Yes, Mrs. DickinsonCatherine Dickinson Allingham | Born: 1787 in Middlesex, England. Died: 1861-09-02 in St. Marylebone, Middlesex, England.
Catherine Allingham was the daughter of Thomas Allingham. She married Charles Dickinson on August 2, 1807 at St. Giles, South Mimms, Middlesex. They lived in Swallowfield, where their daughter Frances was born, and where they were visited by the Mitford family. According to Mitford, Catherine Dickinson was fond of match-making among her friends and acquaintances. (See Mitford's February 8th, 1821 letter to Elford . Her husband Charles died in 1827, when her daughter was seven. Source: L'Estrange). —ajc, lmw had told the news, my dear friend—did you suppose it possible she would not? She was too much interested in it herself & knew so well how I should be interested, that she did not wait till we met but wrote a note the moment she reached home to convey the information X[1] Sir W Elfords intended marriage with Mrs. Waldron—MRM—& I have been watching the papers ever since that I might at the very first moment send warm congratulations, the unfeigned goodwishesgood wishes with which my whole heart is filled—My FatherGeorge Mitford, Esq., or: George Midford | Born: . Died: .
Father of Mary Rusell Mitford, George Mitford was the son of Francis Midford, surgeon, and Jane Graham. The family name is sometimes recorded as Midford. Immediate family called him by nicknames including Drum, Tod, and Dodo. He was a member of a minor branch of the Mitfords of Mitford Castle in Northumberland. Although later sources would suggest that he was a graduate of the University of Edinburgh medical school, there is no evidence that he obtained a medical degree and he did not generally refer to himself as Dr. Mitford, preferring to style himself Esq.. In 1784, he is listed in a Hampshire directory as surgeon (medicine) of Alresford. His father and grandfather worked as apothecary-surgeons and it seems likely that he served a medical apprenticeship with family members.
He married Mary Russell on October 17, 1785 at New Alresford, Hampshire. On the marriage allegation papers, both gave their addresses as Old Alresford; they later came to live at Broad Street in New Alresford. Their only child to live to adulthood, Mary Russell Mitford, was born two years later on December 16, 1787 at New Alresford, Hampshire. He assisted Mitford's literary career by representing her interests in London and elsewhere with theater owners and publishers. He was active in Whig politics and later served as a local magistrate. He coursed greyhounds with his friend James Webb.
—lmw & MotherMary Russell Mitford, or: Mrs. Mitford | Born: 1750 in Ashe, Hampshire, England. Died: 1830-01-02 in Three Mile Cross, parish of Shinfield, Berkshire, England.
Mary Russell was the youngest child of the Rev. Dr. Richard Russell and his second wife, Mary Dicker; she was born about 1750 in Ashe, Hampshire. (Her birth date is as yet unverified; period sources indicate that she was ten years older than her husband George, born in 1760.) Through the Russells, she was a distant relation of the Dukes of Bedford (sixth creation, 1694). She had two siblings, Charles William and Frances; both predeceased her and their parents, which resulted in Mary Russell inheriting her family’s entire estate upon her mother’s death in 1785. Her father’s rectory in Ashe was only a short distance from Steventon, and so she was acquainted with the young Jane Austen. She married George Mitford or Midford on October 17, 1785 at New Alresford, Hampshire. On the marriage allegation papers, both gave their addresses as Old Alresford. Their only daughter, Mary Russell Mitford, was born two years later on December 16, 1787 at New Alresford, Hampshire. Mary Russell died on January 2, 1830 at Three Mile Cross in the parish of Shinfield, Berkshire. Her obituary in the 1830 New Monthly Magazine gives New Year’s day as the date of her death.—ajc, lmw
join in them most sincerely—God bless you my dear Friend—and all whom you love!—Mrs. DickinsonCatherine Dickinson Allingham | Born: 1787 in Middlesex, England. Died: 1861-09-02 in St. Marylebone, Middlesex, England.
Catherine Allingham was the daughter of Thomas Allingham. She married Charles Dickinson on August 2, 1807 at St. Giles, South Mimms, Middlesex. They lived in Swallowfield, where their daughter Frances was born, and where they were visited by the Mitford family. According to Mitford, Catherine Dickinson was fond of match-making among her friends and acquaintances. (See Mitford's February 8th, 1821 letter to Elford . Her husband Charles died in 1827, when her daughter was seven. Source: L'Estrange). —ajc, lmw has the pleasure of being slightly acquainted with Mrs. WaldronElizabeth Walrond Hall, or: Mrs. Elford | Born: 1780 in Manadon, Devon, England. Died: 1839 in Totnes, Devon, England.
Elizabeth Walrond was the second wife of Sir William Elford; they married on July 5, 1821 , fourteen years after the death of Mary Davies Elford in 1807 . Elizabeth was the daughter and co-heiress of Humphrey Hall of Mandon, Devon, England and his wife, the Hon. Jane St. John, daughter of John St. John, 11th Baron St. John of Bletsoe. She was previously married to Maine Swete Waldron, an officer in the Coldstream Guards, in 1803 and they had two children, only one of whom survived to adulthood. Her first husband died around 1817 and she married Sir William Elford four years later. Following her death, her will was probated on 10 December 1839. Some secondary sources erroneously give the spelling of her first married name as Waldron; however, she is not to be confused with the American Elizabeth Waldron (1780 to 21 July 1853).‏ Her birthdate is not given in any standard nineteenth-century reference sources, but is likely to be before 1780.—ebb, ajc, lmwpersName> & speaks of her with the highest respect & consideration—she was so desirous to see you that she had half a mind to give up her journey for a day to meet you at Mrs. WallElizabeth Walrond Hall, or: Mrs. Elford | Born: 1780 in Manadon, Devon, England. Died: 1839 in Totnes, Devon, England.
Elizabeth Walrond was the second wife of Sir William Elford; they married on July 5, 1821 , fourteen years after the death of Mary Davies Elford in 1807 . Elizabeth was the daughter and co-heiress of Humphrey Hall of Mandon, Devon, England and his wife, the Hon. Jane St. John, daughter of John St. John, 11th Baron St. John of Bletsoe. She was previously married to Maine Swete Waldron, an officer in the Coldstream Guards, in 1803 and they had two children, only one of whom survived to adulthood. Her first husband died around 1817 and she married Sir William Elford four years later. Following her death, her will was probated on 10 December 1839. Some secondary sources erroneously give the spelling of her first married name as Waldron; however, she is not to be confused with the American Elizabeth Waldron (1780 to 21 July 1853).‏ Her birthdate is not given in any standard nineteenth-century reference sources, but is likely to be before 1780.—ebb, ajc, lmw's at breakfast & she certainly would have had a whole mind had she not left that little angel of a brat of hers in the country & made her husband stay to take care of it. Once more my dear friend accept our sincerest congratulations both on this event & on the intended marriage of your daughter—May they prove equally happy!

