Letter – Thomas Chatty to Mary Jurin – 14 Sep 1762

[on outer leaf:] To Mrs. Jurin

[annotated in a different hand:] Mr. Chatty’s letter



      The Hermitage September 14th 1762

Hon. Madam

      Herewith you receive an abstract of all my Receipts and Disbursements from my first entring into my Master’s Service to the 3d. July 1762 inclusive, and also an Account of my wages and how much I have receiv’d, and that upon the whole there appears to be a Balance of £46 0 2 due to me.

      I believe I informed you that Mr. Waller made the Agreement for me, and that he told me my Master would not be confin’d to give me more than £15 a year but wou’d have it at his own pleasure to give me more or not, according as he shou’d think proper. When I waited on my Master he told me the same, and that he did not Doubt but I shou’d find his place to be very beneficial; for as he was a Justice of Peace & hired me to be his Clerk & Butler, I might expect considerable perquisites. I told him that I apprehended I was not Qualify’d to be his Butler, for that I did not sufficiently understand laying the Cloth & setting out the side-board, he reply’d those things would easily be learn’d, as he should always keep a Footman that understood it, and that I sho’d have little to do in that respect, but to stand behind his Chair and to take care of his Cellars and his Plate; and said he believed he should not stay in the Country many months at a time, but that I should always continue there; that it wou’d be some time before he should have occasion for me, but I should then enter into his Service, and that my wages sho’d commence from that day; and that as soon as he wanted me he would let me know; and said something which gave me room to understand that the advantage I shou’d receive by Perquisites would depend solely on his stay in the Country, and for that reason he would be at his own liberty whether he would give me more than £15 a year or not according as Circumstances should happen, or something to that purpose, from which I had a more than probable reason to expect a considerable Income.

      In April following I receiv’d a Letter from my Master from Newcastle with Orders to apply to Mr. Sellwood [?] to assist me to buy a Horse to bring me down, and to pay for it & he would pay me again, and to be ready to come to him on the first Notice, & that he would allow my Expences upon the Road, but would not limit them but leave it to my own discretion, and ordered me to apply to his Sister Nanny who would give me directions how to send my Cloaths by Sea; but as Privateers were then very often taking Ships, and as I had a pretty good Stock of Cloaths, I did not chuse to venture them by Sea, but rather to run the risque of paying for Land carriage, if my Master should refuse it when I came to Newcastle & waited on my Master I told him I had sent my Cloaths by Land, and the reason why I did so, he said it was very well & ordered me to charge the Expence to his account; and told me that he had altered his mind as to my being his Butler, and that I must go to his House, where he had a good many Workmen & he would give me Money to pay their wages; that I must be sometimes among them, as my presence would keep them close to their work; and that he should not look upon me as a common Servant; I did not know what he meant by that Expression, but I submitted to his pleasure.

      My Master did not begin to act as a Justice until April or May 1758, and I did not get one Shilling in Perquisites before that time, not did I soon afterwards get a penny but what I got for Clerk’s Fees, except 5s. from the Malt Man & 1s. from the Taylor; and tho’ I understand that every other Servant had Money given at your first coming to the Hermitage, yet I had nothing at that time, nor at any other time, either when Money was left by Visitors or upon any Consideration whatever, tho’ I apprehend, in case I had been permitted to act in the place of Butler, according to my first Agreement, I should have receiv’d considerable perquisites on that account; and did not doubt but my Master intended to make me ample Satisfaction in some other manner.

      I humbly hope my Accounts will appear to be fair & just, and that my Expences will be thought very reasonable, for I have computed that my whole Expences, which I have charged to my Master’s Account, from my first coming to the Hermitage, being upwards of five years, amounts only to the Sum of £1 13 2 or thereabouts.

      I also understand that all the Physick & Attendance any of the other Servants have had from the Apothecary, is charged to my Master’s Account, and I hope I may expect the same Indulgence, notwithstanding I have paid for what I have had to the first of January 1762; But if you please to reimburse me all or any part of what I have so paid, as Mr. Howson’s Bill commences before the beginning of the Year 1760, you may if you think proper, send that Bill back again & order Mr. Howson to charge what Medicines I have had since that time in his Account to be now delivered in, and to return me what I have paid for the Years 1760 & 1761.

      I most humbly ask pardon for giving you this trouble, but as there might be something which you may not be fully acquainted with I took the liberty to set it down in writing, that you may have the whole matter before you, which I submit to your Consideration; and if you think proper to allow me anything towards a Satisfaction of what I might reasonable have expected according to my first agreement, I shall accept of your Bounty with Gratitude and Thankfulness; for as I have no right to claim anything from you but what appears in the Balance of my Accounts, therefore whatever you please to give me over and above that Sum will be a Charity bestowed on your

      most  dutiful and most obedient humble Servant

      Tho[ma]s Chatty