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GB 3452 SF-01-03 · Item
Part of Campbell of Stonefield Papers

To
The Right Honble [sic]
The Lady Grace Campbell
At her House in the
Cowgate oppiset [sic] to the fish
Market Close
Edr [Ednburgh]

My Dearest Sister
tho’ nothing has occurred worth your perusal, since I wrote last, yet cou’d withstand, so good an opportunity sending you a few lines, fraught wt my best wishes to you & yours; I am glad you agree wt moving about, since I am persuaded ’twill do you good, & make you less unwieldy, as you increase in bulk; so Mrs Campbells arrived, & how fares it wt her, honest woman, does she patrolle [sic] about the streets, by way of wholesome exercise; tis certainly as good as the Dean’s runing [sic] up and down stairs, of a rainy day; well I long to hear what Milton says of the Duke’s motions, if he chuses to be communicative; my Lord, & Jack, left this Sunday, to look after his harvest, but preposed [sic] being back this week, & if Dumbarneys ready in some measure, to receive me, I shall go up again wt him; & where have I been to day, think you, at Leven, to gather shells, I’m not fee you see, but a most fruitless expedition ’twas, never did I see such barren sands; extensive but bare of any beautiful productions, Conscience Jenny &c: is now at London, wt her shining greasy Spouse so we cou’d not see her; but to make amends for this days disappointment, shall beat up the shelly beds at St: Andrews soon, where I hope to be more successful; do you know my Dr Lady Mary’s marriage wt young Greeme, is confidently talk’d here, & one of these days, he’s expected in his Country, so probably will soon come out if true; all you heard about her conversation wt Lady [?] was fact, who knows not, what to think; I believe I wrote you, miss weer, was here really a fine smart like Girl; did the little wife call at you, wt: the diaper, since I saw you, has Dr little Jenny said Mama again, My Love attends them but shall write Dr Jane for so soon as I have a spare moment, & am vastly indebted to her, kind anxiety about me; in consequence of her last letter, am to see his Grace, before his departure, in any event; now my Dearest, if you’d oblidge me, write a nice card, to the Ladies of Tweedale, who excell so much in breeding canary’s at least, & beg the favour of them to give me a she Canary, which I’ll take, as a singular favour, & will send a purpose for it, if they consent, now forget not this, as you love me, & I persuade my self, they will not refuse, when you show’d them off at plays, & all that:
must now wind up all, wt kind Complements [sic] to our friends, from me & mine, & all here; & best wishes to you, whos most Affect’d is AR [Lady Anne Ruthven]

Struthers
tuesday night.

Campbell, Grace (1722-1783) née Stewart, Lady, wife of John Campbell, Lord Stonefield, daughter of James, 2nd Earl of Bute
GB 3452 SF-01-08 · Item · 1754 July 4
Part of Campbell of Stonefield Papers

To Mr John Campbell Advocate
At his House in the Cowgate, Edinburgh
Thursday July 4th [1754]

Last night I took my usual post day walk to the foot of the avenue, & was so fortunate there My Dear Sweet Life as to receive yrs of tuesday, which gave me the higher pleasure as I had entertain’d some secret apprehensions about your expedition to Cranston from what reason I don’t know, unless it was from the fear of your engaging with a rash driver or a viscious [sic] Horse, which two things were neither of them impossible, and to a timorous mind very probable; tho’ I know my Dearest Jewel you won’t thank me for taking such a Burden upon me; Im heartily glad to hear of Mrs Campbell Finab’s happy Dilivery [sic]; poor Black Betty has ended her days; while Whitestone was at London, she miscarried 3 or four months gone with Child, & in that condition catch’d cold, which immediately fell upon her Lungs, & has hurried her out of the world in a Gallopping [sic] consumption; the poor man is in great concern; her being with Child gave him vast pleasure, so blindly do short sighted mortals often wish for things that prove in the end their greatest misfortunes; from the experience of which, we should all of us learn to submit our own wills intirely [sic] to that of our unerring Maker, because we May generally observe (as Mr Young says) our very Wishes, give us not our Wish; so much my beloved Moitié for serious considerations; none I am sure has fewer wishes left them, than my self, such infinite reason have I with the utmost thankfulness to acknowledge the peculiar kindness of indulgent Heaven, in the favourable disposition of my Lot - Sir James & Lady Ellan were here last night after having replaced Master at School, Miss Semple, yr Sister Jenny, & I go to Rosedu the beginning of next week, & the week after (if it please God) to Halkhead where I hope My Dearest Life to meet you, the very first of the last week in Jully [sic]; you promised me at parting to return the third week of this month, which I have most impatiently long’d for, and kept an exact account of ev’ry day; if you please My Dearest to enclose to me one or two more of those bits of paper you gave me at parting, in case any unlook’d for expences [sic] may cast up when I’m upon My expeditions from Home. I had a long letter yesterday from my Sister Ruthven, who in the kindest manner bids me remember her to you; Rossie was often with my Br Mackenzie while at London & was to see my Br Bute, who he thinks not at all well, & his Spirits sadly Sunk; youll order Nanny Macgrigor here My Dr the minute you leave Town, for the Nurse wants of all things to be Home, indeed I cant blame her, as the Queen should not keep me so long from My Husband, & she seems to have a great tenderness for hers than is at all common among the country people; we all of us long to hear good [? Document damaged] of Lady Banff; Lady Balgony I fancy is near her reckoning [? Document damaged]. My compts & good wishes attend them both; our little folks are both in quite good health, Archie says papa very often & always looks in the mean time to me with a conscious little laugh, expecting approbation; when he is angry he thrashes all about him, & scolds like anything; The Bailie of Kintires Wife and Daughter are here just now, we have had a good deal of rain here, the Hay in the Avenue is mostly cut down but none in yet; in the clover Park hs been all in above a week, except a little that the rain keeps out yet; Miss Betty begs youll send her Stockings directly by the Carrier to Glasgow. She sets out next week for [?] I forwarded yr letter to the Sheriff the same day I receiv’d it; he leaves Inverary [sic] for Kilhamack tomorrow. Remember me my dr to Ld [?], Ld Banff and good Lady Charles’s Family. & believe My dearest most beloved Moitié you have in me a sincerely fond and faithful little Wify. GC.
Do my dear get me some franks from Mr Kerr.