Besides the very great pleasure which your letters always give me & especially this one, I had great delight in seeing the handwriting of Mr. PalmerCharles Fyshe Palmer, or: Long Fyshe | Born: 1769 in Luckley House, Wokingham, Berkshire, England. Died: 1843-01-24 in Wokingham, Berkshire, England.
Charles Fyshe Palmer was the son of Charles Fyshe Palmer and Lucy Jones. He married Lady Madelina Gordon Sinclair in 1805 at Kimbolton Castle in Kimbolton, Herefordshire . They lived at Luckley House, Wokingham, Berkshire and at East Court, Finchampstead, Berkshire. Through her siblings, Lady Madelina was connected to several of the most influential aristocratic families in the country, and Charles Fyshe Palmer’s marriage to Lady Madelina thus gained him access to aristocratic houses, including the Holland House.
A Whig politician, Palmer began running for Parliament elections as the member for Reading after 1816, and appears to have served off and on in that role until 1841. He led the Berkshire meetings to protest British government’s handling of the Peterloo Massacre in 1819. On March 16, 1820, Palmer ran for a seat in Parliament against two other candidates. The votes ran: John Berkeley Monck (418 votes), Charles Fyshe Palmer(399 votes), and John Weyland(395 votes.) Mitford’s letters around this time indicate she much preferred his opponent J. B. Monck, and she had earlier satirized Palmer in 1818 as vastly like a mop-stick, or, rather, a tall hop-pole, or an extremely long fishing-rod, or anything that is all length and no substance.
Mitford also mentions Palmer in connection with a legal issue surrounding the Billiard Club, in her letter to Talfourd of 31 August 1822 . Mitford also mentions the ways that Palmer’s political opponents sometimes undermined his Whig reformist positions by referencing the noble privileges (and money) he accrued by marrying the Lady Madelina Gordon in 1805.
—ajc, lmw
See note 2 in The Browning’s Correspondence rendering of Mitford’s letter of 12 March 1842 to Elizabeth Barrett Browning .
. I don't think that I have seen any part of him since last September—I shall do him the honour of taking to him as franker again—for my dear & kind friend Mr. MonckJohn Berkeley Monck
Member of Parliament for Reading area 1820-1830, who frequently franked Mary Russell Mitford’s letters. Mitford’s letter to Sir William Elford of 20 March 1820 about the election of Monck describes him in context with a politically active Patriot shoemaker, Mr. Warry, who brought him from France. Monck was the author of General Reflections on the System of the Poor Laws (1807), in which he argued for a gradual approach to abolishing the Poor Laws, and for the reform of workhouses. Francis Needham claims that it is he who is referred to in Violeting, when the narrator thinks she sees Mr. and Mrs. M. and dear B.. (Dear B. would be their son, Bligh.) Dr. Webb’s research suggests that celebrated shoemaker is Mr. Warry, possibly Joseph Source: Francis Needham, Letter to William Roberts, 26 March 1954. Needham Papers, Reading Central Library.—lmw, ebb, scw whose frankful bounty knows no limits [talks] of going to SpainSpain | 40 -4 page 2
[gap: 1 chars.] during the recess & it would be rather too much to send one's letters round by Madrid even if the privilege extended beyond EnglandEngland | 52.3555177 -1.1743197000000691 Country in the British Isles. Borders Scotland and Wales. London is the capital city, and is situated on the River Thames.—bas—I cannot think what he expects to see in SpainSpain | 40 -4 —but the travelling mania has seized him & having seen every other country in EuropeEurope | 54.883056 15.430833 The European continent, extending in the thinking of Mitford's time roughly south to the Middle East and east to St. Petersburg, and bounded on the west by the Atlantic.—rnes he is going to pay a visit to the beloved FerdinandFerdinand I King of the Two Sicilies Ferdinand IV King of Naples King of Sicily | Born: 1751-01-12 in Naples, Naples. Died: 1825-01-04 in Naples, Two Sicilies.
Deposed by Napoleon in 1805, and earlier by the short-lived (6-months) Parthenopean Republic uprising in 1799, Ferdinand IV became Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies after the restoration of monarchies following Napoleon's defeat.—ebb
—He had much better stay in EnglandEngland | 52.3555177 -1.1743197000000691 Country in the British Isles. Borders Scotland and Wales. London is the capital city, and is situated on the River Thames.—bas & direct my letters ).

It is so long since I have written to you anything more than a note, that I forget whether I told you, I had been to SeymourSeymour Court, Buckinghamshire, England | Marlow | Buckinghamshire | England | 51.58117069999999 -0.7832693999999947 Home of Mr. Johnsonand Miss Johnson, until Mr. Johnson’s death in 1821. Near Great Marlow in Buckinghamshire.—lmw, jjr's near MarlowMarlow, Buckinghamshire, England | Marlow | Buckinghamshire | England | 51.5719443 -0.7769422000000077 Town in Buckinghamshire on the Thames. Mitford’s friends Mr. Johnson and Miss Johnson resided near here.—lmw on the awkward business of dividing the late M r. JohnsonJohn Johnson, Mr., or: the Junius of Marlow , Timothy Trueman
Friend who leaves his collection of political books to Northmore upon his death in 1821. Mitford helps his sister, Miss Johnson, sort out the books that are part of the estate, according to her letter of 1 July 1821. Lived at Seymour Court near Great Marlow before his death. Mitford reports meeting Mr. Johnson and Mr. Northmore for the first time in March 1819 in a letter to Elford. She describes him as one of those delightful old men that render age so charming—mild playful kind & wise—talking just as Isaac Walton would have talked if we were to [have] gone out fishing with him. The Gentleman’s Magazine obituary lists his full name as John Johnson, esq. and gives his date of death as 5 April 1821. See Obituary; with Anecdotes of Remarkable Persons. Gentleman’s Magazine and Historical Review 91.1 (1821): [Died] April 5 . . . John Johnson, esq. of Seymour-court, near Great Marlow, a celebrated member of the Hampden Club, and author of various political letters, &c., under the signature of Timothy Trueman (381). The Monthly Repository of Theology and General Literature 16 (1821), lists the same death date and notes that he was author of various political letters and essays in Mr. B. Flower’s Political Register and other periodical works, under the signature of Timothy Trueman (314).—lmw's books between Mr. NorthmoreThomas Northmore | Born: 1766 in Cleve, Devonshire, England. Died: 1851 in Furzebrook House, near Axminster, England.
