Henry Bedingfeld a very unhappy pupil of Mr Grimston at Stonyhurst 1843

 

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Henry Bedingfeld (1830-1902) is the eldest son of Sir Henry Paston-Bedingfeld, sixth baronet, whose title he inherited. The Norfolk land-owning family were prominent Roman Catholics and the boy is attending Stonyhurst, England’s principal Catholic boarding school located near Blackburn in Lancashire. He is very unhappy there, not least because he is under a master called Mr Grimston. Mr Dickens would have had no need to use his imagination to come up with suitable names.

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 Transcription

Addressed to Lady Bedingfeld   60 rue Longue   Ostend

Despatch postmark: BLACKBURN  SP 24 1843

First letter

Stonyhurst

My dearest mama

I am arrived at Stonyhurst to my sorrow I would rather be any where else. I hope you will soon come to England for I am so unhappy. Do pray make Papa promisew to come & see me after the wedding. Now do my dearest darling mama. Mr Grimston is my master again, which makes me much more unhappy. I know what I have to look to for 10 long months. Oh I feel so unhappy. If papa is gone, write to him, do not let him go to England without seeing me agan. Do not say I beg of you Oh we are coming later for I want to see him now. I cannot write much it makes me so dreadfully wretched  more than I am already. I have nobody to talk to. Plunkett is laid hold of by the irish, & I am alone. I wish you could see me for a few moments. Do write & send Papa to your poor boy

Henry

P.S. That little Bernard Cooper is here poor fellow

Second letter on scrap of paper

My dearest Mama

I am now in my retreat, & writing on the sly. I oculd not write before for I was in walking days. Eddy is come. Poor Edmund is very miserable, but not as much as I am though perhaps I do not show it so much yet I feel as unhappy as ever I did. And to add to my grief I lost your letter. Forgive me for writing such a letter but I am so unhappy. If I could but see you for one moment. You shall have the hair [a lock of his hair?] in my next. I have been afraid you would think you I forgot you, but as I had no time, I have now stolen a few minutes

From your poor

Henry

Reference

Wikipedia: Sir Henry Paston-Bedingfeld, 7^th Baronet