Castle, Egerton (ed) 1896. The Jerningham Letters (1780–1843). London: Richard Bentley & Son. 2 vols. 

This collection of letters reveals the lives of aristocratic women at the turn of the nineteenth century, especially amongst the catholic community and in pre-revolutionary France. The majority of letters are between Lady Jerningham and her daughter, Lady Bedingfield. 

Through the four-and-thirty years of Lady Bedingfeld's married life, as seen by glimpses in the Letters, we find a varied record of love and rejoicings, of marriages, child-beds and death-beds, separations and reverses of fortune, but withal nought but the most complete harmony between mother, daughter and husband. The first great grief came with, the death of Sir William, in 1809, an event, more­over, which, by driving Lady Jerningham from Cossey, kept her more constantly separated from her daughter in Norfolk. Seven years later, increase of family on one side and diminution of income on the other, forced Lady Bedingfeld and her husband to seek at Ghent a mode of living more economical than was possible in the moated mansion of Oxburgh, and the more distant separation gave a new importance to the intercourse of mother and daughter by post. Then came a black series of years; from 1820 to 1825, marked by relentless strokes: first the loss of her two brothers, William and Edward, with their wives; then of her favourite daughter, Lady Petre; next of another child, Edward, drowned at sea; and then, greatest sorrow of her life, of her mother. 

The last letter of the last volume in the collection con­tains the last lines ever written by Lady Jerningham. This would seem to show that, in preserving that enor­mous accumulation of old leaves, Lady Bedingfeld's sole object was to treasure her mother's letters, and that all the others she had bound up in the volumes had in her eyes nothing more than adventitious interest. (Jerningham v1, xlix)

The editor traces the history of the Jerningham, Dillon and Bedingfeld families in her introduction, which includes two genealogy charts. Egerton applied the values of her time to the letters, purging much of the "private correspondence... burdened with matters, I shall say trivial, but quite too local to awaken the sympathy of strangers." Other cuts include "a quantity of tolerably severe appreciations concerning the doings and origin of people who now rank among the 'ancestors' of sundry well-known families—little revelations, intended for the private ear... [which they] never would have penned had they dreamt the possibility of a reappearance in print." The letters are now at Birmingham University. 

The main writers and recipients are:

• Lady Jerningham. Her children:
• Charlotte Georgiana, Lady Bedingfeld
• Sir George Jerningham, 8th Baron
• William Charles
• Edward

Extracts

• Convent of the Dames Ursulines
• Lady Buckingham
• Death of Lady Buckingham
• The French Court at Gosfield
• Edward Jenner and Smallpox Vaccination
• Death of Isabella Stanhope, Lady Sefton 

Convent of the Dames Ursulines at Paris in 1784

Sketch by Charlotte Jerningham. (Jerningham v1, facing page 33). 

Lady Buckingham (Mary Nugent)

Extract of letter from Edward Jerningham to Lady Bedingfield. Jerningham v1, page 265. 25 March 1805. 

Lady Buckingham has been in the Country since I came to town, but She is the most intimate with Emily and very fond of Edward also. She is, by Emily’s account, quite a Saint in the Belief and practice of every Little act of Piety that is Cherished in Convents. She walks every morning to Kensington to hear Prayers, at Mr. Eyre’s Widow’s (who was a friend of hers before she married) and is totally taken up with acts of devotion. Her extensive charity has long been my admiration. She is extremely Chearful and has strong Health, so that She walks about to Succour distress, fasts to Subdue herself, and the whole is to be (by Lord Buckingham’s desire) Conducted with Secrecy, but it is really the Secret de La Comédie that every Person is acquainted with. Lady Mary is to have a very Large fortune; Lady Buckingham Longs for a Catholick suitor for Her. She says She would not want fortune, but on account of Lord Buckingham is afraid She must find an estate with the Catholicity.

Death of Lady Buckingham (Mary Nugent)

Extract of letter from Edward Jerningham to Lady Bedingfield. Jerningham v2, page 18. 23 March 1812 

March 23.