An acquaintance of Mary Russell Mitford, friend of John Johnson and co-founder with him of the Hampden Club. A Radical, Northmore ran unsuccessfully as Member of Parliament for Exeter and for Barnstaple. In a letter to Haydon dated 9 February 1824 , Mitford refers to Northmore as a great Devonshire reformer, one of the bad epic poets and very pleasant men in which that country abounds ( Life of Mary Russell Mitford ed. L'Estrange Vol II, page 22). In an 1819 letter to Elford, Mitford gives this description of Northmore, and mentions his authorship of an epic poem on George Washington: what a man! How loud & shrewd & full of himself & sharp all over from his eagle nose to his pointed hook toe! What a perpetual sky rocket bouncing starting & flaming! What a talker against time! Well might Mr. Hobhouse call him the gentleman who came all the way from Devonshire to tell us that he was a great man at home. And he is a Poet too. Has written an Epic, which must have appeared incognito–for I never remember to have heard it mentioned in my life. An Epic Poem about Washington . Mitford may not have seen the poem, since it was published in Baltimore, MD. Northmore's poem was entitled Washington; or Liberty Restored. A Poem in Ten Books.—kab, lmw
& his sisterMiss Johnson Johnson Miss
Friend of Mitford’s. Unmarried sister of Mr. Johnson. Mitford helps her sort out the books that are part of her brother’s estate, according to her letter of 1 July 1821. More research needed..—lmw—The political books were left to Mr. N.Thomas Northmore | Born: 1766 in Cleve, Devonshire, England. Died: 1851 in Furzebrook House, near Axminster, England.
An acquaintance of Mary Russell Mitford, friend of John Johnson and co-founder with him of the Hampden Club. A Radical, Northmore ran unsuccessfully as Member of Parliament for Exeter and for Barnstaple. In a letter to Haydon dated 9 February 1824 , Mitford refers to Northmore as a great Devonshire reformer, one of the bad epic poets and very pleasant men in which that country abounds ( Life of Mary Russell Mitford ed. L'Estrange Vol II, page 22). In an 1819 letter to Elford, Mitford gives this description of Northmore, and mentions his authorship of an epic poem on George Washington: what a man! How loud & shrewd & full of himself & sharp all over from his eagle nose to his pointed hook toe! What a perpetual sky rocket bouncing starting & flaming! What a talker against time! Well might Mr. Hobhouse call him the gentleman who came all the way from Devonshire to tell us that he was a great man at home. And he is a Poet too. Has written an Epic, which must have appeared incognito–for I never remember to have heard it mentioned in my life. An Epic Poem about Washington . Mitford may not have seen the poem, since it was published in Baltimore, MD. Northmore's poem was entitled Washington; or Liberty Restored. A Poem in Ten Books.—kab, lmw
& the others to her ^ (Miss JohnsonMiss Johnson Johnson Miss
Friend of Mitford’s. Unmarried sister of Mr. Johnson. Mitford helps her sort out the books that are part of her brother’s estate, according to her letter of 1 July 1821. More research needed..—lmw), & as Mr. NorthmoreThomas Northmore | Born: 1766 in Cleve, Devonshire, England. Died: 1851 in Furzebrook House, near Axminster, England.
An acquaintance of Mary Russell Mitford, friend of John Johnson and co-founder with him of the Hampden Club. A Radical, Northmore ran unsuccessfully as Member of Parliament for Exeter and for Barnstaple. In a letter to Haydon dated 9 February 1824 , Mitford refers to Northmore as a great Devonshire reformer, one of the bad epic poets and very pleasant men in which that country abounds ( Life of Mary Russell Mitford ed. L'Estrange Vol II, page 22). In an 1819 letter to Elford, Mitford gives this description of Northmore, and mentions his authorship of an epic poem on George Washington: what a man! How loud & shrewd & full of himself & sharp all over from his eagle nose to his pointed hook toe! What a perpetual sky rocket bouncing starting & flaming! What a talker against time! Well might Mr. Hobhouse call him the gentleman who came all the way from Devonshire to tell us that he was a great man at home. And he is a Poet too. Has written an Epic, which must have appeared incognito–for I never remember to have heard it mentioned in my life. An Epic Poem about Washington . Mitford may not have seen the poem, since it was published in Baltimore, MD. Northmore's poem was entitled Washington; or Liberty Restored. A Poem in Ten Books.—kab, lmw
would not come to select them himself she sent for me to assist in the division & to catalogue & arrange the library. Never to be sure had mortal such a job since the Princess [del: .] in the fairy tale who was set to select the plumage of every bird from a great hall full of feathers. Fancy to yourself a large room & a long dark closet literally filled with books all in a mass—no two ^ volumes together—& very often single volumes come apart with damp & age & lying four or five yards asunder—& no one to help but a mistressMiss Johnson Johnson Miss
Friend of Mitford’s. Unmarried sister of Mr. Johnson. Mitford helps her sort out the books that are part of her brother’s estate, according to her letter of 1 July 1821. More research needed..—lmw half blind & a maid wholly stupid—The Library was a singularly rich historical collection in almost all languages—& I cannot help thinking that the greater part of that [del: .][gap: 1 word.] relating to English History was intended to be included in Mr. NorthmoreThomas Northmore | Born: 1766 in Cleve, Devonshire, England. Died: 1851 in Furzebrook House, near Axminster, England.
An acquaintance of Mary Russell Mitford, friend of John Johnson and co-founder with him of the Hampden Club. A Radical, Northmore ran unsuccessfully as Member of Parliament for Exeter and for Barnstaple. In a letter to Haydon dated 9 February 1824 , Mitford refers to Northmore as a great Devonshire reformer, one of the bad epic poets and very pleasant men in which that country abounds ( Life of Mary Russell Mitford ed. L'Estrange Vol II, page 22). In an 1819 letter to Elford, Mitford gives this description of Northmore, and mentions his authorship of an epic poem on George Washington: what a man! How loud & shrewd & full of himself & sharp all over from his eagle nose to his pointed hook toe! What a perpetual sky rocket bouncing starting & flaming! What a talker against time! Well might Mr. Hobhouse call him the gentleman who came all the way from Devonshire to tell us that he was a great man at home. And he is a Poet too. Has written an Epic, which must have appeared incognito–for I never remember to have heard it mentioned in my life. An Epic Poem about Washington . Mitford may not have seen the poem, since it was published in Baltimore, MD. Northmore's poem was entitled Washington; or Liberty Restored. A Poem in Ten Books.—kab, lmw
's Legacy—but Miss JohnsonMiss Johnson Johnson Miss
Friend of Mitford’s. Unmarried sister of Mr. Johnson. Mitford helps her sort out the books that are part of her brother’s estate, according to her letter of 1 July 1821. More research needed..—lmw thought otherwise—she stuck to the letter—so she cheated the poor dear man—or rather made him cheat himself—by leaving him a catalogue of the doubtful books & begging him to mark those he would like to have—I wish they had all gone to him—It was a pity to part such a collection, & they will not sell for much in the present state of the book market. It was page 3
a curious trait of political bigotry that amongst thirty or forty Histories of England (more than I thought had been written) there was no copy of HumeThe History of England. 1754-1761.
