Caroline Tufton (Barham) to Martha Jefferson (Randolph)

My dear Miss Jefferson

It is impossible for me to express how much pleasure your kind letter gave me, which I intended to have answered last month, but was unfortunately prevented, I was quite unhappy to think you were in England without a possibility of our meeting, but I am now in expectation of hearing of your safe arrival in America, I sincerely wish your passage was a better one, than you expected—I have just found out there are ships that go to America every month, so that I flatter myself we shall hear from you very often, for however I may be situated I shall always feel greatly interested in everything that concerns your happiness: I hope you will sometimes think of us, I feel it impossible ever to forget you. We have been in town about a week, but we go in the country tomorrow to Lord Winchilsea’s, where there is to be a very pleasant party, we shall stay about a fortnight and return to town for the winter. I have quite forgot to tell you all this time, what I dare say will surprize you very much, that the Duke is going to be married to Miss Cope, it will take place very soon, she is very pretty and amazingly good natured, we both like her of all things. I have seen Botidoux’s friend Mr Bligh, who is as much enraged with her as ever, about the bouquet: As for any of our other agreeable partners, I have seen none to my great sorrow. The Coutts’ are all gone to Italy for the winter to improve in speaking Italian as well as they do French, I wonder if Mr Coutts has forgiven you, he was almost as angry with me—I am afraid you will find this letter very stupid, but I thought I had so much to say to you, and I now find that it is so little, I feel sorry that I began on this large sheet of paper, but I hope you will forgive this my stupidity, as you must soon get accustomed to it. I flatter myself that the idea you had formed of America was an unfavorable one, and that you will spend your time more agreeably, than you imagined. I have not heard from Paris this age, so that I know of no news even from there, except that there are fewer people there than ever. It is astonishing the number of French there are in townfew that I knew before, none of the Clinqmay suppose—Mr Stone desires his Compts—the Duke mille amitiés. Elizabeth joins with me in love to you; pray don’t forget to mention us to Polly—Write soon as I shall really be uneasy if we do not hear from you, in the mean time accept the sincere assurances of being always my dearest Miss Jefferson

Most Affectionately yrs
C Tufton
Tr (ViU: ER); in an unidentified hand.

mille amitiés: “a thousand greetings.”

Date Range
Date
December 19, 1789
Collection
Repository