Where is a good dating agency when you need one? Another look at a Lonely Heart from 1736
Among a large collection of Richard Hall’s letters which came to light just a couple of years ago is the correspondence from his father-in-law Benjamin Seward to the latter’s brother-in-law George Knapp, barrister. The collection includes this one from Badsey in Worcestershire dated 15 December 1736 – in other words, 280 years ago.
By way of background: Benjamin was a hosier, one of seven sons. He did rather well for himself in the aftermath of the Great Fire, buying up farmland in the area of North London and flogging it off for development. Most of his 6 brothers lived in Badsey, near Evesham, with their parents. By his early forties Benjamin had amassed enough of a fortune to buy The Mansion House at Bengeworth (now the Evesham Hotel) a couple of miles down the road. He chose the place in part so that his parents could assist him with the task of bringing up his two infant daughters, Frances and Eleanor. Their mother had died when Eleanor was born, and George Knapp was their mother’s brother. By the time of this letter the children were 5 and 3.
This background explains the keen attempt by Benjamin to find himself a new wife. I thought others might like to see the poetic (?) turn of phrase used to describe his interest in the Ladies (“My zeal for the Petticoat Pleasures”).
The letter reads:
“I blame myself for my long silence, at the same time I can’t help complaining of yours. Since my last I took a second tour to Birmingham where I was very agreeably entertained. I was at Two Balls and very merry amongst the Fair Lasses but as yet I am only a General Admirer.”
He then refers to his two young children: “ My two little charmers have so great an Ascendant over my Affections that I shall not I hope precipitously be a Particular One, tho my zeal for Petticoat Pleasures is too well known to admit of a Disguise. Therefore when I come to London again, which I propose doing soon after Xmas, I may chance to venture a Second Voyage if there is a Fair Prospect of Casting Anchor at the Cape Du Bon Esperance.”
In other words he made no secret of the fact that he was desperate to marry a second time if the chance came along…
The address section of the letter (known as an entire) showing delivery to Joe’s Coffee House at Mitre Court, Fleet Street.
In due course Benjamin did indeed find another wife – I think possibly it was his fortune rather than his flowery prose which did the trick! They married and moved into Bengeworth Mansion House and the daughters grew up in a happy and stable environment. My ancestor married Eleanor, the younger daughter, when she was 21, spending the honeymoon at Bengeworth while Dad and Step-Mama went up to London. Both parents were to die within a few weeks of the wedding, leaving the house and lands equally to Frances and Eleanor. By virtue of the Property Laws then in force, this meant Richard was suddenly a very wealthy 25 year old.
It may seem slightly curious that Benjamin’s younger daughter was able to keep her father’s letters; they came into her possession when George Knapp, (addressee) died and Richard (executor) discovered the letters with George’s effects. Even more remarkable is that no-one else thought of binning them in the intervening 280 years! For very many years they have nestled safely and unseen in a concertina file of papers which my second cousin has kindly let me photograph. I am now reading through the correspondence and general ephemera and maybe eventually I will decide to bring out a Second Edition of the Journal of a Georgian Gentleman in order to include all this extra material.
Meanwhile a paperback version is available for £9 p&p. Do contact me via [email protected] if you are interested. No-one can say I don’t try and make Christmas shopping simple!