Hume wrote the six volumes of this monumental history in reverse chronological order, beginning with the unification of England and Scotland in 1603 and the recent climactic events of the English Civil War and Restoration, which comprise volumes five and six. He then turned to earlier periods, so that the complete text covers English history from the Roman Invasion through the reign of James II. Mitford refers to Hume’s text in the preface to the published version of her play, Charles the First.—rnes, ebb. To make amends there were two editions of hisDavid Hume | Born: 1711-05-07 in Edinburgh, Scotland . Died: 1776-08-25 in Edinburgh, Scotland .
The most influential philosopher of the Scottish Enlightenment, Hume championed skepticism in various contexts. He also wrote a celebrated History of England (1754-61), which covered English history from the Roman Invasion through the reign of James II.—rnes
Essays I grieved to leave this beautiful place, & the more as it went from his family—being held on a lease of lives which he had neglected to renew till his health was in such a state that the terms asked were too exorbitant to be thought of—more especially as ^Miss JohnsonMiss Johnson Johnson Miss
Friend of Mitford’s. Unmarried sister of Mr. Johnson. Mitford helps her sort out the books that are part of her brother’s estate, according to her letter of 1 July 1821. More research needed..—lmw his only near relation is comfortably though not affluently provided for—which I did not know till the books were divided—or I should certainly have made a stronger effort for Mr. N.Thomas Northmore | Born: 1766 in Cleve, Devonshire, England. Died: 1851 in Furzebrook House, near Axminster, England.
An acquaintance of Mary Russell Mitford, friend of John Johnson and co-founder with him of the Hampden Club. A Radical, Northmore ran unsuccessfully as Member of Parliament for Exeter and for Barnstaple. In a letter to Haydon dated 9 February 1824 , Mitford refers to Northmore as a great Devonshire reformer, one of the bad epic poets and very pleasant men in which that country abounds ( Life of Mary Russell Mitford ed. L'Estrange Vol II, page 22). In an 1819 letter to Elford, Mitford gives this description of Northmore, and mentions his authorship of an epic poem on George Washington: what a man! How loud & shrewd & full of himself & sharp all over from his eagle nose to his pointed hook toe! What a perpetual sky rocket bouncing starting & flaming! What a talker against time! Well might Mr. Hobhouse call him the gentleman who came all the way from Devonshire to tell us that he was a great man at home. And he is a Poet too. Has written an Epic, which must have appeared incognito–for I never remember to have heard it mentioned in my life. An Epic Poem about Washington . Mitford may not have seen the poem, since it was published in Baltimore, MD. Northmore's poem was entitled Washington; or Liberty Restored. A Poem in Ten Books.—kab, lmw

( I had the honour a week or two ago to be introduced to your friend Mr. BowlesWilliam Lisle Bowles | Born: 1762-09-24 in King's Sutton, Northamptonshire, England. Died: 1850-04-07 in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England.
Clergyman and poet, known for his sonnets as well as for his long poems including The Missionary published 1813 , The Grave of the Last Saxon published 1822 and St. John in Patmos published 1833 . Bowles was an acquaintance of Mitford's father for over thirty years. Bowles was a key figure in the Romantic-era sonnet revival. As a literary critic, Bowles ignited the so-called Pope-Bowles controversy, a pamphlet war about Alexander Pope's moral authority and literary significance, upon which Mitfordcomments in her letters.—kab, ebb, lmw

the Poet. I must tell you the story. Going in Dr. ValpyRichard Valpy, Doctor of Divinity, or: Dr. Valpy | Born: 1754-12-07 in St. John’s, Jersey, Channel Islands. Died: 1836-03-28 in Reading, Berkshire, England.
Richard Valpy (the fourth of that name) was the eldest son of Richard Valpy [III] and Catherine Chevalier. He was a friend and literary mentor to Mary Russell Mitford. He matriculated at Pembroke College, Oxford University on April 1, 1773, aged eighteen, as a Morley scholar. He received from Oxford a B.A. (1776), M.A. (1784), B.D. & D.D. (1792). He took orders in the Church of England in 1777. Richard Valpy served as Second Master at Bury School, Bury, Huntindonshire from 1771 to 1781, and was also collated to the rectory of Stradishall, Suffolk, in 1787. He became the Headmaster at Reading School, Reading, Berkshire, in 1781 and served until 1830, at which time he turned the Headmastership over to his youngest son Francis E. J. Valpy and continued in semi-retirement until his death in 1836. During his tenure as Headmaster of Reading Grammar School for boys over the course of fifty years, he expanded the boarding school and added new buildings. He is the author of numerous published works, including Greek and Latin textbooks, sermons, volumes of poetry, and adaptations of plays such as Shakespeare’s King John and Sheridan’s The Critic. His Elements of Greek Grammar, Elements of Latin Grammar,,Greek Delectus and Latin Delectus, printed and published by his son A. J. Valpy, were all much used as school texts throughout the nineteenth century. Valpy’s students performed his own adaptations of Greek, Latin, and English plays for the triennial visitations and the play receipts went to charitable organizations. Valpy enlisted Mitford to write reviews of the productions for the Reading Mercury. In 1803, his adaptation of Shakespeare’s King John was performed at Covent Garden Theatre.
Richard Valpy was married twice and had twelve children, eleven of whom lived to adulthood. His first wife was Martha Cornelia de Cartaret; Richard and Martha were married about 1778 and they had one daughter, Martha Cartaretta Cornelia. His first wife Martha died about 1780 and he married Mary Benwell of Caversham, Oxfordshire on May 30, 1782. Together they had six sons and five daughters and ten of their eleven children survived to adulthood. Richard Valpy and Mary Benwell’s sons were Richard Valpy (the fifth of that name), Abraham John Valpy, called John; Gabriel Valpy, Anthony Blagrove Valpy; and Francis Edward Jackson Valpy. His daughters were Mary Ann Catherine Valpy; Sarah Frances Valpy, called Frances or Fanny; Catherine Elizabeth Blanch Valpy; Penelope Arabella Valpy; and Elizabeth Charlotte Valpy, who died as an infant.
Richard Valpy died on March 28, 1836 in Reading, Berkshire, and is buried in All Souls cemetery, Kensal Green, London. Dr. Valpy’s students placed a marble bust of him in St. Lawrence’s church, Reading, Berkshire, after his death. John Opie painted Dr. Valpy’s portrait. See .—ebb, lmw
's the back way, I met the old Butler Newman
The butler of Mitford's friend Dr. Richard Valpy. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.—kab—"Are the ladies in the parlour Newman Newman
The butler of Mitford's friend Dr. Richard Valpy. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.—kab?" "Yes, ma'am—And ma'am there is Mr. BowlesWilliam Lisle Bowles | Born: 1762-09-24 in King's Sutton, Northamptonshire, England. Died: 1850-04-07 in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England.
