughters, 1819— Mrs. Fry and Newgate—Robert Owen— William Godwin— Lord Erskine's visit to Edinburgh— Letters to daughter Mary, 1820— Summer at Callander— Farmer Buchanan — Letter to Mrs. Stark on Callander

CONTENTS. ix

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summer— Summer at Coniston, 1821— Death of Mrs. Craik— Account of Allan Cunningham— Letter to him in 1822— Visits to Miss Kennedy and Mr. and Mrs. Greg, in Cheshire— Professor Smyth of Cambridge, and T. E. Currie there— Eeturn to York- Winter there, 1821-22— Return to Edinburgh, summer 1822— George IV. 's visit— Mrs. Grant of Laggan's loyalty— Highland gratitude— Sir Walter Scott— Crabbe the poet— William Wolfe Tone— Letter to Mrs. Stark on T. E. Currie— Interest in Home for young delinquents— Winter of 1822-23— Maria Edgeworth in Edinburgh— First impressions of her— Take her to Sir R. Liston's

—Letters to her daughters on meeting Brougham and Denman

Viewfield incidents— Visit to Honourable Mrs. H. Erskine— Sinclair Cullen's visit— Marquis and Marquise de Bossi— Settle at Auchindinny House, April 1824— Enjoyment there— Death of Mrs. Barbauld— Her character— Visit to Edinburgh— 1826-7— The "Great Unknown" reveals himself— Letter to Mrs. Laycock —Return to Auchindinny in spring— Hear of Angus Fletcher's illness at Rome— His return home— Recovery there— Mr. Fletcher's illness— E. Taylor's death— Miles A. Fletcher's serious illness —His letter to his mother— Mr. Fletcher's death— Account of "Dramatic Sketches" printed the winter before— Letters about them— Sinclair Cullen's Lines to E. F., 1826— Letters to her daughters in 1825— Letter from T. Campbell on Theodoric, . 133

Part IV

Leave Auchindinny, January 1829— Go to Tadcaster— Letter to Dr. F. Boott— Take a cottage at Bilton near Rugby— Our neighbours there— First meeting with Dr. and Mrs. Arnold— Letter to Mrs. Craig— School-house at Rugby— Mr. Keble— Visit of Dr. John Davy— Mrs. Penrose's meeting with Mrs. Fletcher— Marriage of Margaret Fletcher and Dr. Davy, on March 8, 1830— Visit to London and Paris— Visit to the Abbe Gregoire— General de Lafayette— His kindness— The historian Mignet— Paris and its institutions— Letter to Mrs. Thomson— Miles A. Fletcher's illness — Visit to Edinburgh, and takes charge of his sons, when their parents go to Jersey for winter — Mrs. Fletcher returns to Yorkshire—Letter to her daughter Mary on Yorkshire Election, 1831

CONTENTS.

—Death of her son Miles, August 1831— Letter to Mrs. Davy at Malta — Visit to Coniston and Brougham Hall— Edinburgh winter — First popular Election there — Letter from T. Campbell — Keturn to Tadcaster, 1833— Letter to Mrs. Davy— Take lodgings at Thorney How in July— First knowledge of Easedale —Visit to Southey— See much of Wordsworth— Return to Tadcaster— York meeting in honour of Wilberforce— Death of Aunt Dawson— Her character— Leave Tadcaster, May 1834— A month in London— Lord Brougham's kindness— A tour in North Devon, and visit near Ilfracombe— Take a house near Hawkshead— Return of Dr. and Mrs. Davy from Malta— Happy family meeting at Keen Ground in May 1835— Take house at Darland Cottage near Chatham— Swiss tour in June and July 1836— General La Harpe described in letter to Mrs. Bo ott— Excursions in Kent- Wordsworth's visit at Darland, August 1837— Visit to London- First meeting with Mazzini— Two letters from him to Mrs F. — Visit at Oxton on the way to Edinburgh— Take villa of Duncliffe— Kindness of friends— Letters from George Ticknor, Boston, and Joanna Baillie— Aunt Mary Hill's illness and death, 1839— Lancrigg for sale— Dora Wordsworth's letter— Purchase of Lancrigg— Take possession of it, May 1840— Walk with Wordsworth in Easedale— Westmoreland workmen— Hartley Coleridge— Mrs. Fletcher's illness, 1842— Dr. Arnold's death— Last winter at Duncliffe— Return to Lancrigg as a residence— Christmas festivities—Sonnet by Mr. Graves, 15th January 1845— Visit to Blackheath, April 1845— Mazzini— Visit to Edinburgh, spring 1846— Dr. Chalmers— Winter at Lancrigg— Spring at Leamington, London, and visits in South— To Lancrigg, May 1847— Letter to Mrs. Chapman— Letter from Lord ; Jeffrey, May 1847— Her daughter Mary's marriage to Sir John Richardson, August 1847— Visit to Liverpool, February 1848— Mrs. Rathbone— London and Haslar— Letter to Mrs. Stark— Mary Barton and Mrs. Gaskell —Lines on 1st May 1849, by E. F.— Letter to Sir J. Richardson —To her daughter Mary— Meeting Chevalier Bunsen— Letters to Mrs. Boott and Mrs. Arnold— Letters to Mrs. Burge and Mrs. Davy— London meeting with Mr. Rogers, April 1850— Death and funeral of Wordsworth— Letters to Lady Richardson— Lines on leaving Grasmere Churchyard, April 27, 1850, by E. F.— Letter from Joanna Baillie to Mrs. Fletcher— Letter to Harriet Martineau on Somerset the slave— Letter to her daughter Mary, 1850—

CONTENTS, xi

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Lord Cockburn to Mrs. F. — Last Edinburgh visit— Her grandson Henry's marriage— Kossuth — Mrs. Gaskell — Thomas Wright — London — Mazzini— Winter at Haslar— To Mrs. Arnold, Fox How — To Mrs. Davy on her birthday, 1852— Letter to same about excursions from Haslar— Return to Lancrigg in April — Visitors there, Sir Edward and Lady Parry— Lord Cockburn's letter to Mrs. F. with his Life of Jeffrey, 1852— Lines on Wordsworth and his sister— Sonnet to Mrs. Fletcher by R. ' P. Graves on 84th Birthday — Letters to Mrs. Hughes and Mrs. Arnold — Letters from Mazzini — Death of Lord Cockburn — Letter to Mrs. Hughes — Visit of Mrs. Empson— Meets Lord John Russell, 1854 — Springfield Lodge — Winter — Letters on the return of troops — Letter on Edward Richardson's death— Last month of housekeeping— Death of Josephine Richardson— Illness and death of E. Davy, 1857— Last letter to Mrs. Stark, October 1857— Increasing depression — Death, 5th February 1858 — Letter from Rev. R. P. Graves to Lady Richardson, 180

MEMOIR OF GRACE FLETCHER, by her Mother, . . .341

MEMOIR OF ARCHIBALD FLETCHER, Advocate, by his

Widow, . 361

AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MRS. FLETCHER.