338 - Lady Frances Jerningham to Charlotte Jerningham, 15 September 1785
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The pleasure I have in seeing George &William again at
Cossey does not make me forget my pretty dear Girl at Paris!
on the contrary the two first days they were here I thought
if possible still more about you & they said they missed
you so as to feel quite uncomfortable here without seeing sister.
I have since had the pleasure of receiving a very charming &
merry letter which proves to me that you are Cheerful
so I again acquiesce in the separation & endeavour to resign
my self to it. Your brothers & Pere Arnout are very happy
here what I dread is the returning back which must have
its time. But I hope George will not be very unreasonable
they stay in the nursery in the two turn’d up beds &
Pere Arnout has the yellow room. Neddy is in the little
Blue Room, the Dining room is made into two very
pretty bedchambers which are now quite finished. One has
a green paper, the other a red one. Some days ago
Mrs. Bagot, (who has at present three nieces of the Bishop
with her, two Miss Chesters & a Miss Sneyde,) told Sir Wm
that she wish'd the young Ladies could have a dance,
as it was impossible to give a ball at the Palace but [illeg]
she was herself passionately fond of dancing. Sr Wm
very good-naturedly told her she should have that [damaged]
at Cossey, accordingly a party was made up. The [?dance]
was in the Parlour, which is now very neat, new paint
& a white paper in it with a green border. One door
open in the hall, the other facing the little house door,
our old project, and is much more convenient than that
old door at the bottom of the stairs. The supper was in
the Hall. The whole number reckoning upon was 34, Cards
in the Library. Now I think I must name the dancers :
Miss Bagot (who danced like a fury), two Miss Chesters,
Miss Sneyde, Miss Wodehouse (Powdered, with the most frighful
shabby chip-hat, staring perpendicularly up in the air,
gown with a Little Cape — and, thank God, a handkerchief), Mrs.
Branthwayte, Mrs. Fanshawe, Mrs. Laton, Mrs. Norris, & Miss
Buckle, who dances very prettily & came for to be Ned's
partner. For since our expedition to Yarmouth he has become
a great dancer. William also dances several times, But George would
The Gentlemen dancers were : Papa, Uncle Harry, Sr John Wodehouse,
Mr. Wm Hay, Major Churchill, Major Money, two young officers,
Mr. Roper and Mr. Pocklington, Captn Majendie, whom you saw
last year with General Johnson, Mr. Branthwayte, Mr. Layton.
[illeg] Sitters by were: Lady Wodehouse, Mrs. Chester,
Mrs. Majendie (with child), Hopkinson — and Mama. The supper was
at twelve & the company parted at. Miss Wodehouse
dances very well, but is as ugly as Sin.
She professes an immense regard for you,
and told me she had again wrote. So
pray answer a few lines: for as
you must be acquainted when you return,
will be better to be civil to her: she has enough to be
mortified about in her face ! I forgot to name her brother
who danced, as also another great boy.
Master Chester. I was very much entertained with the
account you gave me of your Little Concert & succeeding
Riot. It puts me in mind of my Youth & I believe
if you were at Panthemont the nuns would think you
were gone back again to my days! I am glad my little
girl is merry at all events. A Night Cap is a very Good
Terrorem. At Panthemont it was kissing the ground in the middle
of the Choir. I dreaded it more than many people do hanging.
I shall endeavour, my Dearest Charlotte, to send you the
little money you have expended, and the other things you
asked for. Had you not a guinea pocket money extraordinary
when your account was paid? I order'd it. Adieu, my Dear
Little Girl. I shall write again soon, & in the mean while
send a kiss to the two little fat Cheeks I have so often
paid that homage too. I hope you can make my writing
Your papa is gon to day with George & Pere Arnaud to
Yarmouth they return tomorrow. William is rode to see
Mrs Constance & Neddy is romping about the Gallery with
poor Hop Murray who desires his compliments to you. Adieu {?my} {?dear} {?Petite}
[change of orientation]
A France
Mademoiselle
Mademoiselle Jerningham aux
Dames Ursulines Rue St Georges
a Paris
post pd to London
The pleasure I have in seeing George &William again at
Cossey does not make me forget my pretty dear Girl at Paris!
on the contrary the two first days they were here I thought
if possible still more about you & they said they missed
you so as to feel quite uncomfortable here without seeing sister.