Clergyman and poet, known for his sonnets as well as for his long poems including The Missionary published 1813 , The Grave of the Last Saxon published 1822 and St. John in Patmos published 1833 . Bowles was an acquaintance of Mitford's father for over thirty years. Bowles was a key figure in the Romantic-era sonnet revival. As a literary critic, Bowles ignited the so-called Pope-Bowles controversy, a pamphlet war about Alexander Pope's moral authority and literary significance, upon which Mitfordcomments in her letters.—kab, ebb, lmw

, the Poet" quoth Newman Newman
The butler of Mitford's friend Dr. Richard Valpy. Forename unknown. Dates unknown.—kab Well I thought I shall be very glad to see him & in I walked—The DoctorRichard Valpy, Doctor of Divinity, or: Dr. Valpy | Born: 1754-12-07 in St. John’s, Jersey, Channel Islands. Died: 1836-03-28 in Reading, Berkshire, England.
Richard Valpy (the fourth of that name) was the eldest son of Richard Valpy [III] and Catherine Chevalier. He was a friend and literary mentor to Mary Russell Mitford. He matriculated at Pembroke College, Oxford University on April 1, 1773, aged eighteen, as a Morley scholar. He received from Oxford a B.A. (1776), M.A. (1784), B.D. & D.D. (1792). He took orders in the Church of England in 1777. Richard Valpy served as Second Master at Bury School, Bury, Huntindonshire from 1771 to 1781, and was also collated to the rectory of Stradishall, Suffolk, in 1787. He became the Headmaster at Reading School, Reading, Berkshire, in 1781 and served until 1830, at which time he turned the Headmastership over to his youngest son Francis E. J. Valpy and continued in semi-retirement until his death in 1836. During his tenure as Headmaster of Reading Grammar School for boys over the course of fifty years, he expanded the boarding school and added new buildings. He is the author of numerous published works, including Greek and Latin textbooks, sermons, volumes of poetry, and adaptations of plays such as Shakespeare’s King John and Sheridan’s The Critic. His Elements of Greek Grammar, Elements of Latin Grammar,,Greek Delectus and Latin Delectus, printed and published by his son A. J. Valpy, were all much used as school texts throughout the nineteenth century. Valpy’s students performed his own adaptations of Greek, Latin, and English plays for the triennial visitations and the play receipts went to charitable organizations. Valpy enlisted Mitford to write reviews of the productions for the Reading Mercury. In 1803, his adaptation of Shakespeare’s King John was performed at Covent Garden Theatre.
Richard Valpy was married twice and had twelve children, eleven of whom lived to adulthood. His first wife was Martha Cornelia de Cartaret; Richard and Martha were married about 1778 and they had one daughter, Martha Cartaretta Cornelia. His first wife Martha died about 1780 and he married Mary Benwell of Caversham, Oxfordshire on May 30, 1782. Together they had six sons and five daughters and ten of their eleven children survived to adulthood. Richard Valpy and Mary Benwell’s sons were Richard Valpy (the fifth of that name), Abraham John Valpy, called John; Gabriel Valpy, Anthony Blagrove Valpy; and Francis Edward Jackson Valpy. His daughters were Mary Ann Catherine Valpy; Sarah Frances Valpy, called Frances or Fanny; Catherine Elizabeth Blanch Valpy; Penelope Arabella Valpy; and Elizabeth Charlotte Valpy, who died as an infant.
Richard Valpy died on March 28, 1836 in Reading, Berkshire, and is buried in All Souls cemetery, Kensal Green, London. Dr. Valpy’s students placed a marble bust of him in St. Lawrence’s church, Reading, Berkshire, after his death. John Opie painted Dr. Valpy’s portrait. See .—ebb, lmw
met me at the do[gap: 2 chars, reason: torn.][or] snatched my hand led me triumphantly up to the window where Mr. BowlesWilliam Lisle Bowles | Born: 1762-09-24 in King's Sutton, Northamptonshire, England. Died: 1850-04-07 in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England.
Clergyman and poet, known for his sonnets as well as for his long poems including The Missionary published 1813 , The Grave of the Last Saxon published 1822 and St. John in Patmos published 1833 . Bowles was an acquaintance of Mitford's father for over thirty years. Bowles was a key figure in the Romantic-era sonnet revival. As a literary critic, Bowles ignited the so-called Pope-Bowles controversy, a pamphlet war about Alexander Pope's moral authority and literary significance, upon which Mitfordcomments in her letters.—kab, ebb, lmw

was standing & then snatched his hand & endeavoured to join the two after the fashion of the marriage ceremony (you know how that is dear Sir WilliamWilliam Elford, Sir, baronet, Recorder for Plymouth, Recorder for Totnes, Member of Parliament | Born: 1749-08 in Kingsbridge, Devon, England. Died: 1837-11-30 in Totnes, Devon, England.
According to L’Estrange, Sir William was first a friend of Mitford’s father, and Mitford met him for the first time in the spring of 1810 when he was a widower nearing the age of 64. They carried on a lively correspondence until his death in 1837.
Elford worked as a banker at Plymouth Bank (Elford, Tingcombe and Purchase) in Plymouth, Devon, from its founding in 1782. He was elected a member of Parliament for Plymouth as a supporter of the government and Tory William Pitt, and served from 1796 to 1806. After his election defeat in Plymouth in 1806, he was elected member of Parliament for Rye and served from July 1807 until his resignation in July 1808. For his service in Parliament as a supporter of Pitt, he was made a baronet in 1800. After his son Jonathan came of age, he tried to secure a stable government post for him but never succeeded. Mayor of Plymouth in 1796 and Recorder for Plymouth from 1797 to 1833, he was also Recorder for Totnes from 1832 to 1834. Sir William served as an officer in the South Devon militia from 1788, eventually attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel; the unit saw active service in Ireland during the Peninsular Wars. Sir William was a talented amateur painter in oils and watercolors who exhibited at the Royal Society from 1774 to 1837; he exhibited still lifes and portraits but preferred landscapes. He was elected to the Royal Society Academy in 1790. He was also a talented amateur naturalist and was elected to the Royal Linnaean Society in 1790; late in life, he published his findings on an alternative to yeast.
He married his first wife, Mary Davies of Plympton, on January 20, 1776 and they had one son, Jonathan, and two daughters, Grace Chard and Elizabeth. After the death of his first wife, he married Elizabeth Hall Walrond, widow of Lieutenant-Colonel Maine Swete Walrond of the Coldstream Guards. His only son Jonathan died in 1823, leaving him without an heir.
—ebb, lmw

) introducing him to me as "Mr. BowlesWilliam Lisle Bowles | Born: 1762-09-24 in King's Sutton, Northamptonshire, England. Died: 1850-04-07 in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England.
