The manufacturer Henry Cox's homily from Eastbourne to his brother George in Derby 1818

 

… a Man’s happiness cannot be upon this Earth; because it must be

 some durable abiding thing that must make him happy

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A shot tower looks like a very tall chimney which widens towards the base.  Built in 1809 and one hundred and eighty feet high, a shot tower became the most prominent feature of Derby’s Morledge district though the only contemporary engravings are to be found on the letter heads of Cox Brothers & Co.  Inside the top of such towers, molten lead was poured through a copper sieve and allowed to fall freely downwards into a vast water basin below from which it would be retrieved, now transformed into the small balls which could be fired from shot guns.

The Cox Brothers and their extended families had other business interests, notably as brewers and wine merchants. But except for a brief mention of the local hop fields, this letter from Henry Cox to his brother George barely touches on the activities which brought them wealth and some prominence in Derby. In the second part of the letter, Henry details how he and a large family group are spending their time on holiday at Eastbourne on the Sussex coast. They have visited Compton Place, the marine home of Lord George Cavendish later Earl of Burlington (of that Arcade). Lord George is their Derbyshire Member of Parliament and so the Coxes of Derby gain entry to the grounds as his Constituents. The Derby connection may have been a factor in the Cox’s original choice of Eastbourne.

But in the first part of the letter, Henry addresses a homily to his brother and business partner, taking as his text some graceful words of Archbishop Leighton (1611-1684) commenting on the third and fourth verses of the First Epistle of Peter. The choice is not an obscure one; the works of the conciliatory Scottish archbishop were popular among those who read theological literature. The argument of Henry’s sermon has a fairly simple structure: Real happiness must be enduring; earthly happiness is transient but heavenly happiness endures; therefore, if we wish for real happiness we must try to get into heaven. There are, of course, several suppressed premises in this would-be syllogism and one might quibble.

But Henry only quibbles over a failed Free Frank. Until 1840, MPs and Members of the House of Lords enjoyed the qualified privilege of sending letters post free. Though against the rules, it was quite common to frank letters for friends. Other rules limiting the privilege were quite complicated; for example, the privilege extended only to periods when Parliament was sitting and to forty days either side. And you had to write date and place at the top of the address panel and sign bottom left to comply. The letter Henry complains of was non-compliant.

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Transcription

Addressed:   To George Cox Esqr   Derby

Datelined inside: Eastbourne     25 Sea Houses      July 15 1818

I have just received a [Free] Frank to pay nothing of the Contents for which all are obliged but strange as it may appear for this Frank I paid 2/10d [two shillings and tenpence] so much for Franks put into office 1 Day too late – my uncle Edward has also received his very interesting letter on law physic & divinity  from my uncle Roger  this morning but my object in sitting down to write to you, my dear George, was neither to acknowledge the receipt of unpaid Franks & the interesting epistles of others, but if possible for our mutual instruction & edification – and as I feel myself quite  unequal to write what I would in order to this I quote you a phrase from Abshp [Archbishop]Leighton  in his Commentary on the  3^rd & 4^th verses of the first Epistle of Peter where after speaking of the perishing of all things here on earth, & of the Inheritance incorruptible & undefiled and that fadeth not away – he says “Thus Solomon reasons that a  Man’s happiness cannot be upon this Earth; because it must be some durable abiding thing that must make him happy, abiding to wit in his enjoyment. Now though the Earth abide yet because a man abides not on the Earth to possess it, but one age drives out another, one generation passeth, and another cometh …. therefore his real …. Happiness cannot be here”.

How true is all this, every passing day must tell us. Let us then see we make our calling & election sure, let us not be spending every day spending our time as if this Earth were our dwelling place – no, I trust we are both of us looking forward to that Inheritance which fadeth not away, incorruptible & undefiled. It has pleased God to give unto us both the knowledge of his Word let us then be daily improving in Holiness ….by our Practice, that we are the sincere followers of the meek & lowly Jesus. We breathe as Abp Leighton says an infected air and are very receptive of the infection by our own corruption within us. We readily turn the things we profess here to occasions & ….. of sin and are apt to think there is no liberty nor delight in their use without abusing them.

…….I remind you dear Brother I would not forget my own besetting Sin. Examine then yourself & see it dipt in the blood of your Saviour before another day passes for without holiness no man shall see the Lord, not every day crying Lord! Lord! and acting in direct contradiction to his holy Word, but shewing all great fidelity that we may adore the …. of God our Saviour in all things.

I hope dear Edward is not unmindful of these things & does not fancy that in his career of study that a religious & good man must of necessity be an ignorant Man. Let us pray that we and all our dear family may be pressing forward to the mark, to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

I must now send you what News I can muster. The Weather has been most fine ever since we came. Last Saturday night an acceptable shower of rain fell which upon this chalky soil has proved very beneficial to the Barley & Oats never were finer crops of Wheat ever seen, a field of Barley here is cut & the Wheat cannot be long. We know who gives this increase. I am sorry to inform you that unless this Rain that fell on Sat ………..has …. them, the Hop Plantations are looking ill & short crops expected. Consequently they will be dearer though a day or twos rain will make even now (I may say) will make all the difference. Mutton is here 9d per lb Best Cuts of Beef 9d Veal 10d Lamb 10 ½ lb

We have had two most delightful excursions to Beachy Head, one above on the Downs & the other below on the Sands, with which we were all very much pleased. I have before said the Walks & Rides around are most interesting - Beachy Head is the highest land on this English coast, being I believe 160 yards from the level of the Sea.

Lord George has a very pretty place called Compton Place here and being Constituents spent a day last week in his Grounds & Gardens which are very beautiful – he has about 12,000 pr An [pounds per year] in the County [Sussex].

To our surprise last Monday who should we see on their way thro Eastbourne Messrs Higginson, Hancock Levcon[?] of Derby they were on a journey of pleasure as they termed it & had come from Brighton that morning …the rate of about 3 miles an hour in a coach. The Sea hasn’t altogether agreed with my Maria so well as I could have have wished. She was very unwell on Mond & Tuesday owing I think to overfatigue in a Walk we had taken by the Sea on Saty but thank God is now much better. Maria [daughter], Eliz and Mary Anne are as well as can be. Uncle Edwd intended bathing in the Sea this morning but has been I think incautious in eating some dressed lobster of Mrs Smiths and is not so well this morning & is therefore gone to the Warm Bath again, upon the whole much better. Mrs Edw Cx, Miss N, Willie & Mary are all very well excepting that the sea does not agree with Mrs E so well as the rest. Mr Smith has not been well but is better again this morning. My Auntie Maria’s letter is just received. Maria is much obliged by it but desires you will say she wishes Mr Godwin to see Edw Smith – or perhaps the sea would do him good if it was practicable. John wishes all letters directed for him to be sent immediately to Eastbourne – there are several now at Nuns Green tell my Aunt Maude this – Eliza would have written to Mamma [?] but thought Maria had written all news which she did not wish to tell twice over. She will write soon. I am pleased with the accounts from Duffield. You will grumble I fear at this long letter. They all unite with me in kindest love to you all too numerous to name [he is running out of cross-written space] & believe me my dear George your very affecte Brother Henry Cox

Acknowledgments

Wikipedia: Shot Tower.

John Scott of History Store kindly supplied the image of the Cox Brothers’ letterhead