The
recipient of this 1811 letter has a brief Wikipedia page which confirms his
identity as Principal of the United Colleges of St Andrews – now the University
– between 1800 and his death in 1819. The first half of the letter is written
by his son-in-law Patrick Playfair (1765-1836), prominent in Glasgow’s West
India trade, importing sugar and other commodities; he had a particular
connection to Antigua and he or his son claimed unsuccessfully in the 1830s for
compensation as a creditor of Antigua’s Drew’s Hill estate which housed 144
enslaved persons.
The
recipient may not have been entirely comfortable with his son in law’s robust
approach to life, evident in this letter, and the docketing note is very dry,
“Mr Playfair May 1811”. But the Principal’s elder daughter, Jean, was married
to this Patrick Playfair and she writes the second half of this four-side
letter. Both writers are currently excited by the activities of Jean’s brother,
William (ca. 1782-1851), the second son of the Principal. He achieved the rank of Colonel with the East
India Company and is currently in Mauritius, then known as the Isle de France,
and which the British had captured from the French in 1810. About this period
of his life the internet appears to be silent; about Jean Playfair’s life it is
simply silent. The Lord Minto who figures as a godfather figure was Governor General of India from 1807
to 1813.
Disputes
in the Church of Scotland were endemic and related both to more obviously theological
questions and more substantively to church organisation and government with a
strong party in favour of complete independence from the state and from patronage
analogous to that which was central (in the form of “advowsons”) to the organisation of the Church of England.
These disputes eventually led to a major split in 1843 which created the Free
Church of Scotland which itself split in 1900. Whatever the disputes of 1810-11
referred to in this letter were, they do not seem to have been as critical as
the first part of the letter paints them.
*
Addressed
to: The Revd. Principal Playfair
St. Andrews
Datelined:
Dalmarnock May 7th 1811
Postmarked
GLASGOW 8 MAY 1811 and receiver mark of MY 9 1811
Docketing
note: Mr Playfair May 1811
My
Dear Sir
The
contents of your letter to Mrs Caw & your two last letters to me, you may
believe afforded much rejoicing at Dalmarnock & Brunswick Street. The
complete victory obtained at the Synod over your malignant & insatiable foe
was received with the most heartfelt satisfaction & I think it will be
followed by a decision as gratifying at the General Assembly. Such fierce
persecution is perhaps without precedent, for, it should seem, every irregular
& unlawful artifice which could be thought of by your adversary has been
resorted to in order to effect his diabolical purposes. Your cause however is
good & I think the high Ecclesiastic Court will rid you of the grasp of the
foul enemy & clothe him & his party with confusion.
The
joyful accounts from the Isle of France are delightful beyond all measure.
William’s success can be compared with none other I recollect than a Mr Brown’s
who from being the master of a ship from London in the Antigua trade & with
whom I had the honour twice as passenger is now at the receipt of
£100.000 annually from Government. This Gentleman with his wife & friends
paid us a visit last autumn in a coach & four [horses] &
petrified me with his success. From the Duke of Portland he lately purchased an
Estate of £200.000 he has another in Essex & one in Antigua besides a seat
near London! If Wm [William] go on paying £300.00 a month for some years
his commission for transacting the business must be very moderate indeed if he
do not accumulate equal at least to the purchase of all Fyfeshire. It is
therefore high time for those who wish for land in that quarter should supply
themselves immediately or [should be before?] such wealth can reach us
to raise the price. But to be serious, Wms. luck has certainly been wonderful
at last he is placed in the situation which of all others, from his former
pursuits, he is best qualified to fill with
advantage, & if he discharges his important trust to the
satisfaction of those to whom he is amenable, whether he holds his office for
long or for only a short period, it will in my mind lead to the making of his
fortune for since he has attracted the attention of Lord Minto to such a degree
he will be provided for in some other way should the Ile be given up to
Government. It is somewhat remarkable while his Lordship has been induced
without solicitation to render such services to one of our connexions in the
East his brother Governor Elliot of the Leeward Islands [Governor from 1809-14
and an opponent of the slave trade, banned in 1807] has
shown his good wishes to my establishment in the West. On his arrival at the
seat of Government Antigua about 8 or 9 mo’s [months] ago he it should
seem appointed our firm there his agents so that the whole of his money &
other transactions connected with it centres in us & this Mr Crichton wrote
me was quite unsolicited on his part.