Campbell, Grace (1722-1783) née Stewart, Lady, wife of John Campbell, Lord Stonefield, daughter of James, 2nd Earl of Bute
GB 3452 SF-01-09 · Item · 1754 July 7
Part of Campbell of Stonefield Papers

To Mr John Campbell Advocate
at His House in the Cowgate
Edinburgh

Sunday July 7th [1754]

As a burnt child dreads the fire, you may depend upon it my Dearest I shall be very cautious in any expedition I make in your absence, especially as I have the pleasure to know tis a matter of some concern to you My Darling Life; but as I have made those two appointments with Miss Semple to go to Rosedue [sic], & Halkhead, I should not care without you had [?] it, to break them; but we are both timerous [sic] enough so shant take any step that is rash; Finlay drives a great deal better than any of our Drivers, so if the blind Horse be left at Home there is no Danger; it was not indeed any bodys fault but our own its being imploy [sic] to ride by the chaise that day we got the fright, but Miss Betties, & Captains Horse being both so little, we did not chuse to have them; I believe the Captain had not exchanged his Horse for Miss Jennys when you left us, that Bargain was only concluded the night before he went to Inverary [sic]; from whence to our vast astonishment he returned on thursday; what the matter has been, we cant find out, but conclude he has quarred [sic] with the Sheriff, tho’ he pretends he came away about some Law affair of his Brothers, & is to leave this for Edin[burgh] tomorrow; he has a packet to you from yr Father; poor Mrs Deniston Cowgrane was taken ill of a fever lately, and died yesterday; I hope Lady Banff has recovered her cold, for they are bad things to last; your Mama begs My Dearest that you’ll bring her out a silver Snuff-mill, about a guinea value; if you buy it from Kerr, I think he should send a good many franks along with it; that’s a strong kind of accident My Br[other] Mac: has met with, I wish there may be nothing dangerous in it, we still continue to have a good deal of rain so the Hay is still out; a’s [alas?] My Dear My poor Bird is no more, in remembrance of you My Dr sweet Jewel I had a pleasure in letting it out of its cage, which I did always after Breakfast, & it enjoy’d its Liberty till Dinner came, when I used to put it up again, this had made it so tame it eat [sic] out of all our hands, & sat constantly upon my head or Sholder [sic] singing like a little Nightingale; but unfortunately ’tother day I went in a hurry to Dinner, left both Molly & Peggie in the room to put it in its Cage, who instead of that, stupidly trod with a heavy foot upon it, & sent its little soul (according to Pathagoras [sic]) to animate some other Body, tho’ to lessen their fault they told me ’twas Missie trod up on it, be that as it will, my poor Bird survived it but a few hours, & then breath’d its last.
Our Dear little folks are both very well, as every Body here is; who do you think my Dearest was here for a [?] yesterday but yr Clerk Mr Stewart I declare I could scarce keep from bursting out a laughing when I saw him, remembering the conversation we had about him, & the large appointments he has by this title of yr Clerk; Miss Semple returns her compts [compliments] and enquires always very kindly about you, she is really a sensible good Girl; I have no more to add but the subject of my daily prayer, that God may bless you with his almighty favour both here and hereafter, & continue you in the world till it shall please him to remove me out of it; adieu my most beloved & Dearest Moitié GC

