2241 - Margaret Watt (II) to James Watt (II), 3 January 1791

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Calton January 3 1791

Hond Sir

I received yours by Mr Brown last
week - nead I say I was exceedingly distressed upon read -
- ing it to find you had such an opinion of me & to
find that some people here had done every thing in their
power to wean your affections from me - I hope however
from my future conduct you shall have reason to be better
pleased - & be ashured my Dear Father I shall not
Marry any person without first consulting you and my
worthy Aunts - I never did nor shall I ever visit
any one without their aprobation - whatever may
have been said to the contrary -
Write to me Dearest Father & continue
to tell me of my faults and failings that I may make
it my study to amend them - I am exceedingly sorry
to hear that you are still troubled {^so much} with headakes that
you can have little or no enjoyment -
Believe me I did not mean to offend by the stile
of my letters nor did I mean to express sentiments I did
not feel - but since they meet with your displeasure
I shall endeavour to restrain my emottons -
My Aunt Marr is much troubled with head -
- akes and sore eyes & at present is complaining of a
cold - my Aunt Betty is much affected by the

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changeableness of the Weather but I think upon the
whole is no worse - [deleted] [deleted] every day every hour
gives me new prooffs of their goodness and I should
be ungratefull indeed if I did not strive to return it -
My Aunts desire kind Compliments to you and
Mrs Watt and join with me in wishing you both
many happy returns of the season -
I am sorry to hear that my Brother is complain -
- ing but hope the jaunt to Birmingham will restore
him -
Dr Meek of Cambuslang has lost his oldest Son
a very promising young man who died of a Consumpsion
all their family are in great distress particularly so as he
was the first Death in their family - They have [deleted]
been exceedingly attentive to me for which I am much
oblidged to them -
I dined at Mr Hamiltons upon saturday Mrs Ham
- ilton has a bad cold but her other Complaint is better -
Mr Mcgrigors family are all well except Miss Peggy who
is Complaining of a cold I saw them yesterday -
Please remember me respectfully to Mrs Watt and
Love to Gregory and [?asepy] -
and believe me to be
Hond Sir
your Dutiful Daughter
Margt Watt

Image 3

Mr James Watt
Engineer
Dingle) Birmingham

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Calton January 3 1791
Hon Sir
I received yours by Mr Brown last
week - nead I say I was exceedingly distressed upon read-
-ing it to find you had such an opinion of me & to
find that some people here had done every thing in their
power to wean your affections from me - I hope however
from my future conduct you shall have reason to be better pleased - &be ashured my Dear Father I shall not
Marry any person without first consulting you and my
worthy Aunts - I never did not shall I ever visit
any one without their aprobation - whatever may
have been said on the contrary -
Write to me my Dearest Father & continue
to tell me of my faults and failings that I may make
it my study to amend them - I am exceedingly sorry
to hear that you are still troubled {^so much} with headaches that
you can have little or no enjoyment -
Believe me I did not mean to offend by the stile
of my letters nor did I mean to express sentiments I did
not feel - but since they meet with your displeasure
I shall endeavour to restrain my emotions -
My Aunt Mary is much troubled with head-
-aches and sore eyes & at present is complaining of a
cold - my Aunt Betty is much affected by the

Image 2

changableness of the Weather but I think upon the
whole is no worse - [deletion] every day every hour
gives me new proofs of their goodness and I should
be ungratefull indeed if I did not strive to return it -
My Aunts desire kind Compliments to you and
Mrs Watt and join with me in wishing you both many happy returns of the season -
I am sorry to hear that my Brother is complain-
-ing but hope the jaunt to Birmingham will restore
him -
Dr Meek of Camb[illeg] has lost his oldest Son
a very promising young man who died of a Consumption
all their family are in great distress, particularly so as he
was the first Death in their family - They have all
been exceedingly attentive to me for which I am much
obliged to them -
I dined at Mr Hamilton's upon saturday Mrs Ham-
-ilton has a bad cold but her other Complaint is better -
Mr Mcgrigors family are all well except Miss Peggy who
is Complaining of a cold. I saw them yesterday -
Please remember me respectfully to Mrs Watt and
Love to Gregory and [illeg]
and believe me to be
Hond Sir
your Dutifull Daughter
Margt Watt

Image 3

Mr James Watt
Engineer
Birmingham

Details

Margaret Watt (II) to James Watt (II), 3 January 1791

She insists she will not marry without consulting him and her aunts. She will restrain her emotions in future, as they cause him displeasure. Her aunts are unwell, partly due to the weather. She reports on the death of the oldest son of an acquaintance, about which the family are ‘in great distress’.

Watt, James and Family Papers

MS 3219/4/1/1/9/3

Library of Birmingham

1791

1

3

Calton

[Glasgow] [Scotland]

Birmingham

[Warwickshire] [England]

People
How to Cite

To Cite this Letter

Margaret Watt (II) to James Watt (II), 3 January 1791, 311791: Library of Birmingham, Watt, James and Family Papers, MS 3219/4/1/1/9/3

To Cite this Edition

Material Identities, Social Bodies: Embodiment in British Letters c.1680-1820. Compiled by: Karen Harvey, Helen Esfandiary, Sarah Fox, Emily Vine, University of Birmingham. Project funded by the Leverhulme Trust (2021-2025, Ref. RPG-2020-163), https://socialbodies.bham.ac.uk.

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