SD756.1. Hope Masterton Waddell to Samuel Moulton-Barrett (uncle)
Addendum to The Brownings’ Correspondence, vol. 3.
[Cornwall]
Saturday evening 24 Nov. [1832]
My dear Sir
Your favour of Wednesday morning has just come to hand & as I understand a messenger is going to Retreat on Monday Morning I hasten to answer it.
Mrs Waddell has in her daily infant School twenty two children including two who are free—from the ages of two to eight. Of the third gang (which attends two afternoons every week) where are twenty children—(Elizabeth Tulloch’s included attends the school daily); but of these the nine boys are irregular in their attendance in consequence of being often engaged with the cattle & some always engaged in attending the white gentlemen of the estate. Of the Second gang who attend three evenings in the week—monday wednesday & friday there are seventeen learning to read &c. All those are of Cornwall. Of the adults on both Cornwall & Cinnamon Hill twenty are able to read the Testament–I believe there are many adults more who had begun the reading but who Seem to have given it up again.
You will easily see, my dear Sir, from these numbers of your own people, (without mentioning those of other estates who at present are numerous) that are learning to read, that it would be next to impossible for us to bring them forward very rapidly. Yet it may be necessary to mention how many are able to read. In the infant school eight are reading more or less. In the third gang fourteen are able to read more or less. In the Second gang ten can read more or less. In all about eighty are under our instruction in this department with various degrees of regularity of whom fifty two are reading. Miss Stennett’s School you probably enquired about before you left Cinnamon Hill, & therefore I have not adverted to it. I have married ninety nine persons on these estates– Some off the estate & some to free persons on it, but there were a number married before I came whose numbers I cannot exactly ascertain but Suppose they were about ten or twelve couples[.] On this subject I wish you could ascertain whether our marriages are according to law in the island as they are at home (when confined to persons of our own Congregations) & if not whether it would be possible to induce the House to pass a bill making them So. I have no Communicants as yet in my congregation; but am engaged forming a class preparatory to the dispensing of the Lord’s Supper, by personal conversation with examination of as many as desire to prepare for that holy ordinance. Into this class I have already admitted twenty Six Cornwall & Cinn Hill people whom I believe to be sincerely seeking to Know the Lord & do his holy will. I expect to admit more in the course of my examination. I am dear Sir
Ever truly yours
H. M. Waddell.
Monday morning
I have just received a Summons to the House of Assembly on Wednesday the fifth December; and I Suppose on Monday Mr Blythe <…> will proceed as far as Retreat. Possibly you w<ill be able to> be there.
H.M.W.
Address, on integral page: For / S. M. Barrett Esqr / Retreat Pen / Brown’s town, St Ann’s.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Eton College Library.
___________________