I have since had the pleasure of receiving a very charming &
merry letter which proves to me that you are Cheerful
so I again acquiesce in the separation & endeavour to resign
my self to it. Your brothers & Pere Arnout are very happy
here what I dread is the returning back which must have
its time. But I hope George will not be very unreasonable
they stay in the nursery in the two turned up beds &
Pere Arnout has the yellow room. Neddy is in the little
Blue Room, the Dining room is made into two very
pretty bedchambers which are now quite finished. One has
a green paper, the other a red one. Some days ago
Mrs. Bagot, (who has at present three nieces of the Bishop
with her, two Miss Chesters & a Miss Sneyde,) told Sir Wm
that she wished the young Ladies could have a dance,
as it was impossible to give a ball at the Palace but [illeg]
she was herself passionately fond of dancing. Sr Wm
very good-naturedly told her she should have that [damaged]
at Cossey, accordingly a party was made up. The [?dance]
was in the Parlour, which is now very neat, new paint
& a white paper in it with a green border. One door
open in the hall, the other facing the little house door,
our old project, and is much more convenient than that
old door at the bottom of the stairs. The supper was in
the Hall. The whole number reckoning upon was 34, Cards
in the Library. Now I think I must name the dancers :
Miss Bagot (who danced like a fury), two Miss Chesters,
Miss Sneyde, Miss Wodehouse (Powdered, with the most frighful
shabby chip-hat, staring perpendicularly up in the air,
gown with a Little Cape — and, thank God, a handkerchief), Mrs.
Branthwayte, Mrs. Fanshawe, Mrs. Laton, Mrs. Norris, & Miss
Buckle, who dances very prettily & came for to be Ned's
partner. For since our expedition to Yarmouth he has become
a great dancer. William also dances several times, But George would
The Gentlemen dancers were : Papa, Uncle Harry, Sr John Wodehouse,
Mr. Wm Hay, Major Churchill, Major Money, two young officers,
Mr. Roper and Mr. Pocklington, Captn Majendie, whom you saw
last year with General Johnson, Mr. Branthwayte, Mr. Layton.
[illeg] Sitters by were: Lady Wodehouse, Mrs. Chester,
Mrs. Majendie (with child), Hopkinson — and Mama. The supper was
at twelve & the company parted at. Miss Wodehouse
dances very well, but is as ugly as Sin.
She professes an immense regard for you,
and told me she had again wrote. So
pray answer a few lines: for as
you must be acquainted when you return,
will be better to be civil to her: she has enough to be
mortified about in her face ! I forgot to name her brother
who danced, as also another great boy.
Master Chester. I was very much entertained with the
account you gave me of your Little Concert & succeeding
Riot. It puts me in mind of my Youth & I believe
if you were at Panthemont the nuns would think you
were gone back again to my days! I am glad my little
girl is merry at all events. A Night Cap is a very Good
Terrorem. At Panthemont it was kissing the ground in the middle
of the Choir. I dreaded it more than many people do hanging.
I shall endeavour, my Dearest Charlotte, to send you the
little money you have expended, and the other things you
asked for. Had you not a guinea pocket money extraordinary
when your account was paid? I ordered it. Adieu, my Dear
Little Girl. I shall write again soon, & in the mean while
send a kiss to the two little fat Cheeks I have so often
paid that homage too. I hope you can make my writing
Your papa is gone to day with George & Pere Arnaud to
Yarmouth they return tomorrow. William is rode to see
Mrs Constance & Neddy is romping about the Gallery with
poor Hop Murray who desires his compliments to you. Adieu {?my} {?dear} {?Petite}
[change of orientation]
A France
Mademoiselle
Mademoiselle Jerningham aux
Dames Ursulines Rue St Georges
a Paris
post pd to London
Lady Frances Jerningham to Charlotte Jerningham, 15 September 1785
Mother to daughter – she does not forget her dear pretty girl in Paris, but must resign herself to the separation. Charlotte’s brothers and Pere Arnout are very happy at Cossey, but she dreads them going back. They held a dance in the parlour – Miss Wodehouse dances well but is ugly – Frances asks that Charlotte reply to her letters and be civil to her, because she has enough to be worried about in her face. Frances recalls her days of convent school, where she would have to kiss the ground – she dreaded doing that. She sends a kiss to her daughter’s two little fat cheeks.
Jerningham Family Papers
JER/32
Cadbury Library, University of Birmingham
1785
9
15
Cossey [Norfolk, England]
aux
Dames Ursulines Rue St Georges
a Paris
[France]
primary author
- kissing
- thinking
- writing
separation
- affection
- apprehension
- happy
- love (parental)
motherhood
primary addressee
- cheeks
- face
writing
aesthetics
happy
school
To Cite this Letter
Lady Frances Jerningham to Charlotte Jerningham, 15 September 1785, 1591785: Cadbury Library, University of Birmingham, Jerningham Family Papers, JER/32
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.