I held back this letter, hoping that the missing piece of the puzzle would fall into place but it won’t. The recipient is unambiguous: she was born Henrietta Gertrude Walker and is now Countess Baldelli, having made a second marriage with an Italian Count. Born 1814 died 1903 she became - as they used to say - a pillar of Anglo-Florentine society, easily found on the internet as an opponent of animal cruelty and vivisection, an amateur astronomer, and so on. But I cannot identify the writer. I read the signature as “A.Walker” which could point to a sister (Anna, though she may have died young; the internet gives only an 1813 date of brith) or just possibly a brother (Arthur, who is well-documented but outside Italy). The letter does, however, contain the words “my Mother” where one might expect “our Mother” or simply “Mother”. On the other hand, Gertrude’s mother was still alive and living in Italy where she died in 1859 so this could be Anna or Arthur. Whoever the writer is, they have had their writings published and are in touch with both evangelical characters (Mr Müller in Bristol) and aristocratic ones, the Drumlanrigs who are well-documented – Lady Drumlanrig (1821-1904) became the Dowager Marquess of Queensberrry and has a Wikipedia page as “Caroline Douglas”. Her husband was notorious for gambling and adultery and died from a hunting accident in 1858 though a covered-up suicide is also the possible cause. Unfortunately, the one published work to which the letter refers has an illegible title which I have guessed at as “The Bergen Law” which gets me nowhere except to card games. The enclosures mentioned in the letter are no longer present.
Transcription
Addressed
to: La Contessa Gertrude Baldelli
Cortona
No dateline
Despatch
postmark: Pisa 14 Gen [January] 1850
My
dear Gertrude
Your
letter of the 3 January reached me in due course but I have been too much
engaged to answer it before this. I had thought that they would have written to
you soon after my arrival. I reached Florence on Christmas eve and remained
there until the 2d of January, from which date I have been here [Pisa].
All the time I was at Florence I could do nothing else but occupy myself with
putting in order, the very scandalous state in which the house was, on all sides
and in all respects, so much so that at one time I was thinking of leaving the
place altogether and returning to England, and live by myself which I much
prefer to living in an ill ordered house.
Your
boxes have reached Leghorn [Livorno] I think, however here is the bill
of lading which unless someone comes to Leghorn and clears them from the custom
house for you, you had better then give this bill to a spedizione or
commissioner as we call him, and he clear the cases for you and then send in
his bill, but this of course is the most expensive way. I also inclose a note
one of General Watkin’s daughters gave me for you. I should be much obliged to
you, as you may have the time, if you will translate [from Italian?]
this pamphlet into common English for me. I certainly cannot do so, not having
time, if any technical terms occur insert them in pencil and I will fill it up.
I only want your rough translation, as I will overlook it & make a clean
copy. I would come and see you but my leaving at present is not questionable,
because I am very deeply engaged. Somebody printed in English a Ms. paper I
wrote called the “Bergen Law” [very uncertain transcription] – you might
wish to see it, and my Mother can lend you her copy as I have none to send or
indeed in my possession at all. I also thank you for sending me Lady Drumlanrig
letter to read, and was sorry to learn that she had been so unwell, but it
reminded me of the truth that the Father orders all things for his inheritance,
and binds up himself that which he made sore. We have this
expressed to us in a passage in Job 11
it is his care and love that makes him always bind up that which he made
sore, any other would prove as bad ointment, that only closes up but soon the
wound would reopen.
Any
letter from Mr Macallister directed to me, to Pisa would reach me. Mr
Müller’s address Paul St. Bristol. [He was an evangelical preacher
and founder of numerous orphanages, also involved in the original Plymouth
Brethren] Lady Drumlanrig errs [uncertain transcription] in supposing
or thinking that she was the first or main cause of my rupture with the Lord
Drumlanrig. You will be sorry to hear that it was evident to me at Glen Stuart
[Scottish estate of Lady Drumlanrig’s Douglas family] that one or
both of us possibly had changed somewhat, and that an undercurrent of diffidence
was felt, and that little more than conventional relationship only existed. I
may have changed myself, but he certainly has so also to an extensive extent,
and with it had acquired a considerable amount of delusion respecting himself,
which pained me much. I had hardly thought of them since, but I can show you
his and my last letters. I think he more than most men is often ignorant of the
nature of the things he says and does. His companions also may have done him
much mischief, such as Lord Walpole and Sir Joseph Hawley. We must be very
careful in framing a judgment of all things, and ideals with truth and
principals [sic] without heeding effects, and consequences. Lord
Drumlanrig as much as most men, stood in need of having some truth told him, I
in my little wisdom and foresight did so, but I would do now exactly in
the same words, and I am not wrong because, the truth has offended him, or
Christ or any of the prophets in their speaches [sic]. I am very glad
that Lady Drumlanrig continues to pray so much in faith concerning his well
fare, because this will be answered in time, if prayer is made without …ing. An
answer is certain in her case, respecting him. It still continues snow here and
it is very cold. I had a letter from Mr Wilson a day or two ago, they are all
well. I have a voluminous correspondence in hand and must close this, without
reading it over. Remember me to Baldelli.
My
address is 898 via S.Maria Pisa
Yours
very afftly A Walker
Sunday
night
References
Diana and Tony Webb, The Anglo-Florentines. The British in Tuscany 1814-1860
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