| Description | Copy letter from Colonel Patrick Duff, Cawnpore, to his brother James, London, afraid he has missed the last ship of the season and explaining that he was waiting for James’ letters before replying, visit with William to see Agrah, ‘it is not in my power to do justice to the Buildings and other marks of Grandeur’, mention of his orders to the field and back, the continued problems with being superseded as an artillery officer, he has faith in Lord Cornwallis, pleased with the news of his son Davie and hopes Johnny will do as well, he has another now he has named William, now eleven months old, ‘I did not intend to have any more of these, but what is to be done, a man more than a woman is not at all times master of his passions – don’t you show this part of the letter to Mrs Duff’, hopes she will have a son, and glad to hear their daughter is well, glad Davie has been sent to see his Scottish relatives, ‘I did not know how he might be treated: I know such as he [being mixed race] did not meet with much encouragement there some time ago, the people in that part are certainly more enlarged in their ideas than they were in my younger days’, visit of their brother John, William is on a course of mercury for his liver, and might have to go home, disappointed that Mr Stables did not support him in his complaints, he has now gone to London and may be of use to James as long as James does not trust him, list of other letters of introduction, his opinion of Sir John McPherson and his career in Bengal, money for William Gordon, Collergreens, to get his son into a trade, intention of supporting the son of Gordon, Aberlour, though times are difficult, 2 – 3 March 1787; copy of same to same, acknowledging a list of letters from James, Robert and their father, and the news that James has a son, delighted to hear his own son Kenneth John has arrived safely in London, accounts of friends finding England very expensive, he finds this hard to believe and thinks they have been imposed upon, he will not make a decision about going home until he has seen Lord Cornwallis, who is expected in a couple of months, his health is generally good apart from gout and he could stay on another year, he hopes Lord Cornwallis will govern well and strongly, Sloper had too much power over McPherson to allow McPherson to govern properly, Hastings was on balance a good governor, ‘I am convinced had he not married, he would have had fewer enemies’, change in army establishment has led to three more infantry colonels but still no full colonels in the artillery, arrival of a pipe of madeira, letters from their uncles at Letterfourie recommending a Captain Carnegie in the artillery whom Patrick has already helped, thanks to James forwarding some cloth to Alexander Gordon it is possible that Alexander and Patrick might set up a correspondence, Alexander said kind things about Davie playing with his own sons, their brother John has acted as interpreter at a court martial for some French deserters, list of cloth sent to Major Deare, mention of a diamond for Mrs Duff, glad she is preparing pictures of the boys which are to be given to the woman who looked after them after their mother died, ‘who tho’ black possessed a heart that would do no discredit to a white Lady’, sorry to hear that Warren Hastings is having a bad time and that Sir Elijah Impey has been attacked, 22 June 1787; copy of the same to the same, regarding deaths of Dr Dunn and Dr Arthur, and failure to find Mr Bethune, all of whom owe money for wine, John McClary had to leave in a French ship or be thrown in jail for debt, glad to hear his wife has recovered from the birth of their son, 31 July 1787; copy from same to same regarding long letter from their father who has travelled to Speyside with Letterfourie, full of country news which was gratefully received, possible business link with new commission agency set up by George Urquhart Lawtie, nephew of the parson at Fordyce, and Mr Farquharson, in order to sell wine, ‘I often wish myself a man of business, it would have been much better for myself and it might also be in favour of your House’ 12 August 1787 |