Clergyman and poet, known for his sonnets as well as for his long poems including The Missionary published 1813 , The Grave of the Last Saxon published 1822 and St. John in Patmos published 1833 . Bowles was an acquaintance of Mitford's father for over thirty years. Bowles was a key figure in the Romantic-era sonnet revival. As a literary critic, Bowles ignited the so-called Pope-Bowles controversy, a pamphlet war about Alexander Pope's moral authority and literary significance, upon which Mitfordcomments in her letters.—kab, ebb, lmw

the Poet" but calling me as I have since remembered nothing but "Mary"—Mr. Bowles William Lisle Bowles | Born: 1762-09-24 in King's Sutton, Northamptonshire, England. Died: 1850-04-07 in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England.
Clergyman and poet, known for his sonnets as well as for his long poems including The Missionary published 1813 , The Grave of the Last Saxon published 1822 and St. John in Patmos published 1833 . Bowles was an acquaintance of Mitford's father for over thirty years. Bowles was a key figure in the Romantic-era sonnet revival. As a literary critic, Bowles ignited the so-called Pope-Bowles controversy, a pamphlet war about Alexander Pope's moral authority and literary significance, upon which Mitfordcomments in her letters.—kab, ebb, lmw

rather astounded drew back—I astounded in my turn at such a way of receiving the daughter of an old acquaintance (for my FatherGeorge Mitford, Esq., or: George Midford | Born: . Died: .
Father of Mary Rusell Mitford, George Mitford was the son of Francis Midford, surgeon, and Jane Graham. The family name is sometimes recorded as Midford. Immediate family called him by nicknames including Drum, Tod, and Dodo. He was a member of a minor branch of the Mitfords of Mitford Castle in Northumberland. Although later sources would suggest that he was a graduate of the University of Edinburgh medical school, there is no evidence that he obtained a medical degree and he did not generally refer to himself as Dr. Mitford, preferring to style himself Esq.. In 1784, he is listed in a Hampshire directory as surgeon (medicine) of Alresford. His father and grandfather worked as apothecary-surgeons and it seems likely that he served a medical apprenticeship with family members.
He married Mary Russell on October 17, 1785 at New Alresford, Hampshire. On the marriage allegation papers, both gave their addresses as Old Alresford; they later came to live at Broad Street in New Alresford. Their only child to live to adulthood, Mary Russell Mitford, was born two years later on December 16, 1787 at New Alresford, Hampshire. He assisted Mitford's literary career by representing her interests in London and elsewhere with theater owners and publishers. He was active in Whig politics and later served as a local magistrate. He coursed greyhounds with his friend James Webb.
—lmw has known him these thirty years) drew back too—& between us we left the dear DoctorRichard Valpy, Doctor of Divinity, or: Dr. Valpy | Born: 1754-12-07 in St. John’s, Jersey, Channel Islands. Died: 1836-03-28 in Reading, Berkshire, England.
Richard Valpy (the fourth of that name) was the eldest son of Richard Valpy [III] and Catherine Chevalier. He was a friend and literary mentor to Mary Russell Mitford. He matriculated at Pembroke College, Oxford University on April 1, 1773, aged eighteen, as a Morley scholar. He received from Oxford a B.A. (1776), M.A. (1784), B.D. & D.D. (1792). He took orders in the Church of England in 1777. Richard Valpy served as Second Master at Bury School, Bury, Huntindonshire from 1771 to 1781, and was also collated to the rectory of Stradishall, Suffolk, in 1787. He became the Headmaster at Reading School, Reading, Berkshire, in 1781 and served until 1830, at which time he turned the Headmastership over to his youngest son Francis E. J. Valpy and continued in semi-retirement until his death in 1836. During his tenure as Headmaster of Reading Grammar School for boys over the course of fifty years, he expanded the boarding school and added new buildings. He is the author of numerous published works, including Greek and Latin textbooks, sermons, volumes of poetry, and adaptations of plays such as Shakespeare’s King John and Sheridan’s The Critic. His Elements of Greek Grammar, Elements of Latin Grammar,,Greek Delectus and Latin Delectus, printed and published by his son A. J. Valpy, were all much used as school texts throughout the nineteenth century. Valpy’s students performed his own adaptations of Greek, Latin, and English plays for the triennial visitations and the play receipts went to charitable organizations. Valpy enlisted Mitford to write reviews of the productions for the Reading Mercury. In 1803, his adaptation of Shakespeare’s King John was performed at Covent Garden Theatre.
Richard Valpy was married twice and had twelve children, eleven of whom lived to adulthood. His first wife was Martha Cornelia de Cartaret; Richard and Martha were married about 1778 and they had one daughter, Martha Cartaretta Cornelia. His first wife Martha died about 1780 and he married Mary Benwell of Caversham, Oxfordshire on May 30, 1782. Together they had six sons and five daughters and ten of their eleven children survived to adulthood. Richard Valpy and Mary Benwell’s sons were Richard Valpy (the fifth of that name), Abraham John Valpy, called John; Gabriel Valpy, Anthony Blagrove Valpy; and Francis Edward Jackson Valpy. His daughters were Mary Ann Catherine Valpy; Sarah Frances Valpy, called Frances or Fanny; Catherine Elizabeth Blanch Valpy; Penelope Arabella Valpy; and Elizabeth Charlotte Valpy, who died as an infant.
Richard Valpy died on March 28, 1836 in Reading, Berkshire, and is buried in All Souls cemetery, Kensal Green, London. Dr. Valpy’s students placed a marble bust of him in St. Lawrence’s church, Reading, Berkshire, after his death. John Opie painted Dr. Valpy’s portrait. See .—ebb, lmw
in worse consternation than either standing alone in the window—A minute after Miss ValpyPenelope Arabella French Valpy | Born: 1798 in Reading, Berkshire, England. Died: 1869-03-17 in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England.
One of the daughters of Dr. Valpy by his second wife Mary Benwell. She was baptized on June 15, 1798 at St. Lawrence, Reading, Berkshire. Penelope Arabella was youngest Valpy child to live to adulthood (a younger sister, Elizabeth Charlotte, died as an infant). She married the Rev. Peter French on October 13, 1823 on the same day that her sister Catherine married the Rev. Philip Filleul. The family lived in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, where Penelope was buried. They had five sons and three daughters. Penelope and Peter’s first child, Thomas Valpy French became the first Anglican Bishop of Lahore (now northwestern India and Pakistan).—ebb, mco, lmw[2] Valpy daughter's identification uncertain. Mary Valpy was married at the time of writing, so presumably Penelope, the eldest daughter living at home, is referred to here.—lmw asked after Dr. MitfordGeorge Mitford, Esq., or: George Midford | Born: . Died: .
