SD1031. Samuel Moulton-Barrett (brother) to Edward Moulton-Barrett (father)
Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 4, 356 (in part).
[Jamaica]
[ca. 30 August 1839]
The above is a copy of two letters which I feel the necessity of communicating to you. Last Sunday at 6 Oclock in the Evg a Printed note, vide copy, was placed in my hands here without any signature whatever: I having recd yr opinion when in England on the subject of the Burial Ground, “I allude to yr complaining of my permitting S.G.B. to repair E Barretts Tomb”, I determined at once, “Mr Carey being 18 miles off”, to prevent their establishing a right to the Private burial ground on this Property, though you may see I left it open to the Exors of Mr P. A. Morris to make a written application, which application I should have complied with, as many of his family are already buried there, & your right being acknowledged I thought it would have met with yr sanction– This however M[ess]rs Ricketts & Plummer declined doing. I recd a few lines from Mr Jump at 12 Oclock that night stating the Exors were highly exasperated, maintaining they were legally entitled to the burial ground on the Property (C. Hill) in consequence of numerous menbers of the family being buried there, & Mr Ricketts, an Exor, even asserted that old Ed Barrett sold the burial ground to his family– I have however gained the point, though I fear I have also gained the lasting ill will of the Plummer family. Provided however you are satisfied with that course I pursued, I shall feel perfectly contented– I may at the same time state that the Overseer had recd a request to have the grave dug, but no application was made either to himself or Mr Carey for permission. In allusion to Rd Barretts funeral I suppose you are aware his Exors brought the Coffin into the large Hall of this house, & that he was afterward buried in this burial ground without Mr Careys being cognizant of the fact till all was over: on that occasion Robert Dewar & Mr Plummer were to blame, S.G.B. is fully exonerated, for he was so ill, dangerously ill, that he could not attend the funeral, to Dewar I have spoken on the subject, & am satisfied from what he said that old G Waite Plummer was the occasion of no application being made: pray do not cast any blame on Sam for he says most distinctly that the Exors acted very wrong in not obtaining Mr Carey’s permission– If I should hear further from the Plummer’s I will let you know, but I think they had seen their error & will let the matter drop: one word more, before a Tomb is erected over R.B.s grave would you wish an application to be made to yr representative here?
Publication: None traced.
Source: File copy at Eton College Library.
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