4458. Sophia Landor to RB
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 26, 235–237.
Tachbrooke, Leamington
August 2nd [1859] [1]
Dear Sir
I believe my name [2] has already been introduced to you by our mutual, excellent friend Mr Forster, who has forwarded to me your letters to him, relating to my Uncle Mr W. S. Landor. Those letters have emboldened me to take the liberty of addressing you now. A letter has this morning been received, by my Uncle Mr H. Landor, [3] with whom I am at present residing, from his Brother, without date of any kind, but stating that in two days time he wld go to Viareggio: I gather from yr letters to Mr Forster, that you wld endeavour to detain him at Siena & therefore I think the only way to ensure an answer being received by him, is to send it under cover to your residence at Florence. I hope you will not deem me unpardonably intrusive if at the same time I venture to state to you a few facts, which considering the truly kind part you are acting towards my Uncle, it seems to me you ought to be made acquainted with, as you cannot know how best to act for him without this information. My Uncle Walter writes for money under delusions which no power on earth can remove. Again & again has the state of his affairs been set before him, in the kindest & plainest tongues by his Brother Henry & his Cousin, Mr Walter Landor of Rugeley, but in vain, he only treats them with insult & regards them as inimical because they try to check his wild career. I can not refrain from adding that my Uncle Henry’s conduct towards him through life, has been most forbearing, noble & generous. I have obtained permission to lay before you, as briefly as I can, the principal features of my Uncle Walter’s pecuniary affairs. Altho’ he entered upon his property without an incumbrance, in a few years he had involved himself in such difficulties, more from mismanagement than actual extravagance, that he was obliged to fly this country & make over his estates to Trustees. His conduct toward my Uncle Henry, at that time, was such that it was impossible for him, who wld have been by far the best person, to act as Trustee; & therefore my Father, [4] who was a Clergyman, undertook the thankless office & did his best. At his death, Mr Walter Landor of Rugeley & his son, Mr Robert Landor, [5] were appointed. The property is strictly tied down: certain annuities are settled upon my Uncle, upon Mrs Landor & upon Arnold; interest of debts upon mortgage consumes full one third of the gross rental; Insurance money, Crown Rents, repairs &c &c consume the remainder, so that the Trustees have really nothing in their power. The annuity allotted to my Uncle was last year transferred to his Son, Arnold, upon condition that he pays his Father’s legal expenses. But Mrs Yescombe [6] disputes the validity of that Transfer & has given notice to the Trustees not to pay the money to anyone: thus that sum remains locked up until the decision of the Court of Chancery is obtained: & even if that shld be favorable to my Uncle, his Lawyers will have first claim upon the annuity. Thus you see he is entirely dependent upon his family, he has nothing & can have nothing of his own. All these results were clearly foreseen & set before him last year before he quitted England & also after, in the hope of restraining him, but in vain. The resources of his family are such as might enable them to grant him a sufficient income to live comfortably alone & letters have been written to his Son endeavouring to effect some arrangement of this kind. If it can be done, may we hope that you, assisted by some other friend, or alone if you wld not deem it too much trouble, will kindly consent to act as his Bankers? For you say truly, that he is not fit to be trusted with money: but whenever his income has been so small as to meet only his own requirements he has always managed it with discretion. In palliation of the unnatural conduct of his children, [7] I think I ought to say that they have been grievously sinned against. He brought them up to suppose that they wld be amply provided for & refused to let his Sons be educated for any profession, altho’ he cld scarcely be ignorant that as far as he is concerned they are absolutely unprovided for, & it was not until the sad affairs of last year rendered explanations needful that they were undeceived. Neglected in youth, deceived through life, with unbroken, fearful tempers, ought we not to regard them rather with pity than anger? If no arrangements can be made with my Cousin Arnold, I am sure my Uncles [8] will see that their Brother does not want, for tho’ they dare not appear openly to aid him & wld not permit me to make any promise in their behalf, I am quite sure they will do what is kind & right, when they can in this unhappy affair. Most sincerely begging you to pardon this long intrusion, I remain Sir
Yrs Faithfully
Sophia Landor
To R Browning Esqre
My Uncle Henry is almost blind, old & shaken in nerves, this pleads my excuse for writing to you instead of leaving affairs to him. Those affairs are most trying to him.
Address: To be forwarded / Robert Browning Esqre / Casa Guidi / Florence / Italy. Redirected: Poste Restente [sic] / Siena.
Docket, in RB’s hand: No 1.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Yale University.
1. Year provided by postmark.
2. Elizabeth Sophia Landor (1815–89); see letter 4214, note 3.
3. Henry Eyres Landor (1780–1866).
4. Charles Savage Landor (1777–1849).
5. Robert Landor (1829–1914), solicitor, son of Walter Landor (1782–1864), of Rugeley, and his wife, Sarah (née Hickin, 1782–1875).
6. Mary Jane Yescombe (née Crosbie, 1815–78), who had sued Landor twice for libel (see letter 4214, note 4).
7. Walter Savage Landor and his wife, Julia (née Thullier, 1793–1879), had four children: Arnold Savage (1818–71), Julia Elizabeth Savage (1820–84), Walter Savage (1822–99), and Charles Savage (1825–1917).
8. The aforementioned Henry Eyres Landor and Robert Eyres Landor (1781–1869).
___________________
