646. Robert Southey to Charles Danvers, 6 January 1802

646. Robert Southey to Charles Danvers, 6 January 1802 ⁠* 

January 6. 1802.

My dear Danvers –

You will not be surprized to hear that my Mother is at last gone. she died yesterday afternoon – for twelve hours she had breathed very difficultly – but her last minutes were easy – .

I shall write to announce this to Miss Tyler. it is very likely the letter may remain some days at the Post Office. should you see Edward therefore let him know what has happened.

The funeral will be on Friday. I am more pained than I expected – or ought – to be – that she cannot be laid in the grave of the family. [1] 

Miss Tyler has destroyed her. of that I feel certain – & the blow will go to her heart. it is heavy enough to me – but she has lost her only friend.

God bless you Danvers.

Robert Southey.


It is so very long since you have written that I am uneasy respecting you – forget not our loves to Mrs Danvers

Notes

* Address: To/ Mr Danvers/ Kingsdown/ Bristol./ Single
Postmark: [illegible]
MS: British Library, Add MS 47890. 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Unpublished.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

Danvers, Charles (c. 1764–1814)

People mentioned

Tyler, Elizabeth (1739–1821) (mentioned 2 times)
Southey, Edward (1788–1847) (mentioned 1 time)
Danvers, Mrs. (d. 1803) (mentioned 1 time)
Southey, Margaret (1752–1802) (mentioned 1 time)
The Collected Letters of Robert Southey, Part Two
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