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Collections - Letters

Letters of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Bevan, 1804-1811.

Letter Number 36

Dated: 27th April 1810 from CB Ceuta
Addressed to Mrs C Bevan, Money Hill, Rickmansworth, Herts

My dearest Mary,

I wrote to you a few days ago and believe my letter was forwarded from Gibraltar in the Terrible, R Ad Paulett. The Lavinia is I hear, now in that state and scarce laden on the point of sailing for England. I shall endeavour to get this Epistle on board if we have an officer ?transiting from hence – I yesterday received the letters you entrusted to Belson, his destination having been changed to Cadiz my poor letters were a long time indeed in finding their way hither. My poor horse also has been thirteen weeks on board ship. He is a --- melancholy animal, but I hope warm weather may bring him round
- We are still without a packet from England, it has been due some time and we are much at a loss today to guess why she has not made her appearance – an Easterly wind has now set in and we may wait another month. Which is tiresome – But patience I hope I shall be made content by having very good accounts of yourself and our little men; I am most anxious to hear how your Mother is; by Baker’s letter I find that James is to be married immediately and Wise also. I wrote to Caroline by the same conveyance that I last wrote to you but they must not expect regular letters from here it is really not like the certainty of the twopenny Post from London to Epsom. I hope I shall soon hear something about Colonel Wynch. Shall I ever see the prospect I entertain realized? I wish I could answer that question – Genl Fraser has not returned from Gibraltar and I rather hope that when he does we shall have another Regt to relieve us from the Citadel and the terrible heights to climb up, which put all our men into the Hospital when the day --- set to. There are at the foot of the hill barracks that would be much more preferable on all accounts. I have not yet got a my quarter but am still on sufferance in Don Antonio’s house. The Officers of the Regt living three in a Room together. I hope this is to have a termination. You know I am very patient – I wish we may move from this place soon (I shall not be sorry if towards England. I am surprised I have not heard from Paterson as I imagine he is by this time at Lisbon – I --- that the Army must go home very soon – Purvis (?Name) is here and very well, so if you ever wrote to Mrs P you can tell her so. Does little Charles ever ask for his Father – I suppose Tom is very glad I am not there – Edward is too young to remember me – Have you heard constantly from Montague Square?
God Bless you my best friend – I am always Your C.B.

Ceuta 27 April 1810


NOTES BY TRANSCRIBER

i) Terrible – 74 gun ship Paulet or Powlett – Rear Admiral Lord Henry
ii) Lavinia 44/50 gun Frigate – CB had sailed in her to Walcheren in 1809 with Bn HQ of 28 Ft – then Captain Lord William Stewart
iii) Belson – Former CO 1st Bn 28th Ft
iv) Baker (clear name) not identified
v) Wise – retired Col Wise – family friend of CB’s Mother
vi) Gen Fraser – GOC Ceuta – probably Lieut Gen Sir Alexander who had been in the Walcheren expedition
vii) Don Antonio – elsewhere CB wrote that he had only 1 Spanish friend – who he described as a “Minister” presumably political and not canonical
viii) Patient – not the most apt description of CBs temperament
ix) Purvis – not identified – text here not easy to read
x) Charles, Tom, Edward – CB’s sons
xi) Montague Square – CB’s Mother either had a house or rented there from time to time.
 

 

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