Poor Lady Buckingham’s Remains are yet in Pall Mall. Emily visits every day, and they remain in the same state as the Hour after which she had expired. To-morrow was fixed for to Convey Her to Wotton in Buckinghamshire, the Burial Place of the Grenville Family; but if no signs of mortality appear, she may perhaps be kept Longer. Lord Temple sent for Mr. Strickland, and said that He wished that every mark of Religious attention should be paid to His Mother Privately, but no Public dirge as She had never avowed Her way of Thinking.

As soon as she had expired, Lord George, His uncle Henry Grenville,[1] and Doctor Latham set off to meet the Family from Stowe; they arrived at Uxbridge, and a few minutes after, Lord Buckingham, Lady Mary and Mr. Arundell and Miss Macnamara, with Servants in a Chaise. On stopping to Change Horses Lord Buckingham saw the Doctor and immediately fell back in his Seat. It was with difficulty He was got up stairs. He asked Lord George if she had been at Her Devotions, and on hearing that she had, said ‘She is a Saint in heaven.’ They staid that night at Uxbridge and then returned with affliction heavy to Stowe. Lord Buckingham has hardly spoken since. Miss Macnamara’s Maid, who is a Catholick, Came up to Town and I think she ought to have gone also, for Emily alone has been there every day for two Hours to Pray. Mr. Arundell wrote Edward word how much Lord Buckingham expressed Himself obliged by their attention to his Lady, and how He hoped to see a great deal of them in the future. Mr. Arundell finished his Letter by saying He was going to attend the office of the Dead.

Edward came yesterday for dinner. He says that He never saw Lady Buckingham in Chearfuller Spirits than she was on the Sunday. She staid with them till three o’clock; and on Coming out of the Chapel, said She had been in Heaven and expressed surprise that the Catholicks did not often Converse on the Satisfactions of their Religion.

[1] Probably a mistake for Tom Grenville. 

The French Court at Gosfield

Extract from letter from Lady Jerningham in London to Lady Bedingfeld. 30 November 1808. Jerningham vI, 320–21

I have had great accounts from the French who go to Gosfield, and of Court there. The Queen’s Rapetissement seems to Cause universal astonish­ment: it Seems that she is no longer of a Common Stature, walks about half doubled, with her arms akimbo, Elbows out, and when sitting is doubled in two, with her hands holding her knees, a tabouret under her feet. Thus she is placed, working at something, by the King.

On the other side is the interesting Duchess d’Angouleme, tall, well made, but not handsome; not seeking to talk mais ne s’y refusant pas, and always something pleasing to address to everyone; naturally disposed to be Chearful but visibly checked by melancholy images from memory; most extremely Pious, and everyone Looking up to her. For a year and half that She was Confined in the Temple she never saw a human Being; her victuals were put in a turn, Like at a Convent, and she swept her own room and made Her Bed. She has now two Ladies, the Duchess de Lorrant and her daughter, Madame de Narbonne, to accompany Her. But what a destiny her most early years were to go thro! I should Like very much to See the Court. The Queen is said to have beaucoup d’esprit and the King is uncommonly agreable. They are soon to Remove to Heartwell [Hartwell], Sir. W^m Lees House in Buckingham­shire. The King is allowed 20,000^L a year.

Edward Jenner and Smallpox Vaccination

Extract from letter from Lady Jerningham to Lady Bedingfeld. 26 March 1808. Jerningham vI, 210.

The Cow Pox appears to be in universal Practice, and I believe that Doctor Jenner is going to have a premium from Parliament for having Discovered so useful a muzzle for the dreadful disorder all men are sentenced to have in the Small Pox. Doctor Nikol advises it, and so dos Pritchard, so that I gave up my first prejudice against it and hope that it is a Blessing almighty God has permitted shall now be discovered. 

Death of Isabella Stanhope, Lady Sefton 

Extract of letter from Lady Jerningham in London to Charlotte Jerningham. 12 January 1812. Jerningham v2, 128.

The Dow^r Lady Sefton,[1] a Sister of Lord Harrington’s, died on Friday Last after an illness of three months. She was, when Lady Isabella Stanhope, the Beauty of the Day, and before I married I often met her. For many years we have been unknown to each other, but I have dwelt much upon her death which I read in the paper. Her Husband was Lord Mollineux, Son to an old Mrs. Mollineux you may remember. He was hardly 20 when Lady Harrington got possession of Him, made Him Confirm, and made Him Earl of Sefton.