Father of Mary Rusell Mitford, George Mitford was the son of Francis Midford, surgeon, and Jane Graham. The family name is sometimes recorded as Midford. Immediate family called him by nicknames including Drum, Tod, and Dodo. He was a member of a minor branch of the Mitfords of Mitford Castle in Northumberland. Although later sources would suggest that he was a graduate of the University of Edinburgh medical school, there is no evidence that he obtained a medical degree and he did not generally refer to himself as Dr. Mitford, preferring to style himself Esq.. In 1784, he is listed in a Hampshire directory as surgeon (medicine) of Alresford. His father and grandfather worked as apothecary-surgeons and it seems likely that he served a medical apprenticeship with family members.
He married Mary Russell on October 17, 1785 at New Alresford, Hampshire. On the marriage allegation papers, both gave their addresses as Old Alresford; they later came to live at Broad Street in New Alresford. Their only child to live to adulthood, Mary Russell Mitford, was born two years later on December 16, 1787 at New Alresford, Hampshire. He assisted Mitford's literary career by representing her interests in London and elsewhere with theater owners and publishers. He was active in Whig politics and later served as a local magistrate. He coursed greyhounds with his friend James Webb.
—lmw & all was immediately right—Mr. BowlesWilliam Lisle Bowles | Born: 1762-09-24 in King's Sutton, Northamptonshire, England. Died: 1850-04-07 in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England.
Clergyman and poet, known for his sonnets as well as for his long poems including The Missionary published 1813 , The Grave of the Last Saxon published 1822 and St. John in Patmos published 1833 . Bowles was an acquaintance of Mitford's father for over thirty years. Bowles was a key figure in the Romantic-era sonnet revival. As a literary critic, Bowles ignited the so-called Pope-Bowles controversy, a pamphlet war about Alexander Pope's moral authority and literary significance, upon which Mitfordcomments in her letters.—kab, ebb, lmw

was very pleasant & sociable talked a great deal of Lord ByronGeorge Gordon Noel Byron, 6th Baron Byron | Born: 1788-01-22 in Holles Street, London, England. Died: 1824-04-19 in Missolonghi, Greece.
Romantic-era poet, playwright, and celebrity. English peer after he inherited the Barony of Byron of Rochdale in 1798. He died fighting for independence for Greece. Friend of William Harness.—lmw

& the PopeAlexander Pope | Born: 1688-05-21 in London, England. Died: 1744-05-30 in Twickenham, Middlesex, England.
Augustan-era Catholic poet whose achievements include the mock epics The Rape of the Lock and the Dunciad, as well as the Essay on Man, and a translation of the Illiad. He had a disfiguring disability, probably resulting from Pott's disease, and was an invalid for much of his life. He was known for his biting satire. Source: Britannica.—lmw, rnes
question in which we exactly agree—& in which from not having read the prosy pamphlet in which he has so marred his own good cause I page 4
was able to agree with him most conscientiously without any of the drawback on my civility which the perusal of the aforementioned wretched pamphlet would have occasioned—"Pray ^[sir] do you like his wife? Is she not the coarse cold hard woman? And rather vulgarish? All this she seemed to me. He is very unaffected & agreeable.—Well I write not perhaps much longer—for with so much to do & to think of a trespass it must be—You will write to me when you have time—& you will persuade Mrs. WaldronElizabeth Walrond Hall, or: Mrs. Elford | Born: 1780 in Manadon, Devon, England. Died: 1839 in Totnes, Devon, England.
Elizabeth Walrond was the second wife of Sir William Elford; they married on July 5, 1821 , fourteen years after the death of Mary Davies Elford in 1807 . Elizabeth was the daughter and co-heiress of Humphrey Hall of Mandon, Devon, England and his wife, the Hon. Jane St. John, daughter of John St. John, 11th Baron St. John of Bletsoe. She was previously married to Maine Swete Waldron, an officer in the Coldstream Guards, in 1803 and they had two children, only one of whom survived to adulthood. Her first husband died around 1817 and she married Sir William Elford four years later. Following her death, her will was probated on 10 December 1839. Some secondary sources erroneously give the spelling of her first married name as Waldron; however, she is not to be confused with the American Elizabeth Waldron (1780 to 21 July 1853).‏ Her birthdate is not given in any standard nineteenth-century reference sources, but is likely to be before 1780.—ebb, ajc, lmw—Lady ElfordElizabeth Walrond Hall, or: Mrs. Elford | Born: 1780 in Manadon, Devon, England. Died: 1839 in Totnes, Devon, England.
Elizabeth Walrond was the second wife of Sir William Elford; they married on July 5, 1821 , fourteen years after the death of Mary Davies Elford in 1807 . Elizabeth was the daughter and co-heiress of Humphrey Hall of Mandon, Devon, England and his wife, the Hon. Jane St. John, daughter of John St. John, 11th Baron St. John of Bletsoe. She was previously married to Maine Swete Waldron, an officer in the Coldstream Guards, in 1803 and they had two children, only one of whom survived to adulthood. Her first husband died around 1817 and she married Sir William Elford four years later. Following her death, her will was probated on 10 December 1839. Some secondary sources erroneously give the spelling of her first married name as Waldron; however, she is not to be confused with the American Elizabeth Waldron (1780 to 21 July 1853).‏ Her birthdate is not given in any standard nineteenth-century reference sources, but is likely to be before 1780.—ebb, ajc, lmw—into partaking of the family indulgence towards your poor little Correspondent—my FatherGeorge Mitford, Esq., or: George Midford | Born: . Died: .
Father of Mary Rusell Mitford, George Mitford was the son of Francis Midford, surgeon, and Jane Graham. The family name is sometimes recorded as Midford. Immediate family called him by nicknames including Drum, Tod, and Dodo. He was a member of a minor branch of the Mitfords of Mitford Castle in Northumberland. Although later sources would suggest that he was a graduate of the University of Edinburgh medical school, there is no evidence that he obtained a medical degree and he did not generally refer to himself as Dr. Mitford, preferring to style himself Esq.. In 1784, he is listed in a Hampshire directory as surgeon (medicine) of Alresford. His father and grandfather worked as apothecary-surgeons and it seems likely that he served a medical apprenticeship with family members.
He married Mary Russell on October 17, 1785 at New Alresford, Hampshire. On the marriage allegation papers, both gave their addresses as Old Alresford; they later came to live at Broad Street in New Alresford. Their only child to live to adulthood, Mary Russell Mitford, was born two years later on December 16, 1787 at New Alresford, Hampshire. He assisted Mitford's literary career by representing her interests in London and elsewhere with theater owners and publishers. He was active in Whig politics and later served as a local magistrate. He coursed greyhounds with his friend James Webb.
—lmw & MotherMary Russell Mitford, or: Mrs. Mitford | Born: 1750 in Ashe, Hampshire, England. Died: 1830-01-02 in Three Mile Cross, parish of Shinfield, Berkshire, England.
