Letter from Emma Evans to her cousin Arthur Phelps.
Transcribed from a scan of the original in January 2013 by Penelope
Forrest, born Phelps, great granddaughter of Arthur.
Ashleworth1
June 18th
[1852]
Dear Pumpy,
Many thanks for your note. I suppose
you are back again at B T by this time so I shall send this there. How you must
have been enjoying yourself at Canterbury. You do not mention how you liked the
organ. I often doubt whether it was really as beautiful as I heard it in '48,
for I was in a great state of excitement at the time which is a good receipt for
hearing music well.
I wish you could have heard what we
heard yesterday at Gloucester. It was Cousin Tom's2
wedding day as well as Papa's so we went there to dine & hear a concert. Cousin
T is a first rate performer on the double bass (he occasionally plays at Exeter
Hall) then besides himself there were 3 violins 1 piano 1 flute 1 tenor 1 or 2
violincellos and 1 wind instrument, I forget what, 10 altogether. All of them
excellent musicians & accustomed to play together. We had four hours of this,
such glorious pieces of Mozart, Scarlatti, Handel, Beethoven, Corelli &c. We
enjoyed it thoroughly. I had never seen cousin Tom before & like him. He is very
peculiar – & apparently very Evans, with a nice
A loose page must have followed here. The following is written across the
first page:
evident – so don't you think I am a
pattern cousin for writing all this. I do. Give my love to Aunt Elizth
please, & to Fanny & Clara. Tell Fanny my direction & believe me
Yours affectionately,
Emma Evans
1. Emma, her parents, her sister, Anne, and her brother, Bassy were all staying
with Dr Evans's half-sister, Cunitia Attwood. (Time
& Chance page 56)
2. Dr Evans's nephew, son of his older brother Thomas.
Although the visit to Gloucester and the concert are mentioned in
Time & Chance, the year is not
specified. Emma implies that "Aunt Elizabeth" is in England and we know she
intended to be there in the summer of 1852 to see Joe off to Newfoundland. (I
cannot think where B T can be.)