Letter – Edward Blackett to John Erasmus Blackett – 27 Apr 1775

Thorpe Lee

27th Apr 1775

Dear Brother

      We are now all dispers'd again; My Mother at Warwick, Bro. Will at Plymouth, Harry upon the road to you, My Son at Oxford, My Daughter in Town: & we here; we left Town on Monday last, & altho it was the 24th Aprl there, we found it the middle of June here; I rode out yesterday upon the heath, found it so hot I was glad to return again soon; This day too is very hot but wth more wind; Thermometer at 67. If we have not rain soon there will be no grass. The corn all looks very well; & saw them sowing yesterday wch I thought very late..  as to news there was none of consequence stirring when we left Town, there was a ship from North America wch brought nothing new, there is not the least dependance to be made upon anything that is said of the North American affairs in the newspapers; almost all of the letters inserted in the papers as from N. America are wrote here; they would have been quiet in that part of the world some time ago, had it not been for the account Docr Franklin sent from hence; & the encouragement they have rec'd from our own people here. I think we have behaved very imprudently in regard to Doc F. we should have got Him over at 1st; If money & promises could have done it: but I can't have that bad opinion of Ld H to imagine that he woud have permitted the Docr to return to N. A. whout having properly secured him our and indeed their friend; there are times when individuals must be bribed to do what they ought to do; no time in wch it was so necessary as the present; a £100,000 properly laid out in N. A. woud save us millions. The funds are rising a little wch I am very glad to see & I rec'd a letter for Harry wch I shall return to Mr Bates in a frank; I was sorry to hear of the loss of Miss M Douglass, she was  a very good sort of woman, I suppose Sr Thos [wil]l have inherited most of what she had; Sr W Blackett seems to be perfectly well, he says he shall not leave Town till after the Parl[iament] is up, But I hardly imagine you will see much of him in the North this Summer; I think it seldom happens that Sr W B & we spend the same summer in the North. I saw Mr Ridley at Ranelagh a few days ago, he is very well, and I suppose will be wth you ere long. I am very glad you like the Situation my nieces are in so well; Everybody speaks well of it.

      My Wife desires to join wth me in her Love & best Wishes to my Sister & yself I am dear Bror  yrs most affectionately  

      E Blackett

I never remember such plenty of nightingales we have them upon every tree.