Correspondence of Hyacinth, Lady Hatherton, with Gerald Wellesley, 1808-1831 (D260/M/F/5/27/59, Staffordshire Record Office)

Nominated by Robert Maddocks, Penkridge

Hyacinth Wellesley keeps her brother Gerald (who is in India), up to date on the appalling behaviour of their father Richard, Marquess Wellesley (brother of the Duke of Wellington). Elsewhere in the Hatherton Collection, especially her husband's journal, Hyacinth is represented as the epitome of Victorian virtue - highly religious, heroically and cheerfully fighting illness and, after her death, an ethereal vision summoning lord Hatherton to eternal bliss. In this letter of 1813 she emerges, in her own right, as witty, self-deprecating, charming, worldly and caring, every boy's favourite sister, (and what Lord Hatherton must have seen in her in the first place). A transcript of the letter is given below.

Image of Hyacinth Hatherton letter - part 1

January 15 1813
5 Arlington St, Piccadilly

Dearest Gerald,

Three weeks last Monday the indissoluble knot of matrimony sealed my fate and & with all the form and ceremony I took possession of my new home & entered into the duties of my new estate! With a willing heart too: how different had it been, if last year, I had announced a similar thing to you! Now you will say I acted wisely as many more do, not that I think you conceived for a moment I was wrong, tho' perhaps you might be astonished at my perseverance - I was married at St George's as privately as possible, Nobody being present but just our family & Mr Littleton's & Lady Mornington and Mr More

Image of Hyacinth Hatherton letter - part 2

but the best of it was Papa being present & meeting Mama when he had not even seen her for the last three years. I assure you everybody's curiosity was much raised at the idea of such a meeting- however nothing occurred of any consequence for Papa arrived late & contrived the whole time to keep at a distance & I believe did not even see Mama's face no more than she did his & it all passed off famously to everybody's satisfaction. Nothing was wanting to complete the ceremony but your presence. We passed the first fortnight of the Honeymoon at Lady Chirly's House at Chelsea which was very pleasant at this time of the year being so near to London or in fact being part of London So that we had not far to go after the ceremony. You see- I have desired Mama to send you a silver and a Ribbon Favour that as far as possible you may lose nothing by your absence. I would fair have sent you part of the Bride cake too but that I fear is impracticable. I have been about a week in town since which I have had a great deal to do in furnishing our House & settling Household affairs. I do so wish you knew Mr Littleton I am sure you would like him; in a few years hence I hope at least we shall all have the pleasure of meeting & tho' I shall probably be then an old married woman I trust I shall not on that account be less happy Nor my better half the less agreeable or less amiable.

Poor Mama is now left almost alone. I cannot possibly imagine what she will do without me! I think I told you in my last letter she is going to quit her House in Grosvenor Square and to Remove to Cumberland Place, No 12, a most excellent House Robins the Upholsterer is to furnish it - and if he does his duty the Apartments will really be Magnificent This is what my husband has been writing in my absence I caught him at the word Robins & see how I punished him with a jog. As I am now talking of him I may as well tell you he desires his love all the same tho' in return I hope you will send him a good scolding for spoiling my letter and meddling in my private affairs & I can tell you no sense while he is by me. I shall leave off till he is gone.

I was disturbed just as I was beginning to give you an account of Mama's forlorn situation Henry being the only one left of five children now living with her, & next week even he will leave her for Oxford again So that she will be quite alone however it always so happens that her own affairs afford her more than sufficient employment & now besides a thousand other troublesome things she has got a house to furnish.

Richard has removed to Lincoln's Inn & truly he has great merit in so doing. If you could but see his rooms you would likewise say so. I went to pay him a visit yesterday in his new habitation with Mr Littleton. In the first place we had great difficulty to find it out & then we mounted up two pair of stairs, dirty Black things they were too, which brought us into his apartments miserable small & dark, looking into a narrow street as thick of fog as it possibly could be. Such is the place where Philosophical Richard has chosen to retire for the sake of studying that horrible thing the Law which no doubt is best acquired in the Midst of darkness and fog.

I have nothing this time to amuse you with respecting the Gay world having been wholly occupied with my own private affairs for the last three Months, which has prevented my thinking of anything else, and the most agreeable intelligence it is to you , I am sure ----
Always send your letters for me directed to Coutts as usual, being the safest direction to any of us wandering mortals.

I hope you are going on as well as ever. Will Lord Minto's return make any change in your situation. If it does, I hope it will only be for the better, if that it possible.

Good bye Dear Gerald. This is a very stupid letter indeed, but you will make some allowance for it just at this moment. I hope this reaches you. I flatter myself I shall greatly increase in wisdom, perhaps in Size too which will give you additional pleasure, won't it? Don't laugh at me but Believe me Ever affectionately your

HM Littleton

Is it not a pretty name?

I refer you to the Newspapers for the best account of my wedding. I believe you began to despair of never seeing such a thing there respecting poor me H.

Last Modified: 12/04/2007 13:47:32
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