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97 15 May1862 R[utson]Maury 11 Welfield Place [Liverpool, Eng.] M44 to his sister Ann Maury. [New York NY] 11 pp ALS Box III Folder 41 Maury Family Papers

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                                      11 Welfield Place     Thursday
                                      15 May 1862           night

Dear Ann

         I have today your letter of 29 April

& ending 2nd May, when you were projecting a visit to Highwood, which I hope you carried out.

         I am glad you have remembered my request

as to Sarah by naming what you think would be an acceptable present to her.- The Bolds tell me of a shop - indeed more than one - where I can get photographs of the Queen Prince Albert & their children & other "celebrities" as well as the Album itself, & I rather expect to do this to- -morrow as I am afraid of putting off things until the last moment. - On this principle I have just written a letter to Mrs. Cropper at Sedgwick [?] any later (than '60) like- -nesses of her husband & herself & those of Dr. & Mrs. Howson and of Maggie Cropper (now with Mrs. Brougham in London) and Francis Anne - the grand-daughter -

    Mary Bold & Laura are as busy as bees

preparing the toilet of the former for her London visit.

    Mr. & Mrs. Addison & Maggie were to have

started for London this morning but he has had an [unreasonable?] attack of the gout which until today when I found him at his office has kept him confined at home since Friday last. They now expect to leave on Saturday morning.

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I am glad to have had a second letter from Mrs. Bateman of [Bates'?] Hotel, yesterday, saying she will reserve a room for me for the 19th & do the best she can for me.

    Mr. Joseph Weed went up to London today

to join [?] Mr. Richards who arrived here last week, & who was Mr. Dunning's companion to Savannah - I took Mr. Weed with me yester -day to take a late dinner with me at the 'Pig & Whistle', after we had been having a long private talk in Cropper Hodgson & Co's of -fice when all the other inmates had left. He has had a talk with Mr. J.W. Cropper as to remaining with him or joining Mr. Hodgson but it did not lead to any definite result. Mr. Ferguson's father, who lives in Scotland, has been for some time past sick unto death, but was still alive at last accounts & Mr. F- has him with him & pending this uncertainty, there is the uncertainty of Mr. F- finally joining Mr. J. W. Cropper here. If he does not, then it is improbable that the latter will continue the house here.

    Mr. Weed told me that owing to the mys-

terious way in whcihch Mr. Dunning & Mr. Richards reached Richmond, or not making themselves known at once to the authorities, they were suspected to be Northern spies. & marched off towards the guard house before a file of soldiers; & whilst in this

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predicament some of the boys in the streets shouted out to him - "Yankees, say your prayers"! - an incident that would unnerve Mr. Gardner I think, even more than it did me. - Mr. Richards is to sail this day [week?] in the steamer for Quebec.

    On Tuesday as I walked away from St. James

Church after getting the keys & copying the inscription on the tablet in memory of our Mother, my reflections took a course that brought before me the sad condition of Mr. & Mrs. Menlove, and I determined that however hopeless I would address another appeal to him, & I did so that day, directing my letter to the "Bold Arms" at Southport where he has been sojourning for many weeks. His friends here the Messrs. Tennant, father & son each told me that day that he had lately been quite [weak?] from a bad cold.

    The old Rector or Vicar of Bebbington the

Revd Mr. Feilden, who has filled that post for 40 years whom I met at dinner at Mr. [Torr's?] some months ago, fell down dead from an apoplectic fit whilst at Chester two days ago. - I am only sur- -prised that such had not been his fate long ago, judging by the way in which he stuffed himself at that grand feast at Mr. [Torr's?]. - He was a pupil of [?] Bold.

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Matthew will have told you of the very un -expected windfal we got L 300 from Mr. John Wood yesterday afternoon. _ And the enclosed copy of my letter to Mr. Wood will shew you my acknowledgement, whereof I trust both you & Matthew will approve.

    It was before this occurrence that I yester

-day morning carried out my design of placing another L50 at Mary Bold's credit whilst depositing a smaller sum for her with [?] & Addison. _ Today when I came home to dinner she placed in my hands the note I now hand to you.

    I knew no other way in which I could do

what I wished with less wound to her delicate sensibilities. _ I am sure you will be glad that the money was not refused. It was only at night when all the rest had gone to bed that I returned her Bank book to her & told her what I had done.

    She would gladly return with me as

you [see?] to Lpool to see me off; but I won't hear of anything of the kind. Before leaving here she intends placing in my hands the balance of funds she holds belonging to you. _ Tomorrow morng she is to ride into town with me to select the 4 pair of Shetland hose you have in your note to me today requested her to buy.