GB 3452 SF-01-05 · Item · 1754 June 18
Part of Campbell of Stonefield Papers

To John Campbell Esq
Advocate at his House
In the Cowgate
Edinburgh

June 18th

My Dearest Life
As all Hands were at the Hay last night I had the patience to defer sending to the post office till nine o’clock, which I tell you My Dearest as ‘tis proof of the command I lack over my self; your dear letter my sweet Life gave me vast pleasure and revived my spirits greatly, they are every second day much upon the decline till a letter from you makes its appearance, and restores them; oh My Dearest tis an age to look forward to the end of the session, but I hope you’ll leave Town (if it please God you’re well) a week or two before that, as you said you’d do; the Charm of this place is my security for it ; our Dear little archie is very well but now after I bespoke a Tub for bathing him in, I can’t tell how to use it, for he has got such an antipathy to water, that tho’ he is only set in to such a Tub as Jenny has, not up to mid Leg, he cries & sobs & trembles to that degree that you’d think he never had felt cold water, which indeed is quite owing to the way they had of only washing him in a little bason [sic] when he could not set his feet in hardly; so my Dear I hope you will excuse My not dipping him since this is the case; do let me know when Lady Banff lies in & where they live, & how Missie O’ agrees with Edinr; if Lord Banff would be so good to commission half a dozen Hams for us from the North, ‘twould be a great favour, but I wish they may escape in the Ship, for the last was all eat by Rats or some such animal: there is one hangs up in the Kitchen, if it be fresh James might give it to the Tavern as they’d boil it better there, & ‘twould eat well cold of a night with bead & butter, We have still cold showery weather here; you’ll remember My Dear to appoint Mrs Gordon (the woman that kept me of Archie) here about the sixth of Sep; a period I tremble to think of, as the pain is unavoidable, let the danger be greater or less; all here are well, poor little Jenny lies in the room by me, & every morning pays me a visit in bed & expresses her concern at Missing Uncle by a sorrowful moan; I remain My Dearest Love for ever wholly yrs
GC
Ill enclose my next to Mr Chambers
so my brother knows where to send for it.

Campbell, Grace (1722-1783) née Stewart, Lady, wife of John Campbell, Lord Stonefield, daughter of James, 2nd Earl of Bute
GB 3452 SF-01-06 · Item · 1754 June 23
Part of Campbell of Stonefield Papers

To Mr Campbell of Stonefield
Cowgate
Edin

The arrival of yours on Friday My Dearest Moitié put an end to all my fears which were indeed not a little increas’d by some very disagreeable dreams that interrupted my rest the two nights before; however I now see with unfeign’d thankfulness that there has been nothing prophetick in them; now my dr [dear] sweet Life I can’t by any means agree with you in thinking all expressions of fondness even from a person that one likes are disagreeable, provided one trusts to their sincerity, which you must do if all their actions correspond with such professions; but you seem My Dear to think that even ones actions too should conceal their sentiments of fondness, in which case tis impossible they can ever be known at all, till the great day when the secrets of all hearts will be laid open; but I fancy My Dearest you only talk in this stile [sic] to a Wife, for was you to use the same in speaking to a Mistress, believe me you’d be long of coming to your point, as she’d be apt to think your affections as cool, as this manner of arguing is; I am very glad My Dear Life, that your Horses are not in Town, for, for as much as tire without you, & long to see you I should not wish it at the dear expence [sic] of yr risking your Life riding backwards & forwards, in so little time, and bad weathers, so I hope my dear you won’t think of it; poor Lady Grace Boin has soon ended her career, which I fancy will be some concern to the Husband she has left, as their Honny [sic] Moon could scarce be over; many are the young people I have lived to see [?] go to their long Home, Lord! Make such things remind us to prepare for our own;
all here are well, Dr little Archie points now, as well as crows to Papas picture, I wish Lady Banff a safe & easy time with all my heart, & beg my Dearest youll remember me affectionately to good Worthy Lord Strichen, I fancy youll hear from the Sheriff by this same post as you get this, for he talks of setting out tomorrow; I walk very little now, so that twill be a vast advantage to me how soon you return; you see my Dear Jewel ’twas true enough what I prophesied about yr early rising; I rejoice to hear you live regularly for a Different Life Im sure would not agree with you; May all imaginable good both here and here after attend you My most beloved Moitié; believe My Dearest you cant possibly meet with a more affectionate faithful wife or more sincerely attach’d friend than your GC
Sunday
June 23rd [1754]

PS God forgive me for my impatience for yr return makes Me as glad every night to reflect there is one day more past, as if I had no account to give of them at all, when this scene is over. Adieu [document damaged] remember my Dr a Waistcoat for the Nurses Husband; Dr Little Archie came to see me to day before I got up & whenever he enter’d the room said Papa & looked about the bed for you – which he was tenderly caress’d for
Do my dr burn all my letters the minute you read them.

