SD132. James Scarlett to Edward Moulton-Barrett (father)
Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 1, 310–311 (in part).
Temple
Feby 17th 1810
My dear Barrett
I have your letter this moment & lose no time in informing you that Mr Edwd Barrett must be under a mistake. Very soon after Christmas I reced a note from Mr Plummer for the allowance & within a few days & certainly before the end of January 1 I sent the money to him by Alic.
The reasons why I have not sent you the letter you allude to have been—first my incessant occupation—second that I have not <on> that account been able as yet to devote half a day to the closing of my accounts—thirdly that I wish fu<rther to> charge Miss Barretts expenses for the last half year, <that> I only wait to do till I have seen Mrs Murray & get Miss Crabtrees account. I wish you would name some sum that should be given to Mrs Murray for her outfit. It would look better if it came as a desire from you & Sam to pay her this attention than as a payment which Doctor Dewar has a right to insist upon.
In the meantime I have taken care by the entries in my account books to expain the transaction of the mortgage to me in such a manner as to leave no possibility of misapprehension. By those entries it will appear that the mortgage of 10,000l upon your Hope End Estate which I hold is to secure the repayment to me of so much of the funds which I claim as trustee in case I should hereafter be called upon to make any further disbursements on account of the trust or your grandfathers Estate. In other words you will be intitled to have a release or an assignment of that mortgage from me as soon as all the charges upon your grandfathers estate are satisfied <by yo>u & your brother & upon your giving me a release of indemnity against all further claims upon me as Executor or trustee. It being understood between us in the meantime that so long as you pay your portion of those demands to which I am liable on account of your grandfathers will & which may exceed the interest of the personal Estate now in the funds I am not to call upon you either for interest or principal upon that mortgage.
As soon as the Circuit is over, which will be in April I will write a more formal letter & also send you the one which I propose you shd write to me. Until then this letter will have the same effect for your security in case I shod break my neck in the North.
I looked eagerly in your letter for some account how you & Mrs Barrett liked Hope End—the neighbourhood—& compy. I hope you are satisfied. You promised to write to me soon after you were fixed. I have heard nothing of Sam. My brother Robert I hear was ill with a fever when the packet sailed—out of all danger—but not able to write. He was to put out in a few days from Spa: Town for the North side, I mention this lest you shod not have heard from him.
With very best regards to Mrs Barrett believe me My dear Barrett
Most truly yours
J Scarlett
We are all well at home.
Address, on integral page: Edwd M. Barrett Esqr / Hope End / Ledbury / Herefordshire.
Docket, in the hand of EM-B (father): J. Scarlett / Why he holds the mortgage / Feby. 17. 1810.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Eton College Library.
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