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Mary's cloak & umbrella are all ready, & resting for the present in my bed-room. _ I shall not take any money from her in exchange.

     I hope you will be able to make up your

mind to embark for Liverpool as I have proposed.

    I had been curious to learn the sequel of

Spider's history after her [?] [carried?]over to Highwood. _ I had imagined she was either lost or dead.

    The balance of our Cotton with which I

am caught by the unexpected capture of N. Orleans is plaguing me more than it might._ Every day since this news the desire to sell & the disinclination to buy have increased, so that today's sales of all kinds are but 2,000 bales. My first impulse was to try & force a sale on Monday, & I wish now that I had but before then prices were already below Matthew's minimum idea after he had heard of the capture of N.O.

    Today in his letters of 2 & 3 May, he

recommends me to buy U.S. Stocks in London, with most of the idle funds we now have in Cropper's & [Littledale's?] hands, supposing I can do so cheaper than the prices in N. York when he

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wrote, but such is not the fact, & if it were I am somewhat in doubt as to the expediency of such an invest- -ment at present. Like selling the Cotton, there are too many aiming at the same thing. _

    My journey up to London is at a suitable

time for looking after such an investment, but I had hoped to be rid of all business occupation when there, & to be spending all my time at the West End instead of being in daily attendance at Robt. Benson & Co's.

    Suppose McClellan's forces should be defeated

or that the same should happen to those of Halleck in the West; in either event these stocks would fall, or with both defeated the fall would be very heavy indeed, I suppose. And then if I sell the cotton in the mean- -while I should of course be doubly mortified. I must try & do what is best in both cases & be content tho acting so much in the dark.

    Tom Bold's 300 bales [bot?] in October are

still on hand, & whilst that is the case & [Littledale's] are holding the 203 bales [bot?] 14 [?] (1/2 for us & 1/2 for Mr. Miller) I cannot withdraw the L1000 in their hands.

    But I must go to bed now as we are to 

breakfast tomorrow at 1/2 past 8, alas 1/2 an hour earlier than usual.

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May 16th Friday night - I took Mary Bold with me to town as far as [Holden's?] (formerly Grapel's) in Church where we discharged [Mr. Harner's?] carriage, & proceeded to select an Album & various photo- graphed celebrities to put into it, for Sarah.

    We then walked up Bold St. to a shop where I

got a few more "celebrities" - to Smythe's where she paid 7/6 for the 3 doz. sermon books already procured & in my possession - & to [Hobson's?] where she bot 2 pair of Shet- -land hose (all they had left) of a suitable size for you._ I gave her 1/- to be used in riding in a cab home again, & so she got home untired & in time for luncheon; [?] rather malapropos for her preparations for the journey in which she is still immersed. Miss [Islam?] & Mrs. Tom [Islam?] paid a visit to M-[Phair?]this afternoon._

    Mary has this evening handed me the balance of

your account with her (L7.13/9) after retaining L5. in case of need, for our nephew William. I enclose her statement & the printed particulars of the 2 last Railway dividends._

    After dinner today I presented Laura & Elizabeth

each with a sovereign, requesting them to hae their pho- -tographs taken against my return from London. Then they are to give me 3 or 4 copies & do what they please with the rest. _ Of course E.B. will send by me one copy for Mrs. [Gwathmey?]. _ My intention is to get Mary Bold photographed as well as myself according to your wishes by the celebrated artist (Silvey, Bayswater, London) who [operated?] on Mrs. Howson. But we understand he required a fortnight after the sitting before he gives any copies, so it must be left to Mary after I have left London to get the copies to be sent after me either to L'pool or N.York as the case may be.

    Having added very considerably to my wardrobe & with

I suppose many things to carry back with me for others, I bought today a handsome new solid leather trunk.

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& a stout cover to surround it _ at the shop formerly "Connor's" in Lord St._ I paid L 5.10/_ for the trunk & 18/- for the cover._ I intend to use it for my journey up to London, and if you come over here after my arrival at N.Y. it can then be at your service._ It will probably be still a good trunk 20 years hence or longer._

    It turns out, as I suspected that the Revd. Mr.