What
dreadful times we have had here in commercial matters, that blackguard Bona: [Napoleon
Bonaparte] will ruin us by his system of exclusion from the continent,
unless a spark of resistance be kindled soon in the North. Something like
dissatisfaction if report says true manifests itsefl there at present but I
fear it will as usual end in smoke. If they do come to blows I wish a
Wellington or a Graham [General Sir Thomas Graham, a Scotsman] were
opposed to the Monsieurs – we might then hope. As you are soon to be within 6
hours ride of us might not you come & see us, if it were but for a day.
James Roger [The Reverend James Roger (1767–1849), a prominent figure]
would perhaps accompany you. I was much gratified to learn that all along he
has taken deep interest in your cause & he has risen in my esteem in
consequence for although in some instances he may have defeated his own
purposes by a little impudence yet his warm interference has been well meant
& of course has been well taken by you. I have procured a [illegible]:
of good rum for you & your
associates lying at Greenock in the King’s ware house neat[?] as imported
& have order’d it to be sent to Leith whence it can be ship’d for ….[illegible]
but I must conclude yours aff Pat Playfair [Patrick Playfair]
Third
page of the letter in a different hand:
Dalmarnock
7th May 1811
My
Dear Father
Your
letter to Mr Playfair last week gave us all extremely great pleasure, & amazement
to hear of William’s wonderful fortune, what a reverse! In a moment to be
raised to such honour & preferment. I cannot get over it even now. Many
thanks to you for taking the trouble to transcribe his history of this astonishing
piece of good luck, to us & sincerely do I congratulate you & my Mother
upon it, may both your lives be spared for many years that you may embrace all
your [letter torn] distant sons who are such an honour to you … [letter
torn] when parents have comfort in their children, as you have, it makes
other trials in life appear lighter, than otherwise would be the case. I was
very sorry to find you had been labouring under a bad cold, when you wrote, I
hope it has left you before now, these East winds are much against these
complaints, & will prevent you taking necessary exercise for your health. I
am quite vexed to hear that you have determined to go by sea to London, &
alone, indeed Father you must really give over this intention the sickness it
brings on you is more than you can bear, immediately before taking so much
fatigue in Lond’n as you are obliged to do, will you then be prevailed upon to
go by land? You agree much better with it & the diference of expense is not
worth mentioning now that Willm. is a paymaster General! he will send home soon
I hope, as much money as pay your Ticket at least so do not I entreat you put
your precious foot into a ship. I again repeat I shall be quite
miserable if you do so. It would be a great comfort to yourself & a
wonderful one to us, if you would take Jessie [ youngest daughter?] to
be company to you. I’m sure you would not repent so doing but your own
inclinations must determine that point.
I
had a long letter from William two days ago viz. Saturday which is a
repeatition of the substance of yours, this is dated 14th Feby &
he mentions having written St Andrews on the 11th by the same ship
he does not mention his pay – but says it is very handsome & that we need
not be afraid of him not acting with the strictest integrity, as it is as
possible to make gold out of stones as to make more money than his monthly pay,
in his situation, he says he has a good allowance, because he must be
responsible for all deficiencies in his accounts – he mentions he has paid in
one month £300.000 has employment for 5 or 6 clerks – he has no time to make acquaintance
with the inhabitants, as he has not a moment to himself day or night, his
accts. are kept up to a day – accurate to a penny hitherto. The inhabitants,
very illiterate, the first mate cannot write a common note the ladies are
beautiful & engaging, about 15000 in Port Louis (I mean inhabitants). What
do we not owe the generous Ld. Minto? I beg my love to my Mother & Jessie. I
ever am your most affectte Daughtr Jean Playfair.
Mary
Bertram is quite well, & is to write home by Jean Trail, she is continuing
to give great satisfaction in her Pupils.
References
Wikipedia:
James Playfair (minister)
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