Campbell, Grace (1722-1783) née Stewart, Lady, wife of John Campbell, Lord Stonefield, daughter of James, 2nd Earl of Bute
GB 3452 SF-01-15 · Item · 1754 July 25
Part of Campbell of Stonefield Papers

To Mr Campbell Advocate at his house in the Cowgate
Edin[burgh]

I write this my Dearest Life from Halkhead where we arrived in perfect safety about an hour ago; & as the Horses are to be some part of the way to night I shall detain them no longer than to tell you My Dearest Jewel that I received your last by yesterdays post as to my Brothers reserve at meeting ’tis nothing more than common, for 'tis the greatest fault almost he has, that of a great shiness [sic] at first but it goes off after a little; what should occasion it to you I can not find out for what ever fault they may find with me for not mailing their agreement that has no concern with you, & I should take it very ill I must own did that reserve continue; I left the dr [dear] little folks in quite good health, yr Mama complains again of her arm but I hope it will soon be well; I have given Finlay a crown to defray his travelling charges the above he will count for; I enclose a line of Miss Rosses to Mr Cozie the shoemaker which be so good my dearest to send by James, & let him bring the answer; O.’ I long more and more for yr arrival the nearer the time comes, take care my Dear Life of the Horse you ride it scars [sic] a good deal especially with hard ridding [sic]; all here remember you, & I remain a jamais yours. My Dear Life, adieu
GC
Jully [sic] 25th

GB 3452 SF-01-12 · Item · 1754 July 18
Part of Campbell of Stonefield Papers

To Mr John Campbell Advocate
At his House in the Cowgate
Edinburgh

My Dearest Life
As I had no letter from you by last nights post, I wish all has gone well in your expedition to Cranston; there’s a nasty Grey Hound that howels [sic] here continually of late, which serves to back my apprehensions whenever the failure of a letter happens, this you’ll think very odd my dearest, but inspite [sic] of all Mr Addison says about such weeknesses [sic] I cant overthrow it so far but that it leaves a damp upon My Spirits; by the time you receive this, I fancy my Brothers will be arrived in Town; we have very disagreeable weather here just now, a great deal of rain, and a sharp cold wind; Miss Semple is gone to Calder to be there a few days because I put off going to Halkhead till some time next week, in hopes youll soon be your own master after that time; yr sister Jenny is just now gone to dine at Hutchesons, so that yr mother, Tibby and I with the little folks are all that the Family at present consists of; dear little Mac has got out one of the two upper teeth that seem’d to be cutting when you left this, the other one is just breaking the skin, & will Appear we think ev’ry day; I hope he has not forgot his dear papa, for he often converses with your picture. May all thats good attend you My Dearest Aimable Moitié, and be assured this is the sincerest wish of her who intirely [sic] loves you, & will ever be
Yr faithful and obedient wife
GC
July 18th

GB 3452 SF-01-11 · Item · 1754 July 15
Part of Campbell of Stonefield Papers

To Mr John Campbell Advocate
At his House in the Cowgate
Edinburgh

My Dearest Half, I received yours & with pleasure read the accounts of Lady Banffs happy dilivery [sic]. I wish indeed it had been a son, tho’ if it pleases God to recover her she has plenty of time I hope to make all parties pleased; for my own share I love Girls so well, that if you did not dislike them I would wish the little companion I have now to be a daughter, one enjoys their company more & they are far less exposed (through custom) to the vices of a wicked world, which hurries many a precious soul into eternal ruin: poor Doctor Elliot I regret very much (you see my Dr Jewel how much young as well as old, should be prepairing [sic] themselves for another world, for none knows how soon they may be call’d to it; and god knows ’tis not a time to prepare ones self, when attack’d by a deadly distemper) I pitty [sic] his poor wife beyond expression, such a shock I pray God I may never be doom’d to feel; we came here yesterday before Dinner and found all very well, Archie grows more fond of his cousin ev’ry day, & her Love for him is as conspicuous as ever; I never saw so much between two of their age; o’ My Dearest Life I wish you may come out of Town as you intended at first for I hate this long tiresome separation; I shall forward yr letter as desired; my kind congratulatory compts [compliments] to Ld Banff, & remember me My D- to the poor old Captain; I enclose a letter here to Lady Mary, she mentions nothing of coming, so Im afraid they don’t think of it; She makes mention of you in the kindest manner & I’m sure is most sincere, as indeed she always is; & I hope My Dearest most beloved Moitié is sensible none is more so than I am in assuring you of my being intirely [sic] and for ever yours GC.
Levenside
July 15th
Dont forget my dearest to bring out some noisy play thing to Archie, & a little Baby for Jenny, the enclosed, to Mrs Robertson be so good to send immediately; she has a gown to send me which youll order James to put up in your Clock Bag without fail.