Mary Russell was the youngest child of the Rev. Dr. Richard Russell and his second wife, Mary Dicker; she was born about 1750 in Ashe, Hampshire. (Her birth date is as yet unverified; period sources indicate that she was ten years older than her husband George, born in 1760.) Through the Russells, she was a distant relation of the Dukes of Bedford (sixth creation, 1694). She had two siblings, Charles William and Frances; both predeceased her and their parents, which resulted in Mary Russell inheriting her family’s entire estate upon her mother’s death in 1785. Her father’s rectory in Ashe was only a short distance from Steventon, and so she was acquainted with the young Jane Austen. She married George Mitford or Midford on October 17, 1785 at New Alresford, Hampshire. On the marriage allegation papers, both gave their addresses as Old Alresford. Their only daughter, Mary Russell Mitford, was born two years later on December 16, 1787 at New Alresford, Hampshire. Mary Russell died on January 2, 1830 at Three Mile Cross in the parish of Shinfield, Berkshire. Her obituary in the 1830 New Monthly Magazine gives New Year’s day as the date of her death.—ajc, lmw
join me in rejoicing at Mr. ElfordJonathan Elford, Member of Parliament, or: Mr. Elford, Member of Parliament | Born: 1776-11-05 in Plympton Erle, Plymouth, Devon, England. Died: 1823-03-11 in Upland, Tamerton Foliott, Plymouth, Devon, England.
The only son of Sir William Elford and his first wife Mary Davies Elford. He joined Oriel College, Oxford on June 3, 1795 and later moved to Tamerton Folliot, Devon on an estate he called Upland. He served as a Captain in the South Devonshire militia from 1803 with his father, who was also an officer. On May 10, 1810, he married Charlotte Wynne . He also became a freeman for Plymouth in 1810. Throughout his adulthood, his father tried unsuccessfully to secure him a position within the government. He served briefly as Member of Parliament for Westbury from March 10 to November 29, 1820, a seat he secured under the patronage of Sir Manasseh Masseh Lopes. At this time, Westbury was a controversial rotten borough whose interest Lopes had purchased from Lord Abingdon, and Jonathan Elford probably secured the position in the place of Lopes who was serving a prison sentence for electoral corruption. When Lopes's sentence was lifted, Elford resigned his seat in November 1820 so Lopes could return. His death at the age of 46 left Sir William without an heir and his debts contributed to his father’s financial collapse in 1825 .—kab, ebb, lmw
's recovery as well as in best remembrances & goodwishes—& I am ever my dear Sir WilliamWilliam Elford, Sir, baronet, Recorder for Plymouth, Recorder for Totnes, Member of Parliament | Born: 1749-08 in Kingsbridge, Devon, England. Died: 1837-11-30 in Totnes, Devon, England.
According to L’Estrange, Sir William was first a friend of Mitford’s father, and Mitford met him for the first time in the spring of 1810 when he was a widower nearing the age of 64. They carried on a lively correspondence until his death in 1837.
Elford worked as a banker at Plymouth Bank (Elford, Tingcombe and Purchase) in Plymouth, Devon, from its founding in 1782. He was elected a member of Parliament for Plymouth as a supporter of the government and Tory William Pitt, and served from 1796 to 1806. After his election defeat in Plymouth in 1806, he was elected member of Parliament for Rye and served from July 1807 until his resignation in July 1808. For his service in Parliament as a supporter of Pitt, he was made a baronet in 1800. After his son Jonathan came of age, he tried to secure a stable government post for him but never succeeded. Mayor of Plymouth in 1796 and Recorder for Plymouth from 1797 to 1833, he was also Recorder for Totnes from 1832 to 1834. Sir William served as an officer in the South Devon militia from 1788, eventually attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel; the unit saw active service in Ireland during the Peninsular Wars. Sir William was a talented amateur painter in oils and watercolors who exhibited at the Royal Society from 1774 to 1837; he exhibited still lifes and portraits but preferred landscapes. He was elected to the Royal Society Academy in 1790. He was also a talented amateur naturalist and was elected to the Royal Linnaean Society in 1790; late in life, he published his findings on an alternative to yeast.
He married his first wife, Mary Davies of Plympton, on January 20, 1776 and they had one son, Jonathan, and two daughters, Grace Chard and Elizabeth. After the death of his first wife, he married Elizabeth Hall Walrond, widow of Lieutenant-Colonel Maine Swete Walrond of the Coldstream Guards. His only son Jonathan died in 1823, leaving him without an heir.
—ebb, lmw

FiescoFiesco. Mary Russell Mitford.
Mitford’s first attempt to write a full-length tragedy, never performed or printed, although she did submit it for consideration to William Macready and the managers of Covent Garden Theatre in 1820. Schiller also wrote a play on this subject, entitled Die Verschwörung des Fiesco zu Genua; or Fiesco’s Conspiracy at Genoa. In a letter of 9 February 1821 Mitford indicates that she was not familiar with Schiller’s work, having neither seen nor sought for it. —lmw has been returned on my hands as I fore sawforesaw & I am now knee deep in another TragedyFoscari: A Tragedy. Mary Russell Mitford. London : G. B. Whittaker . 1826. on the subject of the Venetian Doge FoscariFrancesco Foscari, Doge
Historical Doge of Venice on whom Mitford based her Doge in Foscari. Mitford's declared historical source is A View of Society and Manners in Italy by Dr. John Moore.—ebb who was obliged to condemn his own son—I had been waiting for PapaGeorge Mitford, Esq., or: George Midford | Born: . Died: .
Father of Mary Rusell Mitford, George Mitford was the son of Francis Midford, surgeon, and Jane Graham. The family name is sometimes recorded as Midford. Immediate family called him by nicknames including Drum, Tod, and Dodo. He was a member of a minor branch of the Mitfords of Mitford Castle in Northumberland. Although later sources would suggest that he was a graduate of the University of Edinburgh medical school, there is no evidence that he obtained a medical degree and he did not generally refer to himself as Dr. Mitford, preferring to style himself Esq.. In 1784, he is listed in a Hampshire directory as surgeon (medicine) of Alresford. His father and grandfather worked as apothecary-surgeons and it seems likely that he served a medical apprenticeship with family members.
He married Mary Russell on October 17, 1785 at New Alresford, Hampshire. On the marriage allegation papers, both gave their addresses as Old Alresford; they later came to live at Broad Street in New Alresford. Their only child to live to adulthood, Mary Russell Mitford, was born two years later on December 16, 1787 at New Alresford, Hampshire. He assisted Mitford's literary career by representing her interests in London and elsewhere with theater owners and publishers. He was active in Whig politics and later served as a local magistrate. He coursed greyhounds with his friend James Webb.
—lmw's going to TownLondon, England | London | England | 51.5073509 -0.12775829999998223 Capital city of England and the United Kingdom; one the oldest cities in Western Europe. Major seaport and global trading center at the mouth of the Thames. From 1831 to 1925, the largest city in the world.—lmw to get my letters—but he puts it off so—that I have sent an authority to another friend this very night—Once more my dear Friend God bless you.