Eliza Kerney of Crossmaglen has been deserted by her husband and seeks a portion of his military pension 1845

 

Nineteenth century documents addressed to the Royal Hospital Chelsea are quite easily found at table top fairs; at some point they were clearly sold off or sent to a paper mill for pulping where someone saw a better use for them. This one is not untypical. The records of the Hospital do show an Irish James Kerney [spelt without an a] as resident though the letter below does not provide a first name for the Kerney [also without an a] who has abandoned his wife. The spelling "Kearney" is more common.

Eliza Kerney does not give her age nor the first name, rank, regiment, age of her husband; this has not prevented the letter from being docketed with an apparently identifying ledger entry ("E28.279")

The letter was almost certainly not written by Eliza Kerney but by an agent who may have acted for a “Poor House” (that is to say, workhouse) intent on keeping down costs. The handwriting is very clear, the language suitably servile. Letters of this period rarely make use of apostrophes but this one does, though they are – as is still the norm  – wrongly distributed.

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Transcription

Addressed to: To the Right Honourable Lord’s Commissioners of Chelsea Hospital   London

Datelined:  June the 14^th 1845

Postmarked: CASTEL BLANEY JU14 1845, London arrival mark, charged 2d on delivery

Honourable Gentlemen

I most humbly beg of yo to inform me what provision there is made by your Honourable Board for Pensioner’s wives. I unfortunately got married on the 16^th of April last to a pensioner at 1s/0d [one shilling] per day and is nor in the utmost poverty, what little money and goods I had he has sold it and drank ale, now I have no other shift to get my Maintenance but go in to the Poor House and work like a slave. I most Humbly approach your Honorable clemency in that of Directing me how I may get less or more of his Pension to support me – or if I get into the poor House will your Honorable Board or the representatives of the Guardians stop a support for me, while an inmate of the Porr House.

Your ans. will without delay much oblige your Humble Servant

Eliza Kerney Crossmaglen Ireland

Docketing note: E28.279 1s 0 Kerney  Deserted wife for support