647. Robert Southey to Henry Herbert Southey, 6 January 1802

647. Robert Southey to Henry Herbert Southey, 6 January 1802 ⁠* 

My dear Harry

After my last information you will not be surprized at learning my Mothers death. it was happily easy. Carlisle has attended her ever since her arrival – but no skill could avail.

You will be shocked at this event. to us who have borne all the preparations & seen all – it was most desirable. the funeral will be early on Friday. it hurts me that I cannot send her to the grave of her family. [1] 

God bless you Harry. I am glad that you were not here. a death bed is bad enough for a stranger to witness – you could only have given & received pain.

I must not omit that in the whole illness there has she displayed a calmness – a suppression of complaint – a tenderness towards all around her quite accordant with her whole life. it is a heavy loss – I did not know how severe the blow was – till it came –

God bless you

yrs very affectionately

Robert Southey.

Jany. 6 . 1802.

her release was yesterday afternoon.

Notes

* Address: Mr H. H. Southey / with Mr P. Martineau / Norwich
Postmark: CJA/ 1802/ 6
MS: Bodleian Library, MS Don. d. 3. ALS; 2p.
Unpublished. BACK

[1] Margaret Southey died in London, far away from her family’s ancestral burial place at Ashton, Somerset (now a suburb of Bristol). Ashton was also where Southey’s father, two brothers and three sisters (who had all died in childhood), and cousin, Margaret Hill, were interred. BACK

Addressee

Southey, Henry Herbert (1784–1865)

People mentioned

Southey, Margaret (1752–1802) (mentioned 1 time)
Carlisle, Anthony (1768–1840) (mentioned 1 time)
Southey, Henry Herbert (1784–1865) (mentioned 1 time)
The Collected Letters of Robert Southey, Part Two
About this Page