Feilden (who was one of the 'old school') was at- tending Chester races when he died, & thus dropped down dead on the race-course!_

    When I saw Mr. John Wood today I found he was

pleased with my letter, but said I was far too complimen -tary & added that but for Johsua [?] & the Borough Bank, the sum would have been much larger. He now has 10 children & is expecting very soon a further addition. Old Mr. [Torrance?] with whom we crossed the Atlantic 31 years ago, & who you know is Mrs. Wood's father is still living in Montreal, but Mrs. Torrance died some months ago. _ Their son C. Torrance in N.Y., is the one who went to N.O with Mr. Wood in '39 or '40, & is married to one of the rich Mr. Vanderbilt's daughters._ Mr. Wood now lives in a home he built at West Kirby, on the Dee between Hoylake & Neston, & he wants me much to spend Saturday night to Monday morning. 31 May to 2nd June, on my return from London, but I hardly think I can [contrive?] to do so. _

    I met Mr. Menlove in {?] St. today on my way

to the Office, where he had already called & left his card. He had evidently come to town in consequence of my letter to him some days ago. _ He paid me another visit at 1/2 past 4 & sat with me in [?} enough until past 5. _ Our talk was altogether about the sad estrangement from his Wife & children, & I was the chief talker. We were both affected to tears & yet I am sorry to add it was all to no purpose! He is still obdurate, & I must now think he will remain so as long as he lives. _ He parted with me affectionately.

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I sold to-day 17 bales Cotton at 13d_ which is 7/8d less than I was asking for it before I went into [?] And I was offered 11 1/2d for 76 which I declined, as such Cotton had been worth 12 7/8 or 13d, my present demand for it brings 12d _ Some hours afterwards say at 4 1/4 p.m. I heard the main items of news [?] Persia , which reached Queenstown this afternoon. _ It was that the Confederates have evacuated Yorktown & retreated to Williamsburg, with the U.S. forces in pursuit, & that stocks in N. York were rampant. U. S. [?] up to 102.

    This was all that was stated in the Telegram I saw.
    It thus seems to me not unlikely that Richmond

will soon have followed the example of N. Orleans. At any rate I heartily hope for a similar bloodless vic- -tory -

    I shall have to hunt up Mrs. Fry tomorrow

-which will be a most inconvenient thing, when I have so many other things to attend to.

    With this further rise in U.S. Govt. stocks, I do

not now see any motive for my joining in the scramble to buy them. _ It was yesterday that I got Matthew's letters of 2/3 May recommending me to buy these stocks. & I at once requested Cropper Hodgson & Co. to have a proforma statement of our account with them made it for me. It was ready for me this morning._ If all the Cotton was sold by them at the prices I was asking for it this morning, & if we include Matthew's drafts against [Baron?] & Lord shipped to them, they would owe us about L8850 But the value of Cotton not sold by them is (at the prices I asked this morng) about L2500 & the [Baron?] & Lord of Yorkshire bring about L3000 I must deduct 1/2 of that for insurance to be collected by Maury Bros. for [?] CH & Co 1500 4000 which would entitle me now to ask for about L4850

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This is the utmost I could with any propriety or decency ask them to pay me now if I wished to buy the Stocks when I reach London.

    I had thought the sum now available was very

much larger than this & thus that we were losing the [mon?] for not having bought these stocks ear- -lier before this last [advance?] of about 7 [points?]._ and so on ascertaining the fact this matter does not worry me as it did last night.

    Today Mr. J.W. Cropper and I had, for the first time,

some little talk about the intended change in their firm her._ It began by his remarking to me "So Mr. Hodgson is intending a visit to America." He told me that yesterday before going up to London. Mr. Weed had a talk with him, & that it had ended in Weed deciding to joing Mr. Hodgson. He said he thought Weed perfectly right in coming to this conclusion. He was glad of it for his sake, as it was a better arrangement for him than he (Crop- -per) could offer._ I told him that Weed had con -sulted me & that I had advised him to decide just as seemed to him best for his own interest, as it did not seem to me that if he left him (Cropper) he was in any way damaging or inconveniencing him._

    I asked J. W. Cropper if it was decided that

Mr. Ferguson should come here & join him. He said it was.

    Today David [Spencer?] shewed me a copy of a

photograph of Fontaine taken as Wm calles it in his Tubal-Cain attire. It is a very good one.

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17th 4 1/2 p.m. I have been hard at work with my pen & brains for 5 hours past. _ whereof there is proof enough in what I enclose.

    Fontaine called on me today, just after I

got your letter (2 p.m.) [?] Persia, which I gave him to read._ He said he would call at the Adelphi today or tomorrow to do the [civil?] to the Fry's if they have arrived.

    The packages [?] Persia had not come yet when

I called there at 11 a.m.

    The Overland mail to China is dispatched

twice a month_ on 9th & 25th from Lpool & 10 & 26 from London - I will attend to the letter you have sent me for Tobin & add something to it my self.

    I am pleased with Mr. [Weston's?] letter today

& likewise to have heard from Miss [?] It is only being caught with Cotton that displeases me, but "Nemo mortalium omnibus horis sapit" - & I shall now miss the omnibus for 5 p.m. if I don't shut up.

                        Yours affectionately
                               R Maury

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                            Miss Maury

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